Pending pepper disaster

PaulF · February 4, 2017

In my basement seed starting laboratory, a dirt floor partial basement in the house that was built in the 1870s, the new fangled wires and pipes are all overhead in the seven foot ceiling floor joists. When we moved in and renovated twelve years ago, we put in a water softener. When this contraption does its thing in the middle of the night, the water used to regenerate the ion beads uses a strong brine solution to strip the hard minerals out of the contraption. All this hard mineral and brine is pumped to the wastewater piping through a quarter inch tube.

The tube popped out of the sanitary line a week ago or so and the salty water spilled into a tub of soilless mix. I noticed the mix was damp but I thought it was just still damp from the last time I used it.

The day came for me to start pepper seeds. The soilless mix was perfectly moistened and putting all my eggs in one basket, so to speak, I planted every pepper seed in my inventory into the six packs I use, put them all in a tray, labeled them appropriately, covered the tray with a dome, covered the whole thing with a plastic, turned on the heat mat and walked away expecting germination to begin.

After a couple of days I inspected the newly planted peppers...nothing yet. Inspected again today and nothing, except a whitish crust was on the soil. The floor was wet, the empty mixing tub had water in it. Looking around I noticed the drainage tube out of the wastewater pipe. I reinserted the tube caulked around it making the process water tight and yelled, "Oh crap!!!" Or something close to that.

Long story made short: My favorite pepper seed sellers have today received an order. At least it is still early enough to start over.

Ricky Shaw · February 4, 2017

oh man!

Jimbotomateo · February 4, 2017

Sorry that happened Paul. Glad you discovered the problem. Murphy's law I guess. Hope you get some good peppers out of the deal. Jimbo

dmforcier · February 4, 2017

I wonder how many could be saved? I don't think the salt water would prevent germination, though it might soon do nasty things to the emerging delicate bits. Have you dug up some seeds to see? Any that haven't germinated could be rinsed off and re-planted. At least it would give you something to do during the so-called Super Bowl.

Sun City Linda · February 4, 2017

That sucks.

I look forward to seed starting ALL YEAR. Glad you have time and money to start over anyway.

PaulF · February 4, 2017

I think on Sunday I will see if I can dig up, rinse off and replant. While I am a college (Iowa Hawkeyes) football fan, I have not watched a pro game all the way through in maybe 40 years. We did watch the Giants when a kid my wife taught in grade school was on that team. He was never a starter and did get in on every special team. That lasted for three years. So it will be super-rinse time.

The cost to replant is minimal. A couple of cups of coffee at a high class coffee joint would be equal in cost. I don't drink coffee, so there we are.

imp · February 4, 2017

That is just awful to happen. If you make a list of the seeds you may have lost, I will look and se if there are any of those varieties in my stash, will happily send them to you.

dmforcier · February 4, 2017

Yeah, same here. Or anything else that you might be interested in.

PaulF · February 4, 2017

Thanks. Got it covered.

February 4, 2017	#1
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	Pending pepper disaster In my basement seed starting laboratory, a dirt floor partial basement in the house that was built in the 1870s, the new fangled wires and pipes are all overhead in the seven foot ceiling floor joists. When we moved in and renovated twelve years ago, we put in a water softener. When this contraption does its thing in the middle of the night, the water used to regenerate the ion beads uses a strong brine solution to strip the hard minerals out of the contraption. All this hard mineral and brine is pumped to the wastewater piping through a quarter inch tube. The tube popped out of the sanitary line a week ago or so and the salty water spilled into a tub of soilless mix. I noticed the mix was damp but I thought it was just still damp from the last time I used it. The day came for me to start pepper seeds. The soilless mix was perfectly moistened and putting all my eggs in one basket, so to speak, I planted every pepper seed in my inventory into the six packs I use, put them all in a tray, labeled them appropriately, covered the tray with a dome, covered the whole thing with a plastic, turned on the heat mat and walked away expecting germination to begin. After a couple of days I inspected the newly planted peppers...nothing yet. Inspected again today and nothing, except a whitish crust was on the soil. The floor was wet, the empty mixing tub had water in it. Looking around I noticed the drainage tube out of the wastewater pipe. I reinserted the tube caulked around it making the process water tight and yelled, "Oh crap!!!" Or something close to that. Long story made short: My favorite pepper seed sellers have today received an order. At least it is still early enough to start over. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

February 4, 2017	#4
dmforcier Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,825	I wonder how many could be saved? I don't think the salt water would prevent germination, though it might soon do nasty things to the emerging delicate bits. Have you dug up some seeds to see? Any that haven't germinated could be rinsed off and re-planted. At least it would give you something to do during the so-called Super Bowl. __________________ Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

February 4, 2017	#6
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	I think on Sunday I will see if I can dig up, rinse off and replant. While I am a college (Iowa Hawkeyes) football fan, I have not watched a pro game all the way through in maybe 40 years. We did watch the Giants when a kid my wife taught in grade school was on that team. He was never a starter and did get in on every special team. That lasted for three years. So it will be super-rinse time. The cost to replant is minimal. A couple of cups of coffee at a high class coffee joint would be equal in cost. I don't drink coffee, so there we are. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

February 4, 2017	#8
dmforcier Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,825	Yeah, same here. Or anything else that you might be interested in. __________________ Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

February 4, 2017	#9
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	Thanks. Got it covered. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

February 4, 2017	#2
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	oh man!

February 4, 2017	#3
Jimbotomateo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Santa Maria California Posts: 1,014	Sorry that happened Paul. Glad you discovered the problem. Murphy's law I guess. Hope you get some good peppers out of the deal. Jimbo

February 4, 2017	#5
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	That sucks. I look forward to seed starting ALL YEAR. Glad you have time and money to start over anyway.

February 4, 2017	#7
imp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Wichita Falls, Texas Posts: 4,832	That is just awful to happen. If you make a list of the seeds you may have lost, I will look and se if there are any of those varieties in my stash, will happily send them to you.