• If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.

breeding Crossing Probability

spicymeatball

spicymeatball

I had a Thai Dragon plant last year that produced like crazy and the peppers made great flakes. This is the first time I am going to grow my own seed. What are the chances they would be crossed? The plant was in my garden with 5 other pepper plants within 2 feet of each other.. so lots of wind and insects.
 
Does anyone have any experience winging it and getting lucky?
 
Most of the time I've been lucky. Had a couple of varieties---Fish and Kung Pao---that didn't grow true last year. I've read that Fish is susceptible to this. I grow plants about 2 ft apart, like you, and I've saved seed and grown from the seed about 4 years. I'd say you've got over 90% chance of success.
 
Some people say they don't have many accidents. Idk.. if you think about it ..look how many people try n make a new cross but are unsuccessful? You also never know what you will get planting op seeds. Would a hybrid be bad if you got one? Those are all things you need to consider along with what they were planted around. That way if it did cross you might be able to figure it out. Now I was told that some of the more stable varieties are harder to cross. Is that true? Idk... So I'm not sure but have planted op seed before and most were fine. There was a couple plants that didn't grow true and tbh I was pissed at first. Then I realized what i had.. Something new and unique! Most of my others grew into what they were supposed to be. So its really up to you.. Lots of people plant op seed and don't look back but there's no way to tell until you get pods.
 
I think the chance is 100% since it's already crossed. If it's the same Thai Dragon I grew, then it's an F1 hybrid.
 
Well that's bad news. They WERE bought  from a  nursery so origin is unknown. I guess I'll just have to buy the plants. But all the Thai type chilies I have bought from this nursery haven't been what I expected. Upright/pendant, big pod/small pod. etc. So it doesn't look like im getting what I want this year.
 
Did they look like this:
 
12961993773_c761e6f48f_h.jpg
 
First off, I just want to say that's a beautiful plant
 
secondly, I've always been under the assumption that capsicums are the sexual deviants of the plant world and will cross even 100 yards from one another.  When I save seeds that I want to grow true I always isolate the flower, no matter what kind of plant (unless it has separate male and female flowers like melons and cukes).  I've got a tomato strain I've kept going for 5 years now and panty hose  works like a charm, I've never had an F1 from them.
 
I have planted many many OP seeds over the past few years.  Of those, I would estimate around 5-10% of them were actually crosses, which seems like fairly good odds.  Sometimes it can be a bummer to get a cross, but other times an adventure, just depends on your perspective :).
 
Have fun with your grow, however the outcome!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top