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 ... 

 

[PaulG]

I can't wait to see what might wind up there!

 

[stickman]

Cheers Rick!

The plants are still slow due to being rootbound in small pots and unfortunately ultimately comes down to me having no time recently. The problems with the plants are definitely pH related ... Calcium lockout is a prime suspect. It's only effected some chinense plants but they look mutated like I have never seen a plant. I will be looking at Gas's recommendations seriously before I pot up ...
In saying that they have (with plain water flushing) bounced back but are still suffering from the initial setbacks

 

 
I hear ya 'bout your time not being your own buddy... and for a similar reason...
 
Rootbound isn't good for sure, and I've noticed that CA problems usually go hand-in-hand with watering issues. That's why I mentioned a drip irrigation system. most calcium amendments tend to be CA salts that need acid and water to dissolve into an ionic form that plants can use. The tannic and humic acids in humus and peat-based potting soils will do the job, but they need water to work. My "Canary in the coal mine" was the Pasilla chiles I grew the previous 2 seasons... when I got to the driest part of the summer (Which is when the pods started to ripen) I noticed them getting blossom end rot. The other varieties were fine.

 

[PaulG]

Woot!  Woot!
 
Tristen, you are awesome, dude!  Great bunch of seeds.  I wish i had room to grow out every one!

Thank you so much, brother!

 

[Trippa]

Paul it is my pleasure to share the chilli love ... Plus it was the least I could do after getting your awesome powder package.

Always tough trying to fit in all the great varieties each season ... I thought I would send a few so you had options ..
Cheers and Merry Christmas

 
I hear ya 'bout your time not being your own buddy... and for a similar reason...
 
Rootbound isn't good for sure, and I've noticed that CA problems usually go hand-in-hand with watering issues. That's why I mentioned a drip irrigation system. most calcium amendments tend to be CA salts that need acid and water to dissolve into an ionic form that plants can use. The tannic and humic acids in humus and peat-based potting soils will do the job, but they need water to work. My "Canary in the coal mine" was the Pasilla chiles I grew the previous 2 seasons... when I got to the driest part of the summer (Which is when the pods started to ripen) I noticed them getting blossom end rot. The other varieties were fine.

I hear you Rick. I always tended to have the issues in the past with the fleshier Annuum types with BER like Torro Rosso .. not sure why that is but there need for better watering consistency seems to be higher then any of the thin fleshed fruits .

 

[stickman]

I hear you Rick. I always tended to have the issues in the past with the fleshier Annuum types with BER like Torro Rosso .. not sure why that is but there need for better watering consistency seems to be higher then any of the thin fleshed fruits .

 
I think Pasillas may be an exception. They're thin-fleshed pods too. Gotta have them though... chili powder ain't the same without them.

 

[gnslngr]

Just a teeny follow-up on your Mystery Crosse, Tristen.
 
You can see a slight difference in growth habit between the two, and there is definite purpling on the F2 leaves.  It was more pronounced in the summer, and I think if the plants had been in more sun they would have been more purple.  They were very dark green with purple highlights.
 

 

 

 
As far as I know no one has tried to guess what the two parents were.

I think I see the problem Tristen.
No roots, I 'm surprised they got along that far.........
 
 
 
 

 
Hopefully you got mite issue sorted?
Have a good one -
Dave
yes, the invisible man returns!

 

[PaulG]

Tristen, your Chili Goronong is the first chinense to sprout!  That's a 7 Pot x Bonda Ma Jacques hooking in the background:

 
 Whoo Hoo!  

 

[PaulG]

These are the F3 plants from the yellow F2, Tristen.  
You can see the purple parent in 4/5 of the seedlings.  
The fifth shows signs of the other parent!
 
When are you going to reveal the parentage?

 

[PaulG]

Here's a pic of the F3 seedlings.  

Purple really showing through; 84% of the sprouts showed the purple trait.  
The one green start was growing very fast - looked like it wanted to be big,
so I had to make a decision and kept the second purple one.  
 
I think the F1 or F2 may have crossed with the red Bhut Jolokia!  Might be
interesting if that is indeed the case!

 

[Trippa]

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by and left comments ... I have not been on here lately due to some big upheavals in my life (ongoing) ...
First off Paul massive thanks for the seeds brother ... They arrived safe and sound a little while ago!! Sorry I have not thanked you earlier.
The chilli season is officially over for me here in Australia for good ... All my plants have been given to a friend along with all my growing equipment etc ....
It won't be my last chilli season though ... I am moving in a couple of weeks to another country. Back home to New Zealand where a glass house awaits!!! And room to grow outside!! I really can't wait.
My biggest challenge is my seed collection ... Unfortunately much of it will not be able to be shifted due to customs/biosecurity.
I also will only be limited to the one growing season and not the perpetual grow season here ... Which I am actually looking forward to as well ... Less pests and more structure... and did I say growing outside!!!
So I will be sticking around ... I am not going anywhere ... I will be back with perhaps some grows I can be proud of next season ...

 

[Devv]

Good luck on your move!
 
And I look forward to seeing your new digs.
 
Peace brother!

 

[Trippa]

Good luck on your move!
 
And I look forward to seeing your new digs.
 
Peace brother!

Cheers Devv!!! I will probably get itchy fingers around May/June and start some seeds ... So what's that ?? 3 months from now ... I will be back as quickly as I unpack

 

[PaulG]

Tristen - sorry to hear about upheavals - that's usually not a good sign.!
I really miss your grow logs!
 
As for your seeds, how about a mailing to a friend in another country who
would then later forward it to your new addy in NZ?  I volunteer!

 

[gasificada]

Outside...
 
Hope your move goes smooth, bro! Sounds like a real sweet deal to me. Growing outside and all that. Will you have beds or will you still be limited to growing in pots?

 

[Trippa]

Tristen - sorry to hear about upheavals - that's usually not a good sign.!
I really miss your grow logs!
 
As for your seeds, how about a mailing to a friend in another country who
would then later forward it to your new addy in NZ?  I volunteer!

Great idea with the seeds Paul!! Yeah this upheaval started in a fairly negative fashion ... Got made redundant from my work a little over 2 weeks ago. But when faced with adversity sometimes things become clearer ... So a day after I got laid off I had a job to go to back home and a house to live in ... Our stuff is being moved out tomorrow and shipped and we leave in 2 weeks tomorrow ... so in a little over 4 weeks from losing my job, we will be living in another country with a new job and new lifestyle and new school for the kids... Lots of positives going back to family and friends and a great lifestyle (beer brewing, gardening and outdoor work ) ... But sad to be leaving friends here after nearly 9 years ...

Outside...
 
Hope your move goes smooth, bro! Sounds like a real sweet deal to me. Growing outside and all that. Will you have beds or will you still be limited to growing in pots?

Making raised beds when we get home and pots in the glass house ... So a mixture of both ... And guess what ... No broadmite issues
The move has gone smoothly so far... Everything is packaged up .. but this tropical cyclone Marcie is due to hit tomorrow when they are loading the container ... Pack Might be delayed until Monday ... Anyway ... Can't change the weather ...

 

[PaulG]

Good luck, my friend!

 

[Trippa]

Good luck, my friend!

Cheers Paul ... I only see it as a positive move now .. I should be back bigger and better then ever on the chilli front as well .. So all in all ... Let the good times roll!!

 

[stickman]

Big changes in your lives I see, but it seems all for the best. Good luck with the move and getting re-established Tristan, and if you need any seeds I have, you just have to ask. Cheers!

 

[PeriPeri]

Hey Tristan buddy, things happen for a reason and while not apparent at first, these things reaveal themselves and are usually for the better. Head up buddy and all the best! Talking purely as a Springbok, I will say you are much better off in the Land of the Allblacks/Kiwis - at least they can play sports

 

[Jamison]

Holy shit man!  That's a big change and move.  I hope all goes well and please don't be shy to ask for seeds.  We'd all love to help!  Good luck with everything!!!