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The Great Kiwi Pepper Thread

Windy Palmerston North, mind you it was the first calm day in about 3 or 4 weeks today. Had a break from growing last year with travel and work etc so I am itching to get these seedling up and going. I am in week 4/5 oldest tray ready to be potted up, week 3 with another tray, most have sprouted 20% left or so and week 2 with last tray still waiting on some to germinate. So started quite late as you can see. I'll chuck some photos up soon with a grow list when I jump on the pc. (Phone) Cheers
 
Big learning curve this year...i thought i had seen it all after a few years of growing! This year was my biggest grow and the most experimentation with hydroponics,aeroponics and different grow mediums.
All went well until spring hit....then the aphids went mad....eventually sorted them out after losing a few plants. Then i discovered psyllids.....evil little bastards! It took a while before i figured out what they were as they are still fairly new to New Zealand. They are almost impossible to kill and keep dead! At this stage i have lost over half my plants to psyllid yellows.
Just as well i had so many plants otherwise i would be totally wiped out! The battle continues with everything i can get my hands on just to keep them at bay after the huge amount of damage they have caused. Confidor worked for the aphids, but did very little to the psyllids...and seems to be a problem to bees as well, although most of the plants are in greenhouses. Soapy water and Neem help to a small degree, but are useless with large infestations. I tried the new Yates Success Ultra which is specifically geared to kill them and it seems to work after two applications and is safe for bees. But...i don't think this is over yet...they are terribly tenacious little beasties.
So beware all my fellow growers...when you see white granules lying on your leaves....you have a big problem!
 
Rush35 said:
 
Big learning curve this year...i thought i had seen it all after a few years of growing! This year was my biggest grow and the most experimentation with hydroponics,aeroponics and different grow mediums.
All went well until spring hit....then the aphids went mad....eventually sorted them out after losing a few plants. Then i discovered psyllids.....evil little bastards! It took a while before i figured out what they were as they are still fairly new to New Zealand. They are almost impossible to kill and keep dead! At this stage i have lost over half my plants to psyllid yellows.
Just as well i had so many plants otherwise i would be totally wiped out! The battle continues with everything i can get my hands on just to keep them at bay after the huge amount of damage they have caused. Confidor worked for the aphids, but did very little to the psyllids...and seems to be a problem to bees as well, although most of the plants are in greenhouses. Soapy water and Neem help to a small degree, but are useless with large infestations. I tried the new Yates Success Ultra which is specifically geared to kill them and it seems to work after two applications and is safe for bees. But...i don't think this is over yet...they are terribly tenacious little beasties.
So beware all my fellow growers...when you see white granules lying on your leaves....you have a big problem!
 
Click to expand...
Hey mate, I identified them last season so have sort of figured out how to control them.
Their eggs are little tiny orange eggs that hang off the edges and undersides of the leaves & new growth. I found its best to make killing the eggs the top priority then focus on the scale stage, then the adults. Kill all adults you can obviously but you need to stop the reproduction. And the scale stage is the damaging one.
 
Its a lot of work but you need to kill those eggs. I do it several ways, all of which are quite time consuming.
A. yates "bug oil" on an ear/cotton bud. Run that around the leaf edges that have eggs on them. This stuff can damage the leaves so i don't really recommend spraying it.
B. kill the eggs with a lighter..yep that sounds crazy but it kills them and quickly. You can usually get away with a really quick pass - killing the eggs but not damaging the plant.
C. squish the eggs 
 
I believe the confidor does kill them at the scale stage, but that alone isnt enough since one adult can lay 500 eggs.
 
nzchili said:
Hey mate, I identified them last season so have sort of figured out how to control them.
Their eggs are little tiny orange eggs that hang off the edges and undersides of the leaves & new growth. I found its best to make killing the eggs the top priority then focus on the scale stage, then the adults. Kill all adults you can obviously but you need to stop the reproduction. And the scale stage is the damaging one.
 
Its a lot of work but you need to kill those eggs. I do it several ways, all of which are quite time consuming.
A. yates "bug oil" on an ear/cotton bud. Run that around the leaf edges that have eggs on them. This stuff can damage the leaves so i don't really recommend spraying it.
B. kill the eggs with a lighter..yep that sounds crazy but it kills them and quickly. You can usually get away with a really quick pass - killing the eggs but not damaging the plant.
C. squish the eggs 
 
I believe the confidor does kill them at the scale stage, but that alone isnt enough since one adult can lay 500 eggs.
Click to expand...
 
 
 
 
My problem was that i only really recognised them way too late....so now i nail the eggs when i see them. Once the bacteria from their mouths gets into the plants and your psyllid yellow starts you can destroy your plants as they are toast!
I like the lighter idea though.....! Going to have to put up more yellow stickies for the adults as well.
nzchili said:
Hey mate, I identified them last season so have sort of figured out how to control them.
Their eggs are little tiny orange eggs that hang off the edges and undersides of the leaves & new growth. I found its best to make killing the eggs the top priority then focus on the scale stage, then the adults. Kill all adults you can obviously but you need to stop the reproduction. And the scale stage is the damaging one.
 
Its a lot of work but you need to kill those eggs. I do it several ways, all of which are quite time consuming.
A. yates "bug oil" on an ear/cotton bud. Run that around the leaf edges that have eggs on them. This stuff can damage the leaves so i don't really recommend spraying it.
B. kill the eggs with a lighter..yep that sounds crazy but it kills them and quickly. You can usually get away with a really quick pass - killing the eggs but not damaging the plant.
C. squish the eggs 
 
I believe the confidor does kill them at the scale stage, but that alone isnt enough since one adult can lay 500 eggs.
Click to expand...
 
 
 
 
My problem was that i only really recognised them way too late....so now i nail the eggs when i see them. Once the bacteria from their mouths gets into the plants and your psyllid yellow starts you can destroy your plants as they are toast!
I like the lighter idea though.....! Going to have to put up more yellow stickies for the adults as well.
 
Wow i didn't relise what they were!! i thought they were some kind or thrip!!! They are hardy little f**kers. I always wondered about the unusual orange little eggs which i would frantically pluck off with tweezers, i hope not to encounter them too early in my grow.
 
Swampy_NZ said:
Yep.We have a program on TV here called border patrol which focuses on  Auckland International airport and its customs facility.Its quite good as it shows them Xraying mail,pointing out suspect packages/letters and catching people trying to smuggle drugs and other contraband into the country. :)
Its a real eye opener when you see the lengths people go through to get drugs into NZ
Click to expand...
Normal letter envelopes are not x-rayed in NZ ... I have first hand knowledge ... They run the beagles over the normal letters but not xray. Bubble wrap package envelopes may be subject to xray.. most things in a normal envelope will fly through ... I assure you
 
Trippa said:
Normal letter envelopes are not x-rayed in NZ ... I have first hand knowledge ... They run the beagles over the normal letters but not xray. Bubble wrap package envelopes may be subject to xray.. most things in a normal envelope will fly through ... I assure you
Click to expand...
 Ta Trippa....i was wondering how the hell we would get new seeds in for the new season. I still have plenty here, but am always on the lookout for new varieties and with the new restrictions the future looked pretty gloomy! 
 
Iv got some of the new 2015 stuff from pepperlover if you want some. Iv got the devils horns, heart & brain. Farmers Jalap, and some baccatums  :party:
 
nzchili said:
Iv got some of the new 2015 stuff from pepperlover if you want some. Iv got the devils horns, heart & brain. Farmers Jalap, and some baccatums  :party:
Click to expand...
 devils brain look like really neat pods.. I was thinking about ordering some but its getting late.. mabye next year.
 
Trippa said:
Normal letter envelopes are not x-rayed in NZ ... I have first hand knowledge ... They run the beagles over the normal letters but not xray. Bubble wrap package envelopes may be subject to xray.. most things in a normal envelope will fly through ... I assure you
Click to expand...
Oh this makes me feel abit more at ease...
 
nzchili said:
Iv got some of the new 2015 stuff from pepperlover if you want some. Iv got the devils horns, heart & brain. Farmers Jalap, and some baccatums  :party:
Click to expand...
Thanks Chris. I am sorted for now and have plenty of seeds currently. Now that i have a greenhouse i will start growing all year round and keeping a careful eye on the nasties that are now showing themselves and destroying my plants!
 
Hello NZ'ers,
 
Quick couple of Q's..
 
1. When are you guys putting down your seeds for your main grow? i.e i've put mine down end of september/ beginning of october and it feels WAY WAY WAY to late! (feel like in my previous grows i have been getting pods by now, even the chinense variety's)
 
2.I've had a really bad germination rate and about 6 varietys havent popped. Is it worth germinating some 2nd's now in your opinions? (providing they go into a warm greenhouse to overwinter) or just wait till 2015 season?
 
Cheers.
 
p.s I used to used the old mini greenhouse propagator in the hot water cupboard technique with great success, but this year used a heat mat with no temp probe which struggled to maintain temps i think, resulting in poor germ rates.
I have had a gap year in which i didn't grow pepper's so feeling a little rusty.
 
Next year will give the "Tank" germination method a shot as i have all the required components laying around, THSC vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPRNZQlQRZA
 
I put some down on the 5th of June and some 3 weeks latter.
I started under CFL lights and they went into my polytunnel with a fan heater end of August.
As far as germination goes I think keeping a constant 28-32 C is the key.I use a few lighbulbs connected to a thermostat in my wardrobe.My Reapers and Choc Bhuts popped in 6-7 days,saying that I think the freshness of seeds is also a big factor.the fresher the better.
 
Swampy_NZ said:
I put some down on the 5th of June and some 3 weeks latter.
I started under CFL lights and they went into my polytunnel with a fan heater end of August.
As far as germination goes I think keeping a constant 28-32 C is the key.I use a few lighbulbs connected to a thermostat in my wardrobe.My Reapers and Choc Bhuts popped in 6-7 days,saying that I think the freshness of seeds is also a big factor.the fresher the better.
Click to expand...
What sort of size are we talking once you transfer them to the polytunnel? i.e how many sets of leaves. Are they still in pots at this point? Is the themostatic switch like homemade jobbie or set on/off temps proper gizmo?
Sorry for all the Q's? 
 
I started my first wave on june 30 in a 60ltr goldfish tank with 2 heat pads. I threw a towel over the top to keep things consistant. Once I had my first hooks after about 6 days I put a t5 over the top. At the end of august they were transplanted into pb 3/4s and moved into mini greenhouses that filled all of my sunny windows and another wave of 60 went into the propergator.
I did make the mistake of planting out the first unheated polycarbonate house at the start of October, which was to early without heat.
I'll try to remember to post some pics tonight.
 
hey guys, im in fiji at the moment but thought id post a little update.
this is the wild junglee mircha at my girlfriends house. its now over 2 meters tall and maybe 2 to 3 meters wide. 
image_zpsf1da2684.jpg

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we have already tried multiple times to get viable seeds back to NZ and each time we have had no luck. this time, im the one doing the seed harvesting so im confident if I can get them back, we will have viable seeds that I will share. 
 
image_zps48fb0d67.jpg

 
Also, i picked up some of these chocolate peppers that the locals call "chocolate mircha" mircha just means chilli in hindi by the way.
anyone have any clues as to what they really are? I had thought they may be brown bhuts but after trying one i just dont think they have the heat. They have some heat but not super hot IMO. they aint got nothing on my chilis back home.
ill try get these seeds back to the mother land also.
 
notice the walls are not covered in yellow/orange oil like im used to!
 
image_zpsa381bd5d.jpg

image_zps27bdb34a.jpg

 
merry christmas and happy new years to all :)
 
Those brown pods look cool.  There is a bit of placenta in there too, maybe a hab relative.
 
I just picked 2 hornworms off my plants.  They seem to favour the pubes at the moment.  Both were quite young so it seems now is a good time to be vigilant.  I noticed a few holes appearing in leaves overnight before I stumbled on the culprits today.
 
Tried some of SentencedToBurn's latest Dorset Naga's on pizza....they have got some go to them! Hope yours are also as "lively"...I stupidly added some Bhut Jolokia sauce to the pizza as well with the fresh Dorset Naga's...ouch!
 
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