Farm Basic Pepper Garden

[Sher]

I know what you mean about it being so therapeutic tending to plants.

I also have one pepper plant that was not a robust seedling and has never really thrived. It's one of my ornamedibles. The other one is fine (except for darker roots than I would like).

So my guess is that the seed just didn't have the potential to be a healthy plant from the start.

[maskedsonnet]

Could be! Sometimes you just get a dud.

[Shawn]

Sheesh everyone has tall pepper plants, why are mine always short LOL

[maskedsonnet]

Chinese Five Color buds are opening up, and I'm in love with how much purple ended up in both of my pepper gardens 

[Sher]

The purple is strikingly pretty, especually with the purple flower.

Is it really purple, or is it a white flower that juet looks purple under the light? I ask because I never heard of a pepper with a purple flower before.

[maskedsonnet]

It’s really purple, I took the photo early enough that the farm lights hadn’t kicked on yet. I’ve never seen purple pepper flowers either! When the plant first sprouted the leaves had tinges of purple too, which was cool, but they all turned green as it grew.

[maskedsonnet]

Still a bit awed by the purple flowers, both the Chinese 5 Color and the Filius Blue in this garden have purple blossoms. And full enough of pollen that when I flick at them I can actually see it fall to the deck, I've never gotten that before either!!

[Sher]

Such an artistic grouping. It looks like a little pepper forest.

[Shawn]

I call the pollen fairy dust LOL... 

[maskedsonnet]

No pepper formation yet, but I've been shaking these to pollinate every day, and I really look forward to seeing how they form on plants that I've been having to keep so short!!

[Shawn]

They still may have some growth spurts . but look great.

[maskedsonnet]

Turn your back for 1 second and the bonchi go wild!

Before:


After:


Also had to spray again for bugs, saw a couple crawl across the deck as I was trimming. I'm still not super sure what they are, they're TEENY. Too small to be aphids. Maybe thrips. They were too small for me to get a pic of even if I hadn't immediately squashed them. They just look like tiny brown flecks, only they crawl so I know they're alive :|

[Sher]

I can't tell if I'm seeing baby peppers started or flower buds on the second plant from the right. Hope it's baby peppers!

[maskedsonnet]

So far they’re just flowers, but I have high hopes for them! They’re FULL of pollen

[Shawn]

You sure did do a trimming

[maskedsonnet]

Gave another good trimming today, not that you can really tell lol

[Sher]

They are up to the ceiling! Well, up to the lights, anyway!  

[maskedsonnet]

Did some trimming, and this is where the bug problem has been the worst. I'm thinking about taking these out and bleaching the machine, maybe letting it sit empty for a while to make sure everything's dead. And also planting something a bit more size-appropriate in it. The bonchi has been very relaxing for the most part, because I really enjoy messing with the plants every day, but the way I planted them makes it a bit awkward. Hard to get at the plants in the back to trim them. And while the plants themselves are very pretty, and I enjoy the blooms just for the sake of seeing some flowers, I just don't see any peppers forming anytime soon because I keep having to trim blooms off. Since food production is my main goal, that's not exactly ideal. I'm thinking about doing strawberry crowns in here next, if I do decide to terminate.

[Sher]

Darned bugs! That is heartbreaking!

[Shawn]

If it were me I would do a deep clean if there were any bugs.  I know depending on the infestation some let them sit for a couple weeks to make sure.  But again that is depending on type (aka aphids).