windchicken 2015

It was from my own inaction that I missed so many of my awesome THP friends over most of last season…I will not lie, it's much more convenient to post pix—and do just about anything—on that other very popular social media site, but there's no place there to maintain a grow log…Those of you who have not fallen prey to that particular internet time-waster of which I speak and have remained loyal to THP have my greatest love and respect…I pledge today to maintain this glog throughout the complete 2015 grow season! 
 
Last weekend (January 10 & 11) I sowed most of my C. chinense seeds: 4 x 18-cell trays, 72 x 3" wide cells. The sprouting medium is Fafard Super Fine Germination Mix. The light stand is Harris Seed's "8 Tray 2-Tier Combo", which includes a 4' x 2' heat mat and a light timer. New this year is a DeLonghi radiant heater to drive out the cold drafts in this spare bedroom. Everything else is the same as last year. 
 
As far as varieties sown this year, I agonized over a couple of "dream" lists during the fall, and obsessed over a nice spreadsheet in the week preceding this sowing, but I couldn't settle on a firm "assemblage" of super hot varieties. So I waited until the last minute (after the soil was already in the trays) and went with my gut. This is what I sowed:
 
7 Pot Primo (pepperlover.com), 18
7 Pot Primo (Primo's Backyard Select) 9
Bonda Man Jacques x 7 Pot Yellow (F4), 9 (Spicegeist's wonderfully hot and flavorful marriage of 2 yellow Caribbean classics)
Baby Barrackpore (F3), 9 (my favorite of the 3 phenotypes of Spicegeist's Sonoran Chiltepin x 7 Pot Barrackpore)
NagaBrain Red (F4), 9
NagaBrain Chocolate, Tmudder Strain (F3), 9
NagaBrain Yellow (F2), 9
 
 

 

[JJJessee]

Congrats on the Manzano!  It is a versatile pepper on the table. Not so much in the garden  I'm lucky to live in a sweet spot where they seem to do fairly well.

 

[PaulG]

Allright, Gary!  NagaBrain and Bonda cross!    
 
Maybe the seeds from that Manzano pod
will be the start of your Manzano dynasty!  

 

[windchicken]

Good to see the babies coming on, and 7 days is just perfect!
 
And a Manzano! I still have one plant going, left it out in 28° and it didn't blink. Maybe, just maybe, it will flower and set before the heat comes on.
 
Keep it green my friend!

 
Thanks Scott! It's good to know Manzano can handle a light freeze...I will certainly keep this plant, and will probably pot it up into a big Jack Daniels barrel, but I can't honestly say if I would ever try to grow any more of them. It's way easier to get them from a Mexican market, even if I have to drive a few hours to get there...
 

Congrats on the Manzano!  It is a versatile pepper on the table. Not so much in the garden  I'm lucky to live in a sweet spot where they seem to do fairly well.

 
Thanks Jesse! I'm jealous you live in a climate where Chile Manzano produces well...
 

Allright, Gary!  NagaBrain and Bonda cross!  
 
Maybe the seeds from that Manzano pod
will be the start of your Manzano dynasty!  

 
Thanks PG! I'm going to keep this plant for a few more seasons and see if I can get it to grow into one of those giant trees I see around the inter webs....

 

[PaulG]

You might be able to do it down there, my friend!

 

[windchicken]

Thanks PG! Every time my wife cooks something awesome I pick one of those awesome Manzano chiles to go with it—It works out to exponential orders of awesomeness. In chile head heaven there must be swaying orchards of Manzano trees
 
Here's a nursery shot of my F4 brood of romy6's legendary NagaBrain Red. These babies are a few days past 3 weeks since sowing:
 

 

[Roguejim]

Gary, what soil mix do you transplant into after taking them out of the Fafards?

 

[windchicken]

Hi Jim! These plants will go straight into the ground.

 

[Devv]

I'm a big fan of the dirt!

 

[capsidadburn]

Good looking seedlings Gary!  Love that Fafards too!  Looks like seed starting heaven!

 

[PaulG]

Awesome healthy starts, Gary!  Will you cull or separate?

 

[windchicken]

I'm a big fan of the dirt!

 
Lol, Scott. Dirt. Good 
 

 

Good looking seedlings Gary!  Love that Fafards too!  Looks like seed starting heaven!

 
Thanks Mike! It's so good to hear from ya! I'm growing BOC again this year—Mine last year were in a too-shady spot. The few pods I did get were amazing, though.
 

Awesome healthy starts, Gary!  Will you cull or separate?

 
Hey PG! I hate to cull, but I'm already way over-planted, so some of these babies will get snipped 

 

[KiNGDeNNiZ]

Noooooo... no culling....

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

Finally, a ripening Chile Manzano on the plant sent to me back in 2013 by my FB friend Carlos Orellana. I was beginning to doubt this day would ever come    
 

Awesome, I just picked some up at the local farmers market...maybe I'll try to grow from seed. 

 

[D3monic]

Beautiful dirt and seedlings. 

 

[windchicken]

Noooooo... no culling....

 
Sorry, KD. It hurts my feeling really bad, too.    I've got over 100 cells sprouted right now, though, and another 100 to go…I just don't have room for any more plants... 
 

Awesome, I just picked some up at the local farmers market...maybe I'll try to grow from seed. 

 
Thanks Chris! It's a slow-payout plant, but definitely worth the wait, in my mind. Nothing beats Chile Manzano   
 

Beautiful dirt and seedlings. 

 
Thanks D3monic!

 

[Devv]

 
Lol, Scott. Dirt. Good 
 

 
 
Thanks Mike! It's so good to hear from ya! I'm growing BOC again this year—Mine last year were in a too-shady spot. The few pods I did get were amazing, though.
 
 
Hey PG! I hate to cull, but I'm already way over-planted, so some of these babies will get snipped 

 
I will make an assumption, that cutie is your grand daughter?

 

[windchicken]

 
I will make an assumption, that cutie is your grand daughter?

 
She is a cutie, to be sure, but no, I found the image while googling "dirt good."

 

[Devv]

 
She is a cutie, to be sure, but no, I found the image while googling "dirt good."

 LOL, I see she's a sampling
 
We all ate our share!

 

[windchicken]

NagaBrain Red and NagaBrain Yellow (9 plants of each) took a ride to the country today and christened the new light stand:
 

 

 

[Pepper Ridge Farm]

Plants look great this year Gary the NagaBrain really took off the last few weeks.  I wish all my plants could just take a ride to the country and get the full spa treatment.  Lucky gals, planning on a bumper crop in 2015!