Update 4/15/2011

Just a quick update on what's been going on. As you can see from my last post, I have moved the greenhouse, modified it, and put it back up. No much in there right now, just some lettuce and onions. The peppers are still inside under the lights.

This years pepper lineup is as follows:

Anaheim
Bhut Jolokia
Big Jim
Black Pearl
California Wonder
Caribbean Red
Cayenne
Chile de Arbol
Corno di Toro
Cubanelle
Filus Blue
Fooled You Hybrid
Golden Calwonder
Golden Marconi
Guajillo
Habanero
Jalapeno
Joe E Parker
Marbles
Medusa
New Mexico Chile
New Mexico Green Chile
NuMex 6-4
NuMex Sandia
NuMex Twilight
Orange Bell
Orange Sun Bell
Pepperoncini
Poinsettia
Purple Beauty
Serrano
Sunny Yellow Bell
Sweet Banana
Tepin
Thai Hot
Tobasco
Yellow Peter Pepper









This year I have also taken interest in heirloom tomatoes. I will be growing the following types of tomato. Most are heirloom. Only a few are hybrids.

Abe Lincoln
Amana Orange
Aunt Rubys German
Better Boy
Big Rainbow
Big Red
Black Krim
Box Car Willie
Brandywine Red
Cherokee Purple
Costoluto Genovese
Dixie Golden Giant
Early Girl
Juliet Hybrid
Kelloggs Breakfast
Mexico
Mule Team
Opalka
Red Cherry
Red Oxheart
Roma
Rutgers
Sun Gold Hybrid
Tigerella
Virginia Sweets
Yellow Pear



I also started some yellow, red, and white onions. I am using sets again this year, but by research shows that growing onions from seed is the best way to grow. I may try that next year. I also started some lettuce, canteloupe, water melon, and pumpkins. My son Kalon has planted a variety of things including pumpkins in which he wants to grow and then sell the pumpkins to the neighborhood kids.

Garden Update 4/4/2011

So it's been a very busy year so far and a fourth of it is already gone. Garden season is upon us and it feels great. As most of you know, last year was a horrible year for The Pepper Guy. Had some tomato plants that made it the whole year, but no peppers. I was working so many ours at my job that I was not able to spend the time I wanted to on the garden. This year, though, I have started early indoors. I think there is like 1500+ pepper plants and 400+ tomato plants total so far. Once they get too big for indoors and it warms up just a bit, they can go into the greenhouse (which needs put back up). I did however get a new greenhouse frame from someone of craigslist. It is a 20'x60' and will most likely be used as a high tunnel for growing heirloom tomatoes. Try to at least extend the season a bit. Dont know if that is going to happen this year or not. I would like to get it put up this year and be able to use it next year. Baby steps...

Pepper Lineup 2010

This years peppers will be grown in 5 gallon buckets. I have been wanting to try this for awhile now. Here is the lineup!

Anaheim
Banana
Bell Orange
Bell Red
Bell Yellow
Bhut Jolokia
Black pearl
Calico
Cayenne
Cubanelle
Habanero Orange
Habanero Paper Lantern
Habanero Red Caribbean
Hungarian Wax Yellow
Jalapeno
Jalapeno M
Joe E Parker
Marconi Golden
Medusa
New Mexico 64
New Mexico Chile
NuMex Big Jim
NuMex Twilight
Pepperoncini
Peter Pepper Yellow
Poblano
Pretty in Purple
Purple Beauty
Serrano
Super Chile
Tepin
Thai Dragon
Thai Hot
Tobasco

Seed Starting

I am getting the spring fever so I decided to go ahead and start some of my pepper seeds, since some of them take so long to germinate. To help the process around, I do not start my seeds directly into soil. Below I will show the process I use to start my seeds.

First of all you need a few things:
Paper Towel
Zip-Lock Bags

Marker

Water

First of all, get 1 sheet of paper towel. Fold it in half and dampen it with water. Not sopping wet, but moist. Place seeds as seen in the pic. You can use more/less depending on how many plants you are going to start. I do not mix seeds on the paper towel. I plant all the same seed in each setup.

Next, fold over the paper towel.

Second, Roll up the paper towel.

Thirdly, place the rolled up paper towel in a zip-lock bag and use the marker to label the contents of the bag.

Lastly, place your baggie on top of your hot water heater, or some other warm place. It a couple of weeks, you will have 2-3" roots starting.