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If you need help identifying a pepper, disease, or plant issue, please post in Identification.
When and how far?
- Thread starter Boarider
- Start date
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Posted distances vary widely.... But to better answer your question, read the whole article this quote comes from:
Hot peppers as a rule of thumb may require approximately four times as much isolation distance as do sweet bell peppers. Flowers of hot peppers have style and stigma (female reproductive structures) which protrude further beyond the anther cone (male reproductive structure). This situation is called stigma exsertion, and whenever the stigma is exserted, the flower is more likely to be cross-pollinated.
..YMMV
NECM
Posted distances vary widely.... But to better answer your question, read the whole article this quote comes from:
Hot peppers as a rule of thumb may require approximately four times as much isolation distance as do sweet bell peppers. Flowers of hot peppers have style and stigma (female reproductive structures) which protrude further beyond the anther cone (male reproductive structure). This situation is called stigma exsertion, and whenever the stigma is exserted, the flower is more likely to be cross-pollinated.
..YMMV
NECM
Bees fly, yo. I have an apple tree here that is not self-fertile, and yet it gets apples most years. This is due to pollinators traveling a good distance from whatever other apple tree is somewhere in the neighborhood or further, and then to mine. I agree with AndyW, it's best to cover the plant instead of banking on adequate distance.
How many seeds are you needing? You could always isolate individual flowers instead of the whole plant.
How many seeds are you needing? You could always isolate individual flowers instead of the whole plant.
Isolating via distance works if the distance is great and you randomize seeds, but that is mainly for the big boy seed growers. Folk who plant an acre of a single crop in one location and then another in another location will experience some cross pollination, but then they randomize seeds in such a quantity that the chances of a single customer getting more than one bad seed is low. That and many of the cross pollinated seeds are not viable so the grower never notices
Smaller growers and hobby folk need barrier protection. Its so easy for small time growers to isolate, that i have no idea why seed savers do not all isolate. Gluing flowers shut does work, but you can do half a plant with a single five gallon paint strainer bag from Lowes.
Smaller growers and hobby folk need barrier protection. Its so easy for small time growers to isolate, that i have no idea why seed savers do not all isolate. Gluing flowers shut does work, but you can do half a plant with a single five gallon paint strainer bag from Lowes.
As a small "home" grower, I'm not interested in saving tons of seed, but to save smaller quantities, I have successfully used the organza bags they sell for wedding favors. The bags come in a variety of sizes and have drawstrings, so they're really easy to secure. Just tie it securely around the branch right before the blossom opens. If you get the white ones, you can use a Sharpie and write the date and variety you're saving right on the the bag. When you're ready to harvest, just clip the pepper, tie off the drawstring and leave the pepper in the bag to dry, if you're drying. There's a built-in loop for hanging, too. 
All the craft stores sell them and there are online sites that sell bulk quantities.
All the craft stores sell them and there are online sites that sell bulk quantities.