Yelanfam Farms 2019 GLOG

This year I decided I wanted to bulk up my garden and turn it into a hopefully marketable garden. I've bought a rack and lights, seed trays, seed cells, dirt, seeds, weed barrier, shade cloth, and probably more stuff I'm forgetting.
 
I've probably been given or traded for around half of my pepper seeds. One great person on reddit sent me a huge pack or seeds and I am forever thankful for. A few others on reddit sent me a couple as well. I offered them hot sauce that I made and is finally ready to ship this week. I got here on THP a little late this year, but all ready I have made a few trades with some great people.
 
I have bought from White Hot Peppers, Lawrence Family Farms, Burpee, Baker Creek, Sow True Seeds, MIGardener I'm sure I'm forgetting some other places.
 
My plan is to do rows of 25 feet, and have 4, 25 x 25 foot blocks. Most of that peppers, the rest tomatoes cucumbers and beans. I'll also have a bigger section for corn and melons including the Bradford Family Watermelon that I'm super excited about.
 
I started propagating on January 21, 2019.
My first seedlings appeared on  January 26, 2019.
I up potted the first batch on February 6, 2019.
 
But on to the peppers, this is my current list of what I have.

Here is a pic of how I start them. I do multiple seeds in an 18 cell tray. It makes it easier to manage at first until I can get out into the greenhouse that I still have to build.

 
 
You can see how I use wooden popsicle sticks to hold my labels. I've since changed to includ how many seeds are in the cell as well as tray number on the label.

 
The Cherry Bombs were the first to pop up.

 
Brazilian Starfish coming on strong.

 

 
The Yellow Moruga Scorpion has a Tri Cotyledon, I actlly had about 4 of this from this pack of seeds.

 
So far I have about a third of them up potted to 36 cell trays.

 
Still got a long way to go. I'll be propagating my tomatoes tomorrow. Hoping for a great summer garden this year!
 
***Bonus here is some pics of the early seed test I did. These were propagated on December 27, 2018.
 

 

 

[BDASPNY]

 
I'm using Dewitt Weed Barrier, I got it off Amazon. it's 4' x 300' a roll, I had to cut the holes in it my self, but it's well worth it because of the lack of weeds, I'll get a few more rolls to do other things next year.

Ill def look into that. Looks like it would work really well and easier to use than the three step way I did it. Lol

 

[Hawkins]

Ill def look into that. Looks like it would work really well and easier to use than the three step way I did it. Lol

 

I can tell a huge difference in watermelons that use weed barrier and those that don't. Growing twice as fast, I'm sure everything else will be the same as well.

 

[BDASPNY]

 
I can tell a huge difference in watermelons that use weed barrier and those that don't. Growing twice as fast, I'm sure everything else will be the same as well.

 
im prob going to use it next year after seeing its much better than what I have been doing.

 

[Hawkins]

My first Khang Starr Lemon Starrburst appears to have the correct shape, and a nice little stinger attached.

I will finally get to try my first ever Jimmy Nardello, I'm going to wait until I have a few more Shishitos ready to go before I pick it though.

 

 

[Hawkins]

Got right at a pound of squash today, these were just a little early, should be getting in a good bit more later in the week.

Also my watermelons are growing like crazy.

 

[Hawkins]

Also to anyone that grows a lot of watermelon, would y'all recommend putting straw between the rows?

 

[Hawkins]

Tasted the Jimmy Nardello pepper today, fresh, uncooked, and wow, what a GREAT tasting pepper. It's is a perfect snacking pepper, has a juicy, sweet, slightly citrusy flavor. Not sure how many will make it to market, because I'll probably eat them all.

 

[BDASPNY]

Tasted the Jimmy Nardello pepper today, fresh, uncooked, and wow, what a GREAT tasting pepper. It's is a perfect snacking pepper, has a juicy, sweet, slightly citrusy flavor. Not sure how many will make it to market, because I'll probably eat them all.

 
ive been thinking about growing them next year. read nothing but good things about them. 
 
im interested to hear your opinion on the lemon starburst.  if you grow enough id gladly trade some seeds for some of those.

 

[Hawkins]

 
ive been thinking about growing them next year. read nothing but good things about them. 
 
im interested to hear your opinion on the lemon starburst.  if you grow enough id gladly trade some seeds for some of those.

 

The Nardello is amazing, I'm just mad that I'm still a month away on the others, but the plants are loaded down with small green peppers.
 
I have high hopes for the Lemon Starrburst, the pod shape and color are beautiful. I received 4 seeds, 2 germinated, so I'm focusing really hard to get as many pods as possible, I should have plenty of seeds for sharing. One I'm growing in a bucket, so I can control the summer sun and shade, the other I'm going to plant in the main garden in an empty spot I have. Mostly growing these just to get seeds from for the exchanges the year and for me next year, but don't hesitate to message me after I start posting them, I'll send some your way.

 

[BDASPNY]

 
The Nardello is amazing, I'm just mad that I'm still a month away on the others, but the plants are loaded down with small green peppers.
 
I have high hopes for the Lemon Starrburst, the pod shape and color are beautiful. I received 4 seeds, 2 germinated, so I'm focusing really hard to get as many pods as possible, I should have plenty of seeds for sharing. One I'm growing in a bucket, so I can control the summer sun and shade, the other I'm going to plant in the main garden in an empty spot I have. Mostly growing these just to get seeds from for the exchanges the year and for me next year, but don't hesitate to message me after I start posting them, I'll send some your way.

 
that sounds great! ill def message you about them.
 
im hoping to score several interesting pepper seeds for next season.

 

[Hawkins]

Sometimes you just have to enjoy the view.

Today I picked my first Shishito, and now I know what I've been missing.

Blistered up with some soy sauce, man these sure are tasty.

 

[Hawkins]

It's another DAILY DOUBLE!
 
Some cayenne's showing their true colors.

Shishitos are loaded down.

 
The main garden rows.

 
The extra peppers in the big field.

 
Some Aji Charapitas.

 
Watermelons checking in.

 
Check out this little Beni Kodama or Kodima idk, the pack says one thing the website says another, and Google says nothing.

 

[BigCedar]

Hey Hawk! Your farm looks incredible man! Nice work on all the plantings! Those watermelons are ridiculous! That growth rate    I could spend an entire WA season just trying to get a watermelon plant to be half as nice as yours are already lol. Nice pod shots, looking forward to watching everything transform and turn into a full blown jungle. Nice view btw, I also think your about due for a drone shot   

 

[Hawkins]

So these seeds came from the 2018 Reddit Seed Exchange, supposed to be Black Pearl, 2 of the 3 plants look purplish black like they should. But all 3 seeds produced something different.
 

Two of them have the Purple style, one growing pointing up, the other pointing down. They are thick walled, the purple doesn't have much taste, and zero heat, the yellow is a little fire cracker, I was not expecting what came out of it. It's thick walled as well, and has a standard pepper taste. Also one of the yellow ones has a purple spot on it, so no idea what they are.

 

[Hawkins]

Hey Hawk! Your farm looks incredible man! Nice work on all the plantings! Those watermelons are ridiculous! That growth rate    I could spend an entire WA season just trying to get a watermelon plant to be half as nice as yours are already lol. Nice pod shots, looking forward to watching everything transform and turn into a full blown jungle. Nice view btw, I also think your about due for a drone shot   

 
Thanks, all possible be cause a couple of my friends helped me plant for sure. I'm going to break out the drone once I get the drip lines down for the corn. I want to have everything set up first. And for the watermelons 2 weeks of 95+ degree temps definitely helped their early growth. That is way above average for this time of year, but watermelons thrive in the heat so no issues for them at all. Today marks 1 month since they were planted, and I only fertilized twice, and the 2nd time was yesterday. I haven't even switched to a bloom fertilizer yet, and I'm loaded with Beni Kodima, and Yamato Creams. To be fair those are fast growers but the others are finally starting to produce the female flowers. Yesterday I reached out to a local brewer to see if they had any interest in a watermelon brew this summer, still waiting to hear back.

 

[Hawkins]

I've grown zucchini probably twice in my entire life, I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to look like this.

Also I just saw a squash bug on there, so time to go to war.
 
Bonus would you just look at how absolutely loaded this Shishito is?

 

 

[CaneDog]

I've grown zucchini probably twice in my entire life, I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to look like this.
 
They do like to cross with pumpkins. When I was a kid we called them Zumpkins.
 
Bonus would you just look at how absolutely loaded this Shishito is?
 
Yes I will.  It looks awesome!  I had wanted to grow Shishitos this year, but it didn't work out. Your results don't make me any less disappointed. 

 

 

[Hawkins]

Yes I will.  It looks awesome!  I had wanted to grow Shishitos this year, but it didn't work out. Your results don't make me any less disappointed. 

 

If it helps to ease your disappointment I have about 15 other Shishitos that are almost as loaded as this one.

 

[CaneDog]

    
 

 

[saiias]

    
 

Dont you worry CD. One of those plants is mine. Lol. Will grow it and send the peppers to you. Go hawks.

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