Trent's 2015 Grow Log (potting soil probs solved!)

TrentL · Feb 12, 2015

Hooks!

Ok, yeah, so it's not peppers, but at least I'm growing something.

In this case Thyme and Sweet Basil hooked.

Also have oregano, rosemary, genovese basil, and sage in that tray.

These are going to remain indoors - I don't exactly have a plan for where I'm gonna grow them yet but I'm working on it. (Sort of.)

PaulG · Feb 12, 2015

Good to have something grown', even if not peppers yet.,

tsurrie · Feb 12, 2015

they wont take as much space as peppers do... but they will sure make any kind of food even better .. these are "a must have" for every garden... you can have them on 1 square meter

TrentL · Feb 12, 2015

Well these aren't going outside.

I'm building a shelf between our kitchen cabinets in front of the window, over the sink, and putting some grow lights above them on a timer.

This way we've always got fresh herbs within arms reach in the kitchen, it's right above the sink, so easy to water, and out of the way.

Plus I can burn the ugly f'n curtains that are currently hanging there.

Jeff H · Feb 12, 2015

TrentL said:
Well these aren't going outside.

I'm building a shelf between our kitchen cabinets in front of the window, over the sink, and putting some grow lights above them on a timer.

This way we've always got fresh herbs within arms reach in the kitchen, it's right above the sink, so easy to water, and out of the way.

Plus I can burn the ugly f'n curtains that are currently hanging there.

I bought an aerogarden for basically the same reason, but it is being commandeered by me to kick start the suborn pubes for a few weeks and then I'll turn it over to the wife for herbs.

Devv · Feb 12, 2015

Trent I just found your glog, I have a ton of Hab heat range seeds. Just let me know your interests.

I hear ya about legal fees, we paid for our first grandkid's custodial trial years back. But it was worth it.

Good luck this season!

TrentL · Feb 12, 2015

Jeff H said:
I bought an aerogarden for basically the same reason, but it is being commandeered by me to kick start the suborn pubes for a few weeks and then I'll turn it over to the wife for herbs.

I got the curtains torn down. Now need to go shopping for a shelf and some other stuff to get the project underway.

Are pubes hard to grow?

Wait.

NOT THOSE PUBES. I got plenty of those (some are even white, now.. sigh, growing old sucks... one day you're young and vibrant and the next you look down when you take a leak and realize "damn, I got old man balls")

The capsicum pubescens?

I have two of them I was going to grow this year, Large Red Rocotos that tcclenten is sending, and Giant mexican rocotos that I got from pepperlover last year.

I tried to grow the giants last year and ended up getting 1 whole pod off of the plant. Several pods rotted before I could use them. Big green honking things.

I don't know if I did something wrong, or if I didn't plant early enough, or .. ???

I also have:

One Capsicum Eximium (CGN19198, from Judy)

Two Capsicum Frutescens (A Hawaiian Kona, also coming from tcclenten, and a CGN22792 from Judy)

Two Capsicum Praetermissums (CAP215, and CGN22794, both from Judy)

I've never grown those species before either.

Also some Baccatums (three different Aji's from forum members, and a Dedo De Moca from pepperlover)

But I grew the Dedo De Moca's last year (turned out good), so I'm not too worried about the Baccatums.

Devv said:
Trent I just found your glog, I have a ton of Hab heat range seeds. Just let me know your interests.

I hear ya about legal fees, we paid for our first grandkid's custodial trial years back. But it was worth it.

Good luck this season!

Devv I'm at 87 varieties thanks to forum members! But I have room for more.

This is what I have room to grow:

Dirt Crop
26 Annuums (2 rows)
40 Chinense (4 rows)
17 Misc (2 rows)

12 Rock Garden (ornamentals, they won't produce all that well in full shade)

Potted Crop (can be anything)
30 5 gal Cloth pots
20 large pots (15-20")

And this is where I'm at on the spreadsheet:

Capsicum Annuum 15
Capsicum Baccatum 5
Capsicum Chinense 60
Capsicum Eximium 1
Capsicum Frutescens 2
Capsicum Praetermissum 2
Capsicum Pubescens 2
Grand Total 87

Assuming no failures to sprout:

I could use 9 more Annuums

10 more chinense (will be potted in 5 gal cloth pots, the 4 rows in the dirt and 20 of the 5 gal pots are allocated)

And 5 more of Baccatum/Eximium/Frutescens/Praetermissum/Pubescens

Then I have room for 12 "pretties" up front in the rock garden. I'll probably plant a couple Pimenta da Neyde, maybe a couple Yatsufusa, and who knows what else.

Also full disclosure I'm totally stealing your toothpick / number tag idea Devv. That'll save me at least two hours of handwriting frigging tags out this year.

Ooh just got the mail, jwc10tc's seeds showed up today. Along with 3 pouches of powdered death. Smoked reaper powder (ouch), smoked hab manzano, and Yellow Moruga! (OOOoh man the pouches even smell smokey.. nomnomnom!

And now I have 89 varieties (+2 on the chinense). He stuffed a couple extra surprises in.

Time to start that second sprouting 10x10 tray.

jcw10tc · Feb 12, 2015

TrentL said:
Ooh just got the mail, jwc10tc's seeds showed up today. Along with 3 pouches of powdered death. Smoked reaper powder (ouch), smoked hab manzano, and Yellow Moruga! (OOOoh man the pouches even smell smokey.. nomnomnom

Gotta love the USPS. 3 days to go 20 miles. Mailed them Monday in Groveland. Suppose they went to Peoria for a day. Then got lost for a day. Then they decided to show up. I just got some seeds from Texas in a small bubble envelope with a nice dirty tiretrack on it. Looked like most of the seeds made it, seems about 6 complete ones, but 2 or 3 were dust. I been putting those powders on everything. The manzano and moruga are pretty reasonable, that reaper one can get some kick to it. But shouldn't bother you too much since you were eating those things whole last year. Good luck with the seeds, hope they turn out good for you.

Jeff H · Feb 12, 2015

TrentL said:
I got the curtains torn down. Now need to go shopping for a shelf and some other stuff to get the project underway.

Are pubes hard to grow?

Wait.

NOT THOSE PUBES. I got plenty of those (some are even white, now.. sigh, growing old sucks... one day you're young and vibrant and the next you look down when you take a leak and realize "damn, I got old man balls")

The capsicum pubescens?

I have two of them I was going to grow this year, Large Red Rocotos that tcclenten is sending, and Giant mexican rocotos that I got from pepperlover last year.

I tried to grow the giants last year and ended up getting 1 whole pod off of the plant. Several pods rotted before I could use them. Big green honking things.

I don't know if I did something wrong, or if I didn't plant early enough, or .. ???

Dirt Crop

12 Rock Garden -Pubes that will probably like full shade)

FIFY!

They are generally a pain in the ass, but the fruit is sooo good I keep trying. Eating a monzano is a little like eating a yellow bell, (not quite that sweet but you get the picture) but yet the damn thing is hot. Best tasting pepper besides the annuums by far.

In my now 3 years growing them:
poor germination rates,
slowest growing of all of the peppers
Don't like full sun or super hot days
Broad mites seem particularly attracted to them requiring more spraying than other plants.
Just drop flowers in Aug due to the heat
If things aren't perfect, you will be lucky to get a few fruits
cantankerous.

Only partially kidding about the rock garden. If you have a place that only gets partial sun, that would be ideal.

tctenten · Feb 12, 2015

jcw10tc said:
Gotta love the USPS. 3 days to go 20 miles. Mailed them Monday in Groveland. Suppose they went to Peoria for a day. Then got lost for a day. Then they decided to show up. I just got some seeds from Texas in a small bubble envelope with a nice dirty tiretrack on it. Looked like most of the seeds made it, seems about 6 complete ones, but 2 or 3 were dust. I been putting those powders on everything. The manzano and moruga are pretty reasonable, that reaper one can get some kick to it. But shouldn't bother you too much since you were eating those things whole last year. Good luck with the seeds, hope they turn out good for you.

Hopefully mine show up tomorrow. They were mailed monday morning, although they have a little more distance to travel. Three days for 20 miles is unbelievable.

TrentL · Feb 12, 2015

Jeff H said:
Only partially kidding about the rock garden. If you have a place that only gets partial sun, that would be ideal.

I tried growing one in the rock garden last year, but a virginia creeper vine strangled the damn thing. Broke half the plant off when I tried to get the vine off of it.

Then what was left died when a 100 lb branch fell off the walnut tree from above and landed square in the middle of the rock garden.

Just not a good year for Rocotos at my place.

I went nuts trying to keep virginia creepers under control last year, those vines are evil.

If you see a CNN headline news story at some point this year about a crazy guy in Illinois that burned down the neighborhood with a flamethrower, well, that'd probably be me trying to de-vine my property.

tctenten said:
Hopefully mine show up tomorrow. They were mailed monday morning, although they have a little more distance to travel. Three days for 20 miles is unbelievable.

I hope so too! I want to get the next tray of seeds started after work tomorrow.

Odd thing, when I was younger Friday night used to mean something completely different.

PaulG · Feb 13, 2015

Mail can probably go across country as fast as local, at least around here!

The snafus are at the local handling stations, I suppose.

As for the pubescens, they can be buggers to grow.
They need lots of time, and a little shade in hot weather!

TrentL · Feb 13, 2015

Well, tray #2 is resting on top of the refrigerator. (I'm not breaking tradition - all peppers are sprouted on top of the fridge for me...)

Most of this tray is from forum members!

I'm a little worried as last night just when I was getting started, I'd finished pouring water on the compressed peat pellets and had a monster migraine hit.

Been getting those every night, like clockwork, but usually later than last night's.

oh well.

Problem is the peat soaked overnight and didn't expand for shit.

So I crumbled it up best I could, but it's super saturated now... dunno how that'll affect sprouting, if at all, but I figured I'd make note of it here (otherwise I'm liable to forget)

I have enough 10x20 and 10x10 trays now to choke a horse, next year (if money isn't as tight) I'll order the plastic propagation sheets.

Those 72 cell burpee ones (2 10x10's 36 cell ea) were available locally w/ peat for $6.50 ea, and I only needed a couple.

Tracking costs this year, now $13

Devv · Feb 13, 2015

You know what they say about getting old, beats the hell out of the alternative!

I keep telling myself that!

TrentL · Feb 13, 2015

HAH! These damn cluster headaches have been so bad this winter, there were a few times I wished I was dead, man. Nasty painful sonsabitches. Worse pain than a kidney stone, by a fair margin.

I get them seasonally between Dec and mid March, ever since my motorcycle crash in 2010. I think part of my hypothalamus was damaged by the coup/contracoup injury when I took that motorcycle to the back of the head at 80mph. Had a sleep disorder ever since, along with these random winter headaches. Also had antegrade amnesia that lasted for about 3 months, and still get some words mixed up from time to time.

But I'm still alive.

Which as you said, is better than the alternative.

TrentL · Feb 13, 2015

Well shit! Looks like money is going to be tight for a WHILE.

Trent Jr. got accepted to U of I Champaign-Urbana today.

(That's ~35k a year.)

My oldest daughter already claimed his room, so my hopes of taking it over as a grow room have been cut off at the pass.

tctenten · Feb 13, 2015

Hey that is great news Trent. Congrats. Did those seeds show up today?

TrentL · Feb 13, 2015

Negatory, mailbox was empty of everything except gay porn and bills.

(Just kidding on the gay porn thing)

tctenten · Feb 13, 2015

Ok....We will give it a couple of more days, then I will send more. I sent seeds to a couple of other members on Monday as well and they have both received them. Sorry for the delay.

TrentL · Feb 14, 2015

Oh no need to apologize man.

I've got time, I didn't put seeds in the dirt until Feb 22 last year and everything worked out just fine.