wood ash for increased flowering & fruiting of hot peppers
manic_gardener_socal_10a
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
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Hot Peppers and Bell Peppers growing well in the same system?
Comments (16)Of course you can make it any size you see fit, and using any materials that are easily available to you. Though I think 6 inches wide will probably do, I would opt a little wider 8-12 inches wide. Here's how I planed to build mine. First plywood would be stronger, but OSB board would be cheaper and still strong enough. It runs about $7-$8 for a 8x4 sheet around here. I plan the inside diameter to be 12 inch deep, about 12 inch wide, and 8 feet long. Make it as long as you want also, 8 feet is all I need. Though I plan to build 2, set them parallel with each other about 5-6 feet apart, and place a A-frame trellis between the two trenches. You already have your trellis. To strengthen the box structure, I plan on running 1x2's (they run $0.84 ea here) along the outside for added support. You can use 2x4's but would be about 3-4 times the price, and 1x2's should be enough support. For a trench box that long, I would probably run one horizontal row of 1x2 along the top and bottom of the box. Then periodically place vertical pieces between them. Here in the desert I need to insulate the roots from the heat, you probably wont want to do this part, especially if you are going to have the trench in the ground. My trench is planed to be on top of the ground. The inside of the box will be lined with probably 2 layers of 1/2 inch (or 1 inch) thick Styrofoam sheet insulation. Glued in with PL300 foamboard adhesive (it's made specifically to glue Styrofoam insulation to wood and construction materials. Then I plan to line the inside with vinyl sheeting. I don't know if Low's or Home Depot carry it, but ACE hardware just down the street from me does. They have 3 different thickness that run from about $3-$6 a square yard (in one yard widths). For the inside diameter I plan, it should just fit nicely without even overlapping it (except the end pieces. I plan to use 100% silicone to seal the ends and glue down the vinyl sheeting (as well as all corners and edges after the Styrofoam is glued in). Fish pond liner would be just fine, and plenty durable. I don't know how much it runs, but I think I will look into pricing that as well. For the drain I plan to cut a hole just big enough to run a pvc tube through the wood, and a little smaller than the wood hole in the Styrofoam (for a snug fit). Then glue it to the Styrofoam with the foamboard adhesive. Then run beds of silicone, and screw in a pvc connectors on both sides of the tube and snug it down. Making the lip of the connector on the inside of the box as short as possible (but still durable), so as much water will drain out as possible. I may decide to have more than one of these drains per box. But if one side of the box is raised a little, the water should flow nicely to the side with the drain/s. Because the heat and sun is so bad here on things. I plan to paint the outside of the box with a roofing material. I forget what it's called, but it's white, thick, durable and flexible. They use it on rooftops for reflecting the suns rays (overall cooling the building). That will also add another layer of insulation for the roots for me (reflecting the heat). But I need to find somewhere where they sell it in one gallon buckets. The 5 gallon buckets are way more than I need, and it's not exactly cheep (a one gallon should run about $10-12). That should protect the wood from moisture if you plan to bury it in the ground as well. However there is another material for that also, but it's black. I forget what they call that also, but they use it to protect walls that extend underground so they don't absorb moisture (like basement walls, underground stairways etc.). I don't know how much it runs, but you will want to protect the wood from ground moisture if you place it in the ground. And products like Thompson water seal wear off and need to be reapplied regularly. Once the box is ready, I plan to simply place a section of inexpensive furnace filter screening ($2, I just cut the screening material out of a inexpensive furnace filter) on top of the drain holes. Then I will place a layer of rocks on top of that to about 2 inches deep along the bottom of the trench. This will hold the screening in place and help with drainage all the way through the box. Then just fill with the growing medium and plants, setup the drip system. You should have a very durable planter box that will withstand the weather and you can use year after year. ....See Moregermination &/or the duration w/ what wattage: Hot Peppers
Comments (12)thanks, more of what lights, & a little more on heat. I think I'm only looking at a few permanent plants. A dual tube regular 24" long 2 x 20W with reflector seems to get 70° to 80° for germination, and may do what: 1-3 of these plants? I'll be more specific and have questions: I think I would be the coolest guy on the block to say I have to grow my own peppers for my killer wing sauce preference. I have tried all kinds of commercially available sauces (a liter of Tabasco is to drink), and I need major heat not available anywhere but in the hottest of fresh peppers. So I have found where I can purchase a tray of fresh Scotch Bonnets (which are near the hottest of all; maybe half by average) and depending on the source, they vary from weak (useless) to hey, I need some ketchup here. Additives to the sauce may or may not be necc., and the taste may vary. I want to know the consistent heat too. So I have narrowed down, through research - incl. 'Hot Peppers' forum, the hottest on the planet, but their are factors, of course. They are Red Savina, Chocolate Hab, Devil'd Tongue, Caribbean Red, Red Fatali, in no order. I will mail order the seeds of these 5 peppers, which are not avail as plants here. Scotch Bonnet is available as a plant also here in Toronto. And I've got Scotch Bonnet seeds. I may also do small flower seeds, whatever, but that's another story - pansies... In order to get a taste of these 5 or 6 pepper varieties, I'll need to start more than one seed each, and probably start at more than one time. Say 6x2x2= 24 8oz. styrofoam coffee cups. The size of a case of beer. With the size of enclosure I was planning I will have some room for the pansies. eg 24" long. But in the long run, after I have tried them all, I will probably only want to keep tied to one or two plants in pots 365 days a year, as long as they last. If they die, I'll start again with seeds of the same type/source. I can always buy trays of fresh SBs. Hmm, I also may not know which ones I prefer to keep alive more than one year for some years. I understand some may grow 3 or even 4 feet, and last 3-6-10 years. I DON'T know. Never seen one. In regards to the box for germinating. In my head I have pictured (at this moment): A cardboard box, about the size of a 20" TV set, and maybe 15" high. Inverted to easyily lift off. Holes for spying, temp gauge, ventilation. On a board. All lined with tin-foil. The light suspended for adjustment. May cost....nothing. Any good? I am curious now about using the same fluorescent for heat also. I have recently seen a picture of an incandescent, in a similar box, with 25 cent garage sale type-fixtures. A 15 or 40W regular light bulb puts off a lot of heat as you can tell with your hand. I know you need the fluorescent when they poke through the ground, and to get them to the next outdoor growing season. Now what to do with those styrofoam cups for drainage and how to cover them before the seedlings poke through? And I'm really not clear on what it is to keep them alive or keep them fruiting to the next outdoor growing season....See MoreSaving hot pepper seeds....
Comments (30)kuvaszlvr: "one other thing, not sure if you know this or not (not related to cross pollination, but seed collecting) but they say you should collect seeds from the first peppers. Not only does the earlier fruit have a higher percentage of viable seeds, but (this is something I did not know) they are genetically predisposed to produce earlier fruit. If you collect fruit from the end of the season, they will be more predisposed to later fruiting and you will end up pushing your fruiting farther and farther out." Thanks! That's some good information to know! Would the same apply to tomatoes also I wonder?...See MoreHow to increase the number of peppers/plant?
Comments (6)In general, keep in mind that by producing fruit the plant is trying to reproduce. It's an evolutionary response to continue the strain of plant. As you know, pod production varies per plant, but there are a few things you can do to guarantee that you get good productivity out of your plants. First, one of the things you can do is use a fertilizer with a lower nitrogen content but higher potassium and phosphorous. P and K are for root growth and bloom production, and also help the plant to deal with 'stress' (like dryness, cold, etc). Just don't overfertilize, take your time and you will get good results. I recommend fish emulsion and seaweed extract. Next, a lot of people advise you to pinch off the first round of flowers, because the second round is going to be from a bigger plant with more possibility of bud production. Again, think like the plant would 'think' if it were fruiting to reproduce: the more pods it produces the more likely it is to succeed in reproducing. Also, if you pinch off the first few flowers, the plant can put more energy into growing larger and producing more fruit. Other things you can do along these lines is to a) make sure you never let a fruit ripen and fall off the plant (it sends a 'signal' to the plant that it has successfully dropped a fruit) and b) some people advise to not let your fruit ripen completely on the plant, to pick them first before they ripen. Third, some people advise to grow in a smaller pot, and some say a bigger pot. I know I have always had very good luck with 12 inch pots. If you grew a plant in a 12 inch pot and pinched off the first round of flowers and let the second round set, I think you would get quite the harvest. Next, don't transplant a lot. Start seeds 8-10 weeks before transplant, don't let the plant set fruit while in the seedling container, and transplant once into the container you will have it in all season. This is all I can think of now. Good luck this season, and I think between the pinching off, the fetilization and some TLC, and you will have a good harvest....See Moredaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agomanic_gardener_socal_10a thanked daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)John D Zn6a PIT Pa
3 years agomanic_gardener_socal_10a
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
3 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
3 years agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
3 years agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
3 years agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
3 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
3 years agolgteacher
3 years ago
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