Chiblogle - Abusing a great variety of taste

New annuum pods

2011-05-04T04:23:00.000-07:00

The smaller annuum has produced its first successful pods. They seem to grow quite rapidly but I have no idea what the final size is gonna be. The Habaneros are now getting into gear as well! Looks like they're gonna get ready for the summer in time.

Solarium clean up and re-arrangement for "Season 2011"

2011-04-02T06:09:00.000-07:00

The solarium has been cleaned up and re-arranged with this season's new projects and carry-ons from last season. The current line-up is Lemon Drop, and two unidentified Mexican C. annuums from (Probably Cayenne and Pequin) from last season, and three Orange Habaneros as newcomers. The one in the black pot really needs to get a bigger pen to live in as it shows some signs of claustrophobia. This I reckon has to be done before the weather permits outdoor life to get the most out of it.

Before clean up

After clean up

Re-arranged plants

The Grand and Brand New Chili Season of 2011

2011-03-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Long time since the last update but there hasn't been much to show. The Lemon Drop has been producing pods steadily and that's it. I'll give the present herd another summer on the balcony but the "Solarium" is reserved for this season's project, the Orange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) with the supposed Pequin making an exception since it hasn't quite taken off yet and I want to see how it develops.

So, how's the season getting along then?

After first two germinating methods f''ed up in a pretty legendary way, the third batch is now showing signs of life. Two have spread their cots wide open, one is about to shake off the coat and one has just come out of the dirt. I'll post some pics after I've got to the pot switching phase.

Harvest time

2010-12-29T14:01:00.000-08:00

First pods have been collected and I'm quite satisfied with the outcome. Lemon Drop is making a ton of seeds. I'll find out about the others after I've done their "autopsies". On a side note, I tried drying a Lemon Drop pod with really stone age-ish method and ground it down with a mortar. The final product looks really REALLY suspicious :D :D

Oh yes!

2010-12-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

The waiting has paid off! First Lemon Drop pod has started turning yellow. The most advanced Boli pods are now strong orange and going towards red.

Color shifting

2010-12-14T12:18:00.000-08:00

Recently the Boli started getting lighter in color and some of the pods are showing some orange like color already. I'm really anxious to see the Lemon Drop ripe up but it still keeps me waiting.

Pic of Boli with new pod colors

Crowded

2010-11-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

The plants are totally taking over the box. Watering has been quite difficult for some time already and I'm losing sight of the bottom! Not necessarily a bad turn but... well... running outta room any day now. I really underestimated the capabilities of the "solarium" :D I may need to "rig for red" in near future to control the growth and concentrate on blooming.

Some new pics, also from the field of blooming and podding.

Here's the "Crowded House"...

...a nice Cayenne pod...

...and a battery of Lemon Drop pods.

Boli-pods

2010-11-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

The Boli is pushing pods now as well! Dark purple blueberry like at the moment. Who knows it might be nice and colorful by x-mas :)

The first Lemon Drop pod is also growing nicely.

Another step forward

2010-11-07T09:25:00.000-08:00

I switched two of the Cayennes into bigger pots (really good looking pots IMO) and while putting them back into the "solarium" I noticed something new among the flowers of the Lemon Drop.

Ladies and gentlemen, according to my limited knowledge that would be a Lemon Drop pod!

And here's a pic of one of the Cayennes in a new pot showing two massive flowers.

Bloom, bloom, bloom...

2010-10-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

Nice progress in the solarium. The Boli has exploded and the Lemon Drop opened its first flower with a few others at the verge of opening.

Blooming Boli!

2010-10-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

The Rainbow showed its first flowers today!

Pics to prove:

Underway, using engine... I mean light!

2010-10-15T02:57:00.000-07:00

The box is now operational! Still looks a bit rough but I'll lay the finishing touches as soon as I get my right hand working again.

Picture for proof.

Wiring done!

2010-09-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! The fans are now working in the grow box. The job was a real pain in the ass with a cast on my right hand (broke a finger in my first American football practice, tried to make a catch and the ball destroyed me...). Here's some proof:

The box is taking shape

2010-09-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well, not much detail to go into, but here's a pic for you to see for yourselves :) This phase is missing the reflector and the upper back panel which has the hole for the power cord. Maybe tomorrow or early next week I'll sort out the wiring for the fans.

Cayenne + suspected Pequin in the dirt

2010-09-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I got a bit greedy some time ago when a friend of mine had me try some dried chilies his neighbor had brought from Mexico and I scooped all the seeds from them. The other one was most definitely Cayenne but the smaller one I couldn't recognize by the taste or looks of it. I've come to the conclusion that it could be Pequin, but I can't be sure. Could be some other small variety as well.

3 of 5 Cayennes are sprouting quite mad atm and two of them kinda dropped dead right after they got out of the dirt. They've shown some new signs of life now that I moved all the newcomers in a cupboard above our fridge. After the move the "Pequins" started pushing out of the dirt quite rapidly, exceeding all of my expectations since they didn't seem to do anything while located elsewhere. Anyway things are looking really interesting now.

The "Hemp box" is building up quite nicely as well. I crafted the pieces for it and they are now ready for assembly in my parents' garage. I attached the fans to the wall elements today (still need to sort out their power source and wiring) and I'm hoping to get the whole deal operational this week. I really wanna get the Lemon Drop and the Bolivian Rainbow under a good light asap.

And here's a picture of the Cayennes in the cupboard with a 1W LED-light (the "Pequins" hadn't surfaced yet, 'cept one).

Finally some pics

2010-08-18T02:31:00.000-07:00

This is what they looked like in late January

And here's the Lemon Drop and Bolivian Rainbow in August

Forward progress

2010-08-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Long time no update but things are going well so far. I got two Bolivian Rainbows, two Champions and one Lemon Drop climbing up nicely. Too bad my camera departed from me at the VI Finjamboree scout camp. I'll prolly get it back from lost & found on Monday so I can put up some pics of my plants. Also next week I'm planning to go check out possible materials for my "growing closet" I've been planning. The sun won't be too friendly anymore in about a month's time and I've had my 125W fluorescent light doing nothing since I got it last January so I have to play carpenter in very near future.

Firing it up

2010-01-05T04:56:00.000-08:00

Ok folks here's the deal!

Being interested in cooking for years has lead me to the stage where I'm planning to start growing my own chiles. I've always loved the taste of chili and I joined the Finnish Chili Association last summer. Hopefully this week I'll get to plant the complimentary Lemon Drop and Champion seeds that I got for joining. Maybe next week I'll start sketching some sort of frame for the reflector and pots. I got 3 - 4 weeks before I go back to Ireland for the rest of my exchange studies and I hope to get everything set before that so I can make the "babysitting" of my chiles as effortless as possible for my family over here :)

Well, nothing interesting happening yet but I'll post some update when the seeds are in the dirt.