Re: [CH] Rocoto Starts V7 #332

Cameron Begg (begg.4@osu.edu)
Tue, 10 Apr 2001 11:02:31 -0400 

Hi C-H's,

Lowell wrote:

>  I use something called Dip 'n Grow.  It's a liquid
>concentrate.  It seems to work better than Rootone.  Perhaps another
>factor is I was talking only about rocoto cuttings.  I have not tried
>cuttings for any other pepper.

Maybe so. I will look out for Dip 'n Grow. I have always suspected 
that Rootone was pretty weak.

>I do have a question about your recipe however.  You state that it's to
>solve "a problem with over extended seedlings".  By this do you mean
>"leggy", "spindly", ect. due to reaching for the light?

Yes. A couple of years ago some C-H's were asking for a solution to 
this problem. However my "recipe" works with any young green actively 
growing part of any chile plant I have tried it on.

>   If so,  have
>you tried just planting the seedling deeper?  I have on rocotos and it
>seems to work because they root so easily.  I haven't tried it with
>other peppers though.

We have had debates about the wisdom of deep planting and opinion was 
divided. One would imagine that with rocotos the stem hairs might 
become root hairs (as in tomatoes) but I do not have the definitive 
answer.

And Tom wrote in answer to:

>  > > A heating mat. Rocotos are tough to germinate unless the soil
>  > > temperature is in the 75-90degF range.

>Not true.  Mine have always geminated (nearly 100%)  within 7 days of
>planting unsoaked or otherwise prepared seed, at ambient (~65F) temperature,
>near a window, with no extra heat.

Funy how our experiences are so different. For example last Winter, 
Calvin sent me some seeds from a particularly large manzano. Out of 
the 15 I started indoors (70degF) without a heat mat only one 
germinated and subsequently died. This year, with the same seeds left 
lying around on a counter top for a year, I had 100% success using a 
heat mat. It seems that Ron Levi has noticed similar results. 
(Scientific studies done on chile seed germination show an increase 
in germination rate up to about 90degF.)
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                      Regards,               Cameron.