[CH] Lighting

Love2Troll (Love2Troll@kc.rr.com)
Sun, 29 Feb 2004 17:26:48 -0600 

I installed two 250 watt fixtures with high pressure sodium bulbs over 2 areas of my basement jungle in place of two 40 watt fluorescent fixtures to see if could induce blooming.  This was on Jan 17th.   Also increased the strength of the Miracle Gro 18-18-21 from 1/4 recommended to 1/2 recommended strength.  If all my plants hadn't been inoculated with mycorrhizal fungus as seedlings I would use a 15-30-15 formula.

My C. pubs in sunny south windows have never blossomed in the winter with the exception of a few blossoms here or there and have never set late winter pods.

The lights and fertilizer seem to have done the trick as the plants directly under the lights are blossoming.  It's almost impossible to get a good picture what with all the different lighting.  Particularly the HPS plays tricks with the colors.

http://www.fototime.com/84823C30E251FCE/standard.jpg

It's hard to see the blossoms in the picture and the number of unopened buds is downright staggering.  The plant shown (PI 387838) is about 6 foot wide from one side to the other and 4 foot high.  The problem is that this is the only one of 27 C. pubs that I am almost positive won't self.  I'm fairly good at transferring tomato pollen, but these peppers are proving to be a real problem for me.  

If anyone has any pepper pollen collecting tips to share I would appreciate it very much.

Not a whole lot of green pods left to ripen anymore.  I picked these pods yesterday & today: 

http://www.fototime.com/0E75B277A5FAA11/standard.jpg

I'll be lucky to get another 15-20 pods this winter, but it has been a pretty good year what with all the very late to ripen Guatemalan varieties.  The ladybugs have completely cleaned up the aphids and I see no pests whatsoever.  Considering the # of plants in the basement it is rather remarkable to me.  No gnats, no flies, no nothing.  I know that can change in a hurry though.

JohnT




 









http://www.fototime.com/0E75B277A5FAA11/standard.jpg

blossoms
http://www.fototime.com/84823C30E251FCE/standard.jpg