Peppers and tomatoes are coming along nicely

So my peppers and tomatoes are growing nicely. In fact, I have a lot more tomato plants than I anticipated. I think I had something like a 95% germination rate for my Black Krim, Brandywine, Legends and Chadwick tomatoes. The peppers haven't germinated that effectively, except for my poblano peppers. These are growing like gang-busters so far.



Right now, I have them under three 150watt CFLs, and running on a 24/hour cycle. Growth looks good. At first I was getting a lot of spindly little starts, especially outta my kale and broccoli till up'd the light. The little guys were struggling to reach the light. Now, it is nearly on top of them.

Anyway, with the germination rate on all my other peppers, I think it is time to start more seedlings! But that is ok, this next planting will be a few weeks behind so I can have a tapered harvest for the peppers.

Welcome

I am starting this blog to share my love of the Chile Pepper! I am a scientist, part-time farmer and personal chef dedicated to perfecting the art of chile cultivation and the exploration of food cultures surrounding the this infamous fruit. While the chile is native to the Americas, ever since Columbus's fist voyage, the chile has spread across the world, becoming a mainstay of cuisine in nearly every civilization. Thus, the nomadic chile!

I am dedicated to understanding this fruit, how it grows, where it grows and the best ways to prepare and share this delicious, and often spicy addition to one's culinary experience. Furthermore, as an avid supporter of the local and organic food movements in the US, I'm interested in the spread of the chile as culinary addition throughout different foodscapes across the nation. As such, I am very interested in exploring the different ways these chile can be grown in various environments and how the chile can be incorporated into traditional food cultures across the US and abroad.