TXCG's 2013 grow log - Big harvest (9/7)

Two gardens this year: 1 4x8' raised bed in the community garden at work & a container garden at home.

Peppers:
Live plants from cross country nurseries shipping 4/1/2013:
Containers:
Texas Chiletepin (2)
Cumari (1)
Sweet Datil (2)
Fatalii (2)
Red Fatalii (2)
Lemon Drop (2)
Moruga Scorpion (2)
Trinidad Perfume (2)
Trinidad Seasoning (2)
Trinidad Scorpion (1)
Raised Bed:
Red Fatalii (1)
Lemon Drop (1)
Moruga Scorpion (1)
Trinidad Seasoning (1)
Rescued Mystery Annum (99% sure its a jalapeno) (1)


Non-Peppers:

Basil:
Lemon-Lime Basil (some hybrid of my Lemon Basil & Lime Basil that volunteered)
Beans:  
Bush:
Purple Queen (P: 4/12 S: ??)
Burpee's Stringless Green Pod (P: 4/12 S: ??)
Pole:
Rattlesnake (P: 4/12 S: ??)
Kentucky Wonder
Cantaloupe:
...TBD
Corn:
On Deck Hybrid
Cucumbers:
...TBD
Peas:
Sugar Daddy snap peas (Planted: 2/15, Sprouted: 2/27)
Mammoth Melting Sugar snow peas (P: 2/15, S: 2/24)
Oregon Sugar Pod II snow peas (P: 2/15, S: 2/25)
Tomatoes:
Mountain Magic Hybrid (3)



Updates:
2/15/2013
Peas planted in containers.

4/5/2013
Pepper plants arrived & started hardening off

4/12/2013
Beans planted in raised bed

4/13/2013
Planted in 1 gal containers
Peppers:
Texas Chiletepin (2)
Cumari (1)
Sweet Datil (2)
Fatalii (2)
Red Fatalii (1)
Lemon Drop (1)
Moruga Scorpion (1)
Trinidad Perfume (2)
Trinidad Seasoning (1)
Trinidad Scorpion (1)
Tomatoes:
Magic Mountain Hybrid (3)

4/15/2013
Planted in raised bed
Red Fatalii (1)
Lemon Drop (1)
Moruga Scorpion (1)
Trinidad Seasoning (1)

 

[Devv]

Cool pics, so Mr. Spidey starred in Band of Brothers?
 
So what have you tried to deter the ants?

 

[TXCG]

Cool pics, so Mr. Spidey starred in Band of Brothers?
 
So what have you tried to deter the ants?

 
So far I've tried yelling at them, diatomaceous earth & spinosad as a soil drench (but apparently you also need to add bait for that to work, missed that part when reading the first time). I'm going to finally try and pick up something from the garden center either tonight or tomorrow I just haven't been getting off work til 7-7:30pm the past week so I've been too lazy to go buy something.
 
Unfortunately they're actually living in the pots so I have to be careful about what I choose. Otherwise I'd have a can of orthene so far up their ass they'd be coughing white powder. 

 

[Devv]

Orthene's cool stuff!
 
I use it to control the cut ants. I've mixed as much as 50gals and poured it into the main nests, knocked them back for a few years.
 
I still say give the dry molasses a whirl, it can't hurt...I'm not sure if wettable sulfur would get the ants, but it will mess with the aphids. The ants taking up in the pots is a tough one, I'm sure they're there for the water and the plant. But where are they getting the aphids from?
 
I'll really be interested in your final solution.
 
Good luck!

 

[TXCG]

Bought some Azamax for the aphids. We'll see what they think about that shit Saturday evening when my package of liquid death arrives.
 
Now I just need to find something for the ants. 

Orthene's cool stuff!
 
I use it to control the cut ants. I've mixed as much as 50gals and poured it into the main nests, knocked them back for a few years.
 
I still say give the dry molasses a whirl, it can't hurt...I'm not sure if wettable sulfur would get the ants, but it will mess with the aphids. The ants taking up in the pots is a tough one, I'm sure they're there for the water and the plant. But where are they getting the aphids from?
 
I'll really be interested in your final solution.
 
Good luck!

 
 
Not sure where they're getting them from, but I have actually witnessed the ants carrying the aphids like they do with their larva when you kick a mound. I think they're probably getting them from the trees in the yard. I've been having little drops of sticky sap coating my car for a few weeks which is from aphids going to town.
 
We had the same problem last year: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/bloblike-sticky-insect-excrement-spreads-across--1/nRNSC/
 
On the subject of aphid crap falling out of trees....This is one of the funniest things I've seen in awhile: http://www.wptv.com//dpp/news/national/People-pray-at-tree-outside-St-Johns-Cathedral-in-Fresno-California-say-tree-weeps-Gods-tears

 

[TXCG]

This is what my worst plant (20 gallon fatalii) looked like this morning prior to sprayin with Azamax. Azamax isn't a contact killer so stay tuned for results in 3-5 days.
 
The good/bad news is after spraying the plants down I found 3 lady bugs & some lady bug eggs on a leaf.... however I don't know if the Azamax will kill them off too though.

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

OUCH! Best of luck getting rid of those freaking things. 

 

[Devv]

+1 on 126!

 

[TXCG]

So I'm happy to report that Azamax worked better than I had hoped it would. It got rid of virtually every aphid in about a week from only 1 application. That crazy infested plant pictured above is now pretty much aphid free. 
 

 
I followed the instructions above for the medium rate of 2 TBSP/Gal which ended up being right at 1TBSP for my 2 liter sprayer which was enough to cover all my affected plants. Azamax seems a bit expensive at $20 for 4oz but that makes 4 gallons & a little seems to go a long way.
 
Not only bug free but a single ripe fatalii. I really wish this thing would pull its weight but it's had a hard season.
 

 
My "red fatalii" is doing great. These pods definitely aren't red & look nothing like a fatalii but sure smell & taste like the real deal. Got 2 ripe ones so far with a bunch more on the plant.
 

 
 

 

 
This is Buddy with his floppy ear & his tennis ball. He wanted to be in all the pics this morning. Well, actually he just wanted me to keep throwing that damn ball lol.
 

 
 

 

[Devv]

Plants are looking really good! Especially in this heat...it won't be long now!
Glad the bugs are gone and you did it without nuking.
Pray for rain and cooler weather and git out there and throw the ball!

 

[armac]

Aphids are bad down here too....I use malthion

 

[stc3248]

Nuke them suckers!!! Haha! My dogs are the same way...if I put the ball away, they go pick an orange and bring me that. Azamax gets some pretty good reviews on here. Good luck!

 

[TXCG]

Plants are looking really good! Especially in this heat...it won't be long now!
Glad the bugs are gone and you did it without nuking.
Pray for rain and cooler weather and git out there and throw the ball!

 
Still in the hundreds but it shouldn't be for much longer. I'm hoping with the aphids whipped & the heat subsiding this will be a good fall.
 
 

Aphids are bad down here too....I use malthion

 
They've been pretty rough the past two years, no point in washing the car since it's just covered in sticky aphid poop the next day. 
 

Nuke them suckers!!! Haha! My dogs are the same way...if I put the ball away, they go pick an orange and bring me that. Azamax gets some pretty good reviews on here. Good luck!

 
I honestly cannot believe how well Azamax worked even with that heavy infestation. Seriously impressive stuff, especially for something OMRI listed.
 
 
Got a few more pics of the plants covered in fruit. I need to go harvest either tonight or tomorrow morning I was just holding out til more of the "red fatalii" peppers ripened.
 

 

 
Trinidad Seasoning. This one actually has a bit of heat compared to the other one. Like not hot by any stretch of the imagination but enough to detect on the tongue. My other T Seasoning pepper is as mild as a bell pepper.
 

 
Other Trinidad Seasoning still doing its thing:
 

 
Cumari loaded up with pods like always. At first I was a bit disappointed in this one since it wasn't the right Cumari I had been wanting but this turned out to be one of the favorite ones I'm growing. Prolific, good heat with strong flavor & quite sweet tasting. Definitely a keeper.
 

 
My two Sweet Datils are producing like crazy. They're really bushy & dense plants so it's hard to see exactly how many pods are on there but at least twice as many as it looks like.
 

 
Leaned over to show pods:
 

 

 
Trinidad Scorpion has about 5 pods ripening. Still lookin a bit shitty from the aphid attack.
 

 
Aji Lemon is just showing off at this point. Still outgrowing & outproducing everything thing else in the yard.
 

 

[Devv]

Looking good!
 
I saw my first aphids ever this weekend on a Jal plant, hit them with a sulfur spray, waited 10 minutes and turned on the wobblers for a rinse...no sign of them now..but will keep my eyes peeled.
 
Looks like all the ripe pods will come off just in time for the second wind coming up here soon, it can't be that far off. This morning had a hint of fall in the air...

 

[wahlee76]

Plants are looking great (except for the TS obviously), alway good to be surprised in a good way, after a dissapointment.

 

[TXCG]

I have been waiting on the rest of the Sweet Datils to finish ripening before doing a big harvest and looks like it's bout that time:
 

 
Most of the "red" Fataliis have finished ripening too
 

 
End result:
Top row: Left:Trinidad Seasonings Middle:"Red" Fataliis & 4 Yellow Fataliis Right:Aji Lemon Drops
Bottom row: Left: Sweet Datils Middle: Chiletepins & Trinidad Scorpions Right:Cumaris

 

[wahlee76]

Nice harvest, looks like everything's doing well  

 

[Chewi]

YEAH!!! Nice trunk on the 'red fatalii'! Looking good. I'll try to send a cool front your way soon.