the 2008 season is off (or in!) the ground. last year i traded seeds for over 150 varieties, hence selection has been cumbersome. the first batch of 15 non-annuum varieties is now sown in the heated propagator. here's a graphic growing list (http://www.thechileman.org/growing_list.php?list=858,3047,905,371,952,2990,3156,861,3058,4017,3168,4300,51,1731,1689,1026,447,1713,2017,1514,914,3000,1046) (powered by thechileman.org (http://www.thechileman.org)), together with the 2008 growing data (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=psvOb_K7tkyPuAgpaUr_JAg) i will be updating throughout the year. in the pictures, seeds soaking overnight in a chamomille diluted solution and the heated propagator.
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/manzanilla.jpg) (http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/propagator.jpg)
2008 varieties
méxico: inayague (an), paloma (an/fr?), amashito (an), jalapeño (an), chipotle (an), poblano (an), manzano (pb)
guatemala: coban (an), diente de perro - pi555634 (an/fr?)
nicaragua: buena mulata (an)
panamá: ají chombo (ch)
perú: misquicho (ch), brown rocoto (pb), chinchi uchu (bc)
bolivia: quintisho (ch), birgits locoto (bc)
brazil: olho de peixe (ch)
argentina: putapario - pi560944 (chac)
suriname: madamme jeanette (ch)
jamaica: jamaican scotch bonnet brown (ch)
martinica: martinique (ch)
trinidad: trinidad scorpion (ch)
japan: santaka (an)
thailand: prik kee noo daeng (an/fr?)
vietnam: unknown (an?)
portugal: piri piri (an)
Lainaus käyttäjältä: "whitekoohii"in the pictures, seeds soaking overnight in a chamomille diluted solution and the heated propagator.
Does this chamomille solution really help sprouting? How much chamomille you use?
hello volitans,
hard to say if it enhances germination ratios, it'd need a proper experiment. here's my 2007 data (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=psvOb_K7tkyNWUV0f6yH_Zw) in case you can draw some comparisons. anecdotically, i am sure soaking reduces the number of trapped cotiledons during germination.
i use mark @ thechileman's method, brew a cup of chamomille, discard and brew a 2nd cup with the same teabag, cool down and soak. those recipients in the pic aren't very big, some of those are shot-like "down in one" glassess.
hope this helps.
I also read the tip from theclileman.org...
Unfortunately, I had ran out of chamomille tea, so, I used green tea.
The results? hard to say. I had so few seeds afterall, about 30, but almost 90%of them germinated.
When you think about it it really makes sense to use some dilute chemicals (tea is a good source and its organic) and heat to speed up the germinating process. I had my seeds in a plastic bag with some green tea in it for about 2 weeks in 30 deg. celsius, and I'm happy with the results :)
did you have the seeds soaking for two weeks in the plastic bag? how did you warm it?
Firslty, sorry for the delay... I haven't been reading the english forum actively enough...
Now to your guestion:
There seems to be some weird typo, because I certainly did NOT have the seeds in a plastic bag for two weeks.... more like 2-3 days...
I kept the plastic bag warm by keeping it on a radiator or under a heat producing lamp. Actually, that heat producing lamp was just an ordinary lightbulp,; they tend to produce a lot of heat.... I also had some seeds I had already sown under the lamp.
hello b7,
interesting fishtank-like method, definitely worth a try :D
on the other hand, another report from the garden. growing two pubescens varieties this year, an unusual brown rocoto from peru (left) and a chile manzano from méxico (seeds from villahermosa, tabasco). they're both slowly growing tall and hairy. also, the chile de simojovel from chiapas germinated this morning.
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/manzanobrown1small.jpg)
well, the fishtank-method (as you christened it :) ) seems to be working fine for me :lol: Of course, I have germinated only rather easy varieties so far, so I'm not sure how my method will affect the germinating ratio of a more difficult species.
just another day I got some red Habaneros from the green grocers, and I chucked some seeds to my notorious fishtank. heres hoping I'm eating habas this autumn! :D
You got some interestin chiles, I noticed. It's my first season, so I didn't dare to go for anything outrageous, but I have to admit those hairy chiles seem very tempting! :lol: Good luck with your furry plants, and pictures are more than welcome. :)
roughly along the thrid month mark, just carried out the long overdue repotting. while transplanting and in order not to disturb the roots, i took the chance to cull the weaker looking plants (originally had two plants per pot) and i have ended with 34 pots corresponding to 31 varieties. now it is time to slowly increase their sun exposure day by day before permanently moving them outdoors.
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/thirdmonth.jpg)
Are you planning to use some protective cloth at first, or do you just increase the exposure time gradually? or both? :o Or, do you have some special technique?
hello b,
2nd option, they do quite well indoors behind glass. any time i can i take them out and leave them for a while until i can see they start drooping (sometimes that's too late as sunburns appear later... :? ). after a few days they can be moved out permanently no trouble.
wk
i became aware of the buena mulata variety through jeff nekola's heirloom archive and got seeds through a trade from denmark (malusrustika). john f was kind enough to provide some information about the variety from the book 100 Vegetables and Where They came From by ww weaver:
Lainaaamerican folk artist pippin found the pepper for my grandfather in the 1930's. although no one knows exactly where it comes from, oral history places it in nicaragua...its best uses are in colorful salsas and in one of the secret flavoring ingredients of nicaraguan cookery: vinagre de buena mulata, made with white wine vinegar, buena mulata peppers, garlics and cilantro. a delightful addition to soups, sauces and dressings. it is also good in marinades for goat....[ he goes on to talk about a similar pepper being illustrated in a 1542 book but that pepper ripened green to red but another ripened black to red] so we may assume that such color shifting must have existed since pre-columbian times. buena mulata is probably a selected strain of this type of mutation, a real pepper mulatto in its robust blend of colors and a true rainbow of flavors as well.
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/buenamulata011.jpg)
Lainaus käyttäjältä: "whitekoohii"(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/buenamulata011.jpg)
Beautiful flower! Waiting to see also beautiful colored pods :wink:.
acclimatising is finally over. soil was drying out too quickly hence roots needed a new abode. carried out a major repotting and plants will from now on move outdoors permanently. to avoid a bit of work i have repotted from 14cm pots into 26cm ones, avoiding intermediate 18cm-22cm stages, see how it goes. now it is time to wait for the bugs to move in...
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/outdoors.jpg)
heres hoping we're facing a looooong and boring time waiting.. :D
To date, I've only seen some fruit flies buzzing around my house, and thast the way i'd like to keep it.
I think I should also move my plants out soon.. I think they are beginning to get used to sun and wind... One lemon drop took some sun damage, I was "hardening" it a bit too hard....
despite the indoors-outdoors shifting, a couple of plants got sunburnt but on their way to recovery. i have started to spray the chilli vodka to test its usefulness as insect repellent. so far no bugs.
on the other hand, the first 2008 season chilli will be a buena mulata. it has been raining for the last few days, notice the new growth yet to be exposed to the sun is free from purple anthocyanin skin build up.
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/buenamulatasmallchilli.jpg)
Vodka?! :shock:
You spray your plants vith spirits? I guess it keeps the bugs away, as long as it's not too sugary, but, umm, doesn't it cause other problems? eg. curious neighbours licking the "repellent" off your garden? :lol:
The pod looks nice! you can actually see the saw-shaped transition from green to purple! :D
Lainaus käyttäjältä: "Bermann_7"Vodka?! :shock:
You spray your plants vith spirits? I guess it keeps the bugs away, as long as it's not too sugary, but, umm, doesn't it cause other problems? eg. curious neighbours licking the "repellent" off your garden? :lol:
It's Naga-vodka :wink:, see here:
http://whitekoohii07.blogspot.com/2008/01/chilli-vodka.html
OK, I stand corrected.. NAGA-vodka. :o
I guess that makes sense. Capsaisin is more soluble to EtOH (ethanol) than to pure water... But does it repell insects, I have no idea, but I'd surely like to know. Just one more interesting characteristic for capsaisin. :roll:
the lore says it does... the plants have been outside for a while and have just started spraying recently. so far no sight of creepy creatures yet they haven't had the time to develop any significant civilisation....
I am still that opinion that drink vodka yourself and give bugs other stuff :wink:
bugs might love some alcohol (okay they might stoned themself to death :twisted: but still)
:lol: :lol: :lol:
after the mix being marinating for four months and from the vapours that emanate from the open bottle, i am not sure the stuff is any longer suitable for human consumption... needless to say that after a good vapourising session, in spite of the mix being heavily diluted, it smells like a good bunch of riot police having run amok amongst the chilli plants...
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/chillivodka3.jpg)
sounds delicios to me :D :D :D
must do that when I get fresh own naga pods :D
Well, I guess that is not anymore drinkable. However, I would love to stand on your balcony during the hot summer day and take a deep breath of the vaporizing Naga scent :D.
I have used 2-3 pods per bottle and it tastes nice (herra47 can confirm that ;)):
(http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/8518/nagavodkasy2.th.jpg) (http://img262.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nagavodkasy2.jpg)
BTW, Naga-vodka is addictive liquid! One of the Czech ice-hockey players (now ex-Kärppä) begged for more during our dinners and of course I always had more in the freezer :shock:...
yes it was good... Maybe i little too mild but taste was perfect :)
for the last four weeks there's been a low above the chilli corner. the low temps and the continuous rain have slowed down growth (the images are slightly deceptive as in 2007 i had more plants in smaller pots at this stage, giving the feeling of thicker undergrowth...) weather forecast has cleared up so wheel in the summer!
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/wkc20080603.jpg) (http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/wkc20070603.jpg)
a manzano flower bloomed this weekend. this hairy mexican pubescens variety is also known as perón (michoacán), ciruelo (querétaro), canario (oaxaca) and caballo (chiapas). hope the fresher than normal temps help with abundant pod setting.
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/manzanoflower.jpg)
as i reported, i came across this rocoto brown while browsing a swedish garden site: örtagårdens plantskola (http://www.ortagarden.com/). after making some queries about its origin, it turns out that the famous swedish horticulturalist & book author åke truedsson (http://www.tomatklubben.se/) located some seeds in a peruvian market town in the andes. he was told the locals used the rocoto as medicine! i am about to contact åke see if he has more information about this variety. the plant started branching very early and grew rather fast & bushy, finally flowering today 145 days after germination. patrik (aka patahontas) from sweden cultivated the variety last year and has this really nice pictures (http://picasaweb.google.se/Chilepeppar/BrownRocoto).
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/brownrocoflower.jpg)
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/brownrocotoplant.jpg)
nice pics... And how naga vodka works to pests and other chilieating rascals 8)
temps have finally soared into the high 30Cs, which has sent quite a number of plants into bloom. amongst them this guatemalan diente de perro or dog's tooth (GRIN PI555634 (http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/acc/display.pl?1450606)), currently unidentified as capsicum sp ("a catch-all record for unidentified or unnamed plants of capsicum"). the variety was collected by paul bosland from NMSU. i quarantined the plant a week after moving it outdoors, as all leaves started to curl and showing fungus infection like symptoms. this prompted a good preventive spray of copper onto all the plants. new growth appears to be symptom free, so the plant may soon rejoin the pack. the white speckles are epsom salts, i have also been spraying them this year to test their goodness against blossom drop.
i'm almost out of naga vodka. it's difficult to assess its success, as may's weather was so crap bug population (mostly aphids) is very low and have also been spraying with a cocktail of potassic soap + rotenone + neem oil.
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/dientedeperro.jpg)
my heartfelt thanks go to sofía from villahermosa for this beautiful poblano plant, as her life was turned upside down by the flooding in tabasco last year. i am really grateful for the seeds despite all the havock. poblanos are also known as anchos and mulatos when dried and can be of three types: verde (green), negruzco (blackish) and corazón (heart). the poblano matures into dark red or coffer/chocolate tones. the mexican chilli producers national council (conaproch) have a useful file (http://www.conaproch.org/ch_chiles_diccionario_chileancho.htm) for the poblano (in spanish). if you happen to have a bunch of poblanos you could either go for the mole poblano (ancho/mulato based sauce) or for the famous chiles en nogada. according to the mexico lonely planet: "invented to honour general and emperor iturbide for his leadership in achieving independence from spain, it consists of large, mild poblano chillies stuffed with a picadillo (ground meat filling) containing fruits nuts and spices, and covered with a unique, perfectly smooth sauce of cream, cheese and walnuts, garnished with pomegranate seeds. the dish's colours - red, white and green - were designed to represent the nation's new flag. it is usually served only from september into november, when the walnut and poblano chilli crops are at their best". want to have a go? here's the pueblan recipe (http://www.pueblacapital.gob.mx/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=141)! (in spanish).
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/poblanoflower.jpg) (http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/poblanounripe.jpg)
here's the chilito de simojovel, a chilli from chiapas. it is an annuum yet a somewhat pubescent variety. simojovel is a municipio in the highlands, north of san cristóbal de las casas, famous for ámbar production. used in the local cuisine to season tamales and re-fried frijoles. turns out that in the ancient tzeltal mayan language, the etymology of simojovel is "ant up the mountain".
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/simijovelflower.jpg)
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/simijovelunripe.jpg)
i was mesmerised the first time i saw pictures of this brazilian olho de peixe (fisheye) chilli, cultivated by cleômenes caminha, one of most knowledgeable chilli pepper gardeners i have come across. in his own words, he describes the variety as a "shrub plant up to 1.80m tall. dark green leaves with purple stems, branches and veins due to intense presence of anthocyanin. flowers: 2 to 3 per node, with purple anthers and white-green corolla with purple spots on the back face of the petals. it enters into production 120 days after transplanting. highly pungent fruits, ball-shaped measuring 1 x 1 cm, purple colour (immature) to reddish brown (mature), with an average of 30 seeds cream-coloured. it produces an average of 170 to 180 fruits per season. in hot weather, it can produce up to three crops a year. extremely aromatic, the fruits are used to season fresh seafood and the preparation of sauces and pickles."
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/olhodepeixe.jpg)
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/olhodepeixeback.jpg)
2 fascinating chillis you have there whitekoohii..keep us up with there progress..the mountain in cooler temps is very interesting :D
6 moths into the season and it is time for a quick recap. out of 37 chilli plants, almost all bar 3 have already flowered with over half of them having set (at least) some pods. 3 varieties have already matured, namely the buena mulata (delicious!), putaparió and poblano. as usual, pubescens (no pods yet) and chinenses (a bunch of pods) are the slow performers. daily temps are consistently above the 30Cs and night temps in the low 20Cs. so far so good. cannot help but showing a couple of recent flowers off, a bolivian quintisho (chinense, thanks go to silbante for the seeds) and a peruvian chinchi uchu (baccatum).
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/quintishoflower.jpg)
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/chinchiuchuflower.jpg)
this birgit's locoto bush (or small tree, rather) is up to 2m tall and is full of ripening pods. i have searched info about the bolivian variety to no avail, so it remains a mystery who birgit is and why they are called locotos (term normally used for capsicum pubescens in bolivia) while the variety is a baccatum... fruits mature from light green to orange then red, they are fruity and mildly spicy, very good for eating raw or spicing up cooking.
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/whitekoohii/birgitslocotobush.jpg)
How are your Jalapenos doing in hot Spain? Thechileman competition is open just 2 more weeks. Here in Oulu cold weather ruined the chances of succeeding to grow big pods and I guess my 5.1cm grown indoors will be the biggest one. :(
I don't believe that the 3cm, which you currently have in the list, will be the final result.
hi there jussi,
my jalapeños are starting to ripen, unfortunatley the variety i got seeds for from mexico is not very big and is up to 5 to 6cm long... i need to update before it is too late!