Experiment Pepper

jmsieglaff · October 25, 2014

I've posted in a couple threads about an experiment pepper I grew this year. It started last December when I tossed a seed from a store bought sweet yummy pepper (those red, orange, yellow small peppers) into a potted plant in our kitchen. It sprouted so I grew it. I decided to try pinching the plant to see how that would work--that was a good choice and I think I'll try that with all my pepper this year (and starting them early). The first flush of peppers set and they ended up being medium sized bright orange blocky very thick walled bells--some of the best bells I've grown or eaten. That showed me the peppers I got at the store were hybrids. The first flush fruit--all ripened in July were completely seedless--not a single seed on 15-20 peppers. Then a second set of fruit set and those have ripened in very late September and October. Most of the second wave of fruits were also seedless, although from about 20 peppers I've harvested maybe 15 seeds--most of those were 2-4 seeds in a few peppers.

So my question, what do you think is going on? Male sterile gene and these 15 or so seeds represent foreign pepper pollen that was delivered via insects? (That even assumes I understand how the male sterile gene works). With the first wave of fruits I thought it was maybe just fruit setting in cool temps--but the second wave set in the middle of summer. Any ideas?

October 25, 2014	#1
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	Experiment Pepper I've posted in a couple threads about an experiment pepper I grew this year. It started last December when I tossed a seed from a store bought sweet yummy pepper (those red, orange, yellow small peppers) into a potted plant in our kitchen. It sprouted so I grew it. I decided to try pinching the plant to see how that would work--that was a good choice and I think I'll try that with all my pepper this year (and starting them early). The first flush of peppers set and they ended up being medium sized bright orange blocky very thick walled bells--some of the best bells I've grown or eaten. That showed me the peppers I got at the store were hybrids. The first flush fruit--all ripened in July were completely seedless--not a single seed on 15-20 peppers. Then a second set of fruit set and those have ripened in very late September and October. Most of the second wave of fruits were also seedless, although from about 20 peppers I've harvested maybe 15 seeds--most of those were 2-4 seeds in a few peppers. So my question, what do you think is going on? Male sterile gene and these 15 or so seeds represent foreign pepper pollen that was delivered via insects? (That even assumes I understand how the male sterile gene works). With the first wave of fruits I thought it was maybe just fruit setting in cool temps--but the second wave set in the middle of summer. Any ideas?