http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php Hot Sauce Forum - BBQ Forum - Spicy Food Forum - Hot Pepper Forum en Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:15:02 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.thehotpepper.com/images/thehotpepper/misc/rss.jpg http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=104 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:33:59 GMT The last week of intense dry weather has done good things for germination. Ive got some more 7 Pots - my current hot stars sprouting and those that... The last week of intense dry weather has done good things for germination. Ive got some more 7 Pots - my current hot stars sprouting and those that have previously germinated are sprouting their second set of leaves.

The plants, planted out are all doing well. Some transplant shock - with leaf wilt and some die-back. But most of them are rising to the challenge and settling down well - with only some drying out wilting - and after their evening watering they bounce right back. ]]> Brokensea http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=104 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=103 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:33:52 GMT The last week of intense dry weather has done good things for germination. Ive got some more 7 Pots - my current hot stars sprouting and those that... The last week of intense dry weather has done good things for germination. Ive got some more 7 Pots - my current hot stars sprouting and those that have previously germinated are sprouting their second set of leaves.

The plants, planted out are all doing well. Some transplant shock - with leaf wilt and some die-back. But most of them are rising to the challenge and settling down well - with only some drying out wilting - and after their evening watering they bounce right back. ]]> Brokensea http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=103 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=102 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:02:13 GMT Finally - after no less than SIX weeks I have a Dorset Naga seedling.

It's quite something - I had given these up for dead - which was a shame cos they are a hard pepper to germinate as they seem to need a high temp to fire.

But there it is - a little bowed seedling pushing through.

I think I will keep this one in a pot - Easier to control the temperature and give it the hot conditions it will like indoors. ]]> Brokensea http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=102 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=101 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:59:50 GMT In the vege garden I have some beetroot that have got huge leaves, and are growing new foliage every day. They are now about 2 feet tall and I... In the vege garden I have some beetroot that have got huge leaves, and are growing new foliage every day. They are now about 2 feet tall and I checked on the roots today - looking for the elusive beets. They are either missing in one sample or very small in another.

Is my soil too rich in N and lacking some other nutrient?

What is the fix for excess N in gardens?

In pots you can flush the soil and discard the water - but not in the garden.

I'm concerned for my Chilli's as they are growing in the same soil - but in a different patch. Previously both beds have had sheep manure and very well rotted compost mixed into them. ]]> Brokensea http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=101 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=100 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:37:55 GMT Well most of my seedlings have progressed quite well and it seems I will be giving away some plants. Over the last weekend I got out all my seeds... Well most of my seedlings have progressed quite well and it seems I will be giving away some plants.

Over the last weekend I got out all my seeds and now have them in a damp paper towel inside a ziplock bag. Hopefully I'll get them all to at germinate to some degree. With some luck I'll have some Bhuts, Nagas, Paper Lanterns, Choc Habs, Red Savinas and Superchillis growing soon. ]]> LordViykor http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=100 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=99 Sat, 15 Nov 2008 06:21:23 GMT Planted out a bunch of seedlings today. The only ones not out to pasture are the seven pots (4 of which have germinated). Plants all wilted upon... Planted out a bunch of seedlings today. The only ones not out to pasture are the seven pots (4 of which have germinated).

Plants all wilted upon planting - but after a good watering they bounced back.

Got me thinking about osmosis as being a reason for transplant shock/wilt. Plants going into dry soil might drag the moisture out of them?

Temperature today reached 28*C - and the forecast is for warm weather till Wednesday

Great growing conditions. :) ]]> Brokensea http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=99 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=98 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 03:10:38 GMT Been away with work out in the central west of Qld. While travelling early in the morning I hit a kangaroo. So I stop and check the ute for... Been away with work out in the central west of Qld. While travelling early in the morning I hit a kangaroo.

So I stop and check the ute for damage and continue on my merry little way. About 5km doen the road I see another kangaroo beside the road and give the horn a blast hoping it will hop away.

Instead it turns around and hops onto the road into the side of my car. Going to get a quote this afternoon to get if fixed. Being a work vehicle there is the usual paperwork and prefered vendor. So now it's wait and see how long it takes to fix. ]]> LordViykor http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=98 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=96 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:35:02 GMT Well I got a pleasant surprise when I got back home today. After being away with work for the last nine days I found my seedlings have taken off. ... Well I got a pleasant surprise when I got back home today. After being away with work for the last nine days I found my seedlings have taken off.

So far I have some Fataliis, Jalapenos, Asian Birdseyes and Super Chillis all growing well.

Today I also transplanted my Anaheim, Siam, Cayenne and Jalepeno seedlings into bigger pots. ]]> LordViykor http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=96 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=95 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:27:20 GMT :hell: Hey you son of firecrotches! I am back, fatter, better looking, and hungry as ever... Wooo Hooo... Just had a sweet ass salsa party with a few... :hell: Hey you son of firecrotches! I am back, fatter, better looking, and hungry as ever... Wooo Hooo... Just had a sweet ass salsa party with a few of the wiffleball buds...We had some Red's Salsa Little Willy's Grenade I Dare Ya! Salsa some Pablo's Some SUPERMASH from good ol' Dr. Gonzo and Some shit we bought at a convenient store in Cape Girardeau called Tomatoes and Hot Hell Fire. I love watching my buddies faces when they try my crazy ass hot sauces and salsas i get from you guys and others...wow...it's fun. I also took some regular pace picante and put some special seasoning from my good Australian Buddy in there....that was the craziest thing ever...watching all my buddies faces catch on fire...they are slowly becoming chileheads...but they won't touch my straight habs or jalapenos yet...they grimace in pain when I eat habs dipped in sour cream...but some of them are finally getting interested. How the hell is everyone??? Did anybody miss me?? Wiffleball is over until January so i'll be around...i'd love to review some of y'alls new stuff or homebrews... so feel free to send me some shit and get on my Christmas list!!!
B.D. Tastebuds
3427 E. Surrey Dr.
Owensboro, Ky. 42301
:hell: ]]> BDTastebuds http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=95 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=94 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:41:05 GMT To aid in my making of chilli sauces I've decided to grow some tomatoes of my own to throw into the recipe.

The chilli growing bug has caught me and I'm now growing

3 Orange Habanero's
1 Asian Birdseye
2 Jalapeno
1 Firecracker
1 Serrano
2 Caysan
1 Anaheim
1 Siam
1 unknown variety from Bunnings

I've also got Red Savina, Choclate Habs, Paper Lanterns, Fatallii's, Super Chilli's, Naga's and Diablo seeds to plant out.

At first is was only going to be a couple of tomato plants to give me a crop to go with my chilli's. While it is still a small area of vegetable garden I'm getting carried away.

So far I've planted

1 Top Dog tomato
4 Roma tomato plants
8 Cherry tomato plants (6 are in hanging pots)
6 Strawberry plants in pots
6 Lettuces
6 Broccoli plants
1 Pumpkin vine
2 punnets of Spring onions
6 punnets of Brown onions
1 Rockmelon vine

The next step is to build some raised beds using treated sleepers and plant many more vegetables.

We are getting some good rain at the moment so they should all take off well and grow madly now the weather has warmed up. ]]> LordViykor http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=94 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=92 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:16:33 GMT Sweet I've got small shoots appearing in a pot with some seed raising mix and some super chilli seeds.

I'm a little excited LOL this is the first signs of my future chiili supplies. Hopefully it will continue to grow well. I'll have to rely on the missus to water them for me for the next 10 days. I wont be around work has me away doing audits. ]]> LordViykor http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=92 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=91 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:34:14 GMT Well as the title says I'm currently trying to raise some plants from seed.

I'm trying the tea bag method outlined on thechileman website and see some of my super chilli starting to sprout. Hopefully they will continue to sprout away and I can get some plants growing.

This is my first year trying to grow from seed and my attempts so far haven't been successful. I got a Yates growing box and put in some seed raising mix with no result. Maybe I needed to wait a bit longer, my second attempt was with fresh seed. I remember reading somewhere that this works well.

Also giving Jiffy pellets a go now to see if they will prove any more successful. It seems a fine balance of keeping the growing medium damp but not wet.

Fingers crossed I'll have some plants growing soon. ]]> LordViykor http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=91 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=90 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:56:40 GMT Well today sees me turn 43, is it me or does time seem to fly by once you turn 21? Still I think life is absolutely fantastic, a loving wife and... Well today sees me turn 43, is it me or does time seem to fly by once you turn 21?

Still I think life is absolutely fantastic, a loving wife and family, a good job and some nice gadgets to make life fun.

Looking forward to the next 60 or so years. :) ]]> LordViykor http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=90 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=89 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 07:38:38 GMT why is it that no matter when you start germinating you always wish you had started earlier? well at least I do. despite starting a full six weeks... why is it that no matter when you start germinating you always wish you had started earlier? well at least I do. despite starting a full six weeks earlier than last year I'm still planning an early to mid-August germ for 2009.

my germination was a little more scientific this year than last. I decided to germ my chinenses first then follow up with the annuums. so far so good.

5th September saw me laydown my first batch o' seeds. my chosen varieties for this season are:
Chinenses -
limon
orange hab
fatalii
bhut jolokia
Annuums -
cayenne
birdseye
broome
big jim

I overwintered a few cayenne varieties, a yellowfire, a straggly looking birdhab from bentalphanerd, and a couple of naga/bhut/bih varieties (not sure what they are just know they produced many hot pods last season - some of you may remember my posts last season referring to my "tragedy" http://www.thehotpepper.com/showthread.php?t=3660 (don't you hate it when you make a typo in the title of a post!?!?)

anyway, germination is the same as last year. jiffy pellets hydrated in warm water placed in seedling trays. once the seeds have been placed AND LABELLED they sit on a thermostat heat tray set to 40 deg C until they sprout. I usually put 2-3 seeds in each jp and cull the weaker looking sprouts after a few weeks as sometimes the stronger sprout germs second!

Update - 20th September
out of the 50 jp's I seeded I only have about 7 stubborn chinenses. now that I've got all that space I put down about 30 jp's of annuums.

the seedlings are now sitting under their Grolux fluoros and I already have a few at 20mm tall!

Update - Mon 6th October
well it looks as if germination is now finished - of 75 jiffy pellets I have successfully germinated 74! over the last week or two I've put together a 'little' spreadsheet to record number of seeds set down, germ rates etc as the old grey matter isn't what it used to be.

I stuck my first little seedlings out in natural light today, the lovely chilliwoman picked up some shade cloth for me and I've assembled a shady spot for them to spend their next week or two. in the next few nights I'll thin out the seedlings I don't need. I still have about 30 little sprouts under grolux tubes but at the rate my little lads are growing they'll be planted out by monthend.

up until now I have only been giving water but with today's exposure to sunlight also comes a slight feeding addition. I continue with the water but mist the seedlings every few days with a very dilute mix of Nitrosol and Seasol - the Nitrosol to help with foliage growth and the Seasol for root growth.

Update - Sunday 12th October

I can't believe how well my seedlings are faring. no more grolux! they are left outside under shadecloth 24/7 now. today they are having a few hours direct sunlight and seem to be loving it. they will be planted out next weekend at this rate which means I'll have them in the ground two months ahead of last season.

the seedlings:


bhut jolokia root development germination commenced 5th September:


the chilli garden:


Update - Sunday 26th October

last weekend was too hot to plant out so I decided to wait another week. my hardening off has been done and the seedlings have been getting direct sunlight now for many days. today is a beaut Spring day in Sydney, a little bit of sun but generally overcast but a warm day nonetheless. I spent a few hours planting out my little babies today - they've been mulched, watered in and given a light feed and some Seasol. I'll give them another water later this afternoon and we'll see how they go.

I've got plenty of leftovers, just got to figure out what to do with them.

Update - Saturday 15th November

well, I gave about a dozen seedlings to rivmasta, he doesn't know it yet but I now own his soul - muwhahahahaha, ahem. anyway, I gave the rest of my seedlings out to some pepper neophytes at work so I'm trying to spread the good word of the pepper community.

all plants are going well but the snails have mobilised their armies and already several pitched battles have occurred. they have won a few skirmishes but I am winning the war. interestingly they seem to prefer chinenses over annuums - has anyone else noticed this phenomenon?

my largest plant so far is a cayenne which is approx 30cm tall while the slower growing chinenses are between 10 and 15cm tall (I knew I should have started my germination earlier!!! - I knew I would say that this year as I say it every year!!!).

I'm giving occasional feeds of Seasol and Powerfeed and the odd occasional sprinkle of Dynamic Lifter Tomato Feed and all is going well. my cherry tomatoes are loving it also and are over a metre tall!

overwintered from last season I have a few cayennes, a straggly-looking birdhab from the mad scientist's (bentalphanerd's) laboratory and a yellowfire (which has succumbed to some mystery illness and died). I also managed to keep a couple of 7 pods and Scorpions going. one of the scorps has carked it while the 7's are going ok. I wasn't impressed with them last year as they grew lethargically and never really delivered as anticipated, maybe the hype got to me and I expected too much. come to think of it I don't think they produced any fruit during spring/summer with just a few pathetically tiny winter pods appearing. the good news is that they are going strong now and are covered in buds though I'm yet to see the start of any fruit. still not impressed...

last weekend I had to stake everything due to the spindly stems and windy start to November we've had in Sydney. I had a small serving of hail two weekends ago but thankfully it didn't last very long and all my plants were ok. I had scary flashbacks to last season when hail, wind, drought, snails, slugs, aphids and leaf spot all teamed up against me and beat me down. the rain has stopped for the time being so I'll go out and start checking for snails later.

I mainly grow cayennes for our pet cockatoo to munch on. capsaicin does not harm birds and the pepper seeds help with their digestion and the capsaicin helps to keep them clear of worms etc. when I'm out watering or tending my 'crops' he likes to walk (he is unable to fly) around and chew any pods or plant trimmings that come his way. problem is, if I don't watch him he likes to bite into the birdhab and chew up the ends of the branches (damn prostrate habit - the relaxed hippy vibe is strong in the birdhab).

more to come later... ]]> chilliman64 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=89 http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=88 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:09:23 GMT Received this seed from Chapman; it was labeled as Dorsett Naga...hehe. Must be some time of hybrid. Image:... Received this seed from Chapman; it was labeled as Dorsett Naga...hehe.
Must be some time of hybrid.
]]> Sanj http://www.thehotpepper.com/blog.php?b=88