Time to Turn it all Around ... It begins in Earnest... Trials and Tribulations of Trippa's Season 20

Well the least said about the 2013-2014 season from my point of view the better.  Broad Mites took a heavy toll and things just never got a start or a roll on .... I was at fault in some part by trying to grow too many plants in too small pots (a lesson I was yet to heed after 2-3 seasons), I tried to cheap on amendments just using a commercial potting mix ... never again ... and I didn't love them enough ... (I don't think I ever do although my wife disagrees ) 
 
I had some great varieties started but most I never got a single pod from, due to being in a constant flux of recovery and attack from Broad mites ... I will be holding onto a select few plants and putting them on my other balcony where I had success transplanting some other plants midway through last season ... less direct light and more weather and terracotta pots and a slightly different soil mix all added up to some semblance of harvest and my best ever harvest from my Pimenta De Neyde (confirming my thoughts that it (my particular plant) does not like the heat and full sun I had been affording it in the past 2 seasons.
 
However my main balcony will be wiped clean from this season (including being cleaned down to get rid of the pain in the ass mites and aphids) all pots removed and existing trays cleaned with bleach in the bathroom.
 
No more plastic pots will be used ... I have already purchased 10 x 10 gallon (37.85 litre) Fabric pots (got them for less then I could make them in the end) brand new with handles for shifting a little if needed although sounds like back trouble if I do it too much
This will give the root zones an additional 27.85 litres of space compared with last season and keep the roots cooler and give the benefit of air pruning ... an all round win!!
 
I will also be using a 25% Mushroom Compost, 25% Perlite, 25% Coir, and 15% Organic Potting mix and 5-7% Sheep Manure/Worm Castings/Rock Dust/ and the remainder a mulch yet to be determined (possibly pine bark or hardwood chips) ... But please post comments on what you think might be a good soil mix if you see some glaring omissions from my recipe.
 
I will also be companion planting with a couple of basil plants per plant along with a petunia or geranium added to the mix to hopefully boost some beneficial's in the garden and give the chillis some respite from the pest hordes.
 
 
I already have some plants started/stunted from late last season that I have been trying to hold off from going out to get infested before I can get rid of the mites and also have a bunch of varieties that I have in the heated propagator germinating at the moment (have been down 8 days and have 2 varieties hooked , Chocolate Habanero and Yellow Bhut x Primo f3 (seeds saved from my sole pod last season from Jungle Rains Yellow Bhut x Primo f2 seed)
 
I will disclose a full list of 10 plants I will be growing in the fabric pots (seriously no more) and the few that will go to the other balcony either because I need them for seed saving or because they are plants I would like to grow again but don't want to commit to starting again.
 
I also have a bunch of seeds started with the view to gifting them to a couple of people.
 
I am looking forward to the steep challenge this season ... I just want some kick ass plants and pods ... I can't promise that but I will try ... 

Just read over my 2013-2014 glog and the first few pages started much the same as this one ... grandiose Ideas ... new starts... changes ... blah blah blah ... talk is cheap it would seem ... but the difference is this season I already have part of the set up purchased and a disaster behind me to spur me to change everything .... haha ... check out post #370 on last seasons glog ... this year is the year ... 

 

[Trippa]

All right, then you should be good.
 
Great minds think alike

Haha thanks Devv .. I was going to say that but I wasn't sure my great mind could measure up to yours in the chilli growing stakes

 

[PaulG]

Good job on the balcony, Tristen; that had to be a job.  How big is the balcony?
Looking forward to seeing your great grow this season, bro.

 

[Trippa]

Good job on the balcony, Tristen; that had to be a job.  How big is the balcony?
Looking forward to seeing your great grow this season, bro.

Cheers Paul! They aren't huge balconies .. the one off our bedroom is my reserve spot for isolation and extra plants and that one is only about 3 metres width by 4 metres long. I didn't clean that one just sprayed it down ... it only has 3 chilli plants on it and some herbs currently.
The main balcony with the sun all day is roughly 5 x 6 metres at a guess maybe only 5x5 ... again not huge but surprisingly I think takes longer to clean then a bigger area would on the ground. I had to take about 10 separate trips up and down the stairs and across the basement just to dispose of rubbish. Then clean and bleach all my pots and equipment in the bath in the main bathroom. Would loved to have just dumped it over the edge like you suggested Paul

 

[PaulG]

Cheers Paul! They aren't huge balconies .. the one off our bedroom is my reserve spot for isolation and extra plants and that one is only about 3 metres width by 4 metres long. I didn't clean that one just sprayed it down ... it only has 3 chilli plants on it and some herbs currently.
The main balcony with the sun all day is roughly 5 x 6 metres at a guess maybe only 5x5 ... again not huge but surprisingly I think takes longer to clean then a bigger area would on the ground. I had to take about 10 separate trips up and down the stairs and across the basement just to dispose of rubbish. Then clean and bleach all my pots and equipment in the bath in the main bathroom. Would loved to have just dumped it over the edge like you suggested Paul

Those are pretty big balconies, Tristen!  No wonder it took so much effort to clean them up!

 

[Trippa]

Keep in in mind unfortunately I don't have all that space for growing ... probably around 1.5m x 5 is for my pot footprint on the main balcony .. I am thinking they may get too much direct afternoon sun currently .. might see if I can run them the other way so they get morning sun and then only indirect light ... see what the wife says first I guess

 

[PaulG]

Keep in in mind unfortunately I don't have all that space for growing ... probably around 1.5m x 5 is for my pot footprint on the main balcony .. I am thinking they may get too much direct afternoon sun currently .. might see if I can run them the other way so they get morning sun and then only indirect light ... see what the wife says first I guess

Morning sun is the best.  I'm finding not all my peppers like to have a
full day of sun, but the ones that get predominantly morning sun seem
to be very happy there, your Mystery Cross among them!.

 

[Trippa]

Morning sun is the best.  I'm finding not all my peppers like to have a
full day of sun, but the ones that get predominantly morning sun seem
to be very happy there, your Mystery Cross among them!.

Cheers Paul! Yeah morning sun is certainly the best and I am learning that basically no variety does as well in full day sun (in the hotter months) as those with partial shade. Although a variety which doesnt mind all day sun in my experience is the Bahamian goat pepper.
Although that doesn't appear to be on my grow list this year. Was one of my older OW's I scrapped ... I got some isolated seeds off it before then though ... I don't like going away from tried and true producers usually but I thought I would step out of my comfort zone a little this year.

As an aside I have a Choc Bhut and Yellow 7 up from my second round of my open pollinated seeds ... still haven't given up on my original seed source jiffy's yet though ... they will go back into the germinator this weekend after a 2 week stint in fluctuating temp conditions to break dormancy for a further 2 weeks ... fingers crossed for a result there!!

 

[Trippa]

Starting to be mystified by the slow and low germination rates this season ...maybe I am being impatient...

but I have waited 4 weeks on my first lot and 12 days on my 2nd .... either all my seed is rubbish (unlikely) or something is amiss in my germination setup.

I am not 100 % convinced by jiffy pellets and feel they condense over time especially during watering cutting the oxygen to the seeds somewhat ... if they weren't so convenient and clean for my situation I would be using a seed raising mix ... I have probably had only 50% germination overall of seeds planted so far... its not over yet I know and the remaining original unpopped seeds look clean and healthy when dug up so they may just be stubborn.
However I am running out of time to get them established ... I have 10 weeks to get them big enough to fend for themselves while I holiday for 21 days...

 

[Trippa]

Had to switch my T5 over my germination chamber off today as we have a guy coming into the apartment to check the smoke alarms and detection systems and nobody will be at home. My wife didn't think it would be a good look to have a T5 mounted over some little seedlings tucked under the computer table ... I can see her point ... although it will no doubt elongate the crap out of the seedlings for the 7 or 8 hours they are in poor light. Anyway .. will just have to bury them deep!!

 

[Trippa]

More positive news ... discovered 2 more hooks last night ...I just call it Trippa's Mystery 7 pot/pod (an unknown strain I discovered in my first season) I originally had it pegged as a TSMB but after seeing and growing one of those in subsequent seasons it certainly isn't that. It producers big blocky/brainy/lobed pods with a square appearance that ripen like a Toucan's beak with strong banding from red to orangy yellow to green.
Might have been a freak and won't get those results from its seeds but who knows.
Other one was the saved OP seed from my THSC Choc Bhut.

 

[Devv]

In catching up here: I feel your pain with full sun growing. I'm patiently waiting for a few trees to offer some shade to the garden, as it get's full sun all day. I do use sun shades, and they help. But the temps have been 36.6° here lately and I now have unhappy plants.
 
Can't wait to see pics of your adventures!
 
And have a great season!

 

[PaulG]

Good news on the new hooks, Tristen                     
 
When you used the Jiffy pellets, did you fluff them up and loosen them up?  GaGrowhead 
taught me that trick, along with pulling the top of the netting back and dibbling seed holes
of your own. I tried it and had very few no/shows.   I also water the pellets from the bottom
to avoid compacting the fluffy pellets too awfully much.  I'm with you on their convenience - 
can't beat the easy transplant, which I do as soon as the cotys unfurl so the tap root gets
an unimpeded shot at a few inches of growth.  Even at that, a few of the pellets had roots
showing on the outside when I transplanted.  My results with the pellets and the seed starting
mix are about the same, and close to the aereo garden.
 
Good grown' to you,my friend!

 

[Trippa]

In catching up here: I feel your pain with full sun growing. I'm patiently waiting for a few trees to offer some shade to the garden, as it get's full sun all day. I do use sun shades, and they help. But the temps have been 36.6° here lately and I now have unhappy plants.
 
Can't wait to see pics of your adventures!
 
And have a great season!

Cheers Devv. Yeah I think I underestimate how much some of the chilli varieties don't enjoy full summer sun at all here ... maybe if they were more bunched together the middle ones may produce better. I also have glass panels right the way around the balcony further intensifying the sun. My best grow season here was the first one where i had 75 plants crammed onto the balcony ... might have had a lot to do with it
Cooling the air a little as well and keeping humidity higher.

Good news on the new hooks, Tristen                     
 
When you used the Jiffy pellets, did you fluff them up and loosen them up?  GaGrowhead 
taught me that trick, along with pulling the top of the netting back and dibbling seed holes
of your own. I tried it and had very few no/shows.   I also water the pellets from the bottom
to avoid compacting the fluffy pellets too awfully much.  I'm with you on their convenience - 
can't beat the easy transplant, which I do as soon as the cotys unfurl so the tap root gets
an unimpeded shot at a few inches of growth.  Even at that, a few of the pellets had roots
showing on the outside when I transplanted.  My results with the pellets and the seed starting
mix are about the same, and close to the aereo garden.
 
Good grown' to you,my friend!

Cheers Paul!!

Yeah they are slowly coming along and hooking in dribs and drabs ....
I have always done all that Paul as the first time I used them I had real issues not so much with germination but compaction of the peat at potting up time which severely effected root development.

Come to think of it the best germination I ever have with seeds was when I have them in total darkness until they hook.

This season I have had the t5 going over the new seedlings for 16-18 hours per day ... I wonder if that has effected them somewhat??

I also have the germination chamber up on some weights as opposed to a flat surface like normal which maybe potentially creates uneven temps ... although the water in the bottom of it is supposed to create an even temp water bath effect so shouldn't alter too much really. Ahhh its all part of the fun ... I guess

 

[stickman]

I think you might be onto something with your observation on the effects of humidity Tristan. Low humidity days are hard on my chiles too, though our local climate is cooler and wetter than yours. I'm glad you've figured out how to get peat pots to produce for you... I've avoided them and used bagged soil-less seed starting mix in 16 oz Solo cups for germination. It's a great feeling to get hooks, but it's just the start of the roller-coaster ride...

 

[Trippa]

I think you might be onto something with your observation on the effects of humidity Tristan. Low humidity days are hard on my chiles too, though our local climate is cooler and wetter than yours. I'm glad you've figured out how to get peat pots to produce for you... I've avoided them and used bagged soil-less seed starting mix in 16 oz Solo cups for germination. It's a great feeling to get hooks, but it's just the start of the roller-coaster ride...

Cheers Rick... yeah the peat pellets certainly have some idiosynchrisies which take a little getting used to.  I read something the other day that suggested chilli seeds don't like the natural acidity of peat for germination and can do with a more neutral aiming seed raising mix.  Interesting although I am unsure how much truth is in that ...
 
Yeah the roller coasting is still climbing the initial hill at the moment ... its the point where we tip over the edge of the hill is where I need to hold on tight ... and trust the system
Big big thanks to Judy @ pepperlover with another top notch transaction with her... ordered less then 9 business days ago and recieved my seeds today .... but hold on I only ordered 4 varieties .... whats with the huge bundle of bonus seed varieties?? ...another 6 packs of some great ones as well!!.   Always too generous .  Thanks so Much!!
 
As an aside the varieties I ordered were the : Tobago Scotch Bonnet, 7pot Yellow Brainstrain, Mako Akokasrade and Bhut Jolokia "Indian Carbon".  Will be putting them in for a soak tonight... can't wait!

 

[Trippa]

Added the Peach Bhut Jolokia (one of the bonus seed packs ) to the soaking seeds as well ... fingers crossed for some fast germination times so they can get big and strong before the heat hits at the end of September

 

[stickman]

Yup, Judy runs a great seed business. My large-pod Yellow 7s came from her last year, and I'll continue to grow them as a permanent fixture in my garden. You've got some great varieties there, though I wonder why you decided to grow the Mako Akokasrade? From what I remember, StefanW grew them last year and wasn't impressed by them... now that I think of it... he lived up in Canada, so maybe his growing season was too short for it. I had the same experience with Aji Panca then.
Good luck brother!

 

[Devv]

For me the germ part of the grow is a favorite. Come home from work and take a peak, yes! We have yet another candidate! The comes a challenge, can we get this baby to turn into a plant?
 
It's all good, and why we do it. And then there's the end result   

 

[Trippa]

Yup, Judy runs a great seed business. My large-pod Yellow 7s came from her last year, and I'll continue to grow them as a permanent fixture in my garden. You've got some great varieties there, though I wonder why you decided to grow the Mako Akokasrade? From what I remember, StefanW grew them last year and wasn't impressed by them... now that I think of it... he lived up in Canada, so maybe his growing season was too short for it. I had the same experience with Aji Panca then.
Good luck brother!

Yeah she sure does. Cheers Rick!
I don't really pay too much creedence to other growers takes on certain varietals .. except when there is a clamour about the big ones like fatalii , yellow 7, Bahamian Goat etc. For me its a little about just having a wide selection of seeds to sift through (its my OCD and addictive personality shining through ) I like collecting them.

But beyond that I also like to test chilli's from different regions beyond the Americas where the majority are from to see how they go in my climate as well as getting away from the various interations of 7 pot and habs .

In saying all that Rick I wonder too ... why did I choose that?? remember I don't have anywhere near the space for all of these .. a good portion of these will never get across my growing start line ....

and will be gifted to some friends .. I have 3 friends who will take Annuums and 1 who likes Chinense varieties who often buys the plants .. I would prefer he takes my surplus stock.

I have so many varieties that I would like to grow that I don't know why I buy more but every season I like to support a couple of my regular seed suppliers so that is part of it.

Basically Rick .. I have an addiction

 

[stickman]

Oh, I hear ya brother... My name is Rick and I'm a pepperholic...