Stupid Jerk's stupid grow log for jerks

DesertChris · Apr 18, 2013

Phew!! Up here you can find a 1600+ sq foot 3 bedroom house on 2.5 acres for as low as 145,000 right now.
But man it is way too harsh of a climate!! I miss that good ole San Diego weather....

Dang, how are you ever going to cull them down to 40 ???? But those 40 are going to be loving it in that nice spot

StupidJerk · Apr 18, 2013

Damn, I'm sure the mortgage would be less than half of my rent.

I'm basically growing only one of most of the varieties. I'm growing my strongest plant and giving away the others to friends. I'm not really growing anything that I can buy in a store except for the Orange Hab overwinter and the Thais. I'm hoping to find a few varieties that I really like so I can have a more focused grow next year.

Once I have everything in the ground I'll make a real growlist. At this point I'm deciding if it makes sense to grow another superhot with a taste I have heard bad things about like a Butch T instead of a type of Scotch Bonnet I've heard good things about. Those kinds of decisions are rough. I already have a douglah in the ground, do I need another bad tasting superhot? In the end I'll probably put the Butch T in the ground just so I can find out what battery acid tastes like.

DesertChris · Apr 18, 2013

LOL!!

I sure hope they don't taste that bad! I have a bunch of Butch T's growing too.

But that is part of my grow plan this year. See what will grow here, and which ones I like the flavor of.
Then grow those ones again next year.

Yeah, rent/mortgage is low enough here that probably 50% of the people here actually commute down south to the city for work.
All that driving would be a bummer though.

You should see the types of houses that go for a million $$ here...Swimming pools, private tennis court, in ground trampoline, 5,000+ sq feet, guest houses, workshops the size of houses, garages the size of houses..etc etc... My gal is a realtor, so I have gotten to see a lot houses here.

We saw a working horse and cattle ranch the other day...2 houses, 80 acres, commercial well, 3 huge barns, tons of outbuildings etc....
$800,000.... Just imagine how many peppers you could grow there

KiNGDeNNiZ · Apr 18, 2013

Plot looks good. I got jelly of your photo. I decided to a few in ground on Tuesday. Last week I put down the cukes which was a mistake. Slugs ate it all. Not. Single sign that I planted anything there Keep it up

StupidJerk · Apr 18, 2013

KiNGDeNNiZ said:
Plot looks good. I got jelly of your photo. I decided to a few in ground on Tuesday. Last week I put down the cukes which was a mistake. Slugs ate it all. Not. Single sign that I planted anything there Keep it up

Wow, that's awful man. Are you going to lay some copper around your beds or what? I've found a few small slugs on the bottom of lettuce I harvested, but nothing that did major damage. You've got a dangerous back yard between the Japanese beetle larvae and the slugs. You're growing so much tasty food that they called all of their friends.

DesertChris said:
We saw a working horse and cattle ranch the other day...2 houses, 80 acres, commercial well, 3 huge barns, tons of outbuildings etc....
$800,000.... Just imagine how many peppers you could grow there

I thought you were trying to convince me to NOT move there. When I look at how tempting something like that would be, I just remind myself of all the crap you deal with. While it would be amazing to have all the space, I don't want to live on Tatooine.

JJJessee · Apr 18, 2013

Happy Birthday, Carson.
I think I got another one of those coming up soon, 39th of my 19th I think. I'm having rhubarb/strawberry cobbler

Chris is right FREAKIN' AWESOME!

You've already done a lot structurally to keep weeds at bay. Weeds are just a compost crop that needs constant attention.
Every time I walk through I pull a few weeds especially if the ground is moist. Getting a good layer of wood chips down on the paths lets you in on days that would otherwise be too muddy to work. Will they let you set up drip irrigation? Or is LA weather so perfect it's not necessary :rolleyes:

?

StupidJerk · Apr 18, 2013

No irrigation allowed unfortunately. I'm relying on a top mulch that will keep moisture in. I'm not in the perfect weather part of LA by any means. There are mountains blocking me from the ocean, so it get miserably hot here. Some of my fellow gardeners saying they water twice a day in te summer. Most of them grow in raised beds with about 6 inches of dirt on top of a weed cloth and no top mulch, so I'm hoping my deep roots and top mulch will help me out.

Average highs:
July:95
August:97
September: 93.

That means there are a lot of days over 100. It also means lots of flowers will be dropping. Luckily things will pick back up in late September and I should be able to have a harvest in November or December, unless there is a freak freeze.

Edit: oh yeah, I plan on putting wood chips in the paths. I'm not too worried about it getting too muddy unless a water main breaks. It probably won't rain until October.

StupidJerk · Apr 20, 2013

I went to the plot today and fed everything a bit of fish emulsion. I fed seaweed extract and fish emulsion both to the new bed. I'm hoping there is some good action going on in there. I'm still forcing myself to let it rest a bit before planting out.

I seem to have an issue with hardening off. I feel like I let everything get used to the environment, but after a while a lot of my Chinenses in the ground just seem to loose all of the big leaves on the main part of their stalk. Is this a part of them making way for the new branches growing out, or is this my fault? They don't always fall off, but they get so cracked and burnt that I push down on them until they pop off.

My theories:

I'm not hardening off long enough.
I tend to get edema on a lot of my leaves and maybe the combo of edema and 13 hours of full SoCal sun is doing them in.
Maybe a neighbor is watering my plants thinking they need it and getting water on the leaves which makes them burn. I kind of doubt this because it only seems to effect the big leafed chinense varieties.

The new leaves that come out tend to be very green and healthy.

For example, here is a Datil that I am pretty certain I just hardened off too quickly:

The lower growth looks good. I just knocked the upper burnt/cracked leaves off.

No issues with the Notch Bonnet anuum next to it.

My Choco Bhuts have had a bit of this issue, but not too bad:

Anyone else having this issue? I guess it makes sense that those leaves would need to come off at some point.

My first severely sunburned plant isn't too upset, so I guess I'll not worry too much about it. It was this Reaper:

Check out that 90° angle on the side shoot. It's heading straight for the sunset.

At least one pod forming on this Chocolate Hab from one of Aji Joe's seed giveaways.(Lowest bud on right:

Overwinters are struggling to make their way back. I did get one pod off of the Peach Bhut, but it was stunted, seedless, and heatless. Maybe soon.

WARNING! NON PEPPER PLANTS BELOW!

My Okra just isn't doing great so far.

I don't know what I did. I think I transplanted it too early and it got stunted from cold. It has started growing in the last few weeks, but it just isn't growing fast. I thought these were supposed to shoot up fast and crazy. I might start another couple in containers and see if they overtake these.

Some cherry tomatoes. Planning on trellis these between the fence I built and the green mini fence thing I found next to the dumpster.

These Tomatillos are monster plants already.

The one on the right has a horn worm I'm almost sure. I can't find the asshole. I need to get one of those handheld blacklights.

I have a couple more pictures after I get a bump. Don't hold your breath, they aren't that exciting.

DesertChris · Apr 20, 2013

I also have my chinense plants dropping big leaves left and right, then the new growth explodes from underneath.

I figured it had to do with the sun, and dry conditions here....i water lots, but no edema at all...things dry up too quick for that.
I also kind of suspect the cooler nights may play into it as well....

I know in the summer, I have lots of leaf drop, and lots of new leaves, so I always figured it was just the climate here.

Everytime I see those giant leaves on shanes plants, I wonder how the heck they stay on there long enough to get that big...lol

If the tomatillo has stripped leaves near the top, that is where the bastard hornworm is probably lurking.
They seem to like going up, more than down...watch the plant, and see if there is any wiggling of stems etc...that can help you zero in on him too.
But by far, the blacklight at night is so astoundingly effective, you will be amazed at how easy it is.
Shoot you can even find little ones 1" long, super easy that way!
I like to have a bucket next to me when hunting the buggers, pinch em behind the head and drop em in the bucket.
Man those things are creepy...lol

StupidJerk · Apr 20, 2013

DesertChris said:
I also have my chinense plants dropping big leaves left and right, then the new growth explodes from underneath.

I figured it had to do with the sun, and dry conditions here....i water lots, but no edema at all...things dry up too quick for that.
I also kind of suspect the cooler nights may play into it as well....

Yeah, I only have the edema inside. I haven't worried too much about it since it hasn't seemed to bother the plants much.

I know in the summer, I have lots of leaf drop, and lots of new leaves, so I always figured it was just the climate here.

Everytime I see those giant leaves on shanes plants, I wonder how the heck they stay on there long enough to get that big...lol

On the pruning thread someone mentioned pulling leaves blocking new growth, so maybe mother nature thinks we need extra help.

If the tomatillo has stripped leaves near the top, that is where the bastard hornworm is probably lurking.
They seem to like going up, more than down...watch the plant, and see if there is any wiggling of stems etc...that can help you zero in on him too.
But by far, the blacklight at night is so astoundingly effective, you will be amazed at how easy it is.
Shoot you can even find little ones 1" long, super easy that way!
I like to have a bucket next to me when hunting the buggers, pinch em behind the head and drop em in the bucket.
Man those things are creepy...lol

Is there a place I can buy one cheap or will I have to order it online? Any recommendations on a model/manufacturer?

A few more pictures:
A cucumber I'm training upward:

The size of my zucchini plant in relation to a large solo cup. How big is this thing going to get??? It already has 4 fruit growing on it.:

Glad I only planted one.

Our container rose bush, the first thing we put in the garden, just opened up. It was just starting to open on the day I finished the last bit of major work, but when I came back today I was stunned at the beauty.

Yes, those are wine corks as top mulch. We thought it would be kind of cool for the container plants.

DesertChris · Apr 20, 2013

hahaha, that Zuchinni is a baby

Those can get enormous with leaves the size of dinner plates!!
And they just keep going and going all season long until the frost kills them.

The blacklight we use is the neighbor's...it was her dad's....the thing is crazy powerful, and uses 2 of those big square batteries!
It is one intended for geologists and rock identification...

I assume you could find a cheap portable blacklight at wallmart etc....

These guys have some nifty looking handheld ones....led's too...I might have to get one of those, they look light

the neighbor's is super heavy!!

http://www.blacklightsusa.com/

stc3248 · Apr 20, 2013

Losing the large indoor leaves is normal. Usually starts from the ground up. Even with propper hardening those large leaves aren't normal for the plant to produce and were only that big due to growing in artificial light. Some of the yellowing can be from the cold nights but much is probably a mild sunburn. You will notice the new leaves not only greener, but smaller and thicker. They will have a waxy thick appearance instead of paper thin, flimsy and fragile like the leaves developed indoors...all in all, nothing to worry about. Garden is looking good! Its going to be crowded in there!

JJJessee · Apr 20, 2013

Lookin' Good, Carson. Okra might not be a good one to transplant. We always just direct sow it after last frost and the ground is good and warm. Makes a great pickle.

Sanarda · Apr 20, 2013

Yup!!! I concur! looking very good. Do you have some of your plants in between two fences? If so is that for the winds? Thats a great idea if so. Just a little trickier to harvest.

StupidJerk · Apr 21, 2013

stc3248 said:
They will have a waxy thick appearance instead of paper thin, flimsy and fragile like the leaves developed indoors...all in all, nothing to worry about. Garden is looking good! Its going to be crowded in there!

Great info in that post! Thanks! It's definitely going to get crowded. I know I'm going to regret planting in all so close. Maybe I can come up with some clever trellising. Space is so limited and I have too much I want to grow.

JJJessee said:
Lookin' Good, Carson. Okra might not be a good one to transplant. We always just direct sow it after last frost and the ground is good and warm. Makes a great pickle.

I think it's finally starting to pick up, now that I look back. It didn't do anything at all for at least a month, but when I stopped by today it looked bigger than yesterday.

Yeah, I'm growing them because I loved pickled okra as a kid. I thought I'd try making my own. I have a feeling I messed up with the spacing of those as well. Oh well, this year will be a learning experience.

Sanarda said:
Yup!!! I concur! looking very good. Do you have some of your plants in between two fences? If so is that for the winds? Thats a great idea if so. Just a little trickier to harvest.

I have a few tomato plants in a row placed between the fence and a little garden fence trellis thing. I found the mini fence trellis next to the garden refuse dumpster.

I'm trying not to spend much, so I'm doing all sorts of different trellising options.

Had a friend visit. For some reason I can't focus on something that small when I snap a pic, but when I record a video then capture a frame it looks fine

This hero was sitting on top of one of the plants I grew from one of Aji Joe'a giveaways. It was listed as "Surprise Hot". It's a pretty cool looking plant.

This mystery anuum won't be a mystery for long. Lots of flowers and I think I saw a pod forming in one. I really had some labeling issues early on. I hope it's something at least a little interesting. If its another cherry pepper I am going to rage.

The Chocolate Bhuts are now flowering.

I also put the following plants in the ground: Yellow Brain Strain, Morouga Scorpion, Prik Ne Suan(or whatever the one from the growdown is called), Black Cobra(I think. It was from a seed I found on the floor, but it looks like that at this point), Red Rocoto, Yellow 7 Pot x Choc Bhut, Bahamian Goat Pepper, Congo Yellow, and Butch T.

stc3248 · Apr 21, 2013

Praying mantis' are so freakin cool...

For you trellis, look up Florida weave, I used it for some sunflowers last year and it works great, is super easy and cheap! Basically a post at either end with some thick (thick is important to not cut into the plants) cord weaved through the plants alternating from the front of one plant to the back of the other...then the next line above that do same thing, but start on the opposite side of the plant so it is pulling back the other way from the first line...and keep going all the way up.

Devv · Apr 21, 2013

Very nice update! You're gonna have quite a harvest. The Zucchini are going to go nuts, we just plant one hill with 4 seeds, and they get 3' high and spread out in a 5 to 8 foot circle if you let them. I'm with JJ, I only plant tomatoes and peppers (for the most part) before they hit the dirt, the rest I direct seed two weeks before the seasonal last frost. It's worked for me for over 30+ years. And BTW happy B-day! Shoot I wish I was your age again (and got to live knowing what I know now

, I have a son your age!!!

StupidJerk · Apr 24, 2013

Devv said:
Very nice update! You're gonna have quite a harvest. The Zucchini are going to go nuts, we just plant one hill with 4 seeds, and they get 3' high and spread out in a 5 to 8 foot circle if you let them. I'm with JJ, I only plant tomatoes and peppers (for the most part) before they hit the dirt, the rest I direct seed two weeks before the seasonal last frost. It's worked for me for over 30+ years. And BTW happy B-day! Shoot I wish I was your age again (and got to live knowing what I know now, I have a son your age!!!

Thanks! It sounds like I'm either going to have to trim this thing down or hog tie it to keep it away from my other plants. Sounds like it makes sense to direct sow a lot of the stuff I planted. It's all about learning. I have less than a year of experience, so it looks like I have some catching up to do.

stc3248 said:
Praying mantis' are so freakin cool...

For you trellis, look up Florida weave, I used it for some sunflowers last year and it works great, is super easy and cheap! Basically a post at either end with some thick (thick is important to not cut into the plants) cord weaved through the plants alternating from the front of one plant to the back of the other...then the next line above that do same thing, but start on the opposite side of the plant so it is pulling back the other way from the first line...and keep going all the way up.

I might try that for those tomatoes and the sunflower in the corner of the fence, since it's already in the perfect position.

I still haven't staked up any of my peppers other than the Rocoto. Will it become a necessity at some point? Most of them have pretty substantial stems right now, and I had a fan blowing on them the entire time they were under lights.

Here is a shot of a stem of one of the Chocolate Bhuts next to my hand, for example:

And here is the whole plant:

Am I in any danger by not staking them now? What about when it starts podding up? I notice a lot of people stake everything from the beginning, but I worry about that creating a weaker plant.
The wind isn't crazy here, but it gets gusty from time to time. I see them blow around in the wind, but it never looks like they are in any danger of snapping.

This reaper is going crazy, but the light color of the top leaves worries me a bit. I think it might have gotten a bit overwatered.

It just started putting out tons of buds.

So the "Yatzy" is another Cherry, but thankfully mystery anuum is something pointy, not sure what yet.

The plant from Aji Joes Chocolate Hab Mix is podding up:

Full Plant:

The Surprise Hot he sent also turned out vigorous and beautiful:

Still not sure what it is, but I know already that I planted it too close to its neighbors. Not sure why I thought all of the anuums could be so close to each other. They looked so tiny when I transplanted them.

Some pod growth on the Fatalii:

smileyguy697 · Apr 24, 2013

You got some awesome looking plants! Great Job man! I just wish it was warm enough here to get mine outside. The temps just won't stay steady at night yet. Maybe another week or so and it will be good.

StupidJerk · Apr 24, 2013

Thanks, and thanks for the bump.

Oh, here's the picture of the Chocolate Bhut x Yellow 7. This thing puts out a ton of buds at each node and really likes to bush out. I put it in the ground maybe 2 or 3 weeks ago and it didn't skip a beat. It's been the best about keeping leaves on and has some pretty healthy undergrowth. Who knows what the pods will come out like. I don't even know who made this hybrid or what generation it is.

And this is a Bhut Jolokia that was over watered and in terrible soil for quite a long time, but I ended up putting it in the ground when I realized I didn't have any more regular bhuts around. I planted most of my Bhut seeds in my first attempt using crappy soil and too much water. Anyway, I put it in the ground to see if it would do anything, and it seems to like it.

A couple yellow leaves at the top make me think something is off. I guess I should test the soil. My first thought is overwatering or the soil is too alkaline. Anyone have a good solution on how to add acidity to soil? I think our water is very alkaline, so maybe I didn't prepare the soil to be acidic enough. Would coffee grounds on top of the soil be enough to bring PH levels down slightly?