There were 10 Green Peppers

[ajagunle]

The pH in both tanks was at 6.2 today, with and without barley straw, I lowered both to 5.7 and will check for any movement tomorrow. TDS has also dropped in both tanks so some nutes are being used, new leaves appear to be evenly green and no new holes in leaves have appeared over night. T

NFT1

NFT2

I have removed 4 leaves so far due to their rust marks, none today. There is a slug or snail trail going along the top of the handrail to where it meets the tallest plant where the trail stops, whatever left the trail did not leave by the same route, if 'It' ever left at all, but there is fruit and flowers, will the DE offer any protection, if 'it' is still on the plant, does anyone know? 'It' made it onto the plant;

The difference in height of the plant with the cube not in the flow is considerable, the plant on the far left of the photo is almost twice as tall.

 

[ajagunle]

Reservoir pH has remained below 6 over night and TDS has dropped below 150 in both tanks (with & without barley straw). Dare I suspect that growth has accelerated now that the pH is close to target? I have left both reservoirs with a pH of 5.7 and added equal amounts of Veg and Bloom nutes to increase TDS to 250<300.

I closely inspected all plants, there are no leaves with noticeable rusting, I added a Tsp of Epsom salts to both tanks, whilst the evidence of deficiency is fading it is still there. The holes in the leaves do not appear to be increasing in number or size, except one, on closer inspection I may have found 'It' who was removed and released humanely outside of the greenhouse. Is the slime on a snail so indestructible as to protect 'It' from DE? as anyone who has accidentally stepped on one wearing just socks will know, it is resistant to the strongest detergents and highest temperatures. I have just read that DE is an effective barrier to slugs and snails but does not harm them if they are forcibly exposed to it. Any ideas for preventing them from munching a hole in roughly 20% of the Peppers?

 

[ajagunle]

And I meant to canvas opinion on taking seeds for next year from an early pepper. I usually harvest the first pepper not for the plate , but for the seeds, in an attempt to choose the best genetics for growing in my local envitonment, well, this years' first pepper is going to be one from the smallest & puniest plant, do you think this is due entirely to genetics or purely environment? or a mixture of both?

 

[Lady Cannafan]

I don't have a clue on your questions regarding the genetics and seeds on peppers. I would love to see if Heirloom could help you out with this, I'm not sure he does anything with hydroponics at all....

And I will look into the snail question. Not sure if DE helps prevents snails or not, that's not much of a problem where I am. I get an occasional slug, that's about it.

Glad to see the new growth is coming in beautifully and no deficiency signs on the leaves. Now we need to keep the beautiful leaves from the critters it seems!

 

[Heirloom]

Home Hydro has this. Nothing for me to add except a shallow pan of beer is an attractant for slugs/snails, then they drown in it. Bare copper wire they don't like. Vaseline too. Perhaps a smear of Vaseline around the base of each, sprinkled with salt and a pan of beer near by as bait.

 

[ajagunle]

Hello ajagunle,
As for snails, back when I lived in calif we used to get snails and slugs come out of the dirt like crazy when it rained, and they would be all over the patio looking for high ground from the flooding. I used to pour a line of salt around the edge of the patio, and they wont cross it. They dry up and die as soon as they touch salt.

As for the pepper plants, I haven't read the whole thread, so forgive me if I don't understand completely or ask some questions that are already answered. From your last couple posts I take it your having pH fluctuation issues and nutrient concentration fluctuation problems.


I have some questions first:

1. How often do you do nutrient changes?
2. What is the total water volume in each system (I take it you have more than one)? Also how many plants are in each and how old are they?
3. What are you using for the water supply?
4. What nutrients are you using?
5. Why are you adding Epson salt?
6. Are you adding any other additives?
7. What is the water temp?
8. How rapidly is the pH changing?
9. What type of hydroponic system are they?
10. What is the white residue I see in some of the pictures?

P.S.
As for the small plant/fruit, if the seeds were all from the same stock, then I would say the size was most likely due to environment. If not then they may be a different variety/species and have a different growth rate and fruit size. However, with that said, there could be a couple reason genetics may still play a part. Even though peppers are self pollinating, the particular fruit in question may not have been completely pollinated. Second if the seeds were taken from a hybrid variety (many commercially grown plants are), the hybrid genes don't necessarily get transferred from the mother plant to the plants offspring (seeds).

Hi Homehydro,

I have copper collars at the base of each plant but a snail has gained access to a plant from my handrail which is now touching the tallest plants. Have you ever come across an anti-snail spray? Something I can apply to the fruit? As the next level protection I shall trim the plant to create some distance from the handrail.

I do have pH issues , more than TDS fluctuations, I must at this stage admit that many are almost certainly due to my early set up and then my remedial action, possibly.

1. Nutrients changed every weekend
2. Reservoirs are max 40litre, 5 plants each, seeds sown in Feb, put in GH 3rd May
3. Rain water from a butt with a lid
4. Canna Terra nutes, they were on the premises
5. Epsom Salts for Magnesium deficiency, now less and less evident
6. No other additives, I did find some Canna Boost yesterday, worth adding?
7. Water temps, min 55f max 73f
8. It takes 48hrs to go from 5.6 to 7.5
9. Basic greenhouse NFT
10. White residue is from liberal dusting of DE

Life might be too short for saving pepper seeds, I don't want to lose a years supply. I'll concentrate on the Hydro and treat myself to a £1.75 packet of seeds for Christmas. But thank you

 

[ajagunle]

Home Hydro has this. Nothing for me to add except a shallow pan of beer is an attractant for slugs/snails, then they drown in it. Bare copper wire they don't like. Vaseline too. Perhaps a smear of Vaseline around the base of each, sprinkled with salt and a pan of beer near by as bait.

Thank you Heirloom, I could kick myself sometimes, I have copper protecting the base of the plants but not the base of the handrail posts, Vaseline I can get today. Another self-kicking for the Beer, I have often used it to save my Strawberries, so why not in the greenhouse? I shall get Beer and Vaseline today

 

[ajagunle]

I don't have a clue on your questions regarding the genetics and seeds on peppers. I would love to see if Heirloom could help you out with this, I'm not sure he does anything with hydroponics at all....

And I will look into the snail question. Not sure if DE helps prevents snails or not, that's not much of a problem where I am. I get an occasional slug, that's about it.

Glad to see the new growth is coming in beautifully and no deficiency signs on the leaves. Now we need to keep the beautiful leaves from the critters it seems!

Hi Canna, I am going to start each year with new genetics, reduce the areas of risk in my quest for too many Padrons

You are so lucky with not being bothered by Slugs and Snails, I wonder if it might be due to the severity of your Winters? I use Nematodes on the Strawberries, it's more of a soil application rather than fruits or leaves, I am sure that Google will know of something, I just forget that it is there and ponder things while I'm typing, now I've written it down I will remember to do some searching

First Pepper picked today, in the fridge while I wait for another 5 or 6 to go with it

 

[ajagunle]

The Resrvoirs;

NFT1
The TDS has risen overnight to 340 and pH risen to 6.4, I diluted the nutes to reduce to about 250, the strength of the reservoir in NFT2, I added pH down to reduce to 5.6.

NFT2
TDS still below 275 and pH has risen to 5.8 and no changes were made, a temporary sweetspot?

The Plants

2 of the original 10 seedlings are now about 1/3 of the height of all the others, both are still in flower and producing fruit, they are the only plants on that particular side of the NFT shelf and I am assuming that their roots are not getting good enough exposure to the nutrient stream, I have tried to divert the stream of water from the pump with, first of all the barley straw and now a rolled up piece of spreader mat. I am watering their rockwool cubes by hand when I check in the morning. Something I need to be more aware of next Spring during set up

The plant with leaves full of little holes, one of the short and struggling plants, has evidence of being somethings' meal

I am not going to worry too much as it is really struggling where as the healthier taller plants are steaming ahead. On close inspection I can see how the main stem has branched twice at the height of the first node and both branches are now in flower

I managed to get a bit of a group shot

 

[ajagunle]

Google has found a spray that protects crops from Slug and Snail damage, it is environmentally friendly, it is made by Grazers who have a tag line 'People Pets and Planet friendly'; this is what they say

'We think that it would give those people (many of whom, like us, give thought to both issues ie. the balance of pest damage versus environmental damage) satisfaction and huge peace of mind to be able to think that they spraying plants with a safe nutritious product that is effective against damage caused by molluscs, whilst leaving them as food for garden wildlife. With this healthy balanced approach, plants and molluscs are both preserved'

I will report on its efficacy in due course

 

[ajagunle]

The Reservoirs;
Both have a reduced TDS, below 200, the 5 healthy plants have consumed more nutes than the 3 healthy ones, pH has been stable for another 24hrs, I dosed with nutes to increase back to 275. I did not add any extra water to the reservoirs as they are due to be changed tomorrow.

The Plants;
There is less and less evidence of Magnesium deficiency and plenty of flower development, all is good.

The Slug and Snail bait saucers did not catch anything although evidence suggests that several threw themselves on the little blue slug pellets on their way to the hoppy sweet and yeasty nectar.

The inside Padron is now in flower, too early for any to set, the plant is lit by 2x45w blue and 1x45w red CFL.

 

[ajagunle]

The Reservoirs;

I drained the reservoirs yesterday and recharged with 36l of rainwater, after I filled NFT2 first, using the last couple of weeks experience I added pH Down and nutes before measuring the reservoir. PH was 4.9 and TDS of 850+, I spent the afternoon procrastinating about re-draining or not, NFT1 I was far more careful and left pH at 5.6 and TDS of 275ppm.

This morning, with some trepidation, I measured pH and TDS of NFT2, 6.4 and 100, NFT1 7.4 and 175ppm. Really disconbobulated, what is this telling me? I have set the pH in both to 5.6 and TDS of 250.

Now, after some morning baking to Congratulate the US on their Independence, (such a different attitude to here in the UK where the media is obsessed with telling us all how dreadful it will be) I am starting to think I might be running the nutes far too lean, I am not used to monitoring the TDS in the greenhouse where there are 5 plants per tank,

I shall up the nutes in both reservoirs to 400 today and measure tomorrow.

The Plants;

There is still some evidence of Magnesium deficiency in some of the older leaves and some evidence of nibbling, DE has been liberally applied, the beer trap re-primed and I'm still waiting for the slug & snail spray. I have also found some copper tape, sticky on one side like sellotape, to put bands around the handrail and its uprights, awaiting delivery.

2 plants have been strung to the handrail to keep them from falling over, the base of the plant when growing with NFT can act as a hinge, almost. I don't encounter this challenge growing indoors with a screen, the plant is so evenly squashed I guess, lowers its centre of gravity?,I shall have to remember to tie them earlier next year

I have now upped the nute strength in both reservoirs to 400.

 

[ajagunle]

The Reservoirs;

I am getting to know the background pH of the water butts and I have found comfortable TDS so that the reservoir goes through a 5.6 to 6.7 range every 48hrs. TDS is still dropping every 24hrs when I charge with nutes to 400, an increase to 500 will be my next increase but not today, it is a very hot day today with little air movement, the greenhouse is too uncomfortable to do any more than the basics.

The Plants;

A few more fruit to harvest, I've now got enough for a cook up but no kitchen :stamp-foot: They will be fine in the fridge to enjoy as my first cooking experience on my new Hob, a little Celebratory Tapas

The indoor plant has its first fruit

I'm a little surprised how much growing in the House and in compost effects the size of the plant

 

[ajagunle]

The reservoirs and I are in a routine at last, the pH drops every 48hrs and needs adjusting, I am not loading nutes any stronger than 400, I will change the reservoirs when they need refilling, it might be more or less frequently than weekly, no scratch that, I will do them on a Sunday if I haven't changed them in the previous 7 days. The new growth on the plants is lush and green, I suspect that holy leaves will remain so. The anti Slug and Snail spray has arrived and has been applied. Still nothing in the half buried saucer of Beer, I will freshen the bait today.

I got a photo of a freshly pollinated flower before the petals fall away or dry out. Previously I had not noticed how the vibrancy and rigidity of the petals change immediately it is pollinated, it now looks a bit shabby and past its best. Although Capsicum flowers are self pollinating they still produce nectar and can be pollinated by insects which need to be attracted to the lovely sweet goodliness within. Once the flower is pollinated there is no need to waste resources on advertising, I can imagine all available water is diverted immediately to fruit production, the valve to the petals is closed and another opened?

I have been trying to take on board some of Canna's photography advice and took delivery of a Monopod today, very pleased, I will now have to start training the Birds and the Bees

 

[ajagunle]

I have applied 4 copper barriers on the handrail, one close to the base of each upright and one in the middle of the rail, there is enough copper tape left to do another 4 which I will do over the next couple of days. The copper needs a steady hand, it sticks to itself very easily and permanently, there is no strength to it at all so trying to pull it tight around the corners of the post proved to be quite wasteful too. I have continued to spray the plants with the anti-snail stuff and replenish the slug pellets, still nothing in the beer trap, yet. If a Snail does manage to make its way safely through all the obstacles and sprays then maybe it deserves a taste of my crop,

The garish banana yellow was not painted on to go with the Copper jewellry but to correct a rather large oversight of mine. I replaced the Manufacturers NFT covers with freshly cut Correx sheets to protect the reervoirs from sunlight but had not considered the poor old roots. The white Correx is not light proof and so the roots are not spreading over any area of the shelf not covered by the Rorckwool cubes, as you might imagine this is making the plants very unstable, unfortunately not due to the weight of the future harvests I am not sure the yellow will block all he the light but it is all I have on the premises and it is Saturday, maybe several layers will block some light. I have also added a large glug of GHE Roota to each tank. I will have a look around the house for anything I can use to make a more physical barrier to light until I can get some better paint on Tuesday. Maybe some cardboard?

I temporarily don't have a hob so my eldest has taken the harvest so far to cook and hopefully enjoy whilst they are still very fresh. The report back is mainly very positive, very tasty and no different from compost grown except....no hot ones at all, not sure if this is purely down to chance, further harvests may tell more.

 

[ajagunle]

The reservoirs are in a routine and I am going with it. I am setting the pH to 5.6 and it is increasing to 7.4 in 48hrs, TDS is reducing every 24hrs and I am adding more daily to increase to 500, I have given the NFT lids three coats of paint, the paint is now finished so I am hoping daylight is blocked and the roots are extending beyond the shade created by the Rockwool cubes.

I have picked 19 peppers so far and tasted none but I can pick 2 or 3 daily, flowers are still opening and lots of fruit swelling.

The 10 Pepper plants and 4 Tomatoes are drinking in excess of 12litre a day and I need some decent rain, I started with 200l and whilst it has not been particularly dry I am down to my last 50l.

 

[ajagunle]

To prepare the Padrons wash and pat dry, heat a teaspoon on Olive Oil in a small fring pan, one with a lid preferably, scald the peppers on all sides until the stiffness starts to collapse

Dress with a sprinkling of Sea salt flakes

Eat using the stalk, eat it all including the

Very tasty, I get a real salt 'rush' and then the unique Padron flavour, 2 Hot ones tonight,

 

[ajagunle]

Looking after the plants is now a repeat of previous posts, barring any adverse human intervention or Nature's numerous challenges. Fruit by the bunchful

Once the flowers are fertiliseded many drop, often falling on those below

some don't, the Pepper swelling through the middle

Today's harvest

 

[ajagunle]

Oh No!

Quantity of water is seldom a problem with Hydro but not so with compost grown. Standing in water causes the flowers to drop and so does too little. Have been giving 1litre every 24 hours with recommended strength of nutes. I shall have to increase from Today. Bit of a disaster