Can you feel the burn?

[GM54-120]

Go to Walmart. Look for the blue reusable shopping bags. They are about 50cents each. Small plastic wash tubs from the dollar stores can be used as drip pans. Drill a drain hole in the side about an inch or 2 above the bottom so they wont fill up if it rains.

The 7gal fabric pots i got were around $2.60 each and the 16" (across the bottom) saucers were about the same. For around $1.50 you can try it first by using the cheap blue Walmart bags and Dollar Tree white wash tubs. OR get about 5 Walmart bags and 1 of the cheap $9-$10 Walmart plastic kiddie pools. 5 bags will fit in the pool. Just drill a hole in the side of the pool for drainage.

The pool idea is kinda cool just because you can water 5 plants at once. Just fill the pool with water until it begins to drain out of the hole.

A 2cuft bale of the Pro-Mix i just bought mixed with a 8qt bag of perlite will fill 4 7gal bags pretty much all the way or 5 bags with room to spare for a little mulch on top. So thats around $18 for enough potting mix for 4+ 7gal fabric pots. Add one .75cuft bag of Just Natural brand mushroom compost and that should easily fill 5 bags total.

A couple years ago, just for grins i filled a pot with only that mushroom compost. I planted a orange habanero in it. The plant went nuts and produced massive amounts of peppers. I had to keep a close eye on it during the peak of the summer though. It would dry out fast.

 

[ShawnT]

GM,

Do you add any type of plant food to your plants during the growing season?

 

[Idaholewis]

GM54, That is GREAT information!! I can totally see the little swimming pool working like a dream! We actually have 2 of those in the Rafters of my Garage, 1 will become a Grow Pool! :lol:

I got my Hydrofarm designer 6 tube light today, WOW! Talk about LAY DOWN SOME SERIOUS LUMENS! What an AWESOME light setup!! :yeah: Sorry in advance for my Pics being so Large, From my Ipad and Imgur I don’t have an option to reduce the size? I did some reading and Youtube searching trying to figure out how to make my pics smaller? From what i read it isn’t something you can do from Ipad? I lowered the Settings on my Phone Camera, which seemed to help some. Anyway, here is my new light, My T8 Setup is now hanging over my Reloading Bench, and works AWESOME there! :yeah:

 

[Idaholewis]

I had barely got it setup and plugged in when my little Dog tried to go lay under it, i had to run her off twice :lol: Must feel like Warm Sunshine to her? You can feel the Warmth from it

The new light was delivered by Fedex, The Light was shipped in the Factory Box, with no packaging covering what it was. When the guy stepped up on my porch i opened the door to meet him, The VERY first and ONLY words out of his mouth were “Got ya a little Grow Setup going huh?” I smiled and said Yep! :lol:

 

[GM54-120]

GM,

Do you add any type of plant food to your plants during the growing season?

This year?....Very little. Half strength CNS17 Grow that is 3-1-2 full strength once or twice. They did get watered with worm casting tea a couple times. Potting mixes like the one i used have some fertilizer in them already.

They did all get a full strength watering of Alaska fish emulsion 5-1-1 a day or 2 before transplanting.

 

[GM54-120]

I had barely got it setup and plugged in when my little Dog tried to go lay under it, i had to run her off twice :lol: Must feel like Warm Sunshine to her? You can feel the Warmth from it

The new light was delivered by Fedex, The Light was shipped in the Factory Box, with no packaging covering what it was. When the guy stepped up on my porch i opened the door to meet him, The VERY first and ONLY words out of his mouth were “Got ya a little Grow Setup going huh?” I smiled and said Yep! :lol:

Yeah, 30k lumens is BRIGHT!!! You can probably raise it quite a bit compared to your old lights. Better keep a closer eye on watering too. It may dry out those little starter cups fast. I read they don't ship "discretely" but thats fine unless....well we wont go there

 

[ShawnT]

GM,

Do you add any type of plant food to your plants during the growing season?

This year?....Very little. Half strength CNS17 Grow that is 3-1-2 full strength once or twice. They did get watered with worm casting tea a couple times. Potting mixes like the one i used have some fertilizer in them already.

They did all get a full strength watering of Alaska fish emulsion 5-1-1 a day or 2 before transplanting.

Actually I mean after they start bearing fruit. I know the Miracle Grow moisture Control potting soil I used last year said it has about 6 months of plant food/fertilizer in it. Just wondering what to try to get more fruit to bear on mine. They just did ok, I think they should have bore a little more.

Was thinking of mixing the same potting soil with the Eco Scrap Compost and a bit more Perlite. I don't see that Mushroom compost listed anywhere near me.

On the Bonnie site they recommended the Miracle Grow Moisture Control potting soil (Potted plants) and also this.......

""For bigger harvests, it’s helpful to feed plants with a continuous-release fertilizer like Miracle-Gro® Shake ‘n Feed® Tomato, Fruit & Vegetable Plant Food both at planting and regularly throughout the growing season (see label directions for timing). Simply pull back the mulch, scatter fertilizer around the base of each plant, and replace the mulch before watering well.""""

I never saved any of the Much Nacho seeds so will just get a couple plants, Bonnie Truck was at Lowes the other day. Also I want to try some Giant Marconi peppers. My Nephew had those a couple years ago and they had a smokey Flavor that was outstanding stuffed or in stir fry.

Thanks,

 

[GM54-120]

After they start to produce a fair amount of peppers i ease off on fertilizing. Mainly back off on the nitrogen. If you have good compost without much poop in it,...that should give a fair amount of other nutrients. Give them epsom salts and maybe some calcium a tiny bit more often. Only up the calcium if you see end rot though. Epsom salts will help them to keep blooms from dropping. 1 TBS per gallon of water about every 2 weeks is enough.

Stuff like that Alaska fish and kelp dry pellets is fine all year. Its 4-6-6 i think. It already has a good amount of calcium in it too. Critters kinda like it though.

Great all around product for the money and not too hard to find either.
https://www.pennington.com/all-products ... fertilizer

 

[ShawnT]

After they start to produce a fair amount of peppers i ease off on fertilizing. Mainly back off on the nitrogen. If you have good compost without much poop in it,...that should give a fair amount of other nutrients. Give them epsom salts and maybe some calcium a tiny bit more often. Only up the calcium if you see end rot though. Epsom salts will help them to keep blooms from dropping. 1 TBS per gallon of water about every 2 weeks is enough.

Stuff like that Alaska fish and kelp dry pellets is fine all year. Its 4-6-6 i think. It already has a good amount of calcium in it too. Critters kinda like it though.

Great all around product for the money and not too hard to find either.
https://www.pennington.com/all-products ... fertilizer

Home Depot has that fertilizer on their web site and can ship that to local store, Closest Store was a bit too far away. I did not add anything to mine last year and it is probably why they did not bear so good. Was thinking it probably had enough already in the potting soil and I did not get them till July. What they did produce was very good and tasty though. I walked around the carts the Bonnie guys were dropping off at Lowe's and never saw any Much Nacho. Just one listed as Jalapeno Hot pepper and the Mammoth. Might have to look around. I got mine at the local Grocery last year but they have not gotten any of them in yet. My Buckets are on a second floor balcony so not too many critters can get to them. :wink:

Thanks,

 

[GM54-120]

Those could be Beni Highlands. The leaves have the habanero look but its hard to say. My Sandia shot up fast. Leaves are spaced further apart, more like a jalapeno. Habanero types often stay shorter and more compact until they go BOOM and take off. My Benis last year never got over 2.5ft tall but had tons of pods for their size.

Beni Highlands in July last year

They never got a whole lot larger than this in the pots.

You dont really want to use dirt in container plants. It compacts easily over time. There are tons of container mixes. A common one is just called 3-1-1 or 5-1-1.
https://threefoldfarm.org/blog/making-y ... otting-mix

3-1-1 is sometimes 3 parts coco coir, 1 part perlite and 1 part compost.

Getting composted pine bark fines around here isnt that easy. I can get it but only by the cubic yard for $42. Peat moss requires the addition of limestone for pH adjustment. Its too acidic. Perlite is just stupid expensive in small bags. Not that cheap in large bags either. For large pots you might be able to get the cost down with "coarse perlite" instead of the pea sized stuff. Be careful of inhaling the dust from perlite too.

Notice at the bottom of the article he is now using just pine fines and mushroom compost. Mixed 5-2 or 5-3. Ive used variations of that with no perlite and it works.

For seed starting indoors i just use stuff like Pro-Mix with about a tbs of worm casting per solo cup. I dont want to bring bugs or whatever indoors that may be in compost. Worm castings have some of the same beneficial bacteria and fungi. It tends to be much cleaner and its very gentle on young plants. Compost tea can be made outdoors then filtered through old panty hose for use inside too.

 

[GM54-120]

On a side note i made pork chile verde yesterday with grilled boneless country style ribs for the meat. Then simmered them in the verde sauce until you could cut them with a spoon. Had to use 505 brand flame roasted chiles but the rest was fresh. Nice heat level to them though.

Some 505 and a fresh avocado for a dip and condiment too.

 

[GM54-120]

Oh man i just realized you posted 10 lemon drops. You will have lemon drop peppers coming out your ears!!!! They do get "viney". A tomato cage works great. Its common for many of the Aji baccatums to do that.

 

[Idaholewis]

HOLY MOLY!! What a pepper crop!!! I would bet anything these 8 plants i stil have in the House are Beni Highlands, The others that i just planted outside look totally different, not even a close resemblance, they have a longer narrower leaf, and they grew 2-3 times taller and All seedlings were started together and came up within a few days of each other.

I hate to push another year on myself, but i am really excited to get started next spring, With my better equipment, and Much gained Knowledge! Good Potting soil, Grow Bags, even a kiddo swimming pool as a Saucer!! I can’t thank you enough for all of your help, Quick to answer any questions, Links you provide, etc. etc. AWESOME Stuff my friend!!

Your Food Dishes are PURE CRUEL to post though! :lol: MAN they look AMAZING!! :yeah:

 

[Idaholewis]

Oh man i just realized you posted 10 lemon drops. You will have lemon drop peppers coming out your ears!!!! They do get "viney". A tomato cage works great. Its common for many of the Aji baccatums to do that.

Good to know! I stil have 6-8 Tomato Cages out in my Garage, and since I’m not doing any Tomatoes this year i know where I’ll use them now!

 

[Idaholewis]

This morning I discovered we have a neighbors Cat that feels my Pepper plant row with new Compost/Soil makes a great litter box, it had dug between 2 of my plants, Covering 1 of them over with Dirt. I plan to peacefully chat with the neighbor this morning, if nothing gets done the Cat will SOON catch a fast moving pellet from my Springer air Rifle. I have put to much time in my plants to have them dug up/covered up by a Cat

 

[GM54-120]

A small sand box cures that. Most cats would rather use the sand box. Toss a couple of his turds in it.

Today i got to run down to the composting place. I planned on getting the raised bed mix but i saw some other mixes they offer on their website. Need to look at it in person though. I need a little for a couple more pots, a little for my ground plot and enough for 3 small raised beds.

The rice hull stuff looks interesting.
https://www.stlcompost.com/soil/

 

[Idaholewis]

A small sand box cures that. Most cats would rather use the sand box. Toss a couple of his turds in it.

Today i got to run down to the composting place. I planned on getting the raised bed mix but i saw some other mixes they offer on their website. Need to look at it in person though. I need a little for a couple more pots, a little for my ground plot and enough for 3 small raised beds.

The rice hull stuff looks interesting.
https://www.stlcompost.com/soil/

I hate the idea of shootin the Cat, I know they do an AWESOME job of Mice control, I have always felt that an outside Cat was VERY beneficial to have around, But it’s sure as hell frustrating when they use your new garden to do their business in, Covering up my newly planted plants in the process.

I wonder what kind of pine bark they Compost? This Country is absolutely covered in Pine Trees, Ponderosa Pine, White Pine, Jack pine/lodgepole. No shortage of any variety of Pine trees here, I could compost all of the Pine Bark 1 could imagine! I have seen Compost bins, I think it would be neat to research it and build my own. I could get all of the Pine Bark i wanted from the Local Saw Mills here

 

[GM54-120]

Oh geez if you have saw mills nearby they probably got piles of the bark. Just run it through a chipper once or twice and pile it up. Add a little compost starter if needed. Its great mulch too. Nowhere near as nitrogen depleting as hard wood mulch products. The stuff is $42 a cubic yard here and i cant find it in bags at all.

One company sells it by the bag. They call it soil conditioner. No one in town carries it.
https://www.jollygardener.com/just_natu ... tioner.htm

 

[GM54-120]

Im in luck, it turns out the (SLC Grower’s Mix $6/2 cubic feet bag) is the same as the Peat Free Mix in bulk which is $62 per yard. Both are really cheap compared to commercially available potting mixes. Now i just got to test a couple bags for fabric/hard pots. 2 bags should be enough to test this year. I can just get the much cheaper Raised Bed Mix for the other stuff.

Plus its $95 delivery from the only location that has it. The one near me is $75ish delivery fee. So i can get 3 yards for less than the price of 2 of the better mix.

 

[GM54-120]

The 4/4/2 grow mix looks good but its gunna be a water hog. Saucers will be a must. Drainage is fabulous!!! I added about 2 cups of worm castings and a handful of the Alaska fish kelp pellets to the top of the pot. Soaked it down good. Need to check it tomorrow afternoon to see how it does. I have a extra bale of Pro-Mix if needed.

3 yards of raised bed mix will be here Monday. Thats gunna be a bummer moving it to the back yard by wheelbarrow.