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chinense Capsicum chinense, cool nights, and poor pollination/fruit-set

I live in coastal Vancouver Island, Latitude 50° North. I grew Bhut Jolokia last summer (3 plants), and harvested but a single ripe pod. Our maritime climate caused the night temperatures to fall below 65°F / 18°C every night that season except for 1 week in late July/early August. That's when fruit-set occurred.
I'm pretty sure that calcium was in adequate supply, and saw no indications that any other nutrients were scarce.

I understand that Capsicums annuum, baccatum and pubescens can set fruit at these night-time temperatures, but i need to grow C. chinense. I do not have to grow superhots (which, as a group, seem to be fussier than other chinense strains).

Unfortunately, i will not be able to build a greenhouse, cold-frame or solarium for this. The plants have to be outside for the summer.

I suspect that strains from higher elevations in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile or Peru may have developed in a similar climate: low-Latitude, high-altitude climates often weirdly mimic mid-Latitude maritime climates -- mild winters with cool summers, much like mine.

It's also possible that C. chinense strains grown on other continents -- for example, the Safi Scotch Bonnet from Morocco -- may have adapted to conditions different than those found in C. chinense's natural range in South America. I tried researching the Moroccan connection, but i was unable to find out WHERE in Morocco it is grown. I hiit the same obstacle for the Turkiye Yikdizi pepper of Turkey.
Fatalii and Datil peppers are grown in climates about as warm as the natural habitat of C. chinense -- "out of the frying pan, and into the fire", so to speak.

The proprietor of Pepperlover.com informs me that MoA Scotch Bonnets have a bit of an advantage, so they're going on my shopping list -- if Judy recommends it, it's obviously a step in the right direction!

Can anyone recommend any other varieties?

EDIT: I have just received an email from Peter, of Semillas Seeds. He recommends Peruvian chinenses, except for the berry-shaped forms (which are from the Amazonas region). The latter require warmer temperatures or a longer growing season.
 
Give a try to Naga Morich, very close to Bhut but totally different beast vigor-wise (i found it more cold tolerant). Also if you've collected seeds from your single pod, sow them and repeat year after year with new harvested seeds. Ideally you should grow many plants and select pods/seeds from the best performers. You'll end up with a bhut totally adapted to your climate (lots of seasons and patience needed).
I'm doing the same with a chinense and already see improvements after three generations.

Good luck

Datil
 
Thanks. I saved the seeds. That plant was noticeably different from the others.

The information about the Naga Morich is also very encouraging.

Which strain of chinense are you working with?
 
Is it season length or temps? Have you considered the "Limon" recommended to me by another user on this forum. I haven't had a chance to grow it yet but supposedly it has a very short dtm.
 
It's definitely a temperature issue... i read the thread you started with fascination, and appreciated the answer that Harry gave you. Our climate offers about 4 months of outdoor growing season for peppers. Before June, and after September, the cold rain will arrest all development of chinenses and turn annuums into putrescent sludge (they are less resistant to Botrytis and other cold/wet season fungal diseases).

The problem seems to be this: below 65°F/18°C (approximately), my Bhuts' flowers cannot pollinate successfully. Either the flowers have been rendered sterile, or the pollen grain has been killed. A couple of university-level papers i Googled and struggled to comprehend seem to support this, although the exact critical temperature varies from study to study.
Since university folk tend to be exacting about things like precise temperatures, it was likely that they used different strains of chinense, and thus produced different results.

The Bhuts grew nicely enough for me, and flowered prodigiously. The one fruit that set didn't take long to ripen either.

Limon is a Peruvian strain, as recommended by Peter (Semillas Seeds' proprietor), and a good suggestion. Thank you.
 
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