[CH] Advice for Rael
VoodooChile (rael64@qwest.net)
Tue, 22 Jan 2002 10:54:45 -0700
Chile Heads-
Friends, Nubiles, Monks, Priests, Priestesses, and
Nekkid-Twister-WannaBe-Masters - Monk Rael needs some input...
I've enough room outside my apt. to, come summer, plant a few chile
plants. Now I've some space in back that I'll deal with too, but
I'll be lucky to plant anything back there cuz the ground needs some
major work and, well, it probably won't even be thawed until April
whereas I can get out and double dig it and mix in some goodies for
the soil. My compost won't be ready anyway.
So, limited growing room (probably six plants MAX, intersperced with
some herbage...<--real wird?), bolstered with some steer manure
(bagged) and general bagged/purchased "soil" (what i usually use),
all against the front of my apartment building, I'm at, what,
5000-ish elevation? (hell, like *I* know), and get direct sun, but
only for the latter half of the day. Mind you, even though this is
Idaho, it's high desert area, thus it do, baby, get hot in the
summer. Temps in the 100s not unheard of, oh no. It's also very
very very dry. Bone dry. Desert dry. Lots of wind too. Apartment
will hold/generate heat too well into the evening so when the sun
drops as do the temps, it will remain quite toasty in that growing
area.
What I think would be best is to just stick to one variety of chile
although I suppose there is room for 2 varieties. Yet, whilst I love
my serranos and other "normal" chiles, I'm looking for something a
bit more exotic, and preferabbly more compact, such as are Thai chile
plants, or the one's i've grown in the past are...like, about 1 1/2
foot tall max; and obviously, they need to do well in partial shade,
tolerate dry conditions well (but yes, I will be watering, so...),
and should grow fairly quickly as the growing season here (Zone
5?..sheesh...Pocatello Idaho...southeast idaho) is pretty damned
short. Often snows once or twice in May. Mind you, I need to be
able to purchase seedlings rather than grow from seed as I've no room
for starting seedlings in my dungeon :( , but I've heard good things
about the chilewoman's chiles, so i'm thinking of sending my business
her way. So in that aspect, though, I am limited to what's available
for me seedling-wise.
So, exotic, good at high altitudes, fairly quick to grow, partial
shade tolerant yet must tolerate dry conditions as well. As for
"prettiness" and "taste", well, it would be blasphemy to say that any
chile *ain't* purty and tasty, no? I'm groovy with whatever. I
grown them in honor of El Grande.
So let Monk Rael know what he should do...in regards to this matter,
mind you...
--
Peace, Hendrix, and Chiles.......
Rael64
Monk of the TCS
Order of Enlightened Twister [TM!]