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Stickman's 2014 Glog- That's all folks!

Hi All,
   I've got Manzanos sprouted and my Bhuts, Lotah Bih and Donne Sali seeds planted so it looks like time to leave 2103 behind and begin to concentrate on 2014. Last year I started some of my late-season varieties right after New Year's Day, but our season was too short to bring the pods to full ripeness so this year I started 2-3 weeks earlier.
 
Manzano seedlings...
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Fruts and Bhuts ;) ...
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There are many more varieties yet to plant in the proper turn, and I have 4 overwintered pepper plants from 2013 that I'll report on later. Have a great weekend all!
 
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Trippa said:
All looking good Rick ... how's the pod haul shaping compared with last year?
The OW Douglah pods are looking very stereotypical with that matte skin ... they look to be a good size as well.
The G. Bhut looks nice and gnarly ... great stuff!
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Cheers Tristan!  The first year Chinense will probably give me a hat-full per plant like last year. The exceptions this year are the MoAs and OW Douglahs. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if I got over a kilo of pods from the Dougie alone! The pods on it are a bit bigger than last year. I think I'll smoke them all and dry them for powder. :D
Devv said:
Just loving that color that's coming on!
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Cheers Scott!
 
dlsolo said:
Those Naga Kings look mean...  I too can't wait to see them ripen.
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Thanks Aaron... and welcome to the zoo! Have you got a garden in this year too?
 
Excellent bhut-age Rick! I've switched to daily pulls now too as I can. I've been leaving the ripes on the plant too long and was getting torn up by water damage and insects. Leaffooted bugs are bad down here right now. I am hoping most my plants got one more big pulse in 'em.
 
maximumcapsicum said:
Excellent bhut-age Rick! I've switched to daily pulls now too as I can. I've been leaving the ripes on the plant too long and was getting torn up by water damage and insects. Leaffooted bugs are bad down here right now. I am hoping most my plants got one more big pulse in 'em.
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Cheers Adam! Good news that your pod production is still near the peak before slowing down for the Autumn. Have you had much pod damage from the Leaf-footed Bugs?
 
randyp said:
    Rick you must have the same hours I do. Checking THP at 430 or 5 in the morning before work. ;)
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More like 5:30-6:00 Randy, but I'm with ya! :) 
 
Boy, this morning is a chilly 44 degrees... c'mon Ma Nature, get it together... it's still August! :snooty:
 
Pulled a few PeriPeris and Pequin-types. I'm bagging and freezing the PeriPeris separate from the rest of the Fruts, but so far they're by far the bulk of the harvest. I also have a bag for the Pequin-types and the Thai Red Demons. I'll be doing the same for the Orange Thai (Prik Leuang) pods because the plan it to make some Thai curry pastes when I get enough together, and putting them away for the winter. I've been drying the Dedo de Moca and Takanotsume for powder, but I'll store the dried pods whole until I need to grind them for something. That way they keep their color and flavor better during storage.
 
The freezer bags so far... left to right, Thai Red Demon, PeriPeri and Pequin-types. The long pods in the Pequin-types are Chintexle crosses.
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Cheers all!
 
Nice Annuum's Rick. I agree it's been a cool August. I need to start chopping wood. I think I'm going to need it this year. I still have a lot a plants flowering. Not good. I have to find a way to stop flower drop. 2 months of that is to much. Maybe with shade cloth it will be different.

Thanks for sharing.

Have a great week Rick.
 
looking great Rick! plants are freakin loaded!

Douglahs look very different from my first lot, but the ne pods look more similar to yours. i see a lot of variation in the 7 pot family though. i might do a douglah test this weekend.
 
OCD Chilehead said:
Nice Annuum's Rick. I agree it's been a cool August. I need to start chopping wood. I think I'm going to need it this year. I still have a lot a plants flowering. Not good. I have to find a way to stop flower drop. 2 months of that is to much. Maybe with shade cloth it will be different.

Thanks for sharing.

Have a great week Rick.
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 I've cut, split and piled my share of cordwood before this, so I hear ya brother... :)    I'm glad to be living in a solar house now that's so well insulated that solar gain cuts the heating bill by more than half.  We've also got 15 solar panels on the roof for electricity and 2 collectors for hot water. :D
 
I wonder if it would be better for you to grow your plants under a low row cover, and use agricultural fabric to cover that. It'll let in light, air and water, but keep out bugs and the worst of the wind and UV. I think it would also increase the warmth of the soil and the humidity in the air around the plants... especially if you had a dripline or soaker hose underneath black plastic mulch, and you would punch holes in the plastic and set your plants in the holes. You could have your irrigation line on a hose timer, and you wouldn't need to water by hand at all. Just a thought...
georgej said:
looking great Rick! plants are freakin loaded!

Douglahs look very different from my first lot, but the ne pods look more similar to yours. i see a lot of variation in the 7 pot family though. i might do a douglah test this weekend.
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Yeah, early pods usually look different from the ones set during optimum conditions. Be prepared to get lit up, because the Dougies will definitely hurt you. A very different flavor experience from the Yellow 7s too... last year I found the pods weren't sweet at all, and had notes of earth and wood in the flavor. Make sure to have some ripe fruit nearby... ;)  Looking forward to your review of the Dougie this weekend!
 
The Dawn Patrol this morning turned up a couple of new varieties just beginning to ripen. First up is the  Lotah Bih. Juist a hint of color now, but it should be more noticeable by the weekend.
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Tabasco
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Orange Thai (Prik Leuang)
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Ripe Serranos
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Today's pull of PiriPiris... it isn't many at a time, but it's at least this many every day
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Cheers all!
 
44° for August is a bit cool. I was hoping you wouldn't see that until November, atleast October anyways. One good thing is you have all the gear to squeeze out more days if this nonsense continues.
 
So I have a question, and I may have asked this once before. This year reminded me of 25 years ago when we first bought the place. Not quite the same, still less rain but perhaps the cycle is moving back. We'll see if we get good September rains. And then if they continue through December, we may be back to that cycle. So are you seeing the same?
 
PeriPeri said:
Niice! Loving all them colours coming on... looking mighty fine. Good luck with the fair... looks like you have a great spread of awesome chillies to show!
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Thanks for the vote of confidence Lourens, I'm looking forward to it. :)
 
PIC 1 said:
wow, 44 degrees...that has to be a fluke for this time of year. We'll send you some heat after this weekend.
Those little Peri Peri's are nice yard candy. 
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It's the coldest overnight low for August in the last 5 years Greg, but not so out of the ordinary here... Generally it's somewhere between 47 and 51 degrees. What really tells the tale is the average temperature for the month. Usually it's between 68 and 71 degrees, but the average so far this month is 66.
 
I have to work on Sunday, so I've got to use some of those PeriPeris for a chicken braai on Saturday. :)  I'm freezing the rest of the crop for saucemaking.
 
Cheers!
 
OCD Chilehead said:
I love the idea of solar. Sounds like your set for Winter. You've gave me some things to think about for next years grow. Nice looking pods. Tabasco's are loading up.

Thanks Rick
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Cheers mate :)
 
Devv said:
44° for August is a bit cool. I was hoping you wouldn't see that until November, atleast October anyways. One good thing is you have all the gear to squeeze out more days if this nonsense continues.
 
So I have a question, and I may have asked this once before. This year reminded me of 25 years ago when we first bought the place. Not quite the same, still less rain but perhaps the cycle is moving back. We'll see if we get good September rains. And then if they continue through December, we may be back to that cycle. So are you seeing the same?
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I don't think I'll try to stretch the season out this season Scott. The amount of pods I'll be processing will be enough to see me through the next year at least, and I'll be ready for a break when frost comes. I do want to OW the elder Manzano inside though, and if I could find an OW home for the elder Douglah and the MoAs, that would be cool too. This is only the 3rd year that I've kept a garden journal, and my memory beyond that is sketchy. I can tell you that between the heat and lack of rain, our lawn looked dead the last two summers. This year it's been lush and green the whole time.
 
I amazed at how long the Naga Kings are taking to change colour. Not sure if it is heat or sun or what, but here they change colour much quicker Rick. Nice to see the colour on the Tabasco - I am a little impartial towards the humble Tabsco. Does not get great reveiews when you eat them plain off the plant, but when they are made into sauce... they become sublime. The man that came up with the idea of making a sour mash from these is a genius I think. It really is in my mind the the best application for the Tabsco. Apparently McIlhenny have a batton that the pickers carry around with them (or possibly just new pickers). The batton has the exact colour the pods have to be before they can be picked. Seems pretty methodical to me :)
 
As always Rick, the continued harvests all look real good as well as the plant pics. You should have very little to complain about for this year's harvest. :party: Keep it up.
 
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