Stickman's 2013 Glog - Time To Pull The Plug on 2013

I'm pulling things together to get ready for my next growing season. I bought NuMex variety seeds from Sandia Seed company in New Mexico, Hot Paper Lantern Habaneros and Antohi Romanians from Johnny's Select Seeds in Maine and Korean varieties from Evergreen Seeds in California. Due to the unbelievable generosity of a number of THP members I've also gotten seeds to a wide variety of chiles from around the world. Special thanks to BootsieB, stc3248, romy6, PaulG, SoCalChilehead, joynershotpeppers, highalt, cmpman1974, smokemaster, mygrassisblue, Mister No, chewi, KingDenniz, orrozconleche and most recently and spectacularly, Habanerohead with a great selection of superhots and peppers from Hungary!

There are eleven varieties of Hungarian peppers in here, mostly the early, thick-fleshed, sweet ones that range from white through yellow to purple and red.., plus Aji Lemon Drop, BJ Indian Carbon, Naga Morich, Bishop's Crown and TS CARDI Yellow! Now I just have to go through my seed bank and match the space available to what I want to grow. Thanks Balázs!

 

[stickman]

Thanks guys! Who doesn't like that kind of surprise! In a way, I owe Bonnie for finding those pods. We were talking about what looked like some unstable commercial crosses and I went out to take this pic for comparison when I found the hidden pods. Thanks Bonnie!

 
These are some of my larger Chilhuacle Negro pods. I'm definitely looking forward to using them in some Mole' sauces this year!

 

[stickman]

Time once again for the weekend Morning Patrol...
 
After thundershowers in the wee hours of last night I got up at 5am to 70 degrees... WooHoo! I've got pods from some new varieties to look at, like this Antohi Romanian

 
and this Urfa Biber

 
Some of the regular players, like this Jalapeno Mucho Nacho cross. They're a little too big for poppers but they'll make great rellenos or green chile

 
C'mon Marconi, you're big enough... now ripen!

 
Chimayo"

 
Jalapeno Zapotec... the marble-sized pods got set during the cold weather, and don't seem to be getting any larger. The more recent pods look normal and continue to grow.

 
Butch T is starting to bud up and get bigger

 
and the Guajillo chiles are starting to reach for the sky (finally)!

 
In-ground Yellow 7 has only set that one pod, and is indifferently putting out flowers, but has nearly doubled in size. I hope that's in preparation for massive pod growth in the near future!

 
Have a great weekend all!

 

[FreeportBum]

Great pods! seeing all the different peppers you grow is really inspiring. Next year I am going to really get my hands dirty...   

 

[HabaneroHead]

B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l green and healthy plants,  Rick! 

 

[stickman]

Great pods! seeing all the different peppers you grow is really inspiring. Next year I am going to really get my hands dirty...   

 

B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l green and healthy plants,  Rick! 

 
Thanks Guys! I'm filled with anticipation every time I grow new varieties, or ones I really like... come to think of it... that covers the whole garden.
 
Balasz, your seeds are great producers! I have an Almapaprika with more than 20 pods on it, and more coming every day. The Coloring and Tomato peppers are not far behind. I only have 2 plants of each in the ground, but I suspect I'm going to get a bucketful of pods from each plant before the season's out. I'm not sure why I had such a hard time getting the Pointed Hot, Wax peppers and Frying peppers to germinate, but I had so many new varieities going I didn't mind. I'm determined to get them started next season so I can check them out too. One thing's certain, you've blown my mind with your native pepper varieties, and from now on, the ones I've started this year will be in my garden every year. Thanks again!

 

[HillBilly Jeff]

Plants are looking well my friend.

 

[MGOLD86]

Looking good Rick!  Congrats on the weather and some more pods setting! 

 

[Devv]

As usual nice update Rick!
 
That Marconi is getting huge!
 
I'm jelly of that rain, 105 here today, and we had to go to an outdoor B-Day party...hot! But now I'm home in the AC ahhhhh
 
Have a great weekend!

 

[stickman]

Thanks guys! Now that you're back home in the AC Scott, I assume beer is part of the picture?
 
Up to now, I've only been pulling 1 or 2 individual peppers, but today's haul is more respectable. I picked the marble-sized Jals to make room for more normal-sized ones, and picked the Almapaprika pods just to thin out the crowd in there. Throw in a not Mucho Nacho Jal/Anaheim cross and a few largeish Serranos and now we've got enough for at least a few days.

 
Have a good Saturday all!

 

[Devv]

Glad you're getting some harvests, as you know they will take off from here.
 
Like the corking on the Jal's, even here in mid or late season I still get some of those marble sized Jal's. I think it's the nature of the beast.
 
Yeah, beer...and now after dinner a few dark Rum drinks was a long day
 
Edit: still 99 outside, and it's getting dark!

 

[HabaneroHead]

 
 
Thanks Guys! I'm filled with anticipation every time I grow new varieties, or ones I really like... come to think of it... that covers the whole garden.
 
Balasz, your seeds are great producers! I have an Almapaprika with more than 20 pods on it, and more coming every day. The Coloring and Tomato peppers are not far behind. I only have 2 plants of each in the ground, but I suspect I'm going to get a bucketful of pods from each plant before the season's out. I'm not sure why I had such a hard time getting the Pointed Hot, Wax peppers and Frying peppers to germinate, but I had so many new varieities going I didn't mind. I'm determined to get them started next season so I can check them out too. One thing's certain, you've blown my mind with your native pepper varieties, and from now on, the ones I've started this year will be in my garden every year. Thanks again!

 
Thank you, that's a real good news, and it is also good to my Hungarian heart, my friend! I knew that the typically short season Hungarian types will fit into your garden well. When this season is over, we can still discuss whether I can find you some Hungarian varieties, which you might like to grow. I am not sure if I have mentioned, but the Coloring Paprika was hot originally. During the drying process the workers removed the seeds and the placenta, and they made the peppers mild with this process. There was a Hungarian researcher, who breeded the non-pungent Coloring Paprika at the beginning of the 20th century (!), and since then we have the sweet one. One more thing, which can be useful: in order to obtain the deeper red color, the big producers are also ripening the pods off the plant, after harvesting them. It is said that with this the paprika will be sweeter, and its color will deeper.

 

[stickman]

That's interesting... I know that sun-dried peppers are generally lighter in color than those dried in an oven. The exception being what the Turks do with the Urfa Biber. They sun-dry during the day, but wrap the peppers tightly when they bring them in at night, and the dried pods turn a dark purple color... kind of like the dried, ground sumac berries used in Middle Eastern kebabs.

 

[stickman]

Quickie update from the garden... the runt Vesena is starting to set pods

 
and a couple of nons...
 
Purple Asian Eggplant

 
Pickling cukes by the end of the week!

 
My wife is taking the good camera with her to Canada for a couple of weeks so I dug out the backup. Finally located the macro switch on it so I can get closeups with the backup. Have a great Sunday all

 

[Devv]

I see you let the cukes climb. I had one stray into the tomatoes last year and it did really well, but finding the cukes was like an Easter egg hunt..
 
We don't have much luck with them in the spring, but they do well when seeds are sown around Aug 25th.

 

[DocNrock]

Lots to catch up on!  Going back a couple of pages, really cool to see the supers coming along.  That Almapaprika looks like a great variety to grow.  Congrats on the first Aji Omni!  Great chile.  Those not-Mucho Jalapenos are nuts...love it!  Definitely agree with rellanos.  Congrats on finding the "hidden treasure!"

 

[Scarecrw]

Everything's looking good stick. My mom used to grow a pepper and called it an Apple pepper and stuffed them. Looks a lot like your almapaprika pods. Do you stuff them or make powder? I might add them to next years grow. Keep up the good work.

 

[stickman]

I see you let the cukes climb. I had one stray into the tomatoes last year and it did really well, but finding the cukes was like an Easter egg hunt..
 
We don't have much luck with them in the spring, but they do well when seeds are sown around Aug 25th.

Yeah, I trained them up a trellis for the first time last season and was charmed with the results. They didn't take up anywhere near as much square footage because they grew vertically. I tried the same thing with Zucchini that year but it didn't work out. The Hobak squash, however, looks like it would be a good candidate for trellising next year, so I'll be doing it then.

Lots to catch up on!  Going back a couple of pages, really cool to see the supers coming along.  That Almapaprika looks like a great variety to grow.  Congrats on the first Aji Omni!  Great chile.  Those not-Mucho Jalapenos are nuts...love it!  Definitely agree with rellanos.  Congrats on finding the "hidden treasure!"

Thanks Doc! You've been a busy guy too I see... hope you're staying cool!

Everything's looking good stick. My mom used to grow a pepper and called it an Apple pepper and stuffed them. Looks a lot like your almapaprika pods. Do you stuff them or make powder? I might add them to next years grow. Keep up the good work.

Are you ethnically Hungarian? The translation of Almapaprika is Apple Pepper. I love these things! They're tasty, prolific and easy to grow here with a short growing season. There are both sweet and hot varieties... googling the hot ones, I see they're supposed to run about 100-1,000 Scovilles. Great for stuffing and pickling... that's what I'm planning for most of mine, but Bonnie says when you let them fully ripen, they're thick fleshed and sweet like a pimiento. IMHO I think they're well worth growing for us nortenos.

 

[MisterNo]

Wow Rick, you're harvesting already, great!
 
You have some serious pods there, that Marconi and Chimayo are HUGE

 

[GnomeGrown]

Alright some pods for Stickman!
 

 

[stickman]

Wow Rick, you're harvesting already, great!
 
You have some serious pods there, that Marconi and Chimayo are HUGE

Thanks Robert! I thought you'd enjoy some pics of your Kurtovska Kapija peppers. They're already 2 thirds of a meter tall with a lush canopy of leaves and loaded with pods!

 
Sorry for the fuzzy pic... still getting used to the backup camera...
 
Time once again for the Dawn Patrol report.
It was 73 degrees at 5am (ignore the time and date stamp on the pics, I need to reset on the camera...), and 88% humidity. It rained yesterday afternoon and was misty as all getout when I was driving home from my Mom's after sundown. The peppers are just eating it up!
 
Picked 4 Omnicolor pods today

 
 
Big Jim Anaheim is budding up

And a few Criolla Sella pods as well

 
Slicing Tomatoes are chest-high... I'd say that red plastic mulch works as advertised!

 
Have a great week all!

Alright some pods for Stickman!
 

Thanks Gnome... how's your garden growing?