Need Help Identifying These Peppers

ultravista · Feb 8, 2015

I have two very similar pepper plants, plants that I started from seed last year, and I don't know what they are.

One is compact with small leaves (first picture), the other is not as compact with larger leaves (second picture).

The compact plant has smaller peppers compared to the other.

Both produce yellow to red peppers and both grow upright.

Could these perhaps be Tabasco?

ThePepperTrent · Feb 8, 2015

Sure looks like Tabasco to me

ultravista · Feb 8, 2015

Both are very similar but appear to be different plants. The smaller more compact plant has tiny leaves and is 'bushy' while other has what I would call 'normal' pepper leaves.

If Tabasco, why would the leaves and plant be so dissimilar.

ThePepperTrent · Feb 8, 2015

Not entirely sure. Here is a picture I found on bonnie plants...

ultravista · Feb 9, 2015

They sure do look like Tabasco.

It was a mixed bag of peppers from 2004.

ThePepperTrent · Feb 9, 2015

Did it have anything saying what the mix included?

ultravista · Feb 9, 2015

No, this was my own mixed bag of dried peppers. It's been a while but I do recall growing Tabasco 10 years ago.

ThePepperTrent · Feb 9, 2015

Very well could be. IDK why the top one seems to have smaller pods though. I guess each one plant will grow different than the next.

TrentL · Feb 10, 2015

The Other Trent;

Just like plants in the dirt, potted plants will have varying pod size based on available nutes and water. Generally speaking the larger the pot, the bigger the pods get.

I grew the same variety of pepper in 4 different sized pots and a bunch more in the dirt last year (reapers, specifically) and had pods range from tiny little things (ones I left in the 5" pots) to large (in the bigger 19" pots) to huge (in the dirt.)

Now, even in the same sized pots, pod size can vary - depends on how rootbound it gets and how much it is fighting for nutrients, and what available nutrients there are.

When they are young, you want them to grow strong roots - I use more phosphorous in the fertilizer mix (8-12-6) ... then when they start growing fast (3-4 months old), I hit them with more nitrogen (12-6-6 or similar) to get them to grow big .. when they flower and start setting fruit I switch it up because they'll be screaming for potassium, the upward growth slows and I want the roots to stay strong and healthy because while they're fruiting up they'll be under really heavy nutrient draw (8-12-12).

willard3 · Feb 10, 2015

This should be posted in "Pepper ID"