Stickman's 2016 Gochu Glog- Transplanting is Finished

Hi All, I'm back again after quite a while and more than a few changes. Health issues got in the way of being active here after Christmas, but I've resolved those and am ready to plug in here again, albeit with less time than I had before. Anyway... on to the chiles!
 
My friends with a CISA farm have started 6 MoA Scotch Bonnets, what I hope are 2 King Nagas and a couple of Jalapenos. I have three 1020 trays worth of 3inch pots planted with 4 varieties of Gochu peppers. I sowed them a week ago and they're just now starting to sprout. I also have 12 pots of Texas Wild Pequins and 6 pots of Guwahati Bhuts planted that haven't started to sprout.
 
In addition to the solar food dryer, I picked up a stainless steel 10-quart pressure cooker at Christmas time, so I'm planning on experimenting with using it to process purees and sauces to hopefully make them more shelf-stable. Any input on that would be gratefully accepted.
 
Gochus starting...

 
Chinense varieties and Jalapenos

 
That's all for now... see ya all later!

 

[Devv]

I'm in total agreement with the Chinense performance. They are very slow to start when it's cooler, and then, they hate the full sun when it's above 90°. The Annuum's just take it all in stride. I've only started to get serious growing peppers 4 seasons ago. I'm thinking I have it down for next season. Put the peppers in the dirt 30 days after the maters. Make sure they're 12"s tall or better, you know, show me some wood on the trunk   We have a long grow season here, but 10 weeks of it's pure hell for the plants.
 
No, we don't have a tax for our septic systems here. It's based upon improvements, We're very lucky, 20 acres, 2,000 sf house, 1,000 sf two story shop, 1 acre homesteaded, 19 acres in ag use. $1,700 a year in taxes. We visited Texas in 1978, we decided to stay here due to the cost of living. We were in NY for the 4th, everything there is way more expensive, it's just crazy

 

[stickman]

I'm in total agreement with the Chinense performance. They are very slow to start when it's cooler, and then, they hate the full sun when it's above 90°. The Annuum's just take it all in stride. I've only started to get serious growing peppers 4 seasons ago. I'm thinking I have it down for next season. Put the peppers in the dirt 30 days after the maters. Make sure they're 12"s tall or better, you know, show me some wood on the trunk   We have a long grow season here, but 10 weeks of it's pure hell for the plants.
 
     Good on ya! I hope next year is a stellar one for you and it all works out as planned.
 
 
No, we don't have a tax for our septic systems here. It's based upon improvements, We're very lucky, 20 acres, 2,000 sf house, 1,000 sf two story shop, 1 acre homesteaded, 19 acres in ag use. $1,700 a year in taxes. We visited Texas in 1978, we decided to stay here due to the cost of living. We were in NY for the 4th, everything there is way more expensive, it's just crazy

 
     Yeah, things like wells and septic systems are considered improvements here too, that's why they include them in our property tax assessments. We have the state to blame for it... they used to give money to small towns to help subsidize their public schools or make necessary repairs to infrastructure but the state is losing money as businesses and people leave for other places, so the money for small towns dried up, and the Dep't of Revenue suggested they make up the shortfall by widening their list of capital improvements included in property tax assessments. It's not just square footage anymore.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Updates look great. That Bhut looks really nice. Glad to see your growing the Jwala. I've never grown it, but was on the list a couple of times. Garden is looking great. Congrats on all the pod's.

 

[stickman]

Updates look great. That Bhut looks really nice. Glad to see your growing the Jwala. I've never grown it, but was on the list a couple of times. Garden is looking great. Congrats on all the pod's.

 
Thanks for the good vibe Chuck! I'm not sure if the Jwala would do well for you in CO... the leaves and stems look kinda tender to me and I don't know how much they'd toughen up in your climate. Reading up on their cultivation in India, I see they're planted at the start of the Monsoon season when rain is plentiful, so maybe not.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Thanks for the info. You been cooking anything good?

 

[stickman]

Thanks for the info. You been cooking anything good?

 
We've been eating a lot of Bibimbap with the veggies coming out of the garden. It's the quintessence of Korean home-cooking served with a little kimchi and Ataulfo Mangos for dessert!
 
We had a squall pass through this afternoon just before the end of the work day. It dropped about 10 minutes worth of gusty winds and pounding rain and then blew out to the east. You can see the tops of the Gochus blown over in this pic... fortunately all my peppers and tomatoes are staked, so it was no bother.

 
The tallest plant in my chile garden is the Chiltepin... it's about a meter tall now, and the growth habit is two-story. It put out a leaf canopy about a foot and a half off the ground, and grew about another a foot and a half above that. That just doesn't seem right!

 
For a wild chile the pods are awfully big too.

 
Some of the Bhut pods are 5 inches long and looking very gnarly!

 
King Nagas are working hard to catch up

 
Moruga has 4 small pods and is making more

 
Some of the Bonnets are about silver-dollar sized, and will hopefully ripen up soon!

View attachment 39317
 
Have a great week all!

 

[stickman]

Howdy Folks, and welcome to this morning's Dawn Patrol... not too much to report this morning, but three of the Gochu varieties have pods approaching full size though none have started to color up yet. I expect they will in the next week or so. The left pod is a Saeng Cho, middle pod is Lady Choi and right pod is a Korea Winner.

 
Have a great day all!

 

[tctenten]

Those are some nice sized pods Rick. I may try to grow one of those varieties next year. I normally grow cayennes to dry and flake but this year I skipped it because I still have dried pods from last year. Next year I will need to replenish and I am always interested in trying new varieties.

 

[stickman]

Those are some nice sized pods Rick. I may try to grow one of those varieties next year. I normally grow cayennes to dry and flake but this year I skipped it because I still have dried pods from last year. Next year I will need to replenish and I am always interested in trying new varieties.

 
Cheers Terry! I'd be happy to swap some seeds with you when I get mine processed. I guess that's a hint to start sequestering blossoms in preparation...

 

[Trident chilli]

Nice bonnets Rick .... stop press we have sun and for us a blistering 32c

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Plants look fantastic. Great looking Chiltepin. That would make a nice indoor OW. Great pod's.

 

[Datil]

Great poddage Rick!
I've a special bias for bhuts and chiltepins
 
Datil
 

 

[stickman]

Nice bonnets Rick .... stop press we have sun and for us a blistering 32c

 
Cheers John! And congratulations on reaching 90 degrees f... your Bonnets should love it! We've been sitting at about the same temperature here for the last 3 weeks and the chiles have been doing very well with pod production.
 

Plants look fantastic. Great looking Chiltepin. That would make a nice indoor OW. Great pod's.

 
Thanks for the good vibe Chuck! I can OW only one plant upstairs since my Wife has so many that there's not much room. So far, I'm not very happy with the Lima Market Rocoto... It's dropping blossoms and hasn't set any pods at all. If it doesn't produce any pods I like this season I'll probably compost it and choose another.
 

Great poddage Rick!
I've a special bias for bhuts and chiltepins
 
Datil
 

 
Cheers Fabrizio! Both have done extremely well for me this season.   The Chiltepin is a regular pod factory ATM, and I'm getting quite a lot of decent-sized and very gnarly pods on the Bhuts. Definitely looking forward to harvesting some of both!

 
The runt King Naga is really perking up now that I removed the volunteer Epazote plants that were competing with it for space

 
The Moruga looks like it's growing true

 
It shouldn't be too much longer before I start getting ripe Aji Pineapple pods... based on Nigel's description of it as a very "clean" tasting pepper with no hint of the "soapy" flavor that Ajis often have, I'm looking forward to this one very much too.

 
The MoA Bonnets are producing pods well ATM too, but they're kinda hard to photograph since they're hiding under a very thick leaf canopy and my camera doesn't take good pics in Macro mode when the light's dim.

 
The raised bed with the Gochus is turning into quite a jungle... every plant is about at least meter tall and blossoming like crazy

 
Today's harvest... we're finally getting veggies other than greens! Clockwise from the left are Baby Eggplant, Principe Borghese Tomatoes for drying, Sungold Cherry Tomatoes and what was supposed to be a Grape Tomato but has done so well that it looks like a mini Plum Tomato instead

 
I'm also liking the look of the Striped Roman Tomatoes too. They seem to be the most resistant to Blossom End Rot of the Plum Tomatoes this year.

 
That's all for now... TGIF folks!

 

[stickman]

Finally got myself a few soft paintbrushes to do hand pollinating, and I'll begin with the reluctant Rocoto and the heirloom Gochus. MoA Bonnets when I get a few more brushes.

 

[moruga welder]

everything is looking great rick !  glad to see !     

 

[randyp]

Rick,things look great.I hope the heat pushes your plants over the top.

 

[stickman]

everything is looking great rick !  glad to see !     

 
Cheers Frank! I won't catch up to your Chinense grow this year, but I think the Annuums are about on par.
 

Rick,things look great.I hope the heat pushes your plants over the top.

 
As long as I keep them watered adequately, I think it will Randy!  It sure was hot today... 93 degrees and 97% humidity around noon. I just got back inside after watering well. I had to wait 'til after sundown to do it or I would have wilted before I finished.
 
The plan tomorrow is to sequester the blossoms I'm gonna try to hand-pollinate first thing in the morning, and I'll get out the brushes and collecting pollen around noon. If tomorrow's as hot as today was, I suspect the flowers will fully open earlier than that.

 

[moruga welder]

 
Cheers Frank! I won't catch up to your Chinense grow this year, but I think the Annuums are about on par.
 
 
As long as I keep them watered adequately, I think it will Randy!  It sure was hot today... 93 degrees and 97% humidity around noon. I just got back inside after watering well. I had to wait 'til after sundown to do it or I would have wilted before I finished.
 
The plan tomorrow is to sequester the blossoms I'm gonna try to hand-pollinate first thing in the morning, and I'll get out the brushes and collecting pollen around noon. If tomorrow's as hot as today was, I suspect the flowers will fully open earlier than that.

 
no need to catch up my friend , if theres some i got ,and you would like , just let me know . Happy to share !    

 

[Pulpiteer]

Looking great Rick! It seems like your weather is usually similar to ours over here in Michigan.  We've been hot and dry too.  Looks like you've gotten some rain along the way though?  We are having one of those years where storms miss us north or south be like 20 miles either way.  Weather patterns can be strange.
 
Anyway, the peppers look great.  Those bhuts do look gnarly.  Very cool.  I liked the Aji Pineapple when I grew it.  Very similar to the Aji Lemon, I thought.

 

[Trident chilli]

All the best pollen painting ...