Wicked Mike's 2015 Growlog

BigB · Aug 26, 2015

I'd comment on this ^, but I'll let Dr. Tyson iterate it for me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ecT2CaL7NA

grantmichaels · Aug 26, 2015

Please ... I've lived here my whole life and they've had hydroponic and otherwise engineered food installations at Disney/Epcot since long before most people had a clue what it was ...

But that's not what we're talking about ... we're talking about the make-up of a finite amount of fertile land, being used for a dwindling total number of crops, to instead grow bumper crops of something man-touched, and thereby reducing the opportunity for the natural progression that would otherwise take place if that land was used for natural species etc ...

I remain on the fence.

oldsalty · Nov 2, 2015

All I can say is WOW !!!! Mike absolutely beautiful loved seeing the work with the kids and your incredible grow!! Truly amazing. Your dedication to mother earth and to the children of your community. Never mind your endless kindness to friends and members here at THP. Sir I take my hat of to you !! YOU ARE A GIANT AMONG MEN!!

Wicked Mike · Dec 30, 2015

So very, very overdue for an update here.

It's been unbearably hot and wet. As I speak, the heat index is at 86 degrees, and it's not even noon yet.

Scirtothrips dorsalis: I appear to have done what was not possible. Grow looks to be in full remission. Wasn't easy. Now, an onslaught of leafminers and caterpillars. That, however, should be easier to get under control. Still, with all the unwanted UV, pests, Xanthomonas, nutrient deficiencies...

Got rained out for three days straight at Fairchild's Fall Garden Sale and did maybe one-tenth the sales I had projected. Serious financial strain as a result, as well as a lot more one-gallon material on hand than I needed.

Have expanded further into other rare/unusual plants, and have a few new crosses I'm tinkering with. Here are a few:

Solanum ferox

Solanum mammosum

Solanum sesiliflorum

Solanum caripense

Solanum stramoniifolium

Solanum quitoense

Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa

Passiflora coriacea

Passiflora colinvauxii

Passiflora mollissima

Passiflora foetida

Passiflora sexflora

Deppea splendens (that's right - not just alive, but blooming!)

Leonotis nepetifolia

Sesbania bispinosa

Flacourtia indica

Duke Nukem Scorpion

Carcosa

Devil's Balls

jcw10tc · Dec 30, 2015

Wicked Mike said:
Carcosa

Carcosa looks really good. Is it a superhot, looks like its got some yellow brain strain or something similar in it maybe.

Wicked Mike · Jan 1, 2016

jcw10tc said:
Carcosa looks really good. Is it a superhot, looks like its got some yellow brain strain or something similar in it maybe.

Hahaha! You and your yellows! A few of the more interesting things I'm toying with are mystery crosses. This is one example. It was supposed to be a Yellow Infinity. The Duke Nukem (get this) came from one of my own OP Moruga seeds. Not sure what happened there, but it's got a much more pleasant flavor than most of the brown supers I've seen.

Say what you will about OP seeds, but sometimes you get something excellent out of them.

But then, intentional crosses are fun, too.

Giant White Habanero x Moruga Scorpion

jcw10tc · Jan 1, 2016

Wicked Mike said:
Hahaha! You and your yellows! A few of the more interesting things I'm toying with are mystery crosses. This is one example. It was supposed to be a Yellow Infinity. The Duke Nukem (get this) came from one of my own OP Moruga seeds. Not sure what happened there, but it's got a much more pleasant flavor than most of the brown supers I've seen.

Say what you will about OP seeds, but sometimes you get something excellent out of them.

But then, intentional crosses are fun, too.

Giant White Habanero x Moruga Scorpion

Nice one there.

Yeah, OP has its fun sometimes. This year 2 of my thoughts when arranging my rows are to have rows with peppers that hopefully are dissimilar enough to go down the row and pick a bag so they will be easily distinguishable, and also within the vicinity of the pod have varieties that if they do cross have potential to be good. Like last year all the main pepper patch will be chinense, and the rest of the annums and baccatums will be on other side of the yard 40+ yards away. Not guarantees there I know but hopefully keep odds better.

I had this volunteer below pop up this past season. Might just be a wierd shaped 7 Pot yellow, or might be a cross, not sure. The plant popped up late so only got 2 pods, and had to dig up and put in garage to let them finished ripening. But flavor was great, very much like 7 pot yellow. Going to grow again this year see what happens. Maybe it will become a 7 pot yellow long or something.

cone9 · Jan 1, 2016

Cool stuff, Mike.

Ya know, up here it's easy to get envious of your prolonged growing season. But then I, for the most part, just plant and grow with only the occasional minor impediment from pests or disease. For that I am grateful.

However, I do wish we could grow some of the more tropical fruits to which you have such easy access.

Have productive New Year!

D3monic · Jan 13, 2016

That carcosa is a sharp looking pod.