This is the first post in a new series “$0.25 Seed Experiment” In this series I will be documenting my experiences with a packet of seeds that I found on sale for $0.25. Bellow I will be updating this archive with all the Facebook group posts as the experiment continues…
Posted to Zone 9 Garden Facebook Group on 02/05/2018
The other day I was passing through a Dollar Tree to get some plastic Solo style cups when I noticed they had a sale on some seed packets. The packets that were normally $0.99 where $0.25 Only 1 packet caught my eye, and it was the American Seed Cayenne Long Slim Red.
I bought the packet of seeds and some plastic cups and headed home. I decided I would do an experiment to find out a few things:
* What percentage of the seeds would germinate
* What percentage germinated seeds would produce viable plants
* How would the plants produce
* Would the seeds from the peppers produced be viable
* How would they compare to other Cayenne peppers that I have grown
Here is my plan:
* Get a full seed count
* Sow 8 seeds (starting small because I already have ton of pepper seedlings)
* Transplant any viable seedlings to their own container
* Grow indoors until ready for transplant
* Transplant half into larger containers
* Transplant half into the garden
* Document progress on a weekly basis (minimum)
* Create a full length article about the experiment for Zone9Garden.com
* If the 2nd generation seeds are viable, give them away to group members
Well, now you know the plan! Stay tuned to find out if Dollar Tree $0.25 seeds are worth the money or not.
This is the 2nd post in a new series “$0.25 Seed Experiment” In this series I will be documenting my experiences with a packet of seeds that I found on sale for $0.25. Bellow I will be updating this archive with all the Facebook group posts as the experiment continues…
Posted to Zone 9 Garden Facebook Group on 02/06/2018
On 02/02/18 the experiment began, and here are the steps taken so far:
*Purchased the Seeds
*Performed Seed Count (26 total seeds, so roughly $0.01 per seed)
*Prepared 2 red solo type cups with a seed starting mix
Sowed 2 seeds per hole, with 2 holes per container. (total of 8 seeds)
*Thoroughly watered containers
*Labeled containers (including crop and date)
*Placed sandwich baggies over top of containers to retain moisture
*Placed containers in a bin
*Placed containers on my seedling rack in a warm area
The package claims the seeds will germinate in 10-20 days. I have 3 other varieties of Cayenne Peppers growing and they all germinated between 10 and 11 days, so I expect these to have about the same germination time.
I will post the next update as soon as the first seeds germinate! Hopefully around the 12th.
This is the 3rd post in a new series “$0.25 Seed Experiment” In this series I will be documenting my experiences with a packet of seeds that I found on sale for $0.25. Bellow I will be updating this archive with all the Facebook group posts as the experiment continues…
Posted to Zone 9 Garden Facebook Group on 02/16/2018
THE SEEDS HAVE GERMINATED!
Updates:
02/11/18 – 6 of the 8 seeds sown on 02/02/18 have germinated
02/14/18 – First set of true leaves observed
02/16/18 – Each Seedling transplanted to their own container
Notes
75% of the seeds germinated and they did it 2 days faster than the quickest estimate on the package.
The 2 seeds that did not germinate were both in the same hole in the same container. I wonder if there was something that inhibited their germination.
After transplanting the seedlings they were placed back under a grow light. I will start to harden them off outdoors once they start to set their third set of true leaves.
Here are some pictures:
Quick Update:
The Cayenne Pepper plants that I sowed using $0.25 seeds have started to set their second set of true leaves.
I had a little time off from work today so I put them in the sun for an hour or two!
This is not a full update on the experiment, but I figured I would share anything new!
This is the 4th post in a new series “$0.25 Seed Experiment” In this series I will be documenting my experiences with a packet of seeds that I found on sale for $0.25. Bellow I will be updating this archive with all the Facebook group posts as the experiment continues…
Posted to Zone 9 Garden Facebook Group on 03/18/2018
Update: Slow Growth and Pruning
I live in Central Florida, in a city called Lake Mary. Lake Mary is just north of Orlando, and we have been having some strange weather here this winter. One week the weather is reminiscent of summer the next it is as cold as it gets here in winter.
This random weather pattern has slowed the growth of the $0.25 cayenne peppers (and every other, NON-cool weather crop in my garden).
03/18/18
Today while checking on the pepper plants I decided now is just as good as any time to prune them. I decided to prune 3 of the 6 plants to get a firm conclusion on prunings effects on production (more on this later).
I took 3 plants and cut the growth tip off (as shown in the pictures). I left the other 3 plants to grow naturally. I will be tracking the production of all the plants individually (by weight) and this will be included in the reports once harvests start.
WHY PRUNE PEPPER PLANTS
Pruning peppers plants forces the plant to set out side shoots (new branches) from the area where leaves intersect the main stem. This causes the plant to have many more branches and the main stem becomes quite a bit thicker and more robust. The plant having more branches and leaves allows for the plant to produce more fruit and SHOULD lead to a much higher yield.
The down sides to pruning pepper plants is that it delays production and stunts growth of the plant for a short time (until the side shoots are fully developed).
This is the 5th post in a new series “$0.25 Seed Experiment” In this series I will be documenting my experiences with a packet of seeds that I found on sale for $0.25. Bellow I will be updating this archive with all the Facebook group posts as the experiment continues…
Posted to Zone 9 Garden Facebook Group on 04/14/2018
Update: Transplantation and Budding
04/08/18 – All plants have been transplanted into the garden. One plant will be kept in a container to see if it affects production significantly, but every other plant is in a raised bed.
04/14/18 The plant that I have used for most of the pictures (I have it labeled CT-18-02) has started to put out quite a bit of smaller leaves and branches and today I noticed that the plant has a few new flower buds on it.
Normally I would nip the buds off and allow the plant to grow larger before growing fruit, but in this case, I am going to allow it to set fruit. For me, the 2 most important parts of this experiment are the flavor of the pepper and the viability of the seeds.
As soon as the peppers are ripe, I will harvest them and dry out the seeds, and attempt to germinate at least 20 of them.
Here are some pictures:
This is the 6th post in a new series “$0.25 Seed Experiment” In this series I will be documenting my experiences with a packet of seeds that I found on sale for $0.25. Bellow I will be updating this archive with all the Facebook group posts as the experiment continues…
Posted to Zone 9 Garden Facebook Group on 05/05/2018
The first peppers are growing
Updates:
Once the a plant is transplanted to its final location, there is not much to report until the plant starts to set fruit.
05/02/18 – The $0.25 Cayenne Pepper Seed plants have started to set fruit!
05/05/18 – The peppers are showing growth and looking good. Here in Central Florida we have had some odd weather patterns. Cold one day, then over 90 degrees the next, so some plants have dropped their blossoms, but these cayenne plants seem to be okay.
The plants have not grown overly large, but they are slowly growing and starting to produce!
Next Step:
As soon as the first pepper is ripe I am going to harvest it, dry it out, harvest the seeds and test them for viability.
Any future peppers will be used to create red pepper flakes as well as cayenne powder.
Here are some pictures to show the growth of the first pepper over the span of 4 days!
This is the 7th post in a new series “$0.25 Seed Experiment” In this series I will be documenting my experiences with a packet of seeds that I found on sale for $0.25. Bellow I will be updating this archive with all the Facebook group posts as the experiment continues…
Posted to Zone 9 Garden Facebook Group on 06/05/2018
Slow and Steady!
Updates:
It has been a month since the last update on this series, and the progress has been slow. But there most certainly has been progress.
The main plant that I have been tracking is now about 18” tall and currently has 8 peppers growing on it with many buds about to turn into peppers. It looks like it will be a moderate to heavy pepper producer for its size (which may have been stunted by horrible weather early on).
The first pepper that was set on this plant showed up on 5/02/18 and reached what appears to be full size around the 23rd or so. It has been that size since and should start to color up soon!
Next Step:
As soon as the first pepper is ripe I am going to harvest it, dry it out, harvest the seeds and test them for viability.
Any future peppers will be used to create red pepper flakes as well as cayenne powder.
Here are a few recent pictures
