synclinorium's Grow Log 2011

Otherwise known as my first attempt at growing hot peppers; probably a good reason to keep track of my plants' progress. My list isn't quite as hot as the others I see on here, but I'm still at the point where most of the hotter chinense varieties are beyond my appreciation. Hopefully this season will begin to change that.

I didn't properly research before buying my seeds/plants, so forgive my naivety with some of my supplier choices; I don't exactly have high expectations when it comes to most of these plants being true to type. Seeds were started intermittently between the first week of February and the second week of March (save the giant Datil plants seen in the photo below, those just recently arrived).

Current list:

Aji Cristal (Reimer seeds)
Aji Amarillo (Hirt's Gardens)
Cayenne (Hirt's Gardens)
Tabasco (Reimer seeds)
Unknown Thai variety (Livingston seeds, if I recall)
Rocoto (Reimer seeds)
Datil (from ebay)
White Lightning Habanero (Hirt's Gardens)

Soon to be arriving from Local Harvest growers:

Fatalii
Aji Limon
Bulgarian Carrot
Jalapeno

Here's my current setup. I've been using the LEDs for tomatoes, but it seems to be working fairly well for the peppers too.

 

[synclinorium]

Looks like its about tasting time. Those things look really good.

I might pop a couple off in a few days. Our first flush of tomatoes should be ripe by then. I'm thinking salsa.

 

[MGOLD86]

Great thread dude! Makes me keep my head up with the issues I had knowing that things can turn around. Thanks.

 

[synclinorium]

Almost had a heart attack this morning when I found about five of my plants covered in patches of fine silky webbing... but upon closer inspection it seems actual spiders were the culprit.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Almost had a heart attack this morning when I found about five of my plants covered in patches of fine silky webbing... but upon closer inspection it seems actual spiders were the culprit.

Looking GOOD dude! Spider = good

 

[synclinorium]

I had a staredown with a deer this morning who had an eye on my pepper plants. I hate living in suburbs, animals are almost impossible to spook. No sign of damage, yet.

Don't know how I missed the fact that my Aji Amarillos started setting pods, but there they go:

'Bout time, one of the plants is going on two feet wide.

Datils should start setting soon too... topping them only delayed this by, oh, a month and a half?

Mystery peppers being mysterious... actually their pod shape is pretty well defined, now I just need to wait and see what color they ripen to (I'm going to guess red).

 

[synclinorium]

Several of my plants have just passed the foot and a half mark. These Rocotos continue to surprise me; in spite of being planted in total shade, they're on pace with the rest of the plants, and just look at the size of those leaves...

Datil... new growth is a little squirrely, might be mites, or just a nutrient issue. I haven't fertilized in a while with all of the rain we've had.

Tabasco plants have several main branches and are starting to set fruit.

Aji Crystal reaching for the sky... and methinks that pod will be eaten soon.

Cayenne loaded with pods

 

[buddy]

very nice. good luck with the rest of the season. looks like you're going to have lot of chiles.

 

[millworkman]

Plants are looking mighty fine. Rocotos like the shade. If they have full sun, for most of us anyway, they wont produce at all. I had one last year that had maybe only 3 hours of sun all day but never produced a pod for me because it was too hot for them. Good luck with it.

 

[synclinorium]

I invested in a drip irrigation system and so far I haven't needed to set it up. We keep getting torrential downpours. Plants always look a little worse for the wear during them, but I walk out the next day and I swear it seems like they've grown an inch...

 

[bigt]

Very comprehensive grow log! I love the detail and anecdotes, not to mention the massive photo journey. Regarding Jalapenos: I usually pick them when they 1st start to crack or darken. But if you're going to save seeds, wait until red ripe stage.

 

[synclinorium]

It's fun watching the difference in my ground, shade planted Rocotos and the others sitting in buckets in a sunnier location. The ones in the ground still haven't flowered, but they're a bit stockier and have a more upright sprawing growth habit than the other, which are honestly looking kind of small and spindly.

Two Rocotos with a volunteer tomato:

Bucket plants:

Well, save this guy, which in spite of having identical growing conditions as the other two has sort of exploded:

Just noticed that my White Hab has been setting pods:

Aji Amarillos trucking along:

Mystery peppers have pretty much stopped growing larger, now I just need to wait for ripening

 

[synclinorium]

Found the culprit behind the disappearing leaves on my Rocoto plants... drowned that fat sucker.

This is sort of what I'm talking about with the weird growth stopping on my plants (my lone Fatalii in this case)... I would think if it were mites the problem wouldn't just magically go away. Still, whatever the case, I'm happy to see all of my plants' new growth looking (somewhat) normal again... though they probably need a shot of CalMag Plus judging by the puckering.

Incidentally, I've been wondering, is an Aji Limon a baccatum or a chinense? I've seen it listed both ways... but the flowers definitely look chinense to me. Mine is really bushing out and starting to set pods:

And my only "wild" this year, if you want to call it that, my Chiltepin is just starting to put out buds. Happy days.

 

[synclinorium]

Pod pornage

First Datils:

... Probably first of many judging by the size of the plants:

Unknown Thai variety with upright pods:

Aji Limon's first pods:

Aji Amarillo plant absolutely loaded:

 

[synclinorium]

First ripe pod of the season on my Cayenne plant... could of swore this thing was green two days ago.

 

[synclinorium]

I noticed slight differences between my White Habaneros. One of the plants has slightly rounder, upright pods...

... while the other has blockier, pendant pods:

Rocoto is still the largest of my plants:

Though the Aji Amarillos are a close second:

Datils aren't far behind:

Tabasco plants are really starting to bush:

And the mystery peppers are prolific as ever:

 

[Indiana_Jesse]

Is it possible your mystery plant is a Beni Highland?

 

[synclinorium]

Is it possible your mystery plant is a Beni Highland?

It's certainly possible. I got the plant from an acquaintance, who got the seeds from a friend, and he found them in an unlabeled packet left over from last year's seeds. I think he mentioned the Beni at some point...

Anyway, the pod shape/size and growth habit seem right. Guess I'll just need to wait for its ripe color.

 

[synclinorium]

Used a few peppers today in some peach salsa. Curiously, the Jalapenos were way hotter than they should have been, whereas the Aji Crystal had almost no heat... a delicious flavor, but still. Guess I shouldn't be surprised by the first pods of the season.

 

[synclinorium]

Still no pods set on the Rocotos, but they're certainly trying. It's cooled down a bit so maybe I'll get lucky.

I potted up one of my Tabascos into a 5 gallon bucket to give them some more growing room. It already has quite a few pods growing.

And my tomato patch is threatening to take over. I think I harvested about a half peck yesterday.

 

[capsidadburn]

Plants look great! +1 on the mystery Beni Highlands

Mike