Super Hots Canada - Grow 2014-2015 (Starts on Page 12) - I have a greenhouse now! YAY! :D

Super Hots Canada · Oct 19, 2013

This is my largest Cayenne.. I'm seeing at last 6 or more peppers finally growing on it with plenty more flowers that I've pollinated & plenty more buds coming up. *proud*

I've had to prop up both sides of the plant. It's main stem is pretty darn strong, but the limbs need to work on strengthening - it's grown quite fast in the past month.

Penny · Oct 21, 2013

Nice looking plant!

Jeff H · Oct 21, 2013

Plants look great.

Can we see a close up pic of the naga leaves? From what I can see, they don't look naga to me. The edges of naga leaves shouldn't be smooth like the other chinense. What was your seed source?

Super Hots Canada · Oct 21, 2013

Jeff H said:
Plants look great.

Can we see a close up pic of the naga leaves? From what I can see, they don't look naga to me. The edges of naga leaves shouldn't be smooth like the other chinense. What was your seed source?

The image on the left is a photo I just took of my latest pack that I bought at the local supermarket. In case you can't read the fine print, their website is: http://www.westlandpeppers.com

All my Ghost's have been planted from seeds that came from these peppers. I do have Bhut Jolokia seeds from Pepper Joe's, but I had these peppers first and it seemed easier to plant from these, coming from semi-fresh pods, than from dried seeds.

Super Hots Canada · Oct 22, 2013

I received confirmation today that a Labour Settlement against my former employer that has been dragging on for months now has finally been completed and I will be receiving a cheque in the mail in the next 1-2 weeks. This means I'll finally be able to work on ordering in my first HPS setup!

And here's how my very first Cayenne pod is looking - it's doing great and the plant is growing like crazy!:

.. I think it is around 2 inches so far. Is that good progress for about a week or so of growth?

Oh, and this is how my Super-Chili is doing:

.. Not the most clear of photos.. It's branching out like crazy, has a TON of flowers & buds growing and in the past week or so has started growing at least 25-30 pods. I'm not even fond of the taste of these little buggers, but it's one plentiful little plant.

I'm thinking I'll take these pods with me, once they're matured, to the Flea Market when I try to sell some of my Bell pepper plants and advertise my business. Give 'em out as samples for people to try.

Super Hots Canada · Oct 27, 2013

Bit of an update...

First up: My Super-Chili now has over 50 pods growing (or starting to grow) on it with -plenty- more flowers & buds on the way. I had to use twine to hold up at least one of the branches as it was pressing against the cold window. I also have to keep trimming another so it doesn't grow into the fan. lol

Close-up of one of the branches:

These nasty little buggers (which looks like pinkish-red aphids to me) were showing up on my Jalapeno's and Bell Peppers in the last 2-3 days. I sprayed down the affected plants with soapy water today. Hopefully that does the trick. They're about half the size of the green aphids that were on my Super-Chili back in the summer. Not sure where they suddenly came from (given that all my plants are indoors and the temps are dropping fast). Any clue what these buggers might be??

And here is how the stem of my largest Cayenne is looking so far. At this point, it has around 15-20+ pods growing and plenty more flowers/buds showing. Altogether, I think I probably have around 30+ pods growing between all my Cayenne's. And Jalapenos are finally starting to grow buds!

Penny · Oct 27, 2013

Hmmmm, hopefully the soap does the trick for you!! Wonder if there was some eggs that were missed when you sprayed the first time?

Super Hots Canada · Oct 27, 2013

Hmm.. doubtful. These bugs are a different color and seem to have a different shape abdomen. That, and the plants they are appearing on weren't around (or were just planted or very tiny) at the time I first got the Super-Chili plant. They're only showing up a little while after I recently transplanted most/all of the plants that they are currently on.. Could just be the sneaky buggers coming in from the cold outside... Our house is well over 80 years old and plenty bugs -do- get in. lol

allaKAZAAM · Nov 25, 2013

They are aphids...
https://www.google.ca/search?q=aphids&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=1eKTUt2wCJPkqQHH34GIAg&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1680&bih=933
There are a few different looking ones in the pics link.

Symptoms and Treatment of Sap Feeding Insects Aphids
Symptoms: Aphids are sucking insects that attack buds, flowers and new growths and transmit disease from plant to plant. Buds and flower may fail to open and leaves may have a sticky deposit.
Treatment: Wash aphids away from the plant with a jet of water. Plants can be sprayed with a pesticide like Malathion, Orthene or Safer Soap using the product in accordance with label instructions.
Miscellaneous: The honeydew excreted by aphids and other sucking insects is attractive to ants and is an ideal medium for sooty mold. When sooty mold is present, inspect the plants for aphids, mealybugs, scale and mites.

Some links to look into:

http://voices.yahoo.com/top-ten-eco-friendly-tips-aphid-control-1841498.html

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/homemade-aphid-control-a-natural-way-to-kill-aphids.htm

http://organicgardening.about.com/od/pestcontrol/a/spraysforaphids.htm

Super Hots Canada · Nov 25, 2013

allaKAZAAM said:
They are aphids...
https://www.google.ca/search?q=aphids&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=1eKTUt2wCJPkqQHH34GIAg&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1680&bih=933
There are a few different looking ones in the pics link.

Symptoms and Treatment of Sap Feeding Insects Aphids
Symptoms: Aphids are sucking insects that attack buds, flowers and new growths and transmit disease from plant to plant. Buds and flower may fail to open and leaves may have a sticky deposit.
Treatment: Wash aphids away from the plant with a jet of water. Plants can be sprayed with a pesticide like Malathion, Orthene or Safer Soap using the product in accordance with label instructions.
Miscellaneous: The honeydew excreted by aphids and other sucking insects is attractive to ants and is an ideal medium for sooty mold. When sooty mold is present, inspect the plants for aphids, mealybugs, scale and mites.

Some links to look into:

http://voices.yahoo.com/top-ten-eco-friendly-tips-aphid-control-1841498.html

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/homemade-aphid-control-a-natural-way-to-kill-aphids.htm

http://organicgardening.about.com/od/pestcontrol/a/spraysforaphids.htm

Thanks for the info & links allaKAZAAM

I actually picked up "Schultz Houseplant and Indoor Garden Insect Spray" not long after I posted about the issue.. I guess I just forgot to update this topic with that fact. (p.s. it's worked great)

allaKAZAAM · Nov 27, 2013

Super Hots Canada said:
Thanks for the info & links allaKAZAAM

I actually picked up "Schultz Houseplant and Indoor Garden Insect Spray" not long after I posted about the issue.. I guess I just forgot to update this topic with that fact. (p.s. it's worked great)

KK...
BUT, since you want to eat the peppers. Using a chemical insecticide is not a really good idea, IMO.
I try to use only organic/vegie friendly means to get rid of critters.
The info I gave you, in the first part was based on Orchids (my other hobby).

Super Hots Canada · Nov 29, 2013

allaKAZAAM said:
KK...
BUT, since you want to eat the peppers. Using a chemical insecticide is not a really good idea, IMO.
I try to use only organic/vegie friendly means to get rid of critters.
The info I gave you, in the first part was based on Orchids (my other hobby).

Before resorting to buying the spray I did dousing them with water and spraying them with soapy water several days in a row - neither seemed to phase these particular aphids, sadly. They're -very- stubborn. They're still lingering around at this point - every few days a few more seem to show up on the leaves.

I've also put down a fairly thick layer of Diatomaceous Earth in the past while to help control the fungus gnats that are also lingering around - and sadly, those buggers are stubborn, too.

......................................

So, I finally have my HPS 1000w light kit all setup, although it's in my bedroom rather than my basement (see this post for the explanation: click here!).

I quickly discovered today that this type of light produces quite a difference when it comes to taking photos. Even just looking at my mobile while around the light causes quite the glare. lol .. So, to say the least, I had to work at the editing to try and adjust so the photos didn't look quite so sunburned, but here's the first I've taken of the new space with my pretty new light:

.. These photos don't show quite all of the plants that I currently have in this space and I don't intend to keep all of these in this small space - it's just a temporary fix until I can afford the materials to build the space in our basement. While they're still relatively small I figured I'd let them soak up the love from this light while they can, though.

The plants I have in this area account for around 2/3 of all the plants I currently have growing. (yeah, I definitely planted far too many - lesson learned!)

In this area, at the moment:

Super Chile - One mature (top-right corner) and one seedling (just to the left of the thermostat/humidity monitor)
Bell Pepper - One, just to the right of the thermostat
Jalapeno - Technically, "Jalapa Hybrid" - around 3-4 on the left-hand side (grown from seeds bought from Walmart *sigh*)
Cayenne - Not sure the specific type (bought as seedlings from Central Supplies) - around 3

Habanero - "Habanero Red" according to the garden center they were purchased from - 3 plants
Naga Jolokia - Around 12-14
Carolina Reaper - One, located just behind the Bell Pepper (sole survivor of a slew of seeds I received from Pepper Joe with my first order.. back [in the summer] when I was dumb enough to think only misting the plants would be enough water *shakes his head*)
Trinidad 'Butch T' - 2 sprouts that just poked out of the ground in the past 2-3 days (came with my "Volcano in a Box" - 2nd order from Pepper Joe)

I -really- hope that they'll all start filling out now instead of stretching ever upward (as they were doing under the T8's)

I had the light on for a few hours last night to get a feel for how much it would heat the space (and to give the area a chance to warm up), before I moved the plants in. I had trouble sleeping last night - partly from worry about my plants first night under the light, and partly from the fact that, so far, the space is closed off using blankets that do a poor job of stopping this scorching sun of a light from getting through. lol

.. P.s. I'm still working on getting the reflective material up on the walls - that'll help a lot, I'm sure, once it's in place.

Penny · Nov 30, 2013

Good setup you've got there, too bad it has to be in the bedroom and that does suck for sleeping, but maybe down the road you can move it all out.

Super Hots Canada · Nov 30, 2013

I spent hours last night breaking up cardboard boxes and finding ways to use them as a wall.. Turns out, that mostly involved using twine - which more & more I am finding to be nearly as powerful a tool as duct tape (think: Red Green!) - since the "original" walls are made of blankets, which tape & staples really don't work well with. lol

The end result has managed to block out -much- of the light, though I still have more to go in terms of putting up more cardboard. With the light still escaping the space it's still nearly more than my bedroom light puts off - even if I turn the ballast down to "400w".. But the worst for sleeping is the small snap-on $10 fan I have going - it's certainly not quiet and it's taking some time to adjust too.

In terms of the plants - I'm still adjusting to how they look under that light so I can't really tell if I'm seeing new growth yet or not.

I'll get this figured out sooner or later

Super Hots Canada · Dec 4, 2013

A bit off-topic, but I don't want to start a whole a new topic for something so small...

A few days ago I decided to harvest the pods that were currently on my Super-Chile and my best Cayenne and set the seeds out to dry as my first "official" harvest (as puny as it is lol).

Well, from around 10 Cayenne pods I gained enough seeds to fill 10 coin envelopes with 20 seeds each (I'm going to get around to the Super Chile seeds later). So I figured now was a good time to throw together a design for the packets, and here is what I've come up with for the Cayenne's:

.. The designs needs a touch more work. Needs condensed a bit more and contact info added (including website), but I'm liking it so far.

allaKAZAAM · Dec 5, 2013

Nice looking set-up...and pods!
A couple of things you may need for selling your seeds.
1/ Open Pollinated or Closed
2/ Species name (if you have it)

Also, you may want to "Copyright" your logo. Otherwise looks pretty solid for your logo/packet design (used to be a graphic designer).

yezhead · Dec 5, 2013

very cool design
here were i live u need to follow strict rules for selling seeds, some kind of permit and taxes, ect...
its not so easy,dont know how its works in canada
nice lamp man, your plants wont stretch anymore, but your electric bill will,heh
but i think we pay far more than dubble for our electricity here, dunno
why is it in a cooltube? are u gonne use an extraction fan on your lamp in summer ?
i'm shure u lose lots of lumes by the tube around your lamp, but it does reduce the thermal radiation
how high is the lamp hanging, i guess on 1000w u need more than 4 feet high?
cool grow, ill stop by once in a while see how your plants doiing

Super Hots Canada · Dec 5, 2013

allaKAZAAM said:
Nice looking set-up...and pods!
A couple of things you may need for selling your seeds.
1/ Open Pollinated or Closed
2/ Species name (if you have it)

Also, you may want to "Copyright" your logo. Otherwise looks pretty solid for your logo/packet design (used to be a graphic designer).

Open-pollinated or not is a good idea to include. I was in a rush when I threw together the design, and I've already refined it some more after making that post. Copyrighting is certainly something to consider, though my finances are pretty tight at the moment so I'm not sure it's an option just yet. Nice to get feedback from a fellow graphic designer - thanks!

yezhead said:
very cool design
here were i live u need to follow strict rules for selling seeds, some kind of permit and taxes, ect...
its not so easy,dont know how its works in canada
nice lamp man, your plants wont stretch anymore, but your electric bill will,heh
but i think we pay far more than dubble for our electricity here, dunno
why is it in a cooltube? are u gonne use an extraction fan on your lamp in summer ?
i'm shure u lose lots of lumes by the tube around your lamp, but it does reduce the thermal radiation
how high is the lamp hanging, i guess on 1000w u need more than 4 feet high?
cool grow, ill stop by once in a while see how your plants doiing

I've done a lot of exploring on the laws on my area and I think so long as I'm not looking at exporting/importing any large amount then the laws are pretty lenient. It seems there would be a LOT more regulation on me if I were growing outside rather than in a greenhouse-type setting. If there's any doubt there is a town in the next county over that is a sort of Agricultural center for the north half of my province which has plenty of knowledgeable people I can contact.

And yeah, I've estimated that light, along with my four T8 fluorescent fixtures will up the power bill around $80/month. *grumbles* (really wish I had solar power lol)

This is my first HPS light.. The tube came with the kit so I figured I needed it. And then I figured that even if it didn't then it'll at least hopefully keep out some of the dirt (and keep me from bumping into it).

I have the light hanging at around 5 feet right now, I think. Unfortunately, my room has a VERY low ceiling, so having it much higher isn't an option. I'm -definitely- hoping this current setup will be a temporary solution until I get the money & material for something better.

Super Hots Canada · Dec 7, 2013

Just a bit of an update to the earlier post about my seed packet design..

I've now refined the "Cayenne" design and finished the design for the "Super Chili". I unfortunately don't feel comfortable displaying whether they are open-pollinated or isolated because a) The Super-Chili plant I am getting my seeds from was purchased from a Farmer's Market this past summer, and b) my Cayenne's were bought as seedlings from a local Central Supplies (primarily they deal with building supplies - wood, tools, lighting, etc) - so I simply don't -know-.

I'm going to design the labels for each of type of pepper as my plants produce - this way I can use photos of my own results rather than hunting for images online. *nod*

allaKAZAAM · Dec 7, 2013

Super Hots Canada said:
Open-pollinated or not is a good idea to include. I was in a rush when I threw together the design, and I've already refined it some more after making that post. Copyrighting is certainly something to consider, though my finances are pretty tight at the moment so I'm not sure it's an option just yet. Nice to get feedback from a fellow graphic designer - thanks!

You do not need to pay any fees for that, just make sure you send yourself a REGISTERED MAIL with your logo/name...etc. That should cover you...
NEVER open that envelope unless you are in a legal situation, and only under the very watchful eye of a judge, so as to not compromise the envelope/contents.
Though just having the copyright symbol, would be good. The letter with the logo will add that much more validity.
Mark

OH YAH...
LOVING the use of WHITESPACE in the design, makes it very crisp!