THE CHILLIES THREAD 2018

My Joe's Long are doing really well and providing a great pepper, Jalapeno's are, as previous years, a waste of time. Literally zero heat when I wanted something very mild. The Andhra's are just starting to fruit...

 

To a certain extent I take the Scoville level of chillies with a pinch of salt (that's wrong - I eat them raw ) as the heat of an individual chilli can vary by as much as 50% from that of the other chillies on a plant.

Having said that, it's a good guideline as the suppliers/breeders will always try and give the maximum levels. The level changes with the time of year and the amount of sun and water they get. It's generally considered that if you stress the plant ( i.e. let it dry out too much etc. - shouting at it doesn't seem to work) the fruit will become hotter.

I love the names they keep thinking up for the hybrid varieties.

 

@Mike77 I've brought them in, in the past, and have been quite successful with them - but you need to watch out for aphids.

This was one of my plants that I brought in many years ago - in November


I don't know when you sowed the seeds but they need to go in (in a warm place) in Jan/Feb at the latest to be harvesting them now. Mine are now producing well, in the greenhouse, and you're welcome to pop in for a plant if you ever pass this way.

 

Dragons Breath hasn't been proven, and is no more than an older variety of chilli which ChilliBobs have been punting out at an inflated cost.

Lots of people have been asking for money back, as he (running as a business, I'll add) was asking for payments for the plug plants to be paid via Friends and Family through Paypal, which you cannot claim back.

He has upset a LOT in the chilli growing community, and I for one wouldn't trust him now either, as I got caught as well.

 

Purple Naga Viper Brain was one I grew last year, extremely hot, productive and oily..... This year from saved seed, I am growing about 6 plants :D

 

I don't think it would work but it's certainly worth a try. As, I think, you grow a number of different varieties it may already be too late as chillies are so promiscuous. When you plant the seeds you would need to keep the new plants (must have a few of them) isolated from other varieties and hand pollinate the isolated plants.

I did that for a few years with the Shiney Hybrids but don't need to bother (can't be bothered ) now. They seem to have divided themselves into two different versions of the same chilli with slightly different shapes but the same growing habit. The only other variety that I grow are Nagas and they don't seem to cross breed with the Shiney Hybrids.

 

Hi @BigC - it's all about genetics. In a nutshell F1 seed is produced by crossing two parents lines which themselves may be weak and/or tasteless. By using the seed from a F1 plant there is a high probability that the resulting plant will revert to the parent's unwanted characteristics.

 

F1 has the same meaning @BigC for animals and plants, so the F1 generation will have whats called "hybrid vigour" generally they grow faster, stronger and bigger than their pedigree parents. If F1 plants interbreed then the next F2 generation will have less vigour and many unwanted characteristics will re-appear. A good example is dogs, mongrels (crosses between two inbred pedigree lines) tend to be healthier and stronger and live longer than their parents.

Hope that makes a bit more sense.