Stickman's 2015 - That's All She Wrote...

Hi All! It's been an incredibly busy winter dealing with one thing and another, and it's only about half over here.   Still, it's time to get on the stick and put my seeds in the dirt in preparation for plant-out in another 12 weeks or so. I have a Manzano over-wintering inside that's going on its third year. It's next to a sliding glass door with a great southern exposure but the light it gets here this time of year is pretty paltry... I expect it'll start to perk up sometime in March. I have a couple of MoA Scotch Bonnets over-wintering at a friend's house because there wasn't space in front of the sliding glass door for them and my wife's indoor plants... the deal is that if they both survive the winter, we'll split the plants. If not, he'll keep the one that lives. That seems fair since he did all the work.
 
The rest of the list is looking like this...

Pubiscens Varieties
Total bust this year... nothing that germinated survived.

Baccatum:
Ditto

Frutascens:
Tabasco
Hawaiian Bird chile
 
Chacoense:
Ditto

Chinense:
7-pot Yellow Turned out to be a red "Not"
MoA Scotch Bonnet
Beni Highlands... Also turned out to be a "Not"... maybe a Mako Akokrosade cross?
Ja Hab
Trinidad Perfume
Zavory

Annuum:
Cabe Rawit (mouse turd pepper, in Singapore where the seeds were collected they're called Cili Padi)
Red Thai
Biggie Chile Anaheim
Poblano Gigantia
Jalapeno Ciclon
Jalapeno Tormenta
Serrano Tampiqueno
Hungarian Hot Wax
Almapaprika
Ethiopian Brown Berbere
 
I'll also be planting a sweet Criolla de Cucina plants and about 20 sweet Kurtovska Kapijas. The Kapijas have the longest growing and ripening times of any Annuum I know, but they're big, meaty sweet peppers that average around a half a pound apiece... just the thing for making that eastern european condiment called Ajvar.
 
Too tired to say more now, but will pick up later... Cheers!

 

[stickman]

Hey stickman aren't you the one who makes the blueberry smoked habanero sauce?
If so though I never had any I know it has to be out of this world and I admire your sauce making skills

 
Thanks Jason, but I didn't arrive at it entirely on my own... I had input from Rocketman, romy6 and PIC 1. There are some great cooks and sauce-makers here that are willing to share and help you get the most out of your spicy harvest! Would we want it any other way?
 

I know I'm not first or anything, but LED-based agriculture is something I'm really passionate about.  I have a background in the techniques used in the production of the semiconductor material LEDs are made from (Group III-Nitrides, typically, made by MBE - molecular beam epitaxy) as well as the kind of process control and integration needed to implement the concept.  You wouldn't know it by looking at my grow stations, but then, the cobbler's kids have no shoes, either.

 
I read ya five by five on that one John! Heh, heh...
 
Supper tonight really hit the spot! I found a local market that carried Pusa Jwala chiles and that inspired me to make Rajma... (red kidney bean curry.) For sides I made rice, roasted eggplant Raita, mildly curried Broccolini, and Apple/raisin chutney. After 12 hours in the slow cooker the beans were absolutely cooked soft and creamy...

 

[Plantguy76]

Nope sure wouldn't want it any other way wished I joined up a long time ago instead of lurking.
It got so it was a running joke with my buddies .
When I told my buddy I finally joined he said about time lol
Interesting information on light systems I don't have any as yet but hope to get some someday along with a areogarden

 

[Sawyer]

Rick, I had to unlike your last post, just so I could like it again after you posted the food pic.  That looks tasty.  Makes me think it's time to make red beans and rice again.

 

[stickman]

Nope sure wouldn't want it any other way wished I joined up a long time ago instead of lurking.
It got so it was a running joke with my buddies .
When I told my buddy I finally joined he said about time lol
Interesting information on light systems I don't have any as yet but hope to get some someday along with a areogarden

 
You definitely learn more if you get actively involved in things around here. Welcome to the zoo!
 
An Aerogarden is nice for hydroponically starting a few plants, but eventually you have to move them into bigger shoes when they outgrow it. I usually end up transplanting between 75 and a hundred plants so enough Aerogardens to do the job would be too expensive to be practical for me.
 

Rick, I had to unlike your last post, just so I could like it again after you posted the food pic.  That looks tasty.  Makes me think it's time to make red beans and rice again.

 
Come to think of it... it is Lent isn't it. Folks in "Nawlins" are eating a lot of it about now.   I found an excellent slow-cooker recipe that has decent heat, and it includes one or two smoked ham hocks while the beans are cooking to make it really exceptional! http://www.food.com/recipe/crescent-city-red-beans-rice-crock-pot-373619
I like to use Andouille or Chorizo for the sausage to help kick it up a notch.
 
Here's a couple of oddities in the growbox down cellar... a CAP267 seedling that has both cotys fused into a single notched blade. I've seen this in other years, and the affected plants never develop true leaves.

 
This Beni Highlands seedling has quad cotys... I wonder if it'll develop into an off-pheno type?

 
February is rapidly coming to a close, and I'll be happy to see the back of it! Hopefully we'll be getting more seasonal weather soon!

 

[meatfreak]

Congrats on all the seedlings, Rick. Of to a great start, had a couple of quad coty's to this season. Don't think it means anything special though.

 

[Sawyer]

Thanks for the red beans and rice recipe; it looks pretty good.  The last batch I made started out just to be red beans, but I had some leftover rice and one thing led to another.  Had to go to the store for a couple of things and lo and behold the butcher had some fresh andouille.  It wasn't really spicy enough, but we all have the means to fix that.
 
I wonder if you split that fused coty down to the top of the stem with a razor blade if it would jump start some apical growth.  If you think it's going to die otherwise, it'd be worth a shot.

 

[Devv]

Congrats on all the hookage!
 
Red bean dish looks great!

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Don't like February. Happy to say goodbye.
 
Hat's off to the four coty!

 

[stickman]

Congrats on all the seedlings, Rick. Of to a great start, had a couple of quad coty's to this season. Don't think it means anything special though.

 
Probably so Stefan, but a guy can dream... 
 

Thanks for the red beans and rice recipe; it looks pretty good.  The last batch I made started out just to be red beans, but I had some leftover rice and one thing led to another.  Had to go to the store for a couple of things and lo and behold the butcher had some fresh andouille.  It wasn't really spicy enough, but we all have the means to fix that.
 
I wonder if you split that fused coty down to the top of the stem with a razor blade if it would jump start some apical growth.  If you think it's going to die otherwise, it'd be worth a shot.

 
I always start more seeds than I need to for just this reason John... that way I can cull the "deviants" and still have enough seedlings left over to transplant out.
 
Round One is (mostly) established, so I moved that flat down to the grow box and finished sowing round Two. This'll be the last of the Peppers I'll sow this season. I decided it was easier and cheaper to buy Eggplants ready to set out, so Round 3 will be Tomatoes and herbs.
 
The Round Two list:
 
Kurtovska Kapija
Red Squash Pepper (a sweet heirloom from the Hancock, MA Shaker community)
Almapaprika
Edesalmapaprika
Hargita F1 (Hungarians call this "Pointed Hot" but we call them Hot Wax peppers)
NagyKuti
Pritamin (these two Pimientos are called "Tomato Peppers by the Hungarians)
Cabe Merah Kriting
Cili Padi (mouseturd peppers collected in Singapore by my Aunt)
Thai Garden Bird (maybe the same thing from a different source but will find out when the pods ripen)
Chilaca/Pasilla (seeds collected from dried pods)
Mulato Isleno
Poblano Gigantea
Numex Big Jim
Serrano Tampiqueno
Jalapeno Ciclon
Jalapeno Coyame
Nabasco (2nd generation, Naga King x Tabasco cross)
 
and lastly, for the H*** of it, a C. Chacoense variety designated CAP501. Seeds from Spicegeist.

 

[Sawyer]

Interesting list.  Are the Ciclon and Coyame Jals F1 or have you been saving seeds?

 

[tctenten]

Love the variety Rick, and I can't wait to see how you utilize them.

 

[stickman]

Interesting list.  Are the Ciclon and Coyame Jals F1 or have you been saving seeds?

 
I got the Ciclon seed from Meatfreak, John, and the Coyame seeds are hybrids from Burpees. Jalapeno seeds are so easy to find nowadays that I don't bother to save mine, and I grow my plants too close together to be sure of the genetics if I did. The Kurtovska Kapija seeds came from plants grown at my Mom's and they're the only pepper plants grown in her neighborhood, so they should absolutely grow true.
 

Love the variety Rick, and I can't wait to see how you utilize them.

 
Cheers Terry, and good luck with your grow as well.
 
Looking in on my first round seeds down cellar, I see 2 Mozambique Peri Peri hooks and a total of 7 Costa Rican Yellow pubes!   The last holdout from that batch is the JA Habs, but I haven't given up on them yet. Even if they don't germinate, I'll still have 6 MoA Scotch Bonnets this year.

 

[Devv]

Very interesting second round...
 
Good luck!

 

[stickman]

Thanks Scott... your interest must have been what they were waiting for... the first of the Kurts hooked up this morning!

 
I've got 7 of the Costa Rican Yellow pubes up now

 
The two Bahamian Goats

 
Two Mozambique Peri Peris

 
And an experiment... I just love the taste of a Middle-Eastern spice blend called Za'atar that calls for Syrian Marjoram. I found some seeds and planted them too.

 

[Pulpiteer]

That's interesting they have a Shaker village in Mass. I went to seminary in Kentucky just down the road from an old Shaker village. Fascinating stuff. Great unprovoked food at the restaurant.

 

[stickman]

That's interesting they have a Shaker village in Mass. I went to seminary in Kentucky just down the road from an old Shaker village. Fascinating stuff. Great unprovoked food at the restaurant.

 
Yup, the community in Hancock was the third they established. The first was in Albany, NY The second was in New Lebanon, NY and that one became their headquarters. We have a copy of a Shaker cookbook that was put together from "kitchen receipts" of the  Shaker heyday. They lived and ate communally and the original recipes were for around a hundred people, but the cookbook authors modified them for a family of 6. Great stuff in there, I haven't cooked a recipe from that book that wasn't excellent... I especially love their Apple Pie and Chicken with Dumplings!
 
Now that I have the lights set up in my growbox downstairs I went over to my friend's place and picked up the chiles he started for me. There's one 7-pot Orange...

 
... one Naga King...

 
...and six MoA Scotch Bonnets. They look a little yellow right now, but with the right light and nutes I'll fix that.

 

[Plantguy76]

Interesting list and nice looking plants now if spring would just get here

 

[Spicegeist]

Nice.  I'm growing the Naga King again this year.  Are you using seed saved from your grow last year?

 

[stickman]

Interesting list and nice looking plants now if spring would just get here

 
S'right Jason... from your mouth to God's ear, eh?
 

Nice.  I'm growing the Naga King again this year.  Are you using seed saved from your grow last year?

 
Yes they are Charles, last year was the first time I ever grew Bhuts and I liked them so much that I'll be growing at least a few from now on. I remember you grew a lot of different Bhut varieties last year... what was your favorite for a balanced blend of heat and flavor?

 

[moruga welder]

nice grow!  and cold / snow here also , won't give up !  below normal .