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
 
 

 

[KiNGDeNNiZ]

Things looking good. I need to move the yellow NagaBrain out of the aero and the one outside is hardened and showing new growth

 

[windchicken]

That Aero NagaBrain of yours is looking real lush, KD!
 
My DeSoto Parish shade babies this morning, still drooping a bit from yesterday's Easter Torrent. The 9 plants in front are NagaBrain Yellow (f2), the 26 plants in the back are 7 Pot Primo. Only a few days until these one-gallon transplants are tough enough to go in the beds:
 

 

[Spicegeist]

They look fantastic, nice work!

 

[windchicken]

Thanks Charles! The real star of the show this season is shaping up to be your formidable Bonda x Y7. First to hook, first to 100% germination, and head and shoulders larger than any of the NagaBrain or Primo plants. They should go in the ground in the next couple of days...Pix ASAP. 

 

[windchicken]

Here ya go, Charles, my entire f4 population of your exceptional Bonda Man Jacques x 7 Pot Yellow (8 plants, all in 1-gal nursery containers). These babies get the "executive bed" this season:
 

 

[Devv]

Looking stellar Gary!
 
And dirt ready!
 
Hell of a job!

 

[Trident chilli]

Phenomenal healthy plants are they all destined for the dirt or do you have a green house

 

[windchicken]

Looking stellar Gary!
 
And dirt ready!
 
Hell of a job!

 
Thanks Scott!
 

Phenomenal healthy plants are they all destined for the dirt or do you have a green house

 
Thanks John! These will all go in the dirt.
NagaBrain Chocolate, Tmudder strain, my f3 population. All hardened up and ready to go in the dirt:
 

 

[MeatHead1313]

Looking outstanding all around Gary! Really wish I hadn't killed all my nagabrain seedlings this year. Definitely have that bmj x y7 growing though, even if it's only one plant. Thanks again for introducing me to that cross. Fantastic!

 

[windchicken]

Thanks Chris! Bummer about the NagaBrain babies…I'll bring you some nice pods when I come to Laffy
 
I've been meaning to tell you I sowed 5 cells of one of my germ trays with seeds from your Bishop's Crown pods, and every single seed sprouted. Now they are outgrowing every other plant in that tray, by at least a couple inches. That is a phenomenally vigorous variety! So thanks for that!

 

[MeatHead1313]

Thanks Chris! Bummer about the NagaBrain babies…I'll bring you some nice pods when I come to Laffy
 
I've been meaning to tell you I sowed 5 cells of one of my germ trays with seeds from your Bishop's Crown pods, and every single seed sprouted. Now they are outgrowing every other plant in that tray, by at least a couple inches. That is a phenomenally vigorous variety! So thanks for that!

Nice! Got to love 100% germination! Those pods were OP, and if they don't grow true I've got no idea exactly what they could be crossed with lol. Hopefully they grow true for you.

 

[Downriver]

Wow WC, your plants look awesome. You're gonna be pickin pods for MONTHS!

 

[windchicken]

Nice! Got to love 100% germination! Those pods were OP, and if they don't grow true I've got no idea exactly what they could be crossed with lol. Hopefully they grow true for you.

 
Thanks Chris! I have not seen that kind of vigor in a chile variety of any type. I believe they will all grow true…I have never bagged my seed plants, and obvious unintended crosses are rare for me.
 

Wow WC, your plants look awesome. You're gonna be pickin pods for MONTHS!

 
Thanks DR!
 
As of yesterday I finally have some chile plants in the ground: The large plants on the left are my f4 population of Spicegeist's formidable cross, Bonda Man Jacques x 7 Pot Yellow. The smaller plants on the right are the wonderful Bhut Orange Copenhagen, a.k.a. "BOC," from the excellent seeds of THP master grower Meatfreak  at www.tasty-peppers.nl
 
After planting I began adding a fresh layer of chipped oak branches (RCW), so that's why the old gray mulch and the new brown mulch—This bed is a work in progress.
 
The forecast is for several days of Louisiana thunderstorms, so fingers crossed that these babies don't suffer too much damage.
 

 

[Devv]

Woot!
 
That pics looks great!

 

[Smiter Q]

Hi Gary!  It has been awhile since I posted on the forum, but seems fitting that I post here on your Glog as my first return post.  I always enjoy the wealth of information you share, and you are the first one who taught me the term/acronym RCW.  Seems you are off to a GREAT start, and l look forward to following your progress this year.  I will start my own little Glog soon!

 

[windchicken]

Woot!
 
That pics looks great!

 
Thanks Scott! You will be glad to hear that my babies made it through that damnable storm last night relatively unscathed...
 

Hi Gary!  It has been awhile since I posted on the forum, but seems fitting that I post here on your Glog as my first return post.  I always enjoy the wealth of information you share, and you are the first one who taught me the term/acronym RCW.  Seems you are off to a GREAT start, and l look forward to following your progress this year.  I will start my own little Glog soon!

 
BRIAN!!!     
 
Dude, I didn't know if we would ever see you again! It's so awesome to hear from you! Man, I knew this was going to be a good day!
 
You may be interested to hear that we have named the Texas Pequin you shared with us all those years ago "The SmiterQ Strain," and have shared it all over the world. It's the most robust chile plant I have ever grown, and the only one that produces well in the infernal heat of my DeSoto Parish garden. Here's a photo of one of my last year's SmiterQ plants. So yeah, dude, thanks for that awesome chile, and it is SO good to have you back on THP!
 

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

^^Beautiful plant! Gives me nightmares however...so many pods to pick  

 

[windchicken]

Lol, Chris, Thanks! Ain't it just so! I have a special workout now that I must do just to keep my lower back strong enough to pick all those little buggers. So, yeah, chile peppers are good for your health in many ways! 

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

Lol, Chris, Thanks! Ain't it just so! I have a special workout now that I must do just to keep my lower back strong enough to pick all those little buggers. So, yeah, chile peppers are good for your health in many ways! 

I so know that very pain, all the Thai plants produce like mad and the smaller pod ones no problem getting well over 500 pods a plants each grow. I really have had nightmares  
 
Best of luck!

 

[windchicken]

Yes, that would be a nightmare! I would much rather suffer the pain of super hot chiles than that of the chronic bad back!