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Stickman's 2018 Soil Mineralization Glog

Hi all! Now that the new year is here, it's time to swing into gear and get ready for the next season of growing chiles! I'll be starting my seeds in a few weeks, and after rotating the crops in my raised beds to get rid of the Pepper Maggots that showed up in 2016, I'll be able to plant a lot more this year. In the meantime, I thought I'd share what I do to prepare my garden soil for the start of the season. I've grown chiles in pots and in-ground, and for me at least, I seem to do better with the plants grown in the soil.
 
To start with, my garden soil is sandy, so I have to add lots of compost in the top six inches of soil to hold moisture and prevent nutrients from leaching away. Soil microbes break it down in just a few years though, so keeping it topped up is a yearly necessity. We compost our kitchen waste to that end, but there's never enough, so we also buy it from a local outfit that produces it commercially. I was put onto adding biochar as well by brother Scott (Devv.)  The biochar does the same things that humus does but it lasts longer and  helps the environment by sequestering carbon in the soil. I've also been reading about how amending with Montmorillonite clay can increase fertility and help with soil structure, but more on that in a future post.
 
At the end of each growing season I take soil samples from my various gardens and get them tested at Logan Labs in Ohio. They do a more thorough job than our UMass extension by testing for Cobalt, Molybdenum and Silicate levels as well as he usual suspects. :)    I'm taking a "Build and Maintain" approach toward soil nutrients because I want my plants to have the best organic nutrition available to them, and at the small scale I'm planting, it's affordable for me. http://nevegetable.org/cultural-practices/plant-nutrients  
 
Here's my last soil test, taken the end of November. It's the starting point for figuring what amendments I'll need when I prep my beds for planting in the spring. The pepper garden is bordered in yellow.
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In my next post I'll cover the math I use to figure that out. Cheers!
 
Hi folks! We're at six weeks since putting the first round of chiles in to soak, and They're beginning to hit their stride. Without any modification, the growbox is holding at 95 degrees when the light fixture inside is on. It's pretty steamy in there but the muffin fan seems to keep mold and algea knocked down. When the timer shuts the lights off for the night it gradually cools off, but due to the water jugs inside it only gets down to 60 degrees before the lights come back again.
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Good stuff Rick!
 
I saw a typo in my last post; 9 months for growing Onions here, not 90 days..LOL
 
We do freeze them for cooking. Or we would lose about half. We run them through a food processor, works like a charm ;)
 
Hey, Rick, nice grow log.  I just finished your first page.  Didn't know I was coming in for a science seminar, but good job.  One of these days I'll try to get that detailed.  Anyway, good luck and happy growing.  I hope your harvest is the best yet.
 
Devv said:
Good stuff Rick!
 
I saw a typo in my last post; 9 months for growing Onions here, not 90 days..LOL
 
We do freeze them for cooking. Or we would lose about half. We run them through a food processor, works like a charm ;)
Cheers Scott! My homesteader friends grow Walla Walla sweet onions that they chop and freeze too. It's a pity that the sweets don't keep for long. I'm growing Ailsa Craig sweets this year. I figure I'll use most of them for hot sauces and freeze whatever we won't use before the end of September.
Sawyer said:
Hey, Rick, nice grow log.  I just finished your first page.  Didn't know I was coming in for a science seminar, but good job.  One of these days I'll try to get that detailed.  Anyway, good luck and happy growing.  I hope your harvest is the best yet.
Cheers John! I certainly appreciate the good vibe, and right back atcha. [emoji16] The soil testing and re-mineralization definitely made a difference last year, so I'm diving in all the way this year. We'll see what the results are in August, eh?

I'm home this weekend taking care of my wife... she caught a cold and I'm trying to burn it out with bhut oil drizzled over chicken vegetable soup, and tonight I'm making cheese and onion enchiladas with a tomato-based salsa that has guajillo, ancho and pasilla chile's in it.

Have a great rest of the weekend all!
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Thanks guys! If this doesn't help, I don't know what will. These are so easy to make and loaded with vitamin C!
 
The sauce for the enchiladas is made with these:
  • 3 oz dried Guajillo chiles
  • 2 dried Ancho chiles
  • 2 dried Pasilla chiles
  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes (I substituted a can of Rotel tomatoes and chiles plus a 15 oz can of tomato sauce)
  • 2 garlic cloves, skin on
  • 1 1″-thick thick slice white onion, about 3 ounces
  • 1 jalapeño or serrano chile, or to taste
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste
  • 2 cups of chicken stock
Stem and seed the dried chiles, toast them in a dry frying pan and soak them in boiling water to cover for 20 minutes, then puree with a little of the soaking water to make it smooth. Broil the garlic, onion slice, fresh chile and tomato (unless using canned) for 4 minutes on a side until softened and lightly charred. Peel garlic (and tomato if roasting) and add roasted veggies to blender with chiles and puree until smooth. Use a food mill or fine-meshed sieve to remove the chile skins and put the puree into a saucepan. Stir in cumin, salt and chicken stock and simmer while warming and filling the corn tortillas. I used 18 of them.
To make the filling, use the remains of the white onion plus one other... cut in half and sliced in thin half rings and sauteed until softened and the onion is translucent. Mix 4 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese with the onions when cool. Roll warmed tortillas around the filling and place seam side down in a baking dish. Pour sauce over tortillas, top with 1/2 cup of crumbled Cotijo cheese or some more of the Monterey Jack and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. This is better than any made with canned enchilada sauce for sure!
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I totally just sent that recipe to my wife. 
 
Last time she made enchiladas from scratch the sauce would choke a horse to death. It was... baaaaaad. 
 
Since then she's been using bottled enchilada sauce. Which isn't half bad. But it's not the same as homemade. 
 
She also loves experimenting so I'm sure she'll tweak a bit here and there. :)
 
 
TrentL said:
I totally just sent that recipe to my wife. 
 
Last time she made enchiladas from scratch the sauce would choke a horse to death. It was... baaaaaad. 
 
 
Glad to be of help Trent... be sure to tell her that the Chiles only toast for a few seconds on a side in a dry frying pan over medium heat... holding them down flat with a spatula so they have the best contact with the pan. You just want 'em to soften and become more aromatic, not to burn and become bitter. [emoji16]

The first Annuums popped in the growbox today... both Jalapeno varieties, more Szegedi Paprikas and some Macedonian Rezha peppers... sweet!
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Looks like there won't be a shortage of Jals here this year folks... Jalafuegos from Botanical Interests and Craig's Grande from Baker Creek, followed by Rezha peppers, Ajvarski Kapias and a Wild-collected Texas Pequin.

Have a great Taco Tuesday all!
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Devv said:
Looks like you're having stellar germ rates buddy!
Thanks Scott... The Jals and Rezha peppers so far anyway. I'm really happy about the Rezhas... I've tried twice before to grow them with zero germination. I guess third time's the charm. [emoji4]

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Annuums are really kicking in germination-wise...

Pequins 6/6
Tepin 2/6
Goat's Weed 6/6
Jalapeno Jalafuego 6/6
Jalapeno Craig's Grande 6/6
Ancho Gigantea 0/6
Macedonian Rezha 6/6
Ajvarski Kapia 12/12
Kurtovska Kapia 29/30
Szegedi Paprika 10/18

The only holdouts so far are the Anchos, but even if I draw a blank there I know I can find quality plants locally at need. By Friday I think We'll be pretty much there. [emoji16]


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