Great Picture!

john

What John said!

What camera/lens are you shooting with?

Minolta 7D / Sony A700 with Minolta and Zeiss glass here.

Bill

Thanks guys.
Bill: Here's the photo info. I've had this camera since the day Nikon released them in 2000. I love it.
Camera Make: NIKON
Camera Model: Coolpix E990
Lens: NIKKOR 8-24mm
3.34 megapixel
Date/Time: 2009:08:01 10:29:22
Resolution: 1024 x 768
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 23.4mm
Exposure Time: 0.015 s (1/65)
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO Equiv.: 100
Metering Mode: matrix
Exposure: program (auto)

BTW, I was serious about the Happy Frog potting mix. That is the real name. I have been using it for my newest seedlings at first transplant for the past few weeks. As a comparison I am also trying Foxfarm's Ocean Forest potting mix for 1/2 the seedlings. My test is not going to be controlled or scientific in any way. Has anyone used either of these mixes? Thanks, Ken

Here is a link that might be useful: Pool Patio veggie garden

I used the Ocean Forest for seedlings.
There is a big difference in the plants that are in it compared to the other brand I have other seedlings in that are the same age.
The ocean forest ones are a lot bigger etc.
Expensive stuff to use for anything other than small pots...

Thanks for the answer SM. Yes, I have noticed quicker growth in just a couple of weeks. Anything that helps my super-hots grow stronger and quicker is worth it to me. I spend so much on this hobby anyway...! Ken

Sorry pepper d0g,

Up here, above the 49th (Canada) I've never seen Happy Frog.

If Smoke endorses Ocean Forest, then it's got to be good. I'll have to look for both next time I'm down south (of the 49th).

Bill

Here is their website.

Here is a link that might be useful: ocean forest

Here is the other site. Both made by Foxfarm

Here is a link that might be useful: Happy Frog Potting Mix

I use the happy frog fertilizer (tomato and vegetable) with pro mix soil, couldn't be happier. Of course this is my first year so I don't really have anything to compare it to.

The only thing I can see might be a problem with the Ocean Forest stuff is the amount of nitrogen in it.
I added Bonemeal,Seaweed meal and water with a calcium liquid during budding in case it's low on the other stuff.
I haven't used it for a final potting soil due to it's high price.
Wouldn't have tried it at all except it was on sale for almost 1/2 price and It comes in a purty bag. :)
I like it for what I use it for.
Good drainage and fast growth for small plants that I'm getting ready for potting into their final grow out containers.

SM: I wish I could get it for 1/2 price! Anyway, if cost was not an issue would you use it for final soil? I am going to try H.F. and O.F. in the 3 gallon fabric aeration containers for my fall crop and see how it does. Ken

I would first use it in a pot or two for a season to see if it breaks down into sludge,has sand that washes to the bottom of the pot and turns into cement or a number of other things that aren't good.

I have tried a ton of different commercial mixes and have ended up making my own.
It seems that different peppers might love one soil mix where others hate it.
Some are great in the summer but waterlog in the winter and spring.
Some have a ton of nutriants that get used up about fruiting time and the plant doesn't like it.

Some couldn't handle heat-dried out and needed watering every 5 min. or held too much water etc.

I want my mix to be able to last 3 days without watering if it needs to and it must last more than a season.
95% of my plants or more are 2+ yrs. old.
I grow 2 crops a year of about 300-400 plants each.Not counting the overwintered stuff.
I only want to repot because of a plant getting rootbound.
Otherwise I'm repotting stuff year round and it gets to be work.
I just repotted my Habanero Arbol for the first time after about 5 or 6 years in the same 15 or 20 gal. container.
It's 8+ ft tall and about as wide.
The pods are giant this year because of the repotting.Less pods but bigger by 3X.
I repotted it during it's budding stage so I think it will put out tons of pods this fall that are big.It fruits 3 times a year.

I like the mix I have now because as the part that breaks down sinks to the bottom it washes out of the pot with regular watering.I always flood my pots.

75% of the mix doesn't break down fast(3-5yrs.)and has lots of airspace so as the old stuff washes out I can top off the pots with more of the finer stuff that breaks down fast.
It washes down to take the place of the spent ingrediants.
When I can no longer keep adding to the old soil I use it with new one and start the cycle again.
I use Orchid Bark(expensive but lasts a long time),Partialy Composted Forest Products(real cheep),Peat (bails are cheep)and Perlite(big bags).

Lots of people use the commercial mixes that are basicaly Peat and perlite with you name it added for nutrients.

Most of the growers for the nurseries are using Peat,Perlite with a heavy dose of Osmocote or similar fertilizer.
They are only trying to get plants big enough to sell so they are force feeding their plants lots of nutriants so they look good to a customer and will sell fast.

I use fish emultion and seaweed extract.
Hard to overdose a plant with fish emultion.
It has to break down into Amoniam Nitrate before the plant can use it and a ton of stuff in the soil grows/feeds on the fish emultion anyway before it breaks down.

It also washes out pretty easily as far as I can tell.

I use it everytime I water in low doses.

All the wood in my soil mix ties up the nitrogen as it breaks down so I have to use it throughout the season anyway.

You probably have humidity problems part of the year with high heat.

Yup been to Forida...Gotta love those Love Bugs. LOL

You have to walk the line between too much moisture(get root rot,mold and fungus problems)and too dry.
Rain every day for an hour or so at certain times of the year in the afternoons for an hour.Then humid heat.

Isn't growing Peppers fun? LOL

Smoke: Thanks so much for taking the time for that response. That is the info I was looking for! Your suggestions make perfect sense and you obviously understand my Florida challenges! The line I'm walking is extremely fine that's why I am searching for a good container/mix answer. Your explanation confirms what I thought. There is no one answer. I am not sure how these aeration containers will work out over time. So far so good. As you said, I only want to repot because of a plant being rootbound. I would like to get a year or more out of a pot. Although we have "outside" room to spread out I am really trying to limit my container "farm" to our enclosed patio. I don't want to deal with the critters and bugs "on the outside". I have enough of them on the inside!

I suppose I am going to eventually have to make my own mix. For now I will use up all the Foxfarm stuff I bought. I just hope it holds up for awhile. So much to learn! Right now I have somewhere between 40-50 varieties going and they are not one-size-fits-all (as you well know).

Yes, growing peppers is fun! But moving all these pots if a hurricane comes is not something I want to think about...

BTW, for some reason there have been hardly any lovebugs this year... I wonder what's going on...?

Has anyone used Sunshine mix?

Great photo!

Thanks Beer! OPG: sorry never heard of Sunshine mix...