Sorry 'bout the glitch... still learning how to use my new "smart" phone. Sometimes it seems like it's smarter than me... 
Stickman's 2017 Minimalist Glog
- Thread starter stickman
- Start date
OCD Chilehead said:
Hi Chuck! IRT plastic mulch should work the same for different soil types as far as passive solar heating. You should adjust your soil prep and watering schedule accordingly though.
I've been reading about Humic and Fulvic acids in the soil and how they affect nutrient uptake by plants, and it seems that the soil chemistry differs between clay types. http://journals.lww.com/soilsci/Citation/1971/01000/INTERACTIONS_BETWEEN_HUMIC_AND_FULVIC_ACIDS_AND.4.aspx
That's where soil testing and talking with your extension agent would be helpful. They could identify your clay type and make recommendations for amendment based on that. Neil put me onto a less scholarly article that talks about why Humic and Fulvic acids are important for plants. https://www.maximumyield.com/humic-or-fulvic-acid-what-kind-are-your-plants-on/2/1352
Last year I was helping out at an organic farm, where they used them both for soil prep and foliar sprays, and the results they got were fantastic! For soil prep they used a kind of crushed shale to add Humic acid and added liquid Fulvic acid to foliar sprays. I'll be seeing them later this week, and I'll have to ask them about it.
Cheers!
Argentine said:
True... they'll grow quicker with more light, but I'm not convinced they do better that way here. We have very changeable weather in New England and I've lost plants to wind squalls, especially in the spring. Since my ultimate goal is to transplant my chiles outside, I'd rather have plants that are short and sturdy in the beginning so they can take a little buffeting.
stickman said:
True... they'll grow quicker with more light, but I'm not convinced they do better that way here. We have very changeable weather in New England and I've lost plants to wind squalls, especially in the spring. Since my ultimate goal is to transplant my chiles outside, I'd rather have plants that are short and sturdy in the beginning so they can take a little buffeting.
Too true, I try and keep the lights close and the height down while inside, with a fan on them. Some are leggy by nature though
Devv said:
Too true, I try and keep the lights close and the height down while inside, with a fan on them. Some are leggy by nature though
Yup... roger that.
Because of the limitations of the Aerogarden I've got chiles at different stages of development ATM. Here's the upper range... Randy's Scorpion cross.
A pic that really catches the hairs on the Aji Oro Pube.
Nice looking plants. Thanks for the info. I just got done posting about getting my soil tested. For sure now. I'm surrounded by natural shale. Now I'm more than curious.
stickman said:True... they'll grow quicker with more light, but I'm not convinced they do better that way here. We have very changeable weather in New England and I've lost plants to wind squalls, especially in the spring. Since my ultimate goal is to transplant my chiles outside, I'd rather have plants that are short and sturdy in the beginning so they can take a little buffeting.
From the little I've read, chili plants do better when given 24 hour light for the first 5-7 weeks of life. After that they developed leaf chlorosis and drop leaves. At the same time I have read articles that say you can extend the light cycle beyond that, but there is a time where 24/7 light doesn't help. In the past I had run my lights 24/7 for the first 5-7 weeks and had decent results, but I think my cooler temperatures at night led to the green slime and mold on the top of the coco so I've been putting the seedlings back under the humidity dome and on the heat mat for the night. I set my thermostat for the house to 19C at night.Devv said:Too true, I try and keep the lights close and the height down while inside, with a fan on them. Some are leggy by nature though
I don't use a fan anymore, but I am also using an LED light. That may contribute to the thicker stalks that I've seen while growing in coco. I can't confirm this because I haven't grown under floro's since I picked up the LED.
Neil
OCD Chilehead said:
I'm sure it'll pay dividends in future to have that info in hand Chuck. I'll be having a soil test made that takes stock of micro and macro nutrients as soon as the ground can be worked. What's nice about that is that it addresses the balance of nutes so an overabundance of some won't lock out others. I got sold on it by the organic farmers I help out... I was truly blown away by the results they were getting last year! If you're interested, I'll collect the info to pass along later this week.
Blister said:
Cheers Neil! I've never used LED lighting for my plants, so you could be right that the light intensity it provides is enough to train the plants growth into the stocky habit we look for. I'll have to pay attention to how your plants do this year and review previous years to follow the trend.
randyp said:
Cheers Randy! I'm really happy with results this year. Not that I won't try to continue to improve my methods in future...
meatfreak said:Best of luck with the 2017 season, Rick!good to see your growing the Scotch Brain.
Hi Stefan! Glad you could drop by.
Yes sir, I'm definitely looking forward to the Scotch Brain this year, and the Forbing Nagas that I gave up on in the Aerogarden finally sprouted in the coco/peat I moved them to. I guess they just needed more time to germinate.I just need one more MoA Bonnet to pop, along with Charles' Galapagoense and King Naga and I'll be all done with chile germination for this year.
meatfreak said:Best of luck with the 2017 season, Rick!
Yay!!! Stefan!!!
Hope your doing well.
Well, glad they didstickman said:
Hi Stefan! Glad you could drop by.
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I just need one more MoA Bonnet to pop, along with Charles' Galapagoense and King Naga and I'll be all done with chile germination for this year.
I have been slacking on here, although I have been planning for the new season of course. Sowed last week and got multiple plants OW that I sowed last Fall Hey, Chuck. I'm good, still struggling with the back I'm afraid but thats not stopping me from growingOCD Chilehead said:
Hope you are well to!Devv said:
Thanks Scott!
meatfreak said:Well, glad they did
Hey, Chuck. I'm good, still struggling with the back I'm afraid but thats not stopping me from growing
Sorry to hear your back is still a problem Stefan, but glad to hear you still have your hand in chile-wise. I'm looking forward to seeing posts from your grow this year. Cheers!
Things are slowly moving along here. I'm ecstatic about the growth of the first-round chiles...
... and pleased with the second-round seedlings too. I'll be interested to see whether the plants in the Aerogarden grow any faster than the ones in the coco/peat potting mix. As I see it, the ones in the hydroponic nutrient solution get balanced nutes in soluble form and can put on a quick growth spurt, but the ones transplanted into the coco/peat early have the benefit of mycos in the potting soil and may do better in the long run. We'll see how that works out.
Have a great weekend all, and TGIF! Only one more full week in February!
Wow... it looks like the rest of the second-round seeds are popping! I came home from work this afternoon to find that most of the Forbing Naga seeds had sprouted... now I've got extras to trade and "just in case".
Because the seeds were about 6 years old, I wasn't sure if the Alphanerdz Douglahs would pop, so I hedged my bet by planting some of Randy's Douglah seeds from last year. They're starting to pop as well.
Now it's just waiting on Charles Naga Kings and Galapagoense seeds and I'm done. Have a great weekend all!
Because the seeds were about 6 years old, I wasn't sure if the Alphanerdz Douglahs would pop, so I hedged my bet by planting some of Randy's Douglah seeds from last year. They're starting to pop as well.
Now it's just waiting on Charles Naga Kings and Galapagoense seeds and I'm done. Have a great weekend all!