My unexpected 2012 Bird/Tepin/Chiltepine mini project

**nctomatoman** · March 13, 2012

This is going to turn out to be an interesting little hot-pepper-comparison summer....some of you will remember that when a seedling customer asked me if I carry Bird peppers, I put a post in seed trades/requests to see if anyone had a few.

Well, I got more than a few - so am growing the following this season to see how they compare:

Bird - from the Chile Pepper Inst (thanks, Michael)
Birdseye - from Pine Tree
Chiltepin - from Totally Tomatoes
Bird - from John Scheeper (these three - thanks to Lurley)
Chiltepin
Black Birds Eye (these two thanks to austinhanasmom)
PI441654
Cap. Chacoense
PI260478
Pequin Chiapas (these four thanks to Mark Tutt)
Long Bird
Pequin (these last two thanks to Joe L)

so I will have a small comparison study of 12 Bird type peppers. I will be sure to show pics and provide updates (though not necessarily taste tests!)

Zana · March 13, 2012

Looking forward to reading the results and seeing any pics you post, Craig.

Zana

Boutique Tomatoes · March 13, 2012

Hope it's a fruitful harvest! Should be interesting to see how the comparison goes. I decided to see how those did for you this year and make more spots in my grow list.

You'll have to look for a willing test ~~victim~~ subject. Plenty of guys on the hot pepper forums willing to try anything for the endorphin rush...

roper2008 · March 15, 2012

Looking forward to your pepper video's for 2012. My birds eye was pretty darn hot. I made
powder with them. It's almost all gone now.

**mdvpc** · March 15, 2012

Craig

Glad that I could get one of the varieties for you to grow and tell us about!

Tracydr · March 16, 2012

I'm growing chiltepan. They germinated so fast, compared to any of my other peppers! I've heard they're native to the Sonoran desert so hoping they'll do well here in Mesa.

**nctomatoman** · March 18, 2012

Here is the info so far on the peppers:

Bird - from the Chile Pepper Inst - germinated - data to follow
Birdseye - from Pine Tree - germinated - data to follow
Chiltepin - from Totally Tomatoes - germinated, data to follow
Bird - from John Scheeper - germinated, data to follow
Chiltepin - germination in 6 days, 9% (1 plant from 11 seeds), just transplanted
Black Birds Eye - germination in 6 days, 33% (2 plants from 6 seeds, purple leaf), just transplanted
PI441654 - germination in 5 days, transplanted
Cap. Chacoense - germination in 5 days, transplanted
PI260478 - germination in 13 days, transplanted
Pequin Chiapas - germination in 4 days, 100% (10 plants from 10 seeds), just transplanted
Long Bird - germination in 4 days, 90% (9 plants from 10 seeds), just transplanted
Pequin - germination in 4 days, 73% (8 plants from 11 seeds), just transplanted

roper2008 · March 25, 2012

You should add Wild Brazil to your list. I've heard it taste great. I'm growing
it for the first time this year.

**nctomatoman** · March 25, 2012

Hey all - I updated the list a few posts above this. Everything germinated at least one seedling, and I've now transplanted all except the last four to germinate.

So I will have a mini-comparison of 12 varieties - and will keep you all up to date and post pics as appropriate.

Tracydr · March 25, 2012

Looking forward to your updates. I'm very excited about my chiltepans. They're growing bigger and stronger than any of my other seedlings, only Ancongua is even staying close.
I'm thing about planting some more and putting a group of them somewhere n the yard. They're very ornamental and great for attracting birds and bees.

**nctomatoman** · May 20, 2012

All 12 of the bird/chiltepine/pequin types sent to me are up and growing well - most are ready to go into their final containers, probably today. Really looking forward to see how these grow/compare! Will provide pics when there is something worth looking at.

feldon30 · May 20, 2012

I'm wondering how you are going to do tasting results if one of them is like molten lava, that would tend to put any tasting on hold until the scorch marks on your tongue can heal.

FILMNET · May 20, 2012

I grew Thai Bird peppers last year,I did not darn eat one, But wife took 20 to a store and the women from Thai loves them.

Zana · May 20, 2012

I grew them last year and am growing them again this year. Loved them. Dried allot of the last ones and ground them into a great chili powder.

FILMNET · May 20, 2012

Nice ides Zana i have a few plants this year, i will try to dry them, how do you dry them?

March 13, 2012	#1
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	My unexpected 2012 Bird/Tepin/Chiltepine mini project This is going to turn out to be an interesting little hot-pepper-comparison summer....some of you will remember that when a seedling customer asked me if I carry Bird peppers, I put a post in seed trades/requests to see if anyone had a few. Well, I got more than a few - so am growing the following this season to see how they compare: Bird - from the Chile Pepper Inst (thanks, Michael) Birdseye - from Pine Tree Chiltepin - from Totally Tomatoes Bird - from John Scheeper (these three - thanks to Lurley) Chiltepin Black Birds Eye (these two thanks to austinhanasmom) PI441654 Cap. Chacoense PI260478 Pequin Chiapas (these four thanks to Mark Tutt) Long Bird Pequin (these last two thanks to Joe L) so I will have a small comparison study of 12 Bird type peppers. I will be sure to show pics and provide updates (though not necessarily taste tests!) __________________ Craig

March 15, 2012	#5
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Craig Glad that I could get one of the varieties for you to grow and tell us about! __________________ Michael

March 18, 2012	#7
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Here is the info so far on the peppers: Bird - from the Chile Pepper Inst - germinated - data to follow Birdseye - from Pine Tree - germinated - data to follow Chiltepin - from Totally Tomatoes - germinated, data to follow Bird - from John Scheeper - germinated, data to follow Chiltepin - germination in 6 days, 9% (1 plant from 11 seeds), just transplanted Black Birds Eye - germination in 6 days, 33% (2 plants from 6 seeds, purple leaf), just transplanted PI441654 - germination in 5 days, transplanted Cap. Chacoense - germination in 5 days, transplanted PI260478 - germination in 13 days, transplanted Pequin Chiapas - germination in 4 days, 100% (10 plants from 10 seeds), just transplanted Long Bird - germination in 4 days, 90% (9 plants from 10 seeds), just transplanted Pequin - germination in 4 days, 73% (8 plants from 11 seeds), just transplanted __________________ Craig

March 25, 2012	#9
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Hey all - I updated the list a few posts above this. Everything germinated at least one seedling, and I've now transplanted all except the last four to germinate. So I will have a mini-comparison of 12 varieties - and will keep you all up to date and post pics as appropriate. __________________ Craig

May 20, 2012	#11
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	All 12 of the bird/chiltepine/pequin types sent to me are up and growing well - most are ready to go into their final containers, probably today. Really looking forward to see how these grow/compare! Will provide pics when there is something worth looking at. __________________ Craig

March 13, 2012	#2
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	Looking forward to reading the results and seeing any pics you post, Craig. Zana

March 13, 2012	#3
Boutique Tomatoes Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Northeast Wisconsin, Zone 5a Posts: 1,109	Hope it's a fruitful harvest! Should be interesting to see how the comparison goes. I decided to see how those did for you this year and make more spots in my grow list. You'll have to look for a willing test ~~victim~~ subject. Plenty of guys on the hot pepper forums willing to try anything for the endorphin rush...

March 15, 2012	#4
roper2008 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Virginia Bch, VA (7b) Posts: 1,337	Looking forward to your pepper video's for 2012. My birds eye was pretty darn hot. I made powder with them. It's almost all gone now.

March 16, 2012	#6
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	I'm growing chiltepan. They germinated so fast, compared to any of my other peppers! I've heard they're native to the Sonoran desert so hoping they'll do well here in Mesa.

May 20, 2012	#12
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	I'm wondering how you are going to do tasting results if one of them is like molten lava, that would tend to put any tasting on hold until the scorch marks on your tongue can heal. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

May 20, 2012	#15
FILMNET Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: North Charleston,South Carolina, USA Posts: 1,803	Nice ides Zana i have a few plants this year, i will try to dry them, how do you dry them?