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Is it just me or... (C. pubescens)

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UltraZelda64

I have a Rocoto Red plant--it's one of my potted ones. It's done great just like all my other potted peppers, just booming with growth ever since I had it. Flowers galore, gazillions of them. BUT--only a single pepper is on the plant. The flowers open, but then the entire stem holding the flower weakens and falls off the plant. Another small pepper was on it a while back, but it was aborted by the plant (poor pollination?).

I also noticed some bugs (which I never did get to catch in the act) have been enjoying a couple target leaves as well; it got on my nerves to the point where I bought some Sevin to poison the bastards and sprayed on the plant, but ended up having to remove the eaten leaves to stop the continuous eating. After removing the leaves, the eating seemed to have stopped (they seemed to be targeting the damaged leaves). Not sure why the Rocoto seemed to be their favorite.

Just yesterday, I noticed one potential flower fall off normally, signaling a possible second pepper coming. I hope, because I'd like to try at least ONE of these peppers... it's already August! Ironically... this was a little bit after I decided to try and pollinate the flowers myself. So now I'm really starting to think that this plant (species?) has pollination problems.

Does anyone else have pollination issues with Rocotos? At first I was thinking it was too much light or heat. But now I'm wondering. I have absolutely no problem with any of my other plants; they all pollinate successfully and at good rates. It's rare that a bud drops off of most of my plants. Are Rocotos just a PITA... or do I have a weird one? Any tips for successful pollination if that is the problem and something needs to be done?
 
UltraZelda64 said:
I have a Rocoto Red plant--it's one of my potted ones. It's done great just like all my other potted peppers, just booming with growth ever since I had it. Flowers galore, gazillions of them. BUT--only a single pepper is on the plant. The flowers open, but then the entire stem holding the flower weakens and falls off the plant. Another small pepper was on it a while back, but it was aborted by the plant (poor pollination?).

I also noticed some bugs (which I never did get to catch in the act) have been enjoying a couple target leaves as well; it got on my nerves to the point where I bought some Sevin to poison the bastards and sprayed on the plant, but ended up having to remove the eaten leaves to stop the continuous eating. After removing the leaves, the eating seemed to have stopped (they seemed to be targeting the damaged leaves). Not sure why the Rocoto seemed to be their favorite.

Just yesterday, I noticed one potential flower fall off normally, signaling a possible second pepper coming. I hope, because I'd like to try at least ONE of these peppers... it's already August! Ironically... this was a little bit after I decided to try and pollinate the flowers myself. So now I'm really starting to think that this plant (species?) has pollination problems.

Does anyone else have pollination issues with Rocotos? At first I was thinking it was too much light or heat. But now I'm wondering. I have absolutely no problem with any of my other plants; they all pollinate successfully and at good rates. It's rare that a bud drops off of most of my plants. Are Rocotos just a PITA... or do I have a weird one? Any tips for successful pollination if that is the problem and something needs to be done?
Click to expand...

Yes, my manzano has been blooming all summer, but no pods at all. Think its definitely a pollination issue!
 
I dont think its a pollination issue. These are specifically cooler weather plants that cannot produce in the heat we have been having here in the states. Once the weather cools down a bit you will see your pubescence fruiting like crazy.
 
I have mine in partial shade and it loves it - I have about 5 pods on it that are the size of an apple - I've heard of watering with some epsome salt to slow the rate of blossom drop - Ive found they dont like to much heat/light and cooler temps like what was said above
 
I have 2 red rocoto plants since last year (i've overwintered them), and i can second that they are capricious... ^^

Like what ppl said before, they prefer cool temperatures to warm ones.
My rocotos just stop growing and flowering when it's too hot (but flowers fall before opening, not like for you). Then they start again at the end of the summer (well, this year we have far cooler temperature as usual, and they seem to begin to grow again now, at least one of them).
They are in partial shade, specially one under a little palm tree which seems to love it.
And i may say that they liked the cold we had in may (night temperatures around 5°C).

I don't have pollination problems, a kind of little bee loves pepper nectar and is always in the pepper flowers. ^^
(pics in my growlog)

But when they were overwintered, they began to flower maybe around february, and even when trying to pollinate the flowers with a brush, the flowers were falling like it seems to happen to you. I don't know why, maybe they were not liking to be behind the window (lack of light ?)

In fact they flower and set fruits in spring before june and then after mid august, which makes an harvest now and the other in november/december. lol
For a good harvest in summer, it seems like it's better to overwinter them or maybe start them really early to already have a little bush in april.
 
millworkman said:
I dont think its a pollination issue. These are specifically cooler weather plants that cannot produce in the heat we have been having here in the states. Once the weather cools down a bit you will see your pubescence fruiting like crazy.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I read that these plants aren't too crazy about hot weather, but no specific temp ranges. Now that I think about it, it was probably cooler when the pepper that's on it formed. But it had plenty of time, I thought, of cool weather before it heated up--especially at night. The plant basically gets all morning sun and shade the rest of the day.
 
ask brito what he does with his pubescens plants coz for some reason they thrive in brazil which has 40+ C heat. =D
 
franzb69 said:
ask brito what he does with his pubescens plants coz for some reason they thrive in brazil which has 40+ C heat. =D
Click to expand...
Heh... what's sad is that so far, the temps here haven't even been that high. It's been 90-95 several times, but seems to hover more around the mid-to-high 80s... which I really didn't think would be too extreme for the Rocoto.
 
what's the elevation in your area? maybe it's the elevation. i live in a pretty low area. 21 feet above the sea so i'm not sure these things'll thrive in my environment. =(

i got a few pube varieties myself.
 
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