The Pacific Northwest GLOG 2015

grispa72 · Apr 6, 2015

I just read all the 400 posts. Fantastic growing community chili! Northwest is ahead!
Congratulations!!!

Paolo

Roguejim · Apr 6, 2015

ColdSmoke said:
Less gnats for sure. I haven't done anything but use the traps and perlite. I did water one time with a mosquito dunk in the water. They only get water once a week right now. It's not very warm in my garage.

I'm already thinking of next season, and switching to either Sunshine #4 or Pro Mix, since I don't think these gnats are attracted to soilless mediums. Bagged potting soils are the culprit, in my opinion.

grispa72 said:
I just read all the 400 posts. Fantastic growing community chili! Northwest is ahead!
Congratulations!!!

Paolo

Hello Paolo! Glad we are becoming internationally known. Do you happen to have a pepper sauce recipe you would be willing to share with us? Red habs are one of my favorite sauce peppers, too.

ColdSmoke · Apr 6, 2015

Roguejim said:
I'm already thinking of next season, and switching to either Sunshine #4 or Pro Mix, since I don't think these gnats are attracted to soilless mediums. Bagged potting soils are the culprit, in my opinion.

Hello Paolo! Glad we are becoming internationally known. Do you happen to have a pepper sauce recipe you would be willing to share with us? Red habs are one of my favorite sauce peppers, too.

Next year I'm definitely using pro-mix for my seedlings. Maybe mix in some vermicompost and light nute feedings until potted up.

Starting to plan my mix. Going with Pro-Mix, compost, worm castings, perlite and bone meal. Has anyone tried the Happy Frog steamed bone meal?

Roguejim · Apr 6, 2015

ColdSmoke said:
Next year I'm definitely using pro-mix for my seedlings. Maybe mix in some vermicompost and light nute feedings until potted up.

Starting to plan my mix. Going with Pro-Mix, compost, worm castings, perlite and bone meal. Has anyone tried the Happy Frog steamed bone meal?

I've got bone meal amended into my raised beds, but it's another brand. I'm also using liquid bone meal for the first time this season (Herculean Harvest), and I'm attributing the thick stalks and stems to it. At this point, I don't think I'll ever not use the stuff.

organic pepper said:
Just locked up sites10 and 11 as well.

Looking Nice CS!

Yo, are you still doing the air raised beds?

organic pepper · Apr 7, 2015

Roguejim said:
I've got bone meal amended into my raised beds, but it's another brand. I'm also using liquid bone meal for the first time this season (Herculean Harvest), and I'm attributing the thick stalks and stems to it. At this point, I don't think I'll ever not use the stuff.

Yo, are you still doing the air raised beds?

Hey Jim, Yes I'm going to start building them probly by next week. Waiting for 35 mil geotextile fabric I ordered. Its what they use for french drains and leech fields. I think I'm going to make 2 to start with for this year and if they work out as I hoped than I'll make more for the following year. I'll get pics up of them. Cheers buddy!

turbo · Apr 7, 2015

organic pepper said:
Hey Jim, Yes I'm going to start building them probly by next week. Waiting for 35 mil geotextile fabric I ordered. Its what they use for french drains and leech fields. I think I'm going to make 2 to start with for this year and if they work out as I hoped than I'll make more for the following year. I'll get pics up of them. Cheers buddy!

I was at the hardware store today and saw cloth raised beds for sale. They were 5' x 12" round. Same material as the cloth pots. I wonder if they would be any good

organic pepper · Apr 8, 2015

turbo said:
I was at the hardware store today and saw cloth raised beds for sale. They were 5' x 12" round. Same material as the cloth pots. I wonder if they would be any good

Hey Turbo, I've seen some other raised air bed set ups here and there but for me it came down to the depth of the pot or rather bed I wanted. I had a few 5 and 7 gal root pots that the plant roots went right thru the bottom and into the ground. One of the reasons I was looking at trying to build this. The size I was intending to construct was 36"W x 22"H x 7' L. Mainly it had to do with the concrete remesh wire that home depo sold for like 7 bucks. The remesh wire sheet is 42"x 84". Looking at making this on the cheap Just to see how well this is even going to work. Cheers buddy!

chachie09 · Apr 9, 2015

Update! think its finally time to put out the sweets/bells! Hots have about another week or two to grow a bit more. Seeing a little stress here and there, but im guessing its d/t the FFOF having a bit of nutes in it. The first sets of leaves are showing a little odd on some, but by the second set, they straighten out. Greenhouse is doing its job amazingly, just refilled the back half of the greenhouse with our flat of corn, broccoli, bush and pole beans and herbs. Toms are already in the garden and planted and enjoying life!

Cant even hardly see the pink tiger in there! (3rd over, 3rd down)

The friend munching and i have come to an agreement...he may stay till they go outside, but he is not allowed to invite any of his friends. They will all get an IB spray as they go into the garden.

Corn starting to pop up!

Beans, herbs, and broccoli in the back

turbo · Apr 11, 2015

Well, I couldn't help myself. I know it's early, but I put two into the ground, an Aji Cito and an Aji Peruvian, as an experiment. We'll see if they survive. The nights are staying above 42'ish, and the days usually in the 50's to 60's. I'm kicking around the idea of building a hoop house on my raised bed. That should allow me to get my plants in the ground 3-4 weeks earlier than normal. Anyone have experience in using hoop houses?

Roguejim · Apr 11, 2015

turbo said:
Well, I couldn't help myself. I know it's early, but I put two into the ground, an Aji Cito and an Aji Peruvian, as an experiment. We'll see if they survive. The nights are staying above 42'ish, and the days usually in the 50's to 60's. I'm kicking around the idea of building a hoop house on my raised bed. That should allow me to get my plants in the ground 3-4 weeks earlier than normal. Anyone have experience in using hoop houses?

Yikes! Good luck. Lots of tutorials on youtube for building hoop houses. Next season, it's an 8x10 greenhouse for me.

z_malloc · Apr 12, 2015

One thing you have be very careful of with tiny hoops is that the temperature fluctuations can be extreme. Same goes for tiny greenhouses. Without adequete monitoring and automated ventilation, you can go from 50 to 120 degrees in minutes. Last year I built a makeshift 6x6x6 poly tent to get me through the 40-50 degree days here in SW Washington. I wasn't paying close enough attention, sun popped out from a cloud with the tent fully down and the temp went sky high. Within a couple hours many plants had started dropping leaves.

Roguejim · Apr 12, 2015

z_malloc said:
One thing you have be very careful of with tiny hoops is that the temperature fluctuations can be extreme. Same goes for tiny greenhouses. Without adequete monitoring and automated ventilation, you can go from 50 to 120 degrees in minutes. Last year I built a makeshift 6x6x6 poly tent to get me through the 40-50 degree days here in SW Washington. I wasn't paying close enough attention, sun popped out from a cloud with the tent fully down and the temp went sky high. Within a couple hours many plants had started dropping leaves.

Good to know. An 8x10x6.5 greenhouse is fairly small still, I guess. Automated ventilation isn't going to happen for me, so I'll have to monitor it closely. I'm still a little unsure as to the best way to harden off in a greenhouse. A tarp, sheet, or shade cloth would be in order temporarily, I guess. Any experience with this?

turbo · Apr 12, 2015

z_malloc said:
One thing you have be very careful of with tiny hoops is that the temperature fluctuations can be extreme. Same goes for tiny greenhouses. Without adequete monitoring and automated ventilation, you can go from 50 to 120 degrees in minutes. Last year I built a makeshift 6x6x6 poly tent to get me through the 40-50 degree days here in SW Washington. I wasn't paying close enough attention, sun popped out from a cloud with the tent fully down and the temp went sky high. Within a couple hours many plants had started dropping leaves.

Thanks for the tip! Thats good info to know. I've seen hoop houses that have 1/2 inch holes punched in them. I wonder if that helps regulate temps away from the extremes?

ronaldo_fanbelt · Apr 13, 2015

I grew in one of the flimsy $100 greenhouses last year with no experience growing peppers. I had plenty of pods. In the hottest parts of summer I had to water twice a day, but all of the plants spent all year in 1 gal pots. I think with a little bit of love a small greenhouse or hoop house is a great idea.

bpwilly · Apr 13, 2015

Roguejim said:
Good to know. An 8x10x6.5 greenhouse is fairly small still, I guess. Automated ventilation isn't going to happen for me, so I'll have to monitor it closely. I'm still a little unsure as to the best way to harden off in a greenhouse. A tarp, sheet, or shade cloth would be in order temporarily, I guess. Any experience with this?

Jim,

I have a small greenhouse that I use for my peppers, once they outgrow the indoors, and prior to planting them in their final spot outdoors. I have never had to cover it to help harden them up, I just move them in and let them stay there for a few (or several) weeks and them just put them in the ground. All my peppers are there right now, waiting for me to get them in the ground sometime!.

They seem to do OK with the transition to open sky and sun, but then we get a lot of natural cloud cover here for free! Rain!

The biggest thing I have to watch is heat, as it can get pretty hot in there. It does have window louvers in the end and 2 manual and 2 automated vents in the roof. As long as I have the window louvers mostly open, it will not get to hot for the plants yet, but in the summer, I also leave the door open to help hold down the heat (if I am around)

The door end with my tomatoes that really need to get planted

and here are a few shot of the rest. There are 14 flats of 8 pots each for the peppers and 3 for the tomatoes.

The greenhouse is small (8 x 16) so it does get crowded, but I am sure glad I have it to use.

Roguejim · Apr 13, 2015

bpwilly said:
Jim,

I have a small greenhouse that I use for my peppers, once they outgrow the indoors, and prior to planting them in their final spot outdoors. I have never had to cover it to help harden them up, I just move them in and let them stay there for a few (or several) weeks and them just put them in the ground. All my peppers are there right now, waiting for me to get them in the ground sometime!.

They seem to do OK with the transition to open sky and sun, but then we get a lot of natural cloud cover here for free! Rain!

The biggest thing I have to watch is heat, as it can get pretty hot in there. It does have window louvers in the end and 2 manual and 2 automated vents in the roof. As long as I have the window louvers mostly open, it will not get to hot for the plants yet, but in the summer, I also leave the door open to help hold down the heat (if I am around)

The door end with my tomatoes that really need to get planted

and here are a few shot of the rest. There are 14 flats of 8 pots each for the peppers and 3 for the tomatoes.

The greenhouse is small (8 x 16) so it does get crowded, but I am sure glad I have it to use.

Thanks, Bill. Are those windows clear? Maybe it's just the overcast(?) sky that makes them look cloudy. I will have to settle for an 8x10 steel frame w/plastic cover. It has windows and a door, so I hope heat will be controllable. I thought if I could slip the plastic cover off during Summer/Winter, and just leave the heavy frame standing during the off season, the plastic cover should last years. It has some sort of cloth(?)mesh woven into the plastic. It will run $250.

PaulG · Apr 13, 2015

"The greenhouse is small (8 x 16) so it does get crowded" - BPWilly

Dude! I'd kill for an 8x16. Mine is a 6x8, and it's the pits working in it.
No room for me after getting 40 or so peppers in 2-liter pots crammed
in there :confused:

My fantasy greenhouse is fully electric and plumbed 16 x 20

Roguejim · Apr 13, 2015

PaulG said:
"The greenhouse is small (8 x 16) so it does get crowded" - BPWilly

Dude! I'd kill for an 8x16. Mine is a 6x8, and it's the pits working in it.
No room for me after getting 40 or so peppers in 2-liter pots crammed
in there

My fantasy greenhouse is fully electric and plumbed 16 x 20

6x8 is cramped, huh? I don't like hearing that. 8x10 is probably not much better, then. Are 2-liter pots the same as the #1 size? I'm thinking the #1 size is .66gal. Not sure though.

PaulG · Apr 13, 2015

I don't mean to sound complaining. I'm lucky to have one at all.
I guess the grass is always greener...

A #1 nursery pot is about 3/4 gallon, a bit more than a 2-liter pot.
the footprints are very similar. An 8 x 10 doesn't sound much bigger, but
that would give about an extra 32 ft2- 80ft2 compared to 48ft2. I think
you'll do well with the 8 x 10.

Roguejim · Apr 13, 2015

PaulG said:
I don't mean to sound complaining. I'm lucky to have one at all.
I guess the grass is always greener...

A #1 nursery pot is about 3/4 gallon, a bit more than a 2-liter pot.
the footprints are very similar. An 8 x 10 doesn't sound much bigger, but
that would give about an extra 32 ft2- 80ft2 compared to 48ft2. I think
you'll do well with the 8 x 10.

I don't recall if you have shelves in your greenhouse, or if your plants are just set on the ground.