Hi Bob,

If you save seeds of "Fooled You" Jalapeno which is an F-1 plant (the result of a cross between 2 or more parents), and you plant them next year, then you'd have the F-2 generation of plants/peppers.

Your F-2 generation may or may not resemble the F-1 and there is no way to know what you'll get. Statistically, you are likely to get a wide array of peppers even though the plants themselves may look more or less the same as the plants you grew this year. You wouldn't know if the peppers were any good, or if they they retained their "no-heat" characteristic until you harvested them and tried them. "Heat" is a dominant characteristic in peppers, so there is a good chance that your F-2 generation might display more heat than you had in the F-1 generation. And, if you grew any other hot peppers in relatively close proximity to the "Fooled You", there's a good chance they crossed and, since heat is a dominant trait, at least some of the peppers from the F-2 generation would likely have the heat of the other pepper plant.

You most likely would get a variety of peppers. Depending on what the parents of "Fooled You" were, the peppers on the different plants might all look alike, but they probably wouldn't all taste like the original "Fooled You". And, sometimes F-1 seeds, when saved, are sterile and give you nothing. Sometimes these mules are the result of terminator technology, but sometimes it just happens. So, it is just a roll-of-the-dice. Modern-day genetic splicing and other technological advances have made it more of a challenge to save F-1 seed and get anything out of it that closely resembles the parent too.

Peppers cross quite easily. You would have to isolate your "Fooled You" plants from other hot and sweet peppers to ensure their purity. This is especially important if you intend to market them at a Farmer's Market.

Also, if you do save seed, and you plant it, and you get peppers that closely resemble "Fooled You", be careful about selling it under that name because, genetically, it is not "Fooled You" but instead is a descendent of "Fooled You" or "Fooled You F-2" or whatever. Seed companies (as ridiculous as it sounds) can go after you for using their patent-protected name if you don't use their patent-protected F-1 seed. Most seed companies are incredibly aggresive about protecting their F-1 seeds, and do go after people legally for things you would not believe.

If it were me, I'd cough up the money to buy more F-1 seeds so I'd know for sure that I was growing and selling the "correct" pepper. You can, for example, get 30 "Fooled You" seeds for $3.15 (2008 catalog price) plus $4.25 shipping, so you'd get 3 times as much seed for $7.40 from the Tomato Growers Supply Company. Or, if you want to plant a lot of these, or share seeds with friends, you can buy 1/32 oz. of seed from the same source for $9.00 plus shipping. With peppers, 1/32nd of an ounce will get you between 250 to 350 pepper seeds, depending on the size of the seed from any given variety.

If you wanted to attempt to dehybridize F-1 "Fooled You" jalapenos, you could try. It is a long and complicated process requiring you save seed and plant it for years. Each year, you would grow out the seed and save only the seed from the plants which produce peppers that MOST resemble "Fooled You" and you do this over and over and over again. With each successive generation, as you rogue out the 'mismatches' every year, you get closer and closer to the orignial F-1, IF THE DEHYBRIDIZATION PROCESS SUCCEEDS, and dehybridization often does not succeed.

In the tomato world, some people have dehybridized certain tomatoes for quite a few tomato generations and have tomatoes they believe are identical to the F-1. Ramapo F-1, for example, was successfully dehybrized after it was originally taken off the market (it is now back on the market) and those who grow it believe the dehybridized version produces fruit virtually identical to the original Ramapo F-1. However, successful dehybridization is the exception and not the rule.

I hope this info helps. And, by the way, there are lots of retailers that sell "Fooled You" seed. I just used TGSC as my example because they are one of the retailers I use most for pepper and tomato seed.

Also, you said you only got 1 plant from 5 seeds and that concerns me. Seed that is sold commercially is supposed to have a much better germination rate than that, so I hope that more than 1 of those 5 seeds germinated.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Peppers At Tomato Growers Supply Co.

Thanks Dawn!

The $10 for 10 seeds was pretty rough to swallow especially if I am planning a row of the plants for next year. I will follow up with the source that you recommended and see what better prices are available. The germination rate was better than 1/5 but the other plants just didn't make it beyond transplanting into the garden area. We did have several other pepper varieties in this little garden spot but next year I plan a larger garden in a more open area with much more space.

The skin on these Jalapenos is fairly tough but the flavor is really good and with no heat, they are wonderful just for snacking. My mother-in-law lives with us and she starts screaming just at the mention of any kind of pepper or especially Jalapeno. She can not stand any heat at all on anything and complains about most everything that we fix because it is too spicy for her.

Bob

Bob,

You are welcome. And, I see a new ad for "Fooled You" Jalapenos. It would go something like this "Fooled You--a jalapeno even your mother-in-law would love!"

Good luck with your peppers next year.

Dawn

Someone should develop a bell pepper which has normal Jalape heat. They could market it with the name "Gotcha Bell Pepper!"

That's probably the only way I could get my kids to tolerate a bell pepper. Growing up in Mexico they think "It's not a legitimate pepper if it's not hot!"

I grew Bell peppers for the first time, this year, for use in Habanero pepper jam (they're half the filler). But I hid them away in the back of the garden to avoid the scandal!

George

George,

I love the name, and wouldn't it be funny!

Actually (and you may have been in Mexico back when this happened), back in the 1980s, somebody marketed Mexibell, a green bell pepper crossed with a hot pepper to give it some heat. From what I remember, it was an AAS winner in the late 1980s, but I think it was a dud because it didn't have "enough" heat for people who wanted hot pepper flavor. I grew it and it had a little heat but not a lot. I don't even know it it is still around, but if it is, I imagine your family would laugh at it because I don't remember it being very hot at all.

I grew my bell peppers at the back of the garden, too, in order to 'hide' them from the deer. Of course, it didn't work.....although the new deer fence keeps the deer out of the garden and the peppers now.

Dawn

I love hot peppers but also grow a mild jalapeno called Delicias. I like to stuff and grill jalapeno's but your mouth can get a little hot eating a dozen of them. So I grow Delicias for grilling. They have a nice warm jalapeno flavor and I can munch away without burning up! They are a F1 plant.

Lynn

Peppers are very interesting, to be sure, and their promiscuity only adds to the mystique.

If I remember properly, peppers are grouped into five categories, and it is rare for peppers to cross-pollinate across these categories. It can be done, but takes a lot of work and a lot of time (hand-pollination with q-tips and small brushes, etc).

Steve

Steve,

You're right. They do not cross easily between the five family groups and it can be very hard to get viable seed from a deliberately-made cross.

However rare, crossing does occur in gardens...and, generally, when you were wishing it wouldn't. LOL

I've linked a chart that I think originally came from the FAQ page of the pepper forum. It shows how they cross and how viable seed of such crosses is likely to be.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Pepper Cross-Pollination Chart

I got plants from a clemson university greenhouse and
his plats were 8 inches when got them. The flavoer is so good you actually wait for the heat. I am pulling a dozn every 2 - 3 days. I used lama poo and water like plant food and this is my best year ever. Thanks for all the great ideas.