In February of 2023 I decided to TRY and grow hot peppers from seed, so I bought a small seed tray with a dome and a heat mat. I planted 4 yellow ghost, 4 red ghost, 4 scorpion and 4 scotch bonnet. Aaannnnddddd....a few weeks later EVERYTHING sprouted. If they all stayed alive, there was no way I would have enough room for 16 plants in pots on my small porch. I then decided that I was all in. I bo
ught a grow tent and a light, small pots, a fan, grow bags and fertilizer. For a month I watched them grow and panicked about how big they were getting. I did some research on how big the plants could potentially get and determined how big of a spot I needed to transplant them. I sweet talked a few people at work and was able to procure an 8 x 6 area out in the back and made an above ground bed from some old deck boards from a buddy who was tearing his deck down(great timing actually). I filled it with a cubic yard of mushroom blend soil. Let the transplanting begin!! I transplanted everything except 1 scorpion, 1 yellow ghost and 1 scotch bonnet , which I kept at home along with a Carolina Reaper that I bought a bit later . I also bought companion plants; Marigolds, Purple and White Alyssum, Basil and Rosemary. I bought netting to cover the bed and fiberglass poles to keep it up. After a month, I removed the netting and added 3 Kung Pao plants to the bed(they are similar to Cayenne). Fast forward to late August. All my plants were producing fruit. I made salsa with some and tried making fermented hot sauce (at least if it was fermenting I had more time to figure out what to do with all the peppers.) So, again, I decide I was all in on making hot sauce. I bought woozy bottles, sanitation spray, canning jars, a PH meter and a strainer. I made and bottled many different types of hot sauce and sent them off to friends that want to try them. Everyone, so far, has liked them and suggested trying to sell them. So, here we are....ALL IN.
