Wicked Mike's 2015 Growlog

East Texas Heat · Jan 29, 2015

Just top notch, mike. It takes a special kind of person to leave a lasting mark on today's youth. Those thank you notes almost bring a year to my eye. Keep doin what you're doing my friend! (Except post more pics)

tsurrie · Jan 29, 2015

Wicked Mike said:
Thank, man! So, uh...you growing any varieties that are unique to Slovenia? That kind of thing always intrigues me.

peppers? no unique varieties here... there's just garlic, onion, beans, buckwheat, turnip, carrot .... that kinda veggies
and fruits like pears, apples, plums... I can do the research if you're interested

RocketMan · Jan 29, 2015

Good on ya Mike for what your doing for the kids, they'll take that with them in to their future lives. Pics, new or not, are looking great. Can't wait to see some current shots.

Hawaiianero · Jan 29, 2015

Amazing progress you got going on there and good on you for making time to work with the children. The teaching and learning goes both ways when you have an eager group.
I see a lot of beautiful plants in those pics you posted but am curious as to how you water them. Is it just with overhead sprinklers? If so, how do you manage moisture control in individual plants since the canopies cover most of the soil surface area?
Or do you use a wand and hand water everything to make sure each plant gets enough water? If so, how do you manage your time?

Whatever you are doing seems to be working great so keep it up. Like everyone else, I'm looking forward to your progress as they keep growing. Best of luck to you :party:

Pulpiteer · Jan 30, 2015

Wicked Mike said:
See? Being a teacher drove Andy into the priesthood. I tease, I tease.

Agreed; working with people is a double-edged sword. I just find that there's an enthusiasm and an innocence at work in the younger folks that seems comparatively more rare in adults, chileheads excepted.

Bishop's Hat, your favorite? The hell, you say (yes, still teasing).

Happy to walk you through cloning/air-layering. No need for books and whatnot. I've been meaning to make a Germination 101 video for a while now; seems that a cloning/ar-layering vid and maybe one for grafting should be in the pipeline.

You know, I thought, "Why work a job that only gives me summers off, when I can work a job that only works on Sundays?" And here I am, living the dream.

One year I gave my District Superintendent (person just below the Bishop) a Bishop's Crown and a Devil's Tongue at our Church Conference. He thought that was amusing.

I'll look forward to the cloning video - thanks!

cone9 · Jan 30, 2015

Great Glog, Mike! I'll try to keep up but no promises.

What a work ethic. I have no idea how you could get so much done. How satisfying, to grow so much - not just the peppers but all that variety, and then to share your knowledge and passion with others as you do.

Pretty cool, Mike.

Devv · Jan 31, 2015

Just loads of beautiful plants Mike!

It's a ton of work to maintain that many, and you make it look easy.

I work for a small school district and teachers are special people. Their patience always amazes me.

Keep it green!

Wicked Mike · Feb 2, 2015

Leave it to chileheads to be the last people on the planet to actually value education.

East Texas Heat said:
Just top notch, mike. It takes a special kind of person to leave a lasting mark on today's youth. Those thank you notes almost bring a year to my eye. Keep doin what you're doing my friend! (Except post more pics)

Thanks, man. I have no problem at all admitting that I got really choked up when I saw it too. I was going to say, "ten to one says you're a father," but I looked at your profile and saw the first thing you listed for "interests." Speaks volumes. Keep on doing what you do, too.

tsurrie said:
peppers? no unique varieties here... there's just garlic, onion, beans, buckwheat, turnip, carrot .... that kinda veggies
and fruits like pears, apples, plums... I can do the research if you're interested

I've never been outside the U.S. I've never even owned a passport. If really love to remedy that someday. In the meanwhile, whenever J meet someone from a faraway place, I always seem to ask about the food first. I'm only somewhat familiar with the food in that region. What would be considered typical fare in Slovenia? Do you guys have anything like perníky? Lots of pork, dumplings, and sauerkraut? And what do Slovenians make their dumplings from? Potatoes, wheat, something else? Inquiring minds want to know.

RocketMan said:
Good on ya Mike for what your doing for the kids, they'll take that with them in to their future lives. Pics, new or not, are looking great. Can't wait to see some current shots.

I don't want to put your personal life out the without permission, Bill, but one of the big impressions I came away with had to do with the things you do for kids. Okay, so maybe a little of it was the sauce. Little known fact: I've got just a little of that bacon hot sauce (FYI, guys, there's no bacon in it, but you'd never know it). It's carefully hidden in one of my refigerators, way in the back, behind some pickled Winecap Stropharia mushrooms from Poland. No joke, I don't keep it with my other sauces just in case someone comes over and asks for hot sauce while they're here.

Hawaiianero said:
Amazing progress you got going on there and good on you for making time to work with the children. The teaching and learning goes both ways when you have an eager group.
I see a lot of beautiful plants in those pics you posted but am curious as to how you water them. Is it just with overhead sprinklers? If so, how do you manage moisture control in individual plants since the canopies cover most of the soil surface area?
Or do you use a wand and hand water everything to make sure each plant gets enough water? If so, how do you manage your time?

Whatever you are doing seems to be working great so keep it up. Like everyone else, I'm looking forward to your progress as they keep growing. Best of luck to you

The teaching and learning really do go both ways. I spent the day today at Fairchild Tropical Gardens with the kids' art teacher and her amazing one-and-a-half-year-old daughter. Peanut (yes, I have a nickname for her) rambled all over the place, ate fresh passionfruit for the first time and really got into it, and clambered up into my arms just in time to be carried through the indoor butterfly garden. No joke, the air is thick with butterflies and moths of every size, shape, and color in there. She kept whispering "wow" and pointing at something I hadn't seen, and vice versa. Kids are magic.

As far as watering goes, I water using regular old garden hoses from seven spigots spread pretty evenly on the property. Although I've got an irrigation system, I'm also growing out cucumbers and tomatoes, which rapidly deteriorate due to fungal and bacterial pathogens in Miami if you get their leaves wet. One of my short-term goals is to move things around so that I can run the irrigation without compromising certain plants.

Pulpiteer said:
You know, I thought, "Why work a job that only gives me summers off, when I can work a job that only works on Sundays?" And here I am, living the dream.

One year I gave my District Superintendent (person just below the Bishop) a Bishop's Crown and a Devil's Tongue at our Church Conference. He thought that was amusing.

I'll look forward to the cloning video - thanks!

I never thought of it like that. I mentioned my joke about teaching driving you to seminary, and she asked me why Id never considered it. Not quite sure what to make of that.

Points to your district superintendent for having a sense of humor.

cone9 said:
Great Glog, Mike! I'll try to keep up but no promises.

What a work ethic. I have no idea how you could get so much done. How satisfying, to grow so much - not just the peppers but all that variety, and then to share your knowledge and passion with others as you do.

Pretty cool, Mike.

Honestly, it doesn't feel like work except when it catches up to me at the end of the day, and even then, it's a good, relaxed kind of tired/sore. Besides, this guy up in Ohio and a boatload of people like him made a bunch of really cool seeds available to me, and it seems like it would be less than grateful to not grow them out. By the way, refresh my memory...was the Orange ??? from you or Ed?either way and whatever it is, really worthwhile to grow.

Devv said:
Just loads of beautiful plants Mike!

It's a ton of work to maintain that many, and you make it look easy.

I work for a small school district and teachers are special people. Their patience always amazes me.

Keep it green!

It only feels like work if I don't ask myself "what would I rather be doing?"

Following your glog as well, as time permits. That effort on top of a full-time job? "Special" and "patient," indeed. Keep working toward that retirement. We both know what that really means: more time for growing!
This is the best plant from this year's stuff, a robust yellow Brainstrain that could use some pruning, but she's a brick house.

Thirty or forty Peach Bhuts:

Red Brainstrains from Cappy himself, in one gal, with ripe pods soon:

Hello, my name is Fatalii Yellow (you killed my father, prepare to die. Anyone?)

sirex · Feb 2, 2015

Damn I love looking at your plants dude.

Wicked Mike · Feb 2, 2015

Cream Fatalii: this is a really, really good pepper for eating right off the plant. Almost no heat at all, but really nice flavor.

Aloha! Got this One in a trade (wish I could remember who it was without looking it up, but he had some really great seeds and shared the wealth. These actually came from the University of Hawaii originally. Really stocky, healthy, clean plant that seems to love growing here. I've got four going, and they all look great. Love this plant.

jcw10tc · Feb 2, 2015

Everything looks great. Looks like you have a lot in smaller containers. Do you ever get much from them. I tried varying sizes last year from 1 to 3 gal and did ok, but not great 5 - 10 pods in 1 gal, some of the 3 gal put out 15 - 25 pods probably. My soil and/or nutrients probably weren't the best. Most of mine go in ground but when theres 10 - 15 or more spares just can't seem to throw them away.

Wicked Mike · Feb 2, 2015

Noteworthy heirloom tomato cultivar that's a new one for me this year: Silvery Fir Tree. Unusual foliage, enormous yields, acidic/juicy fruit.

sirex said:
Damn I love looking at your plants dude.

Yeah, well, I stopped putting your smoked reaper blend on food and just started snorting it. So much flavor to it that you almost forget they're Reapers. Almost.

jcw10tc said:
Everything looks great. Looks like you have a lot in smaller containers. Do you ever get much from them. I tried varying sizes last year from 1 to 3 gal and did ok, but not great 5 - 10 pods in 1 gal, some of the 3 gal put out 15 - 25 pods probably. My soil and/or nutrients probably weren't the best. Most of mine go in ground but when theres 10 - 15 or more spares just can't seem to throw them away.

Now that's a good question. Nothing I keep ends up in less than five gallon. Ideally, I like to shoot for 15 gal or higher.
Reapers by moonlight:

tsurrie · Feb 2, 2015

Wicked Mike said:
I've never been outside the U.S. I've never even owned a passport. If really love to remedy that someday. In the meanwhile, whenever J meet someone from a faraway place, I always seem to ask about the food first. I'm only somewhat familiar with the food in that region. What would be considered typical fare in Slovenia? Do you guys have anything like perníky? Lots of pork, dumplings, and sauerkraut? And what do Slovenians make their dumplings from? Potatoes, wheat, something else? Inquiring minds want to know.

Well you should get a passport and go somewhere.. there is much to see .. beautiful places awaits you

A typical fare in Slovenia would probably be the most typical sunday lunch.... which is: beef soup, followed by pork chop and baked potatoes .... or more traditional: pot roasted slovene pork sausage with pot roasted sauerkraut (delicious) and as a side dish - roasted potatoes or buckwheat "žganci" (mush)

There is also sauerkraut with blood sausage (black pudding) --> but most prefer the upper ones....

For desert, there is the most traditional "walnut cake"

pictures%5Ccuisine%5C1%5C2007%5Coreh.potica_150899.jpg

or buckwheat / walnut or poppy seed štruklji (struklji - somekind of strudel)

dumplings are usually made with wheat or buckwheat... and usually contains patatos and herbs... there are also classic dumplings like njoki (gnocchi) which are made from patatos and whet.... but maybe the most well known are "žlikrofi" .. whick originates from Idrija (also famous town because of once well know qucksilver mine)

there is so much more... but that's narrowed version from the top of my head... if that makes you hungry, just search for more...

sirex · Feb 2, 2015

tsurrie said:
Well you should get a passport and go somewhere.. there is much to see .. beautiful places awaits you

A typical fare in Slovenia would probably be the most typical sunday lunch.... which is: beef soup, followed by pork chop and baked potatoes .... or more traditional: pot roasted slovene pork sausage with pot roasted sauerkraut (delicious) and as a side dish - roasted potatoes or buckwheat "žganci" (mush)

There is also sauerkraut with blood sausage (black pudding) --> but most prefer the upper ones....

For desert, there is the most traditional "walnut cake"

or buckwheat / walnut or poppy seed truklji (struklji - somekind of strudel)

dumplings are usually made with wheat or buckwheat... and usually contains patatos and herbs... there are also classic dumplings like njoki (gnocchi) which are made from patatos and whet.... but maybe the most well known are "žlikrofi" .. whick originates from Idrija (also famous town because of once well know qucksilver mine)

there is so much more... but that's narrowed version from the top of my head... if that makes you hungry, just search for more...

Dude. All of that looks AMAZING!

Wicked Mike · Feb 2, 2015

sirex said:
Dude. All of that looks AMAZING!

I second that! I cook German and Czech from time to time; Slovenian food looks like it has that same stick-to-your-ribs quality.

sirex · Feb 2, 2015

There is a German breakfast buffet around here. Jeebus!!! Is the best!

tsurrie · Feb 2, 2015

well, if you like dumplings... you really have to make those "žlikrofi" .. it was one of the best dishes to me for several years... but now I'm more of a pizza guy... it can be done so much faster and is more "hot pepper friendly" ...

anyhoo.... here's the recipe... which can be slightly altered offcourse...if there is no problem of giving the links here.. here you go.. hxxp://www.slovenia.si/visit/cuisine/modern-culinary-trends/idrijski-zlikrofi-a-true-speciality-of-idrija/
for the sauce... make some roast pork with onions .. or rabbit if you prefer
caution: it's a quite long process... save it for some rainy sunday

Devv · Feb 2, 2015

Beautiful plants and great looking food, can't beat that!

Plantguy76 · Feb 20, 2015

Wicked Mike said:
To be honest, I have a feeling the sweets and milds are going to be the bigger sellers, hence planting four hundred and some Venezuelan Tigers.Here's what I'm planning next; starting on it tomorrow: 7 Pot Douglah, Red7 Pot Jonah7 Pot Lava7 Pot Madballz, Caramel7 Pot Peach7 Pot Rennie7 Pot WhiteAjí CaballeroAjí Dulce MargariteñoAjí Dulce OrangeAjí Pipi de MonoAjí Umba, YellowArmageddonBhut Jolokia Assam India CarbonBhut Jolokia, MustardChile de ArbolChile Negro de ArbolChilhuacle, YellowChinese Five ColorCondor's BeakCoyote Zan WhiteCumari, TrueÇumra CherryDaisy CutterDatilDefcon 7Devil's Tongue, WhiteDulcetta OrangeDulcetta YellowFatalii, ChocolateFilius BlueGeorgescu ChocolateGoat Weed, Black CobraGoronongHabanero, FranciscaHabanero, Hot Paper LanternHabanero, PurpleHabanero, SweetHabanero, White BulletHabanero, Yucatan WhiteInfinity, YellowJAFSHJalapeño, MulticolorJalapeño, PurpleJay's Ghost Scorpion, RedJigsaw, Fatalii GourmetJigsaw, GatorKraken ScorpionLarge Red AntiguaLucyNaga, CappucinoNaga, PeachNagabrain, Red'Naglah, BrownNumex Big JimParadicsom Alaku Sarga SzentesPeppadewPeruvian SerlanoPimenta LeopardPimenta LisaPimenta PumaRed DogRocoto, Costa Rican YellowSadabaharScarlet LanternScorpion, Butch T, YellowScorpion, Trinidad SweetScotch Bonnet, EOB x 7 Pot DouglahSeasoning Pepper, Granada YellowSeasoning Pepper, St. Lucia RedShishitoSigaretta de BergamoStar of TurkeyThai OrangeTrinidad Bean, BrownTrinidad Bean, YellowTrinidad MorovasTunisian BakloutiUBSCUkrainianUrfa BiberUyababaYaki BrownThanks for all the well wishes, folks. So far, so good!

Your Just amazing wicked mike hope you have a great grow !

Wicked Mike · Feb 22, 2015

Plantguy76 said:
Your Just amazing wicked mike hope you have a great grow !

Thanks, man! So far, so good!
Overdue for an update, so here goes:

New seedlings:

7 Pot Burgundy
Bhut Jolokia, Mustard
Bhut Jolokia, Brown
Bhut Jolokia, Yellow
Buckeye Butchlah
Defcon 7
Devil's Brain
Habanero, Chocolate Hand Grenade
Habanero, Francisca
Habanero, Hot Paper Lantern
Habanero, Purple
Infinity, Yellow
Jigsaw, Giant
Kroo Town Street Market
Large Red Antigua
Lucy
Murupi Amarela
Naga, Black
Naga x Congo Chocolate
Nagabrain, Red
Oily Paste
Orange ???
Pimenta Leopard
Scarlet Lantern
Scorpion, Butch T, Yellow
Shattah
Tangerine Dream
Thai Orange
Trinidad Bean, Brown
Trinidad Bean, Yellow
Turk's Cap

Older stuff:

Small Yellow MoA Scotch Bonnets:

One of the bigger ones:

A bunch of different stuff:

Kaleidoscope, in front of Red Bhut:

Golden Cayenne:

Alma Paprika: