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overwintering Winter-Summer in OZ "Comparison" / Aussie Blabberers

Who will win?

  • A muppet

    Votes: 20 34.5%

  • A muppet

    Votes: 15 25.9%

  • A muppet

    Votes: 23 39.7%
  • Total voters
    58
megamoo said:
Got a rent inspection on Tuesday so its time for...... Operation Hide the Donkey from the Landlord :D :rofl: :fireball: It's going to be as much fun as all the sitcoms make it seem!

Rather than explain that the purple fluorescents and little green sprouts hidden behind a screen are legit and I'm not growing drugs, I'm going to take it down and stick the lights in my car. I'll put the plants out in the greenhouse and then after inspection I'll put it all back up again... but this time it will be bigger and better. I'll finally install the fan and timers and I'm going to use another double fluro fitting which is even longer! than the existing one.

More light, more awesomeness, more room for my cash crop :D

... legitimate cash crop :halo:
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Just had an owner inspection a couple months back so know all about that!

I wasn't so concerned that they would think I was growing something else (heck, plenty of little chilli plants around to back me up ;)) but more so I didn't want anything to look a mess.... i.e. I wasn't so sure they would be keen on a cupboard grow chamber regardless of what I was growing! :lol:

In the end I decided to leave my cupboard grow chamber intact and turns out, fortunately, they never even looked in there. :dance:
 
After doing some experimentation with different soaking solutions (albeit not scientifically and no-doubt with huge issues with my control subject ) my early findings have been interesting to say the least.
The differences haven't been in the Germination times so much as the vigour of the seedling once it has germinated.

I have after a few different ideas concocted a solution of Alaska Pure (now called simply seaweed concentrate) from smartgarden (ie Nutrifield) and strong chamomile tea (Nerada Organic in this case) which based on my early samples of seedlings are growing with much more vigour (and some are actually already bigger then seedlings twice their age treated with only chamomile).

Its simply a mix of 2-3mls of Alaska pure and approx. 30-40mls of warm chamomile tea in a cup and the seeds are soaked for 24hrs.
I was just wondering if anyone else has used this type of mix before or any other types of mixtures or would be willing to do some trials with a few of their own seeds to see if their is any basis in their minds to my admittedly flawed studies?
 
Sounds like it is going to be bigger and better!

Novacastrian said:
Ya got it all backwards mate! What you do is show them your setup and convince them that it is indeed for chillis. Rattle of a couple of dozen chilli names to get their head spinning. Then you can grow whatever you want! :rofl:

Of coarse you wouldn't do that would you. :halo:
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The amount of times people and neighbours have questioned me, even just because of my hothouse and shadehouses not even knowing about the hydro systems and they can see Wildfire Chilli plastered on my car and know i run a chilli business. Even had someone go into my hothouse one night ( I know cos they left the door open!)

Trippa said:
After doing some experimentation with different soaking solutions (albeit not scientifically and no-doubt with huge issues with my control subject ) my early findings have been interesting to say the least.
The differences haven't been in the Germination times so much as the vigour of the seedling once it has germinated.

I have after a few different ideas concocted a solution of Alaska Pure (now called simply seaweed concentrate) from smartgarden (ie Nutrifield) and strong chamomile tea (Nerada Organic in this case) which based on my early samples of seedlings are growing with much more vigour (and some are actually already bigger then seedlings twice their age treated with only chamomile).

Its simply a mix of 2-3mls of Alaska pure and approx. 30-40mls of warm chamomile tea in a cup and the seeds are soaked for 24hrs.
I was just wondering if anyone else has used this type of mix before or any other types of mixtures or would be willing to do some trials with a few of their own seeds to see if their is any basis in their minds to my admittedly flawed studies?
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Sounds good. I know one place that I buy stuff from has a seaweed solution that thy recommend for seed growing and had a friend that makes worm juice say its good for germinating, so cant see why it wouldnt help. I might give it a go with next lot. The reason they would grow better once sprouted is because you are then feeding them opposed to just watering. If you are using jiffys then remember it is a medium which is neutral and contains no nutrients. I give mine a light feed of chilli focus whilst they are seedlings.
 
The shelf with the lights faces the window onto the street and at night with all the blinds closed you can still see a slight purple glow around the edges. So I am predicting that I may get a visit from a friendly policeman or dopefiend burglar. I put up a black fabric screen which hides it really well but it also makes it heat up.
A lot of the cotyledons and lower leaves have turned brown and fallen off... which I'm assuming is because of too much heat?? That's why I'm going to put the fan in. Without the screen on during the day the shelf is really open and airy and you can't see anything from outside so its not a problem.
 
Wildfire Chilli Australia said:
I give mine a light feed of chilli focus whilst they are seedlings.
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Candice I have been watering my seedlings with weak chilli focus (it says on the bottle weak = 5ml to 1 litre) every second day Do you think this is ok? They were in amgrow seed raising mix and potted up into a mix of budget potting soil and perlite. The seed raising mix says it has nutrients in it and the soil probably has a bit too.
 
How hot does it get in there when the lights have been on for awhile? Was this the 400 light? might be worth sticking a thermometer next to the seedlings to check. Those lights can put out a fair bit of heat and I find it extremely hard to grow under lights in summer even with a couple of extractor fans and an oscillating fan.
 
megamoo said:
Candice I have been watering my seedlings with weak chilli focus (it says on the bottle weak = 5ml to 1 litre) every second day Do you think this is ok? They were in amgrow seed raising mix and potted up into a mix of budget potting soil and perlite. The seed raising mix says it has nutrients in it and the soil probably has a bit too.
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How big are the plants? If they have only just emerged and are in all that I wouldn't bother with the Chilli focus until they are bigger or the nutrients have been washed out of the soil after time. It isn't very strong stuff so if the plants have a few sets of true leaves on it should be fine. If you ar worried just water them with it once a week.
 
Here's how my Chocolate Bhut Jolokia is going, loving it, it's getting to be a big seedling! Growing a lot faster than all of the others!

chocolatebhutjolokia.jpg
 
Wildfire Chilli Australia said:
How hot does it get in there when the lights have been on for awhile? Was this the 400 light? might be worth sticking a thermometer next to the seedlings to check. Those lights can put out a fair bit of heat and I find it extremely hard to grow under lights in summer even with a couple of extractor fans and an oscillating fan.
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Well my digital thermometer (also measured humidity) broke so I have to get another one from somewhere cheap. I can tell that it's too hot for the plants though. I have three 40w plant growth bulbs at the moment. But I'm going to take out one of those and put in two 65/80w bulbs. These are longer and will fill up the whole shelf space so I can fit all my seedlings under them. I can always remove any one of the globes if it is too much light.

Wildfire Chilli Australia said:
How big are the plants? If they have only just emerged and are in all that I wouldn't bother with the Chilli focus until they are bigger or the nutrients have been washed out of the soil after time. It isn't very strong stuff so if the plants have a few sets of true leaves on it should be fine. If you ar worried just water them with it once a week.
Click to expand...

The biggest one is about 9cm high but they are mostly 3cm to 6cm. The taller one has lost three sets of leaves but the newer leaves are green and the internodal length is short. The bits of perlite on the surface look like they are scorched but I think its probably fungus. I was going to spray them with some H202 which I think I remember will control the fungus but I have to go check out that link you posted again. .....Also :rolleyes: I have these tiny flying bugs in the tops of the soil which I squash when I can catch them but there are always more. Are these fungus gnats? I will try to catch/squash one and try out the extreme macro mode on my camera.
 
Enough talk... I'll post some pictures of my progress. The lights make the camera's colour go all freaky
plants022.jpg

is this a fungus gnat I squashed earlier? and how do I kill them all :hell:


These are the tall ones losing leaves. You can see the yellowing leaves.
plants025.jpg

plants032.jpg


more
plants027.jpg


Aji Amarillo with long curly cotyledons and extremely asymetrical leaves
plants031.jpg


little ones well passed ready to be potted up
plants034.jpg
 
Just a question, because I'm going to grow under lights soon, but are mega's seedlings lower leaves dropping off because they aren't getting enough light? Or is is something else?
 
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