GrowLog
Terminated Early

Eight-Variety Bonchi Pepper Garden in an AeroGarden Farm Basic

Grow log by maskedsonnet · Original thread

15 visual updates17 photos41 replies
View recap
CropPepper
VarietyJigsaw, Tabasco, Brazilian Starfish, Biquinho, Chiltepin Wild, Aji Charapita, Filius Blue, Chinese Five Color
MethodAeroGarden hydroponics
EquipmentAeroGarden Farm Basic
Plants8
AudienceAdvanced

What you can learnA highly educational bonchi experiment showing multi-variety spacing, training, pollination, pest treatment, access problems, and the tradeoff between ornamental shaping and food production.

Actions:8 Pruning2 Pollination1 Planting1 Equipment1 Nutrients1 Pests
Useful practices
  • growing multiple peppers as compact bonchi
  • repeated topping
  • pinching
  • and shaping
  • daily manual flower pollination
  • spraying for small insect pests
  • terminating and deep-cleaning an infested system
  • using fewer or more size-appropriate crops in future
Problems encountered
  • Tabasco leaf curl and poor vigour
  • dense multi-plant layout made rear plants hard to access
  • suspected thrips repeatedly appeared
  • frequent height-control pruning removed flowers
  • no peppers formed before termination

*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.

Day 79
UPDATE#15
Grower update

Update #15

Actions taken

PruningTrimmed the pepper plants while assessing the persistent pest problem.

M By 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.
Conversation
S
Sher

Darned bugs! That is heartbreaking!

S
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).

M
maskedsonnet

I’m pretty sure it’s thrips, which is unfortunate. Last time I got aphids and I caught some ladybugs outside and put them on my plants to take care of the problem, it worked great. But it’s winter now so no ladybugs, and I’m not sure they eat thrips anyways. After sleeping on it I am going to terminate today and do a deep clean of this machine. And then it will be time to shop! It’s been forever since I’ve grown strawberries, I’m excited to try it indoors where I don’t have to fight the birds for my fruits!!

C
campingcorgis

Sounds like a good plan! I'm looking forward to watching the strawberry farm take shape!

Day 72
UPDATE#14
Grower update

Update #14

Actions taken

PruningPerformed another substantial canopy trim.

M By maskedsonnet

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

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

Day 65
UPDATE#13
Grower update

Update #13

Actions taken

PruningTrimmed and reshaped the pepper canopy.
PestsSprayed the garden again after seeing tiny crawling insects.

M By 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 :|
Conversation
S
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!

M
maskedsonnet

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

S
Shawn

You sure did do a trimming

Day 62
UPDATE#12
Grower update

Update #12

Actions taken

PollinationShook the flowering peppers every day to encourage pollination.

M By 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!!
Conversation
S
Shawn

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

Day 58
UPDATE#11
Grower update

Update #11

Actions taken

PollinationFlicked flowers and observed pollen falling onto the deck.

M By 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!!
Conversation
S
Sher

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

S
Shawn

I call the pollen fairy dust LOL...

Day 48
UPDATE#10
Grower update

Update #10

M By 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
Conversation
S
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.

M
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.

Day 45
UPDATE#9
Grower update

Update #9

Actions taken

PruningRegularly pinched leaves and shaped the compact peppers.

M By maskedsonnet

Pinching leaves off and shaping these plants has almost become a daily meditation for me, for both the top and bottom plants. Especially since it's winter and I hate the cold, having so many plants indoors to interact with is so, so relaxing. Pretty much all of the peppers in this setup are coming along well, and I'm starting to get some blooms on the Chinese Five Color on the bottom. The tabasco, however, hasn't looked happy, almost from the start. I'm thinking about taking it out and popping it in some soil to see if it'll thrive there instead. Getting lots of leaf curl on it, even though the other plants seem perfectly happy. I'll give it a little more time before I decide to pull it out.
Conversation
S
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.

M
maskedsonnet

Could be! Sometimes you just get a dud.

S
Shawn

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

Day 42
UPDATE#8
Grower update

Update #8

Actions taken

NutrientsAdded nutrients to the Farm Basic.
PruningPerformed additional trimming on the pepper plants.

M By maskedsonnet

Added nutrients and did a little more trimming
Day 39
UPDATE#7
Grower update

Update #7

Actions taken

EquipmentRelocated the full growing setup into another room.
PruningTrimmed the pepper plants after relocation.

M By maskedsonnet

Moved my entire setup into a new room and did some trimming
Conversation
S
Sher

They are looking great, maskedsonnet.

Day 33
UPDATE#6
Grower update

Update #6

Actions taken

PruningTrimmed and topped several pepper plants.

M By maskedsonnet

Trimmed/topped some plants
Day 26
UPDATE#5
Grower update

Update #5

Actions taken

PruningThinned crowded seedlings and trimmed the young pepper plants.

M By maskedsonnet

Got everything all trimmed up and thinned:
Day 24
UPDATE#4
Grower update

Update #4

M By maskedsonnet

Made it home from vacation, and have a busy afternoon ahead of me between gardening, laundry, and meal prep!! The Farm Basic peppers are ready for thinning where more than one plant came up, and a couple plants look to me like they're ready for their first trim to keep them short!!
Conversation
S
Shawn

Welcome back

M
maskedsonnet

Thanks! Visiting Mom and Dad is always nice, but it feels good to be back home with my plants!

Day 11
UPDATE#3
Grower update

Update #3

M By maskedsonnet

All of them have sprouted and, aside from the biquinho, have pushed above the green label! Will add nutrients tomorrow morning
Day 6
UPDATE#2
Grower update

Update #2

M By maskedsonnet

Everyone but the biquinho has sprouted!!
Conversation
S
Sher

Yay!!!

Day 1
UPDATE#1
Grower update

Update #1

Actions taken

PlantingPlanted eight named pepper varieties in the Farm Basic about two weeks before the update.

M By maskedsonnet

Got and planted my basic about 2 weeks ago, and starting to get some sprouts! Planted with the following:Left side: Jiqsaw, Tabasco, Brazilian Starfish, biquinhoRight side: Chiltepin Wild, Aji Charapita, Filius Blue, Chinese Five ColorAll links go to the product description page for the seed, got them from Bakers CreekLeft side: The jigsaw and starfish have both gotten big enough to take off the domes!Right side: Chiltepin and 5 color have both gotten big enough to go without the domes, and the Aji Charapita is getting close!
Conversation
S
Sher

maskedsonnet, this sounds like a question for someone with experience growing a lot of pepper varieties. Hopefully mike or someone else will have answers for you.

M
maskedsonnet

I don't have questions for now, just posting progress. I'm excited to see how they do!

S
Shawn

Nice variety

M
mike

Hi, those are pretty interesting. I hope you don't run into height difference problems. Your plants range from 16" to five feet in height, typically. You may need to prune quite a lot. Good luck.

M
maskedsonnet

Yup! Right before this Farm was delivered a friend sent me this link on Bonchi, and I decided - what the heck? After all, I already had the seeds, and while they're technically for next year's outdoor garden planting one pod of each still leaves me with more than enough for my starter plants. Gotta entertain myself somehow. The Reaper in my XL is going to be regularly attacked by scissors too, my Dad has one as a patio plant and it's actually taller than me.

S
Sher

maskedsonnet, I just read the article on Bonchi. Fascinating!

M
maskedsonnet

Right?! I loved the idea so much when I read that, I can’t wait to see if I can successfully copy it in an AG!! And even if I fail, I learned something new, and that’s probably always going to be my favorite part of any type of gardening

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