Can you feel the burn?

[GM54-120]

Some nifty items

7 gallon grow bags off Amazon. Cost around $2.50 each in 12 packs. Ive found grow bags make a HUGE difference vs pots. Cheap blue Walmart bags work fine too for just 50cents each. https://www.amazon.com/Winner-Outfitter ... Bbags&th=1

These hangers make it simple to raise or lower lighting. Amazon had the best pricing by far. A 6 pack was around $20 https://www.amazon.com/Security-VIVOSUN ... 9NRNU?th=1

I could not find 16" saucers cheaper ANYWHERE and these are nice for about $2.70 each in 10 packs. https://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-HGS16P ... ative=9325

 

[GM54-120]

Couple more things i found for growing "on the cheap"

Mini greenhouse from Menards...only $25...This would make a great little indoor grow tent too or early transfer to harden off seedlings in early spring. Takes up less than 2ftx3ft of space.
https://www.menards.com/main/building-m ... 417118.htm

GREAT deal on ProMix Ultimate Organic at Menards...under $6 a bag. Add 1/3 perlite for a seedling mix.
https://www.menards.com/main/outdoors/g ... 345240.htm

LED full spectrum photography bulb that screws into a standard E/26 medium socket. Over 3500 lumens for under $19. Screw it into one of those clip on shop light reflectors. Make sure to get a small fan too for circulation and to keep it cooler.
https://www.amazon.com/Bonlux-Daylight- ... ative=9325

A couple of these fans is about all you need in a small grow tent. Make sure to aim one at the light if needed.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Mi ... #read-more

 

[GM54-120]

MOA reds are looking nice but got a little algae on 2. They LOVE the fixture with the 6500K and 8000K bulb.

4 P. Dreadies are doing ok. Not as big as the MOA reds yet but i think they will be fine.

My MiraFlores Market rocoto is a tiny bit unhappy atm.

Aji Arnaucho are starting to get some real leaves.

 

[Idaholewis]

Lookin Good!! Man those little plants are SUPER healthy! I have a pretty good bunch of the little Rocotos up, both Yellow and Red, i need to get them transplanted to cups and in sunlight, they are spindly little fellas right now. How soon do you transplant from Germination dome to Cup?

 

[GM54-120]

Day Light 6500 kelvin T8 fluorescents work really well for seedlings. Keep them about 5-6" above them. The Sky Blue 8000k is fine too. I checked the spectrum on both and its fine for this application.

2 4ft bulbs are about $10 and the fixture was only about $16 on sale. Really need more than 1 though. I ended up with 3 fixtures. 2 6500k bulbs, 2 8000k bulbs and 2 Gro-Lux bulbs. Thats only about 200 watts total. 18hrs on and 6 hours off.

You want them to leaf out more before growing taller. Window light might make them "leggy" this early in the year.

I get them in small cups pretty fast but you can leave them in small 2x2" trays for quite awhile. Im leaving the jalapenos im germinating in the little jiffy strip trays as long as i can. So i just started them in the strip trays.

Dont leave the dome on too long either unless it has vents.

 

[Idaholewis]

Day Light 6500 kelvin T8 fluorescents work really well for seedlings. Keep them about 5-6" above them. The Sky Blue 8000k is fine too. I checked the spectrum on both and its fine for this application.

2 4ft bulbs are about $10 and the fixture was only about $16 on sale. Really need more than 1 though. I ended up with 3 fixtures. 2 6500k bulbs, 2 8000k bulbs and 2 Gro-Lux bulbs. Thats only about 200 watts total. 18hrs on and 6 hours off.

You want them to leaf out more before growing taller. Window light might make them "leggy" this early in the year.

I get them in small cups pretty fast but you can leave them in small 2x2" trays for quite awhile. Im leaving the jalapenos im germinating in the little jiffy strip trays as long as i can. So i just started them in the strip trays.

Dont leave the dome on too long either unless it has vents.

I just got a light setup over my Yellow and Red Rocotos, it is an actual Grow light, T5 6400K, after thinning them out i have 8 of the yellows and 8 Reds. Hopefully the little fellas will start filling out now like yours above!

 

[Idaholewis]

I am gonna go really low capacity this year, i am just not properly setup, our house is a little 1 bedroom with full basement, i have plenty of room in my basement for a nice rack set up like you picture above, and no Doubt the T8 fixtures and bulbs are a WAY better way to go considering cost, This T5 Grow setup was WAY more money than if i had gone T8s, But i was in situation where i had to get these little plants under good lighting so they didn’t get to leggy on me! The T5 Setup i got came with a Stand, so all i had to do was push it together and Hang my light. My goal is about a Dozen or so nice healthy plants, That is about all i can take care of this year. Before next season i will have a nice Rack setup with T8s. I sure wish i could get away with it in my Basement? I have plenty of room down there, but we don’t have heat down there, and I’m thinking it would be to cold on them? It never gets below 60-65 at the coldest, that’s about where it stays. GM54-120, What is your opinion on the Basement situation i just described, if i started seedlings upstairs in the warm and then moved them down to basement under good lighting?

 

[GM54-120]

T5 high output are better than T8 if its in your budget. HO fixtures though are not cheap. $100 and up for a 4 bulb 4ft. Menards has one for $119 but its designed for flush mounting. Pretty easy to convert to hanging with 2 pieces of angle iron that has the holes in it.

BTW those T5 HOs can be higher above the plants than my T8s. Probably around 12" above the plants no problem depending on the area you are trying to cover.

My basement gets cold too. Lights do an amazing job of keeping a small area warm. My 3 fixtures keep my grow table area in the low to mid 70s with both ends of the table open. They sell tiny 200watt space heaters that would keep a closet size area plenty warm enough. IIRC they are well under $20.

They also sell a thing thats like a timer but its temp based instead of time. Its designed to handle space heaters upto 15amps. IIRC its around $25-40 on Amazon. Let me see if i can find the one the guys are recommending on thehotpepper forum.

Its sorta like this one. https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Temperat ... RMHGKRP6Z9

That one has a cooling and heating option. Hook up a fan to the cooling and a small heater to the heating.

 

[GM54-120]

Well, this one burns!!!!

150grams of Scotch bonnet yellows and 50grams of Caribbean reds for almost a quart of hot sauce. Almost 50grams of both carrot and onion.

 

[GM54-120]

5 days later and look at these MOA reds. midwestchileheads.com MOA red seed stock has gotten great reviews. They produce some REALLY large peppers too.

From another THP member who grew them from MWCH seeds.

 

[SteveH]

Looking great!! Do you do any pruning when they are still in the seeding stage or do you wait till after you get them outside?

 

[GM54-120]

Im not going to do any pruning until they are much larger. Normally i dont do any pruning except leaves that look bad. These little guys are wider than they are tall. Stems are getting nice and thick too for their size.

I wish my P. Dreadies would start to kick it in gear. They look ok but not like these MOAs.

I got a couple more but these are the 3 best ones.

 

[GM54-120]

How to make a fabric pot from weed barrier fabric on the cheap. No sewing required.

You could even use 2ft tall welded wire mesh and make it cheaper. Ive got some really good ProShield fabric. Costco has 220ft rolls on sale atm for under $30 for a 4'x220' roll. 2'x50' of vinyl coated wire mesh is under $30 at Lowes/Homedepot. That would make a BUNCH of fabric pots.

 

[Idaholewis]

GM54-120, MAN those little plants are SUPER healthy little fellas! I see what you mean about the Rocotos, i ended up with 8 total after transplanting them, 4 yellow, and 4 mini Red. They are definitely slow growers, mine are just starting to open up leaf some now, i wish i had started them earlier! I think they will stil do fine? I hope anyway! I’m doing everything i know to do, they are super healthy, but definitely behind yours in growth, Can you show an updated pic of your Roctos? Im curious just how far behind mine are? When did you start the Rocoto seeds in the Domes?

This fall, Winter i am gonna set up a nice Rack system in my Basement for Starting, and Growing plants, it stays cold down there (about 55-60 degrees average i would say) According to my Dad that is a Good thing here, keep them on the Heat Matt til they get up good, then under the Grow lights. Dad claims the Cool basement will Stunt and slow down Growth, but also harden them up for our weather? He sure does good with Tomatoe plants that way (kinda his specialty) Dad never Babies them, he actually puts them outside on days that are just above freezing, his plants are THICK and healthy, and BIG producers. When summer weather does finally get here (End of May, June 1st) it gets DARN Hot here, and stays that way Through August, if they haven’t matured by Mid Sept they are in trouble of a Frost! You can pretty much expect it here. Definitely a short Grow season here in North Idaho, especially for the Super Hots. Sure is fun messing with them though! And it no doubt can be done, just need to start them earlier, and run Grow lights. Next year i will be setup WAY better for this :yeah:

 

[GM54-120]

All of my rocotos but one are still tiny. Ive got 6 total atm and im trying to get 4 more to sprout. Seeds germinated but they havent come up yet after the transfer.

Many types of pepper dont like anything colder than about 65F. Some like NumMex (Hatch valley Anaheim) types love cool nights and hot days. Many high altitude Peruvian peppers are sorta the same way. Cool nights are ok but they grow soooo slow. My bonnets last year hated the cooler temps. One thing most hate is hot humid nights. Plants look fine but they drop blooms like crazy so you dont get any pods. Too much direct sun can do the same thing. Peppers like Aleppo though love the heat and lots of sun.

My dad does the same thing with tomatoes. They go out earlier than peppers. It slows them down at first but it gives them time for roots and stalks to bulk up before vegging out.

I get seedlings out of domes as soon as they come up. The high humidity will damage the stalk. Its called dampening off.

Those pics are my Scotch Bonnet red MOAs (Ministry of Agriculture) and Pappa Dreadie Scotch Bonnets. The Dreadies are still rather small but my MOAs are starting to really take off now.

P. Dreadies

MOAs

I just got done making my first batch of "worm tea" Its worm casting, unsulphured molasses and a little alfalfa. You "perk" it in water with a large fish pump and air stones for about 24-48 hours. When it get a nice foam head on it its ready. Plants love this stuff especially with a little fish emulsion and kelp meal in the mix. I dont use the emulsion though for indoor stuff because it smells. Next batch will have some kelp though.

DONT BUY alfalfa meal from a garden shop. You will pay through the nose for it. Go to a farm feed store. Around here its about $18-20 a 50lb bag at feed stores. Garden shops want about $3/lb for it. The stuff is awesome 3-1-2 to 3-2-2 fertilizer. Plus it has tons of other minerals. The tea increases the number of beneficial bacteria in the worm castings by 100s if not 1000s of times.

 

[GM54-120]

Jerk Chicken and Jamaican slaw soft tacos with fresh pineapple and fresh culantro....not cilantro. Sauce is a mix of mayo, hot sauce and a dash of paprika

Nice shot of extra Caribbean red hot sauce too.

 

[Idaholewis]

GM54, MAN O MAN That dish looks good!! You DEFINITELY know your business!! I could make that ‘Worm Tea’ if i knew where to get the Castings? I use to raise Aquarium Fish. I have several Air Pumps, Valves, Air stones, etc. Do you order the Worm Castings from anywhere in particular?

There is a MOUNTAIN of awesome info in this thread! :yeah:

 

[SteveH]

You want them to leaf out more before growing taller. Window light might make them "leggy" this early in the year.

This is definitely happening with mine. After germination I just put them in wicking pots (20 oz cup system I learned from a thread on THE HOT PEPPER forum) and keep then inside by whatever windows get sunlight. The are growing but nothing like yours. :cry:

 

[GM54-120]

GM54, MAN O MAN That dish looks good!! You DEFINITELY know your business!! I could make that ‘Worm Tea’ if i knew where to get the Castings? I use to raise Aquarium Fish. I have several Air Pumps, Valves, Air stones, etc. Do you order the Worm Castings from anywhere in particular?

There is a MOUNTAIN of awesome info in this thread! :yeah:

I bought a smaller bag last year at Walmart. Good brand too actually (Wiggle Worm). This year Costco had a killer deal on them. Good compost can be used too but i wont use it inside. Chance of bugs is too great. The other option is a product called myco (mycorrhizae). Its THE bacteria group you want from the castings. Its what ProMix puts in their peat moss growing mix. Jobes adds it to nearly all their fertilizers and their compost starter. They call it Biozome but its the same stuff.

The stuff aint cheap in it more pure form but you only need a tiny bit to get it started in a tea. MycoStim is around $20 per lb which is the cheapest ive seen. It helps your plants take up nutrients. My results last year using kelp were excellent. Nearly twice as much growth when the plants are young.

You DONT want to buy premade teas though. The bacteria start to die off within hours after you turn the pump off. Make only what you intend to use right away.

Alaska brand sells both fish emulsion and liquid kelp if you want to keep it simple. Its a very common brand. A gallon of the emulsion is under $20 but it STINKS!! Only use it for outside use. Their kelp product is not as easy to find at places like Lowes. A little bit of each is great in the tea too. I eat seaweed so i always have it on hand. I just grind it up into a powder and add about a tbs to the tea. I get a bag big enough to make many many gallons of seaweed "extract" for maybe $8 from the Asian markets.

There are tons of recipes for teas on youtube https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=worm+tea

The key things though are the myco source and unsulphured molasses. Molasses is really high in calcium and magnesium plus many other trace elements. Alfalfa meal is full of nutrients. Kelp is also and has growth stimulators. Using just these ingredients the nitrogen is low enough it will never burn your plants. Fish emulsion will give it a nice nitrogen boost without being too high.

 

[GM54-120]

You want them to leaf out more before growing taller. Window light might make them "leggy" this early in the year.

This is definitely happening with mine. After germination I just put them in wicking pots (20 oz cup system I learned from a thread on THE HOT PEPPER forum) and keep then inside by whatever windows get sunlight. The are growing but nothing like yours. :cry:

I moved one of my MOAs to a south facing window yesterday. Im running outta room on my grow table so i have to give it a shot now. I need 4-8 more seedlings before im done and that means i need to germinate at least twice that amount so i can pick out the best seedlings.

I still need a couple Sandia Selects and i have 3-4 Syrian/Turkish bells types i must have ready soon. They grow a little faster so i may still have enough time. These "bells" are really cool. Most have thinner walls than a regular bell and some heat too. One gets HUGE pods.

Tekne Dolmasi

Bell of Lebanon...nice thin wall bell

Urfa Stuffing...a bell with a little heat and thin walled.

Another local grower might have some Antep Aci Dolma seedlings for me in time. SUPER hard seeds to find. Fords Fiery Foods has been out of them but he may have some now. Its a large bell with jalapeno level heat. Stable hybrid too.