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

TrentL · Feb 22, 2015

96 varieties in the dirt now, updated grow list on page 1.

tsurrie · Feb 22, 2015

nice list... still plenty of heat there... what happened to "not putting an emphasis on it" ?

just kidding, nice and wide range of peppers.. wish I could go that wide, but have a real lack of space

TrentL · Feb 22, 2015

tsurrie;

I'm not really putting an emphasis on the ultrahots - just going to grow one plant of each. Seem to have 50 of the damn things though.

I'm growing seeds left over from last year from Judy and seeds contributed by forum members this year. Only exception for a couple of annuums from PepperJoes from 2012, that I found in the cabinet (cayenne, tobago, santa fe).

I'm putting 3 seeds down for each variety to germinate except for annuums that I will do a row of; I'm putting 5-7 in a pot of peat for those, and I'll separate them out individually when I transplant them to 3.5" pots. so 2x peat pots will give me 10-15 individual plants. All of the others, that I'm doing 3x seeds each of, will have only the strongest sprout transplanted (basically, the first one that gets the first set of true leaves).

I'm going to transplant them to their 3.5" containers MUCH earlier than I did last year. Last year I left them in the peat until they got their first full set of true leaves, and were showing their 2nd set of leaves.

This year I'm going to transplant as SOON as they start to show their 1st set of true leaves. It's going to be far more delicate of an operation than prior years doing it that much earlier, but I want them out of that damn starter peat as soon as possible.

Plantguy76 · Feb 22, 2015

Looking good Trent updated my glog with pics finally .
Wicked Mike going to send me some stuff to help me out he is pretty cool.
I hope life with the new baby is going well etc
Best of luck on everything not just your grow

PaulG · Feb 22, 2015

I'm with Trent, burying deep is great. I usually try to put the cotys at
right at dirt level, although sometimes I misjudge, then when plant out
comes, I make sure they are at ground level. I see lots of roots
coming out of the buried stems.

TrentL · Feb 23, 2015

PaulG said:
I'm with Trent, burying deep is great. I usually try to put the cotys at
right at dirt level, although sometimes I misjudge, then when plant out
comes, I make sure they are at ground level. I see lots of roots
coming out of the buried stems.

Yeah about the same level here, on a couple taller ones last year I pinched the bottommost leaves off and put those just below dirt level.

I probably won't do THAT again because I'm afraid of bacteria and fungus showing back up again this year, and don't want open wounds in the stalks for a vector in contact with the dirt.

Jeff H · Feb 23, 2015

TrentL said:
.

Kind of worried about that second tray - I might have to replant a bunch if it flops.

Second tray not doing as good.

I'm in exactly the same boat Trent. I have a tray of annuums that seem to be a little stubborn. I replanted a few last night and may replant more if I don't see more than the few hooks soon.

tsurrie · Feb 23, 2015

I have a lot of "lazy" annums this year ....that are popping much later than chinense ... maybe it's a global thing

be patient

TrentL · Feb 23, 2015

Jeff H said:
I'm in exactly the same boat Trent. I have a tray of annuums that seem to be a little stubborn. I replanted a few last night and may replant more if I don't see more than the few hooks soon.

I put the clear lid on it and two CFL's over it to raise the temp inside a little.

It's fogged over and dripping with condensation this morning, must be like a rainforest in there now.

We'll see if the additional heat helps 'em hook.

Plantguy76 · Feb 23, 2015

PaulG said:
I'm with Trent, burying deep is great. I usually try to put the cotys at
right at dirt level, although sometimes I misjudge, then when plant out
comes, I make sure they are at ground level. I see lots of roots
coming out of the buried stems.

Looking at my Baccatums and other seedlings I am thinking when the time comes to bury deep as well.
I just don't want bacteria problems

Devv · Feb 23, 2015

Did those seeds ever arrive?

TrentL · Feb 23, 2015

Devv said:
Did those seeds ever arrive?

Negative. I *just* got tc's seeds on Saturday (20th) in a first class flat, which were postmarked from New Jersey on the 8th. (!!!!)

I think they're holding my mail to see if it's bombs or drugs or something; considering all of the ammo I've been having shipped to my house lately.

(Hey, shooting season is coming soon, man's gotta have his bullets...)
WOOT! After typing that I asked my wife about the mail (just got home from work). Handed me a bubble wrap envelope from Texas and a small flat rate box from New Jersey.

So they're here.

tctenten · Feb 23, 2015

Ahhhh....my faith in the USPS is restored. Have fun with them. Where do you get your ammo from? I have been having one hell of a time finding 35 cal Remington's for one of my rifles.

TrentL · Feb 24, 2015

Wherever is cheapest

http://ammoseek.com/

TrentL said:
I put the clear lid on it and two CFL's over it to raise the temp inside a little.

It's fogged over and dripping with condensation this morning, must be like a rainforest in there now.

We'll see if the additional heat helps 'em hook.

OK ^^^ that worked.

Half the tray popped

PaulG · Feb 24, 2015

Plantguy76 said:
Looking at my Baccatums and other seedlings I am thinking when the time comes to bury deep as well.
I just don't want bacteria problems

I've never had an issue with that. I have planted deeper than the first leaf
node a few times, and the stem that is in the dirt shoots out roots over the
course of the season.

Good luck!

TrentL · Feb 24, 2015

Still a few no shows in this tray planted on the 8th. Going to need to replant a few I think...

The second tray planted on the 12th, which I was worried about, has turned around and done well, after 2 days with the clear lid on and the CFL's hovering over it...

JUST about time to go buy some potting soil and get some of those little guys bigger homes.

TrentL · Feb 25, 2015

My containers and flats shipped from greenhousemegastore... looks like I'll start potting up to 3.5" this weekend.

I want to get it knocked out as early as possible this year, because that I found peat they are in stalls them out immediately after sprouting. Nothing for them to use, nutrient wise!

tctenten · Feb 25, 2015

Trent what potting soil do you use? Do you make your own?

TrentL · Feb 25, 2015

No, I don't make my own.

I've been using Shults Potting soil. BUT NOT THE ONE WITH THE WETTING AGENT.

I've had really good results with this, year to year:

http://schultz.infinitylawnandgarden.com/products/soil/potting-soil/potting-soil-plus

It's rated 12-9-7 which is about ideal for new to maturing plants; but I've found that later in the season when the plants blossom, I need to hit it with a little more _PK to avoid blossom end rot and avoid flower drop.

tctenten · Feb 25, 2015

Never seen that one around here, I picked up some FoxFarms ocean forest mix. Hopefully the seedlings like it.