Couple more questions

15 years ago

Couple more questions for all those pepper heads out there.

1. In the last several days, I have picked my first Orange Habanero Peppers. They were nice sized and orange at picking time. Funny thing is, there were just a couple if any seeds at all in them when I cut them open. What is going on? This plant was grown from seeds I harvested last year off a store bought starter plant. If I remember correctly, the pods last year had plenty of seeds in them. Could it be that I actually have a cross pollinated plant? It was grown next to some Cayennes and easily could have crossed with them. This picture shows the Habs just as they were when I sliced them open.

2. All my plants (Bhuts, Orange Hab, Cayenne, Long Red Slim, Hot Bananas and Charleston) have ceased putting out blooms in the last week or so except for my Bhuts and my Habanero. I have two theories on the cause. First, I am thinking maybe it is because the plants are full of peppers and beginning to put out ripe ones and the plants are concentrating on growing the fruit now.

Second theory is that the recent heat wave has put them into a kind of dormancy. For the last week plus, we have had nasty hot temps in the 90's with high humidity and clear skies and no rain. It is a little cooler now but not a lot.

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Comments (9)

sjetski
15 years ago
1) Interesting. My opinion and a complete guess: since orange habs have become so commercialized, maybe they're selectively breeding them for low seed count?

2) Believe it or not, i think both of your theories have merit, and it may be a combination of the two. Your 2nd pod wave may be delayed, just a tad, by your first wave ripening, and by the hot weather you've been having. I'd guess that the weather is the bigger culprit though.
smokemaster_2007
15 years ago
Could also just be a lack of Bees.
I have some Bonda Ma Jacques that out of a hundred or so pods I got 2 seeds.
I think I killed off all the bees with a miticide a few months ago.Very few bees around this season.
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tsheets
15 years ago
I think both the plants being loaded with peppers and the unusually hot/humid weather we've been having are plausible explanations to not setting new blooms.....or blossoms dropping, either way.
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
15 years ago
A plant with a full load of developing pods will definitely slow down its flower production.
Once you've picked the first wave of pods, a second wave of flowering will begin.

That said, plants will often go semi-dormant in this high heat.

Josh
esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
Original Author
15 years ago
Yah, I have to assume it is one or the other or a combo of both. I hope the weather moderates and more pods ripen so I can pick some to get the plants going again. It is probably getting a little late to expect new blooms now to be able to put out a ripe pod by the end of the season but I have a couple plants that are just looking a little stressed and I am getting a bit concerned. Just happens to be on two of the three plants that I haven't harvested any pods from yet. Both however have at least one semi ripe pepper. One is a hot banana (Hungarian Wax) and the other is a Charleston. The Charleston has always been a sickly yellowish plant since it was a seedling but has hung nice fruit and I have one that started turning orange a few days ago. The hot bananas have several turning orange. So it is just a matter of time.
sjetski
15 years ago
esox, banana peppers are fantastic even when yellow (especially roasted or BBQ'd), those orange ones ought to taste great. Maybe you can speed up your new set of flowers/pods by picking the ones beginning to blush? Their pods do grow pretty fast so maybe you can squeeze in that 2nd crop.
esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
Original Author
15 years ago
Yep, sjetski, I think you are right. Check out this link I have going regarding my Banana peppers. Specifically check out my last post in that thread.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pepper/msg072224527989.html?32
sjetski
15 years ago
Not sure what's ailing that plant but those pods are making me hungry.

If it were me i'd snip off the red and orange ones, and even some of the yellowest ones to try and get that 2nd harvest going.

The only problem with picking bunches, as i'm advising, is that you have to figure out ways of eating/preparing all of them before they spoil. But i bet many here wish they had that problem ;)
esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
Original Author
15 years ago
sjetski:
I had already decided that I was going to pick some of the orange/red pods tomorrow morning from that plant along with the other plant. I am going to do a semi-canning process on them by putting them in jars with a vinegar, salt, ground black pepper and garlic mixture. They wont be "Canned" but will still last several weeks in a frig.