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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.
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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.
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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.
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The Cherry Bombs were the first to pop up.
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Brazilian Starfish coming on strong.
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The Yellow Moruga Scorpion has a Tri Cotyledon, I actlly had about 4 of this from this pack of seeds.
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So far I have about a third of them up potted to 36 cell trays.
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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.
 
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Pepper update. Seed saving and sauce planning.
 
I'm going to combine Pequin, Tabasco, and Cayenne to make a super plain normal hot sauce. Ferment at minimum 3 months.
 
Now enjoy the pepper pics.
 
Pequin
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Aji Charapita
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Dundicut, the hardest to grow for me beside Manzanos. These things took for ever. From a pack of seeds I only had one to sprout, and it took months.
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Mr.joe said:
1 day delay is still better than most accomplish. Companies like Amazon sure have spoiled us with shipping times.
 
Very true, I'm hoping to do more next year. I would have done a lot better and been shipping sooner, but unfortunately the spring was super wet. I'll make sure to have a few people lined up to help me next year. I'll still plant the same varieties probably but will adjust the number of plants based on sales. My tomato crop failure really put a damper on my projections. I'll get that sorted for next year. But as it stands I don't plan to increase size, just to better plant. I may open more ground for melons, they sold out when I had them. I would love to find somewhere that would do a contract for purchasing certain varieties, more along the lines of Shishitos, and sweet peppers.
 
The weather is still looking good but I'm starting to pull up some plants now. These Lemon Spice Jalapenos are just great.
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So are the normal Jalapenos, I missed this plant the other day when I made my chipotles.
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Cayenne's were loaded.
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Chile De Arbol
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Tons of Shishitos, these are going to family and friends that helped me this year.
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A nice tray of peppers.
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The Cayenne's, and Chile De Arbol will be used in a mash along with Tabascos, and Pequins. Going to ferment for 6 months then bottle it and give it to the people that help me plant next season.
 
A good bit of the peppers on the plant were either bad or green, I neglected these since most of them were for my personal use. So I lost about half, but it's enough to make a great sauce, and a ton of fermented jalapeno. Still keeping the super hot plants because people are still wanting them. I'll sell until I either run out or the frost comes.
 
Frost is coming this Friday, I've been trying to pick everything I can get use it or sell it. Today I shipped my biggest Monday order of the year. Typically Mondays are the biggest, and Tuesday and Wednesday are about half of a Monday. I'm not going to get rich at it, but it sure does make a difference when you see all the hard work pay off. Next year has already been funded, and I should be profitable before my plants are even in the ground.
 
 
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Also with what was over picked today, I also have 6 more boxes packed and ready to ship for tomorrow. I typically don't like to prepick, but when they are over picks I can't really help it. They'll be fine, especially since it's colder now, I not too worried about the extra day.
 
As of right now, I plan to double my plant out of peppers, and cut tomatoes in half, add okra, green beans, and add more watermelons and canteloupes. I'll run a main waterline down to the field as well to get more water flow for the bigger zones I'll have.
 
Hopefully I'll get everything planted earlier, and find more local places to sell some of the normal peppers. It's been a good year, could have been better, but it's a learning experience, I'll pick everything that's left between now and Friday, and that will be if. I'll remove my drip lines and weed barrier, and turn the fields.
 
that's quite the impressive haul you've had all season.

do you have any of Khang Starr Lemon Starrburst seeds for trade? id like to grow them next season.
 
Mr.joe said:
Very few break even. You did well. I just spent money, not one pod sold. Lol. I cant wait to see next year
 
I was a little worried when the tomatoes failed, and when the peppers didn't really sell at the market. But online I did better than expected. I'll have to set up a better system for next year, it was difficult remembering where everyone ordered from ect.
 
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