Try Turbo-1's Habanero Sauce - Hot Stuff!

[rhody]

I'd love that, I have to think of what I want.

Evo,

Do some serious searching, I like the offbeat, the unusual, the forgotten, in plants I mean, hehe. I am working with my neighbor (contractor) tomorrow to put up stair railings and I will ask to see his brother's greenhouse setup (with heat) so it is a year round operation. Will take pictures and report back.

Rhody...

 

[╔(σ_σ)╝]

I'm looking forward to tasting some of turbo's habanero sauce.

Man juice.

 

[rhody]

OK, Here is what a baby ghost pepper looks like roughly one month after germination with decent sun/water but temps in the 60's. Doesn't look like much does it ? Notice the aphids and God knows what else on the large plant in the background, ugh... Looks like a plant version of Full Metal Jacket, doesn't it, even so, the large plant appears fairly healthy. I even have a small pepper starting on the other one not in the picture.

That is the reason that 85 degrees that I am guessing would have that little bugger about 3 to 4 times bigger than what you see. Does anyone have growth rate charts versus temperatures for other plants or know where I can find one for ghost peppers ?

Rhody...

Turbo, Astro,

I saw my neighbor's greenhouse, Quonset style, hump shaped frame, shaped plywood at each end, using bendable tubing in between with plastic attached to it, he made it for less than 250$. With no heat he gets plants to live till early December, with heat he could grow year. round. There is a door on one end. Have not seen his brother's yet, but he said it was similar, but with propane heat and vents in the roof.

 

[rhody]

I am trying a new experiment, I am putting my slow to grow pepper plants on a heat mat and under a grow light for about 8 to 10 hours a day, to see if that gives them a "jump start". So far, so good, the heat mat must warm the roots just enough to stimulate growth, even though the air temperature is not high, that is the thinking anyway. I watch the water situation carefully because they may dry out too much.

Soil density seems to be a factor too, the roots spread and deepen easier the softer the soil. How do I know this you ask ? Well I put some seeds in soil that for whatever reason was "too compact" and the seedlings struggled, got thin and tall instead until I figured out the what the problem was. If anyone, Turbo, Astro has ideas about optimal soil mix I am all ears. I will check my good chili pepper book to see if there is anything I am missing. I was told by a friend to crush up match head's and put them in the soil (due to high phosphorus content). I haven't tried that yet.

Rhody...

 

[turbo]

Soil density seems to be a factor too, the roots spread and deepen easier the softer the soil. How do I know this you ask ? Well I put some seeds in soil that for whatever reason was "too compact" and the seedlings struggled, got thin and tall instead until I figured out the what the problem was. If anyone, Turbo, Astro has ideas about optimal soil mix I am all ears.

I start my peppers in Pro-Mix. Pro-Mix can be bought at any garden shop. Expect to spend $25-30 for a large plastic-wrapped bale.

Pro-Mix is relatively light, and it mixes easily with just a trowel, if you want to add amendments such as bone meal, blood meal, etc. Unlike potting soil, there is little risk for fungus and rot. Plus, it tends to stay soft, so when you remove seedlings from their trays and re-pot them or transplant them in the garden, there is less chance of damaging the roots.

 

[Evo]

I am trying a new experiment, I am putting my slow to grow pepper plants on a heat mat and under a grow light for about 8 to 10 hours a day, to see if that gives them a "jump start". So far, so good, the heat mat must warm the roots just enough to stimulate growth, even though the air temperature is not high, that is the thinking anyway. I watch the water situation carefully because they may dry out too much.

Soil density seems to be a factor too, the roots spread and deepen easier the softer the soil. How do I know this you ask ? Well I put some seeds in soil that for whatever reason was "too compact" and the seedlings struggled, got thin and tall instead until I figured out the what the problem was. If anyone, Turbo, Astro has ideas about optimal soil mix I am all ears. I will check my good chili pepper book to see if there is anything I am missing. I was told by a friend to crush up match head's and put them in the soil (due to high phosphorus content). I haven't tried that yet.

Rhody...

Rhody, do you have seeds from the New Mexico State University? I have been reading tons of fourms about ghost peppers and it's unanimous that the seeds from NMSU are far superior to any other. They are reported to sprout in 10 days where others have taken up to 2 months, they grow like crazy and produce like mad. You saw the picture I posted. You might want to try these.

http://www.chilepepperinstitute.org/cart/product/bhut_jolokia/

 

[rhody]

Rhody, do you have seeds from the New Mexico State University? I have been reading tons of fourms about ghost peppers and it's unanimous that the seeds from NMSU are far superior to any other. They are reported to sprout in 10 days where others have taken up to 2 months, they grow like crazy and produce like mad. You saw the picture I posted. You might want to try these.

http://www.chilepepperinstitute.org/cart/product/bhut_jolokia/

Thanks Evo,

The germination rate of mine is about the same, 7 to 10 days, and mine grow slowly. For 6 bucks I may spring for them, but anticipate about the same growth rate as the ones from Florida. I will let you know otherwise.

Rhody...

P.S. Astronuc has some of my peppers and has saved/dried the seeds as well, so we will see what luck he has with them.

 

[rhody]

My strategy of 12 or so hours under heat mat and grow light seem to be working, in the past week or so I have noticed significant growth, now if the ambient room temperature was 85 or so I would be golden. I will take what I can get for now.

Rhody...

 

[Evo]

Mt strategy of 12 or so hours under heat mat and grow light seem to be working, in the past week or so I have noticed significant growth, now if the ambient room temperature was 85 or so I would be golden. I will take what I can get for now.

Rhody...

I've added a space heater to increase the room temperarture since they don't like to set fruit in cold air.

 

[rhody]

It seems I am not the only one in the northeast who has grown ghost peppers if the source of the information (waitress at a fish place is correct). They brought a few to the restaurant and the help ate some, they were is great pain according to the waitress. So, now we have mystery grower #1 myself, and Astronuc if he starts his this spring. I hope the "ghosties" don't catch on, I like having the only ones, (except for Astro of course) since they are so hard to grow. hehe.

Rhody...

 

[turbo]

It seems I am not the only one in the northeast who has grown ghost peppers if the source of the information (waitress at a fish place is correct). They brought a few to the restaurant and the help ate some, they were is great pain according to the waitress. So, now we have mystery grower #1 myself, and Astronuc if he starts his this spring. I hope the "ghosties" don't catch on, I like having the only ones, (excpet for Astro of course) since they are so hard to grow. hehe.

Rhody...

I'd like to try them, but it is so cool here that it unlikely that I would ever get any growth.

 

[rhody]

I'd like to try them, but it is so cool here that it unlikely that I would ever get any growth.

Not to worry, Turbo,

I will send you a few like I did Astronuc last year. Just don't try to eat a whole one at once and you will be fine, ... I hope... Some folks seem to have more sensitive peripheral nerve pain neurotransmitters than others, including myself, while others seem to take the heat in stride, everyone is different. I have yet to find anyone who says they were "no big deal, though". From reading a bit more in depth about the pain/heat, it seems that a whole different system of peripheral nerve endings deal with chemicals that touch you pallet. Go figure.

Rhody...

BTW. The cycle calendar should be in my hands mid-week and then on its way to you.

 

[rhody]

Evo, Turbo, Astro,

Here is the result of having a heat mat under them with a grow light about 14 hours a day for over a month. As I have said, if you are patient, give the roots heat, don't over water and over fertilize they grow nicely albeit slowly. I have some more seeds on order including chocolate ghost peppers, just as hot but chocolate colored, and some more tri colored peppers. I must say these are turning out quite nice, and now I must begin to artificially harden them by getting a small fan and get the leaves to move to and fro just a bit to make the stem stronger.

These are the first batch that are NOT covered with aphids, and I have six more started in a container next to them with different fertilizer and additions to the soil, phosphorus from match heads in one, and one just as is, they should be germinating in the next few days. Will post more pictures as time goes along. I plan to post pictures at different time intervals to give you folks the rate of growth you can expect, that is of course unless you live in a tropical climate, where it would be much easier to get decent results. All for now...

Rhody...

P.S. I may get some https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TVMAKS/?tag=pfamazon01-20 seeds, they are about 450,000 scovile but much easier to grow, or so I am told, only time will tell once I try.

 

[Astronuc]

That's a nice looking plant. I would have to protect mine. We have cats who like to chew on such plants. I had a nice set of jalapenos and habs one year, and one our cats chewed off all the leaves and top of the stem.

 

[turbo]

Nice-looking plants, Rhody. We have no cats, but we have lots of deer that love peppers, so I have to use sprinklers that are actuated by IR motion detectors. They work very well.

 

[Evo]

Rhody, that's gorgeous!

 

[rhody]

That's a nice looking plant. I would have to protect mine. We have cats who like to chew on such plants. I had a nice set of jalapenos and habs one year, and one our cats chewed off all the leaves and top of the stem.

Funny you say that Astro, my cat likes to sleep on the mat next to the plant, and has nibbled a bit on one leaf, can't say that it is hot or not, but so far she hasn't chewed them up.

I am not worried anyway, this is a fun hobby, I like the fact that it is not easy to do. It has been and continues to be a learning process.

Rhody...

 

[rhody]

Wooo hooo, germination at +9 days, 3 pods one to go, in different soil with different additives. Will post pictures when the seedlings bifurcate.

Rhody...

Two thumbs way up !

 

[Evo]

Will post pictures when the seedlings bifurcate.

Rhody, this is a PG rated forum!

 

[rhody]

Rhody, this is a PG rated forum!

To all, as Evo says, this is NWS !

P.S. Not my plants, just a google images screen grab... can you say "pair bifurcated" three times fast, I bet you can't...

Rhody...

 

[lisab]

To all, as Evo says, this is NWS !

P.S. Not my plants, just a google images screen grab... can you say "pair bifurcated" three times fast, I bet you can't...

Rhody...

Congrats, rhody! You're the proud daddy of a cotyledon <sniff>!

 

[rhody]

Congrats, rhody! You're the proud daddy of a cotyledon <sniff>!

lisa,

I am glad you know what those seedlings are. I did not have a clue, I just took a screen grab of the first good looking ones...

Rhody...

It is because Evo is so bad...

 

[lisab]

lisa,

I am glad you know what those seedlings are. I did not have a clue, I just took a screen grab of the first good looking ones...

Rhody...

It is because Evo is so bad...

Oh a cotyledon is the first leaf on a plant. The come in monocots and dicots...that's about all I remember . Yours is a dicot, but I have no idea what kind of plant that is, most cotyledons look the same to my untrained eyes.

 

[turbo]

Oh a cotyledon is the first leaf on a plant. The come in monocots and dicots...that's about all I remember . Yours is a dicot, but I have no idea what kind of plant that is, most cotyledons look the same to my untrained eyes.

My seed supplier talks about starting and transplanting plants in terms of "true leaves" which are supposedly paired leaves with veins, striations, etc.

Never heard of a cotyledon. Then again, I've never heard of a lot of stuff.

 

[rhody]

I want to make this clear the picture I posted was not of my pepper plants yesterday, it was an example of a pair of plants that had bifurcated that I screen grabbed from google images.

I just checked, it looks like all 8 seeds I planted will be up with two small leaves each in a day or two I will post pictures and then more as they grow and progress.

Rhody...

 

[rhody]

Here is a not too clear picture of my now bifurcated, 6 ghost pepper seedlings, the ones in the top, bottom and right are the ghosties, and the ones to the left not up yet are the tricolor bush type. My last batch took from Jan 5th to just a few days ago to achieve the growth you see in my last picture, these seeds came from a different source, so I will see if there is a difference. Second, a couple have plant spikes and one has scrapings from match heads in them, so we will see how they fare in comparision.

I plan to start the chocolate ghost peppers soon, will see how they do as well. I posted a picture of my cat, Luna (tic) hehe.. watching me try to take a picture of the seedlings, she loves lying on the heat mat.

Rhody...

 

[lisab]

Luna is beautiful...please give her a cuddle for me, Rhody !

I bet Luna loves Tuna.

 

[rhody]

Luna is beautiful...please give her a cuddle for me, Rhody !

I bet Luna loves Tuna.

Thanks Lisa,

After I posted the pic I took a close look, there is definitely something haunting and mysterious in her eyes, she doesn't give that "look" all the time but I have seen it before.

Actually, her favorite is Boar's head deli sliced turkey, all I have to do is open the fridge, if she gets a whiff of it, it is game over. If I say the word, "turkey", that triggers it too.

Rhody...

 

[Evo]

turbo, turn on Food Network and watch the sushi!

 

[mugaliens]

she loves lying on the heat mat.

Set it to random. She'll get the message. The paint could care less.

 

[rhody]

Set it to random. She'll get the message. The paint could care less.

Mugs,

Random, ah... I don't want to sacrifice plant growth for the sake of the cat, so far she has been good and not bothered with them (much), the heat mat doesn't have a timer, so far so good. Going to start the chocolate ghost peppers today.

Rhody...

 

[Evo]

turbo, turn on Food Network and watch the sushi!

Ok, I got the ingredients for one serving.

1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
2 habaneros
1 teaspoon wasabi oil

That is mixed with tuna and placed in one sushi cone.

 

[turbo]

Ok, I got the ingredients for one serving.

1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
2 habaneros
1 teaspoon wasabi oil

That is mixed with tuna and placed in one sushi cone.

I've got to give that a try. I like horseradish and chilies with about everything, anyway - tuna shouldn't be much different.

 

[mugaliens]

That is mixed with tuna and placed in one sushi cone.

Not fun. Here's fun (and easy):

1. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (you'll need milk and butter...)
2. Salt and Pepper to taste. Add tuna, peas, crab meat, whatever!

So why do we keep making life ridiculously complicated when it has no business being that way?

 

[rhody]

An observation I though I would pass on about getting new seedlings to prosper, DON'T LEAVE THEM ON THE HEAT MAT, GAK ! There, now I feel better. Seriously, The tender little buggers cannot take the heat, even if you keep them watered. Second, move them to the far end of your grow light, under partial artificial shade if you can. That was close. I almost lost them yesterday, but happily they are on the mend, and Luna has not touched them. She must be happy to have a bit more space on the heat mat too.

Rhody...

P.S. Why does the parser turn upper case heat to lower case ? that is kind of weird...