Trippa's 2023/2024

Back again and trying to get my first decent grow going in a few years.
Experimenting a little with an aeroponics setup for some of my starts.
Not certain how that will go but taking a punt.

Have a bunch of different varieties down from varying age seeds (some from 2011-12 right through to 2022 all stored in fridge since early 2015)

Most seem to be doing as they should and germinating. Some are being a little stubborn as expected.

Once germinated they are going under a 500-600 watt LED panel with extra natural light in the greenhouse on a heat mat.

Only thing I am lacking is a fan to get some more robust/less leggy seedlings which you can see in the seedling pictures.

Multiple strains of myself and PaulG's Trippaul threats plus PaulG's Purple thunder among many others.

I also have my three outdoor Pubescens which are in their 8th year happily overwintering with pods still. Biggest one of those is probably 8ft high. Needs a trim back currently.

Will try to sporadically update as I go along.

 

[CaneDog]

Always nice to see our southerner growers getting started as it gives us northerners something to follow during our dark winter days.
Good luck with your season, Trippa!

Oh, and those pube's are ridiculous!

 

[Trippa]

Always nice to see our southerner growers getting started as it gives us northerners something to follow during our dark winter days.
Good luck with your season, Trippa!

Oh, and those pube's are ridiculous!

Thanks Canedog!!
Still very much winter here as well I am afraid... Starting to feel a little more like spring now with some sunnier days (still cool) (highs around 15-16C) although the night time temps are cool (frequent frosts ) and as always I started a little late to be absolutely ready for spring proper with some older plants
The Pubescens look great in summer ... Hundreds and hundreds of pods and thousands of flowers .... Must really love this outdoor climate !

 

[PaulG]

Welcome to the glogosphere, Tristen! So great to see you
back in the saddle. I assume you have got your greenhouse
squared away, can’t wait to see pictures!

 

[Trippa]

Thanks Paul!!
I had my greenhouse sorted. But then bathroom renovations started and it became a makeshift intermediate store shed for new items/removal shed for old so it is still full of a new shower and various old items from the bathroom (including a six foot long enameled cast iron clawfoot bath)
So it has a corner space cleared currently. Will only take photos of the actual plants for now (save some embarrassment of my mess!)

 

[growyourown]

...six foot long enameled cast iron clawfoot bath...

six-foot hydroponics reservoir for pepper plants, i think you mean.

 

[Trippa]

Potentially... Although it's probably worth a little too much to be used like that. But I will run it past the wife

 

[Trippa]

Update on the chilli children.... had a bunch not germinate from another round of seeds and have a fresh lot of new varieties down for germination currently. Probably pushing the time frame on them but will see what eventuates.
The current plants are all due for a pot up now. Just need to fit it in between bathroom renovations and an impending family number extension!!

 

[Trippa]

Some of the root systems of the aeroponic babies I transplanted to solo cups and soil a couple of days ago

 

[Trippa]

Quick update,
Must be due to pot up some plants .... running out of room in the aeroponics unit !!
Comparatively soil vs aeroponics plants many planted the same time ... well there is no comparison

 

[Trippa]

Well some of the aeroponic chilli children are due to come out into soil ... Hopefully I don't damage too many roots transplanting them. Unbelievable starting medium ... I am a convert.
The soil/jiffy only starts are well behind as you can see in the pictures.
I think my soil mix for the solo cups is all up the wazzoo and needs better drainage and more aeration as they haven't done much at all.

 

[Trippa]

Update on the chilli children... Very impressive growth on these using the aeroponics.... Really desperate now to get them into there pots ... Probably tonight all going to plan.

My Outdoor 7th-8th season Pubescens after a decent cut back before spring growing are just starting to come back and send new shoots out as well.

My latest new starts have been awful germination rate wise and am wondering if the heat mat is playing up as I had great germ rates initially and now only getting 10-20% from fresh seeds.

Will try one more lot before leaving new plants until next season.

 

[ahayastani]

My latest new starts have been awful germination rate wise and am wondering if the heat mat is playing up as I had great germ rates initially and now only getting 10-20% from fresh seeds.

I've had a few bad batches recently, also using fresh seeds (straight out of the pod, really). I found the seeds "consumed" by fungus

 

[PaulG]

Tristen, buddy! Glad to see you are getting well underway with
the ’new’ season! Looks like you will have enough plants to
keep you busy The roots on the aeroponics plants look
awesome. hope they grow like gangbusters for you! What
are you growing this season. I assume there are a few Trippaul
Threats in there!

We just got back from a two month stay in Segovia, Spain, so
I have some serious catching up to do on the forum. Keep up
th good work, my friend!

 

[Trippa]

An update on the chilli children.
Have transplanted a bunch from the aeroponics into soil.
Soil is a home grown concoction based on the fact all store bought in NZ seems to be far too heavy for my liking, lots of fine pumice in addition to a heavy compost, a lighter store bought organic potting soil and seaweed, blood and bone and sulphate of potash.
All the ones potted up in soil have been replaced in the aeroponics unit by new chilli children plants (with a couple of neglected tomatos to see how they go)
I left some a little too long in the aeroponics unit and the roots were a complete tangle of goodness, so I did lose a few roots pulling them out of the baskets.
The first transplants are just starting to recover from the move into soil a couple of weeks back and are on the grow again thankfully (hence why some look a little worse for wear)
I may have also overdone the nutes for the first few waterings so some fert burn is present but straight rain water for them for the next week should see that right as well hopefully.

 

[Trippa]

I will make a list one of these days of exactly what I have growing... I actually am going to do something a little stupid and start some seeds .... It's very late in the game .... But I did get some new seeds a while back that have been bugging me to start everytime I open the seed fridge

 

[PaulG]

Looking good, Tristen! Do I see some Trippaul Threat
foliage peeking out of those photos?

 

[Trippa]

Looking good, Tristen! Do I see some Trippaul Threat
foliage peeking out of those photos?

You sure do Paul ... Multiple strains there along with some of your Purple Thunder which I am looking forward to seeing!!

 

[Trippa]

Update again this is from a few days ago so the growth is beyond what you see here ... Will try to update again soon...for now here are some gratuitous pictures

 

[Trippa]

Ok so I have a question for the people
I have two what I grew out as Trinidad Scorpion Morouga plants in the same pot ...
The calyxes on one plant are unlike anything I have seen on any plant I have grown (and I have grown TSM before) Huge and wrinkled while the other seems normal.
See the comparison pictures.
Has anyone seen this before??