Trippa's 2011/2012 Grow log....

Over the coming days I will be attempting to log my grow so far.

It won't be as big and spectacular as most peoples here (in fact it isn't big or spectacular) but I am proud of what I have done so far with my very limited space and love my chilli's (I am sure) as much as the next person.

I have had a few small problems so far but a Massive thank you has to go out for the help so far from people like Nova, Gas, JR, Micca, Wildfire in helping me get started on growing something other then long red cayennes or other common types and answering my many questions and the generous man JR with his huge contribution to my seed stocks.

Like I said this will be an ongoing process to get this thread up to speed so bear with me while I populate the pages over the coming days ...

 

[harry]

Ecofish MSDS

I'm after the NPK of the Ecofish concentrate. That document doesn't the NPK of the product.

 

[gasificada]

Gas pH meter from ebay. cheap but works well for now. Might need to buy another each season but at 10 bucks who cares

Sweet!

I'm guessing it only reads liquids? I want to start testing my potting mix too. I was using a soil test kit for a bit there but ended up getting the shits with it and haven't used it since. Digital sounds much better...

 

[Trippa]

I'm after the NPK of the Ecofish concentrate. That document doesn't the NPK of the product.

Sorry misunderstood. The NPK analysis is on the back of the bottle off hand I believe it is something along the lines of N 2.3% P 0.3% K 0.5% Calcium 0.5% (that is a rough recall from today as I haven't got the bottle at hand)

 

[Pablo_h]

Sweet!

I'm guessing it only reads liquids? I want to start testing my potting mix too. I was using a soil test kit for a bit there but ended up getting the shits with it and haven't used it since. Digital sounds much better...

I'm using one of these http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_nkw=4+in+1+digital+soil+moisture+meter+ph+temperature+light
How accurate it is, I don't know exactly. All I know is stick it in water, it reads '7', stick it in hot potting mix, it reads '5.5', and in the ground, '7', and in older potting mix '6' - '6.5'

 

[Trippa]

Major issues with too much water in my soil/trays thanks to the record rain here at the moment. Its meant to continue for the next 4-5 days as well.... pain in my ass!!.

Will look at posting some pics of some of the leaves that are dropping to see if anyone has any bright ideas what may be causing it again.

I am thinking it could be a combo of lacking something like calcium/suphur/magnesium due to root binding issues (or simply root issues like too wet maybe although unlikely)

These have just started turning like this on a Scotch Bonnet that has just started to set its first pods. Previously it was a great uniform green colour with no signs of issues

They simply drop off the plant. Its been happening sporodically across my plants with no definate pattern and the leaves can turn like this and drop from anywhere on the plant (ie middle, top bottom side etc)

I would estimate I get 20 leaves like this a day on a bad day across 25-40 plants.
I am hoping it is just being root bound or lacking something but I would love some more feedback from people

.
Thats just soil on it by the way not a spot on the leaf

Any ideas at all no matter what they may be are most welcomed

 

[PIC 1]

Veins are yellowing before the rest of the leaf.............too much water is usually the cause. Its probably the lowers leaves 1st right?. That should clear up once the soil has dried up. I wouldn't add anything. A deficently is slow happening, adding a chemical of any kind if not needed can throw it all out of whack. Lots of rain, check out the soils ph for a shift in acidity.
Rootbound ?, yank a plant out of a container to check for a "peace of mind". No splotches on the leaves or browning of the stems = good sign.

I'd bet you have compacted soil and poor drainage. If you water from the top down how long does it take for the water to escape from the drain holes? Fast is good. If I were to use a 2 gallon watering can to a 7gal potted plant the water will emerce out of the bottom of the pot before the watering can is emptied. My outdoor mix base is a "garden mix" 1/3 each of top soil, mushroom compost, and coarse torpedo sand.....to that I add home aged compost, worm castings, bone and blood meal and a 10-10-10- fertilizer. That's my container mix. It drains well. But 4 to 5 days, on and off rain can be a bitch with leave yellowing.

On the other hand a drought or a few days of neglected watering can be devastating!

Good luck,

Greg

 

[Trippa]

Cheers Greg for your input you are probably right .... although my pots drain very quickly (water would come out the bottom within 10 seconds) but I believe a good portion of that could be simply caused by excessive root mass causing less penetration of the actual soil by the moisture it self.

The trouble I have is that my current set up means that my trays that the containers sit in don't drain so I have to tip them up to let the excess water out, which is a bitch with 40 litres worth of potting mix and plants sitting on them (I don;t have any room to take them off (hell I barely have any room to get to them anymore .... its getting so bad I am about to shift the outdoor living table (currently covered with plants) and bbq onto our bedroom balcony so I have more space.... ohhh the downfall of the addicted


.

 

[Trippa]

No picture updates from me due to being ashamed of my plants at the moment ... plenty of pods about but issues galore with mites and leaf drop. Even some nicely formed little pods (ie 2 weeks since setting) have dropped off some plants Got my first choc bhut and T.Scorpion butch t's and bohamian goat set though)

Just made up some pure Soap, Garlic pesticide spray concentrate to mix with my next neem attack tonight .... the little bastards better watch out !!

 

[Trippa]

So in my stupidity tonight while looking too intently at (one of my 2 on the plant) my trinidad scorpion butch t (It is supposed to be anyway) I broke it off the plant .... what a dumb ass .... anyway it gave me the opportunity to take a photo of it ... I still can't see anything resembling what I thought a trinidad scorpion would look like .....

Sorry no time for decent photos tonight ... any ideas if this is indeed a trinidad scorpion butch t???

 

[PIC 1]

Wow, nice and bumpy......7 pot all the way. What do the rest of the pods look like? This one doesn't look scorp-ish, Besides the "T's" having a smoother look, Here's a couple of shots of mine from last season

Greg

 

[Trippa]

Thanks Greg .... yeah I suspected a 7 pot/pod of some description just disappointed it isn't a butch ... maybe it some sort of freak scorpion .... dreams are free

 

[PIC 1]

Thanks Greg .... yeah I suspected a 7 pot/pod of some description just disappointed it isn't a butch ... maybe it some sort of freak scorpion .... dreams are free

You might be better off.......flavor is what counts to me, heat is always second.....

Greg

 

[Trippa]

You might be better off.......flavor is what counts to me, heat is always second.....

Greg

You are quite right greg taste is paramount. But I don't think I am going to have to be too concerned with the heat side of things from these anyway. I cut open the green one today as I left it in the sun and it had gone bright white and soft on one area facing the sun so I figured I would cut it open to see how it looked inside and the inside was glistening with droplets of yellow oil all over. By my reckoning on looks alone it was at least 3-4 weeks away from being fully ripe, so I really am going to be interested to see how these mystery pods ripen and taste when I get the chance, Will also be interesting to see the final colour of these as well .... I am picking red .....

 

[Trippa]

Ok time to do a little update now and a little one later .... these are some of my pods as of yesterday .... and Wedensday from the past week ... amazing what 3 days can do in terms of ripening

Bonda Ma Jacques

Bhut Jolokia Assam on Wednesday (this is my baby bird pod ... is it just me or does it look like a baby bird upside down??)

baby bird Bhut Jolokia Assam pod yesterday (sat)

NTR Pods (great flavour on these especially good for indian/thai dishes)

Bahamian Goat

Goats weed pod

Super Chilli Pods

Another Bhut Jolokia Assam pod

Scotch Bonnet TFM pod

Cheiro Do Norte pods

 

[gasificada]

Nice shots, Trips!

Love the "baby bird" especially.

And about the "ButchT" earlier, does the other one on the plant look the same? While it doesn't look like one I've ever grown, I have found a fair whack of variance in pod shape.

Not the same as yours and not as bumpy but still somewhat bumpy:

 

[JungleRain]

those pods are lookin gooooood Trippa...whats a bohemian Goat???? isn't that a hippy with a long beard? (or is it a bahamian Goat Pepper)

 

[harry]

those pods are lookin gooooood Trippa...whats a bohemian Goat???? isn't that a hippy with a long beard? (or is it a bahamian Goat Pepper)

Probably meant to be written as Bahamian not Bohamian:

Bahamian Goat Pepper

 

[PIC 1]

Nice pepper shots......those plants are looking very healthy

Greg

 

[Trippa]

those pods are lookin gooooood Trippa...whats a bohemian Goat???? isn't that a hippy with a long beard? (or is it a bahamian Goat Pepper)

Haha yeah typo meant to be bahamian goat pepper . . . Its been a loooong weekend

 

[Trippa]

Nice shots, Trips!

Love the "baby bird" especially.

And about the "ButchT" earlier, does the other one on the plant look the same? While it doesn't look like one I've ever grown, I have found a fair whack of variance in pod shape.

Not the same as yours and not as bumpy but still somewhat bumpy:

Thanks Gas ... these are some of the other pods from the 'Butch T' ????

Still Not very Scorpion like .....


and then I get a Scotch Bonnet TFM that looks like this ???? .... take a load of that stinger!!

Followed by his older brother with the more scotch bonnet look....

Another pictorial update (with my funkiest looking pod to date I think) in a few minutes .... hopefully