Season's greetings to all those following along another year, and a warm welcome to the newcomers
this year! I hope to hear from everyone, and I certainly hope that you guys and gals will post Threads
on your season's progress, as well.

For reference, here's the link to my 2011 growth-Thread: Greenman's Peppers 2011 (pics)

Mix: this year, I used the same ingredients for my seedstarting mix - fir bark, coarse perlite,
turface MVP, and a small fraction of red lava rock and quartzite (left-over gritty mix in other pots).
The Fir Bark and the Perlite were screened 1/16 - 1/4 inch, and the Turface MVP was screened over
aluminum window screen to remove any particles less than 1/16 of an inch. The screening is essential to
creating aeration and drainage, and eliminating any "perched water" in the container.

Fertilizer: I use Dyna Grow Foliage Pro 9-3-6, which contains all macro and micro-nutrients
that are so often lacking in other fertilizers. I begin fertilizing when the seedlings have their first
set of true leaves - using 1/4 strength dose (1/4 Teaspoon per gallon). Once outside, the seedlings are
given a 1/2 strength dose of fertilizer, until they are moved into their final containers and given a
full strength dose of fertilizer at least once a week.

Varieties: Red and Yellow Bhut Jolokia, Trinidad Scorpion Moruga, 7-Pod Jonah,
Chocolate Habanero, Tabasco, Indian Jwala, Ethiopian Brown Berbere, Datil, Manzano, Hungarian Wax,
Thai Chile, and Black Pearl. Many thanks to my pepper friends for again hooking me up with
interesting seeds to grow: Jaime and Bill in particular.

This is a fairly recent update video of my seedlings, from April 28th: Hot Pepper Seedlings - video

Now, the pics! Click the Thumbnails for a larger view :-)

1. I started seeds near the middle of March this year. Filled my 6-cell containers with mix,
sowed my seeds, added some Turface to cover the seeds, put plastic wrap over the seed-cells and
commenced waiting. By March 25th, I had germination.

2. As soon as the seeds sprouted, I removed the plastic wrap. In the pic below, you can see
the superhots have germinated before the rest because I started them a week earlier, knowing
how much more slowly the Capsicum chinenses grow.

3. The first of the superhots to sprout...a Yellow Bhut Jolokia, courtesy of Romy, I believe.

4. More superhots popping up! Oh, and you'll notice a Purple Russian tomato seedling
that I started....the same young woman who sent me the Indian Jwala and Manzano seed
also sent me this tomato variety (which quickly outgrew the peppers and is now planted
in the garden properly!).

5. Manzano seedlings that I planted on April 7th.

6. Superhots as they grudgingly grow larger...I think I'll start them two weeks earlier than the others
next season...

7. Some of the Capsicum annuums - Black Pearl, Hungarian Wax, and Thai Chile. The Thai Chiles
always perform the best.

8. The first family portrait....a few days before I started re-potting in 4-inch containers.

9. Another family portrait, after some of the seedlings have been re-potted. I took a Thai
and a Black Pearl to my sister...making room under the lights.

10. And here's one of the 4 Thai Chiles that I sprouted - this one I took to my brother yesterday.

Last but not least...an update on the old Lady! ;-)
She barely made it through the Winter, due to a Spider Mite attack....but now she's on the mend
and putting out a few pods (which I will remove). Hungarian Hot Wax Pepper, 4 year's old - my first pepper plant :-)

Josh

Looking forward to updates as the season progresses.

Bill

Mark

yer plants are looking finely manicured as they do every year. And thats awesome that Hun Wax is still kicking ;)

Jim

Josh, your plants always look great. I got my pine bark out on a tarp drying out right now. Then I have to sift it for size...yuk.

I will be potting up my Over winter plants this week. Like you, the Hungarian is one of my first. Hope I can get one of the two to last three or more years.

Keep us updated.
Bruce

Mark, that's very much appreciated, sir. I look forward to growing and reviewing Moruga, as well.

Bill, between a few folks here at the Forum, I have enough varieties to last me years at the rate I'm going :-)
Of course, I'm trying to limit myself to fewer plants....but you know how that goes.... ;-)

Jim, haha, those Caribbean Reds and Orange Habs must have just slipped my mind when I was startin' seeds ;-)
I guess it's too late now! I'm doing two extra Hungarians this year....and part of that is a back-up plan
in case the old Hungarian doesn't make it.

Tsheets and Bruce, thanks! We've had rain, then sun, rain, then sun, which has made for excellent
grass growth and a very green Spring. I'm mowing the lawns twice a week and I'm still not keeping
up.

Bruce, I'm getting ready to put together a big batch of mix, as well. With more plants in containers
this year, I may have to divide the batches to make it easier on my back. I can't wait to see your
overwintered plants take off.

Well, I finished re-potting the seedlings into 4-inch containers today. There's absolutely no room
under my lights indoors, so the plants that were re-potted a few days ago will be out in my cold-frame to
harden off a bit tomorrow.

Josh

Should be an exciting season .

Jamie

Josh

Josh

What are the two plants on the bottom of the picture? Are those Black Prince?

Is that your whole crop for the year or do you have more. Other than the few you already put in the garden for bug food.

Bruce

Thanks, Bruce! This is the whole crop, 18 plants total if my math is correct.
That said, I've already given two plants to my sister and one plant to my brother,
and I'll be giving one of the two Datil seedlings to a pepper growing buddy. I have
an extra Jonah, as well, and I may offer that to my sister. If so, I'll have 16 plants.

Within a few week's time, I'm expecting these seedlings to be considerably taller,
which is when I will transfer them to their final homes.

The two at the bottom are Black Pearls.

Josh

Thanks,
Mark

Josh

Mark, none of my root-pics turned out when I transplanted today. All blurry due to the shade.
I'll try again when I transfer the superhots from the 4-inch containers to the 5-gallon pots.

Anyhow, I made a few more gallons of 5-1-1 mix today, and I filmed the process for those interested.
It's much faster to make a big batch, of course, but this was for demonstration purposes ;-)

Potting Mix - making 5-1-1

Josh

Great video. Thanks.
Pretty much how I thought it went but I did notice a couple things. You screened the potting mix and perlite also. It doesn't look like that is necessary but I am guessing it helps in mixing the ingredients anyway. When I made mine, I screened only the bark and then combined the ingredients and mixed them together. I didn't use any Osmocote either. But I believe my Fafard52 had some nutrients already built in. your Perlite is significantly coarser than mine. Mine was more the size that is in the potting mix that you used. I haven't seen any coarser perlite in my area.

So, thanks for the Vid. It helps a lot to actually see what is being described.

Bruce

What I noticed is the lime you had is a powder, what I found and used is little almost bb sized pellets/balls.

I am wondering if that's the problem I am having with the 5-1-1..it just didn't get mixed evenly throughout or if the powdered stuff and pelletized stuff need to be measured differently. Anyway, my perlite *says* coarse on the bag, but, is much smaller than yours. For most of my mix, I screened the perlite with an old window screen to remove the excess dust.

Thanks for videos! You have quite a bit of variety going on there! Wish I had the room to expand.

There is also truly pelletized lime, which will be hard pellets - but I believe this form is much more uncommon in your local garden centers. Truly pelletized lime will take much longer to break down, and will have a tendancy to distribute unevenly.

PJ

Tsheets google sponge rock that's I guess you could call it puffed perlite, that's as course as Josh is using.

Bruce, I don't usually screen the Perlite or Potting soil, it was just easier for me to show
the relative amounts of the ingredients by putting them into the container directly and then
dumping it all over the screen. Like you, I typically screen the bark separately and then
add my amendments later.

When I make more exact mixes, I put the Perlite into a pond-basket, then I rinse out the dust.
This coarse Perlite (Sunshine brand) is incredible - if you have a Hydroponics shop anywhere
nearby, it's worth it to check with them...although, Bruce, I think you already checked.

PJ, thanks for clarifying on the powdered versus prilled Lime.
I prefer the powdered Lime, as I think it is easier to incorporate, but I have been assured
that using one or the other shouldn't have a significantly different result. My Lime got wet over
the Winter, so I actually had to crush the clumps back into powder between two bricks ;-)

Thanks, Mark!

Josh

Josh, I havent spent too much time looking for the perlite since I had found that i could order it from HD online. But now that I find it isn't as course as it should be, I will try to find a different source before next year. I also failed to "rinse" my perlite. I did remember a lot of dust from mine and think that is going to limit the drainage properties a bit. Like I said, the video answers a lot of questions regarding the 5-1-1. Of course, it seems to generate some new ones as well.
Bruce

I re-potted my peppers today, and I was able to take a pic of the root development.
As you can see, I waited a bit too long to re-pot, and so the roots are a bit bound.

And a shot of the Hungarian Wax...the largest pod has a touch of orange today, so I'll harvest
them all and hopefully get a flush of new foliage before the next set of pods.

Josh

Mark

Yellow Bhut Jolokia gets a good jump from lane 3 and leads the pack, followed by Ethiopian Brown Berbere and 7-Pod Jonah. Datil makes a move on the outside, and Manzano is charing on the rail. 7-Pod Jonah has overtaken Ethiopian Brown Berbere for second. Trinidad Scorpion Moruga has been quiet so far, but he moved to the middle of the pack through turn 2. Into the back stretch and Yellow Bhut Jolokia still has the lead by a length. Datil's taken third from Ethiopian Brown Berbere, who looks like he's losing steam. Trinidad Scorpion Moruga STORMED past Chocolate Habanero, Tabasco, & Indian Jwala to take forth. Ethiopian Brown Berbere's hopes are fading coming into turn 3. Hungarian Wax, & Thai Chile are making moves on the rail, and Black Pearl has COME ALIVE on the outside to pass Manzano. His sights are now set on Ethiopian Brown Berbere. Into turn 4 Yellow Bhut Jolokia still has the lead, Trinidad Scorpion Moruga is HOT on his heels in second, follow by Datil in third. Hungarian Wax has passed Manzano on the outside and is jockeying with 7-Pod Jonah for fourth. AND HERE THEY COME!!! Black Pearl is making a move on the outside, passing Datil for third! Its Yellow Bhut Jolokia and Trinidad Scorpion Moruga neck and neck in the home stretch!! Hungarian Wax is on the rail and charging, but he won't catch the leaders! Trinidad Scorpion Moruga has taken the lead by a nose, and HERE COMES BLACK PEARL!! ITS 3 WIDE WITH 50 YARDS TO GO!!! BLACK PEARL IS CHARING BUT WON'T GET THE WIN!!!! IT'S TRINIDAD SCORPION MORUGA AND YELLOW BHUT JOLOKIA TO THE FINISH LINE AND..........

To be continued....

They call that a cliffhanger folks....

LOL, that was fun!!

PJ

"All accounts in the preceding script are fictional, with the final positions having nothing to do with heat or quality. No horses, or peppers, were harmed during this production."

Josh

Harvested four pods from the Hungarian today - ate two of them right off the plant.

p.s. I'm using the new GardenWeb feature that allows us to upload a single image from the computer directly.
Sure, it's limited, but it's a lot faster than uploading to photobucket and then uploading here.

PS: how do you use the GW image upload? Is there instructions somewhere?

Look at the bottom of the page where it says "Post a Follow-Up" - right below is a line:
"Image file to upload (optional)" - click on browse, and away you go :-)

Josh

How is the black pearl doing? I may grow that next season as its very eye appealing.

Mark

Not much to report, really! My plants are still very small, and hardly producing anything.
But everything is growing well, and by September we'll have lots and lots of pods on the plants.

My Hungarians are all producing, despite the small size of two of the in-ground plants, and my old
Hungarian is on her second wave of pods. The Thai chiles have a few pods set and the plants are
growing wonderfully as usual - such a reliable strain, whether in-ground or in containers.
The superhots are putting on size, with a few forming early flowers that will assuredly drop.

Josh

A pair of Black Pearls....liked 'em so much, I decided to grow two this year.




A pair of Thai chiles....I use these peppers more than any other, so two plants is the minimum.
My sister and my brother each have one, as well.

Hungarian Hot Wax peppers....same thing, love these peppers, so I'm growing a couple extra.
Next year, I'll probably do a block of four plants for good measure.

Indian Jwala on the left, almost ready to start producing, and Ethiopian Brown Berbere on the right.
Seed courtesy of Romi (not Romy) and Bill!

Datil on the left, Tabasco on the right. Seed from Jaime (Romy), thanks man! Tabasco is lookin'
okay this year. The yellowy cast is from the glare of the midday sun...much greener in person.

The old Lady, my 4+ year old Hungarian Wax bonsai - not as leafy as I'd hoped, but she was intent
on slingin' out those pods! We've had a good run together, considering she's an annuum,
and if this is her last year, so be it. I still have the original label in the pot, too ;-)

Now for the containers, where I exert the most energy. In the front row, left to right,
Chocolate Hab, Red Bhut Jolokia (from Bill's seed stock originally, but from pods I grew
last year), and the Hungarian Wax. In the middle row, left to right, Trinidad Scorpion Moruga blend
from Bill, 7-Pot Jonah from Bill or Jaime (have to confirm), and the Yellow Bhut Jolokia
from Jaime I believe (by way of Wayright/Kevin?). In the way back, a meager Manzano pepper
snaking its way upward (seed from Romi). I discovered aphids on this plant last week,
now it's playing catch up. It's hard to see, 'cause there ain't much to see....

Lastly, a solo shot of the Chocolate Hab, which is doing the best of the container plants.

Josh

A heads up on the 7 Pot Jonah. habjolokia/Mark noticed seeds I sent him weren't exactly growing true. His and my pods this year look the same as the pods I grew last year from purchased seed. I have a note into Neil at THSC and will let you know when I hear back.

Keep up the good work. It's been too hot (for me) to get updated shots of my crop.

Bill

It's been really hot here, as well...over 100F all last week. As a result, I haven't been
fertilizing very often, and so my plants haven't grown as much as they might have in cooler weather.

The TS Moruga blend also had some weird affliction to its leaves, so I pinched it last week.
Could have been aphid damage. I think it'll bush out nicely now, though.

Josh

Liking the ground and pots deal, I started this season and plan to keep doing both, but notice bug damage to leaves more in ground than in pots.

Mark

"Mix: this year, I used the same ingredients for my seedstarting mix - fir bark, coarse perlite,
turface MVP, and a small fraction of red lava rock and quartzite (left-over gritty mix in other pots).
The Fir Bark and the Perlite were screened 1/16 - 1/4 inch, and the Turface MVP was screened over
aluminum window screen to remove any particles less than 1/16 of an inch. The screening is essential to
creating aeration and drainage, and eliminating any "perched water" in the container. "

That mix is just spectacular!!

Mark, definitely more bug damage in-ground.

John, I keep the Manzano in the most shade of all the pepper plants.
I noticed early on that it didn't react as well to full sun, so I've been
moving it around in dappled sunlight.

Josh

Jamie

Great stuff!

Talk soon...

PJ

Hey, Bruce, thanks a lot! I hadn't been feeding my plants enough due to the ridiculous heat,
but now I think I have them back on track. I'd like to see a LOT more green on the Hungarian.
But I know how these things work....and by the end of the season, everything should be quite
overgrown ;-)

PJ, it's great that you popped in! Hope work isn't running you ragged...or at least you're
sampling a good brew out there on the road. Yeah, this Fir bark has me spoiled.....but I should
tell you that the Sunshine brand coarse perlite is no longer available at the local Hydroponic
shop. I had to buy a slightly inferior product by Nor Cal Perlite company (who knew, right?). It
isn't terrible, but there's more dust and the average particle isn't as large. As you can see
by looking at the pot, I used the last of the good stuff to make the mix for the Hungarian....
I figure she deserved the best drainage I could manage, especially if she's going to stick around
for another year.

Josh

What on earth makes you think I want anything to do with you at this point?

I would prefer not to hear from you at all.

Josh

Hey sorry if I have argued in the past.

I was just complementing your peppers and your grow medium.

I can understand if you don't want me to post.

Slowly, slowly the plants are growing, and a few more pods appear each day....
Yes, I think it goes without saying...I will return to an earlier seed-starting date
next year - probably mid-February, not too early and not too late.

Before the pics, let me link to a Garden video I made....if you only want to see
the peppers (I don't blame you), skip ahead to the end....I always save the best for last ;-)

Video: Garden Tour - July 26, 2012

The full spread, plus a dwarf Castor Bean 'Impala' that snuck its way in to the pic....

Two Thai chiles, starting to do their thing....

Two tiny Hungarians with large pods.....

The true superhots. Left to right: Trinidad Scorpion Moruga blend, 7 Pot Jonah, Yellow Bhut,
and Red Bhut. Tabasco and Datil in the ground below the superhots - Black Pearl peeking off to
the left.

Last but not least, two young Indian Jwala pods that I discovered *after* uploading the
Garden video....clearly I haven't been spending enough time with my plants ;-)

Josh

Josh

Here's a pic of one of the Black Pearl peppers....which grow agonizingly slowly....!
Never met a slower pepper! ha! I figure they'll look decent in September....

I have a TS Butch T that just started putting out buds a couple weeks ago and finally a few blooms but none of them seem to be taking. The wait continues. It was my last plant to bloom. Even my Bell and ornamentals are all way ahead.

Seems like one of the kids is always dragging their feet.

Bruce

Finally the pods are setting...and even a few ripening.
I have Thai chiles that are red on the plants, and I'll have red ripe Hungarians in a few days.

Ethiopian Brown Berbere....lookin' forward to trying this one.




Indian Jwala....I hear this is the most commonly used pepper in Indian dishes. I plan on making
a Vindaloo with them eventually (and drying some, of course).

One of two small Hungarian plants growing in-ground...full-sized pods should be ready for harvest
very soon. Infact, I'll most likely harvest them all at once, in varying stages of ripeness.

And the old Hungarian, still doing her best to produce pods.

Last but not least, my first Bhut pod of the season...saw it on Friday and didn't dare bump the
plant for fear that the pod would drop. We've had temps over 100°F for a while now, and blossoms
have been dropping left and right. No worries, though, we're on Nor Cal time up here :-)

Josh

The Berbere is a great pepper. You should use some to whip up a tasty Ethiopian Doro Wat ;-)

The Pusa Jwala is definitely a must in Indian dishes. If you're looking to do a Vindaloo you may want to toss in a bit of Bhut. To my palate the Jwala isn't going to get you to the "I want to die" Vindaloo heat level unless you use a load of Jwalas.

The Hungarians do look tasty. Funny out of all the varieties I've grown I've never tried the Hungarian hot wax variety. I think I'll squeeze it on my list for next season.

Looking forward to the next progress report.

Bill

For the seeds and the tips on how to use these peppers!
Yes, I think some Bhut will be required to ramp up the heat level in the Vindaloo....
I have my doubts about these Jwalas ;-)

I don't blame you for not having grown the Hungarian....they're such a common plant
that they don't have that exotic feel. They grow very well, though, and it's nice to have
a sturdy seedling that starts producing early (relatively speaking).

Josh

Josh: great looking peppers. Your HHW are small plants but put out a lot of pepper for their size. I will be harvesting a second wave today or tomorrow on my two overwinters. Like you, I just had my first super hot (Trinidad Scorp Butch T) set a week or so ago. They are real turtles ehhh? I hope I can get it to rip before the end of the season. I want the seeds. I like the way you never seem to have major problems with your plants. They always seem healthy.

Never heard of most of the other varieties you are growing. It makes me want to try a whole bunch of different varieties next year but that isn't my nature. I am pretty conservative in nature. I tend to go with things I can count on and that I know. But at least I fired up a few ornamentals this year. Glad I did. I have been thinking about my grow list for next year but won't get serious until after this season is over.
Bruce

Tim

Bruce, come on friend, live a little and grow only new varieties next year ;-) It's never too early to start thinking of next years list. Actually I always have two lists going; one for the upcoming season and one for the following season. The following season one is first populated with stuff I didn't have room for in the upcoming season ;-) I think I'm now down to 18 varieties in my inventory I haven't tried yet. After seeing Josh's HHW pics I added to my list for next year.

Tim

Thanks, Tim! I started my plants around the end of March, and didn't plant them out until June.
You can see the germination pics in the first post of this Thread. I will definitely return to an
earlier seedstarting date next year - probably mid-February.

I'll try to put together an update video. Neighbors are doing some sort of noisy home repair, though.

Josh

Hot Peppers - August 15, 2012 video update

And a gratuitous shot of my superhot line-up.

I use the fish fert also and it does great, they should get bushier in no time.

Mark

Bruce, I wanted a red one...but thought I'd just push ahead for some plant growth,
and then let the next wave ripen red in September.

Josh

Hope all is well dude!

PJ

DaMonkey007: check your mail.
Bruce

So how many months can you keep growing... I hate you ;-)

I will have to jump on the HHW bandwagon next year as well. This year i grew banana peppers for the first time and they grow so well and pickle nicely. I bring a half pint jar of pickled banana peppers everywhere. I pretend it's a gift but really I just want to make sure there will be something spicy at the affair.

regardless, can you send me directions for the pickling process/recipe that you use. pepperpikker(at)gmail.com

And you will not regret your decision to grow HHW's next year. They are similar to Sweet Banana Peppers only with heat. They are nice and firm too, kind of like a jalapeno.

Thanks,
Bruce

PJ, I see Hungarians in your future, hahaha. All is well, garden is pushing forward slowly but surely.

I'm back to school working now, so I've been away from my garden. Not as much one on one time.
At school, a LOT of students have been asking me about my peppers (how sweet, they all remembered
the Thai Chile Challenge in Welding and the kid that bravely ate a Bhut and then puked it up).
Several students have even let me know that they're growing "Ghost Peppers" and other hots.
It must be wildfire season ;-)

Bill, my season goes straight through October, and then the 30F nights begin to hit in the
first or second week of November - which is when I dig up/re-pot the plants to be overwintered.
So....I've got some growing left to do :-)

Good news: more red and yellow Bhut pods have set, despite the small size of the plants this year.

Also, I ate another one of these Hungarians last night and it was three times hotter than the one
I tried with my sister. Had to compliment the burn with a nice big Arrogant B*stard Ale.

Josh

Josh - I went down the "World of Beer" on Sunday...which is what I imagine Heaven to be like...I had a few AB's myself...so good...

PJ

Well, folks, here's the first pod on the plant that I grew from last year's Chocolate Habañero pods.
Judging from this pod alone, I would say that I have a cross...and most likely one of the superhots
that grew beside the Chocolate Hab. I'll wait for more pods to confirm, but I think I'll be sending
out some notifications to folks growing this seed :-)

Bruce

Bruce, you know what, I'm going to have to look up the answer to that question; but, if you
don't mind me shooting from the hip, I'll say that I've always thought that if the flower is
cross-pollinated, all the seed in the pod will have hybrid genetics (although not every plant will
express the same traits). I think it's a crap-shoot, and all the seeds would have to be grown to
find the particular plants that have the desired characteristics.

I will defer to any of the folks here who understand hybridization better than I do :-)

Josh

Hey, I'll trade you some Chocolate Bhut Jolokia seeds that put out pods that don't exactly look like Bhut and ripen red not brown for some seeds from your pod ;-)

So, the latest pods to ripen are on the Indian Jwala. "Jwala" means *hot* in Hindi,
but hot these are not. The taste is unimpressive. Unless the later pods are much, much better,
I won't grow this one again. The plant and the pods do look very nice, though.

I'm surprised your Jwala doesn't have any heat. My ripe ones clocked in, I'd guess, at 30k SHU. My dried ones did get milder after a few months of storage though.

Bill

Here's an update on the Yellow Bhuts. I figure another month'll be enough to ripen.
Quite a small plant, but the most productive of the lot. First seed to sprout, as well.

Josh

Did you get the Jwala seed from me?

Just checked my 2011 site map and my Jwala was one of the furthest away from sweet peppers I grew.

Ain't gonna say it couldn't happen. I'm curious, was I your seed source?

Josh

Whereas this year my Bhut showed the first hint of ripening on September 21st......
so I'd say that my plants are at least two weeks behind.

Josh

Mine started to ripen earlier than usual this year but my insidious earwigs ruined most of my crop. They have really taken a liking to my Jolokias. I'll see how I make out but I may have to hit you up for a couple of Bih seeds this winter, I'm tapped out.

Bill

Bill, I've got dried Bih pods from last season that should have plenty of seed in 'em.
The Bih seed I sowed this year didn't germinate, so there is that to consider...but I think
you can get them to grow.

Josh

Can you talk yet?

Bruce, I'll try to catch the flavor before my mouth goes nuclear ;-)

Josh

LMAO. That's what happened to me. I tried my superhot, and for about 10-15 secs, I said, Wow! Nice flavor."

After that, I couldn't concentrate on TASTE any longer-- for the next 10 mins, all I could do was think about the extreme heat and how many different forms of dairy I should ingest.

Kevin

I wonder if that is the proper way to eat super-hots: Inhale deeply, take a bite. Repeat.

DMF

Josh

Tim

Josh

Josh

A Black Pearl, woefully small, but still a nice plant:




Ethiopian Brown Berbere. I'll let them ripen fully:

Hybrid pod - Chocolate habanero plant pollinated by a Bhut (or Naga possibly):

Two glorious Bhut Jolokia pods. This is why we grow them:

Yellow Bhuts, so fresh they still have their stingers:

And a shot all together, with about thirty Thai chiles:

Josh

Josh

I actually do go back to a faster-draining mix for overwintering my plants.
My ratios aren't always exact, but for sure the mix is more porous than the 5-1-1 -
which I have used, but found that it held quite a bit of moisture (longer than a week).
Basically, I want a mix that *needs* to be watered at least once a week. This allows
fertilizer salts to be flushed continually and helps prevent ugly foliage or issues
with nutrient and moisture uptake.

Josh

Great job bro, another great Greenman thread that reached so many, bravo!

PJ

I was down in Sacramento yesterday...took my brother some Strawberry Ghost Jam and shared
some of Bill's most excellent powders! While there, I also took a couple pics of the Thai
chile that I gave to my brother this Spring. I'm quite pleased that he made a special display
for it on his deck...a centerpiece of sorts, which was prominantly featured at his wedding.

Although small, this Thai has produced 200 pods already, with another 100 on the plant now...
plus, more blooms opening every day.

The season hasn't quite hit an end yet, due to the plants tucked away in the cold-frame :-)
The garden is completely finished now. I pulled the last eight pods off my in-ground Hungarian
a couple days ago. They'll go into a jar of brine for fresh eating. Same with the Hungarians
on my old plant in the cold-frame.

Here's a video for anyone interested in such things: Hot peppers - in the cold-frame

And here's a shot of some of the Mushroom Cloud stuffed Mushrooms that we made
for Thanksgiving...Bill's Grim Reaper #5 dusted on top for an excellent burn....

I actually put the cold-frame up a month early, and yet it still wasn't early enough to keep the
frost from the plants. As you can see, they are right on the cusp of "shut down" or "keep growing"....

Josh

I'm not a mushroom fan but I can understand how Reaper #5 would compensate for their lack (IMHO) of taste!

Bill ;-))

Josh

Josh

Josh

Other than a handful of Black Pearls yet to harvest, these are assuredly the last of the ripe pods.

Caelian

The pineapple lemon Ghost jam sounds awesome!! Is the Lemon the fruit or the pepper?

Mark

I'm getting excited about 2013 as well. As much as I like having a few pods lingering this late,
I would rather have a harvest when everyone else's pods are coming in during the Summer season :-)

For the Ghost Jam, yes I'm going to use Pineapple and some golden sweet Meyer Lemons for the fruit,
and then these Yellows Bhuts for heat. Tons of sugar, too, of course.

I almost forgot to mention....last week, some awful critter wreaked havoc in my cold-frame,
tearing out my screen vent, punching a hole in the wall, snapping branches off my Hungarian Wax,
Red Bhut Jolokia, Morouga, and completely knocking over my Manzano (which had been doing
wonderfully in the cold compared to the other peppers). Anyhow, I'd been waiting and waiting on
my two Manzano pods, only to find them both on the ground. So, they never had a chance to ripen...
and this is as far as I got....

Merry Christmas and Happpy New Year!!!

I think it was an opossum or a raccoon that did the damage...but I'm not sure.

DM, it just so happens that there are wolverines here in Northern California...in the past
few years, more and more sightings have occurred. The nearest was in the Tahoe National Forest,
an hour up the road at one of my favorite hiking spots near Lake Spaulding. I live in Nevada
County, and the animal was spotted in Nevada County, earlier this May.

Josh