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breeding Preventing cross-pollination of hot peppers using isolation techniques

Reaper93

Reaper93

Hey All,
 
So I'm wondering how to prevent cross pollination between different strains of hot peppers to save seeds.
 
Main question - if you use wedding favor bags to isolate specific flowers on a hot pepper plant, do you still need to maintain a 300ft distance between varieties? As I understand it, the bags are meant to prevent insects such as bees from landing on those flowers and crossing the peppers. But, if the plants are side-by-side, i'm assuming the plants would still cross pollinate regardless of the bags isolating the flowers.
 
Is this correct? If so, are there methods of preventing cross pollination while still having the plants near each other? I don't have a lot of space and will be growing about 8 different varieties. 20-30ft is the max distance I can have between plants. Would like to save seeds at harvest of the original strains. 
 
I'll be growing Carolina Reapers, Ghost Peppers, 7 Pot Peppers, Habaneros, Chocolate Bhutlahs, and a few milder varieties. All from Puckerbutt  ;)
 
Thanks for any info.
 
-Luke
 
Thanks for the reply. That's interesting to me, I just assumed the pollen would leak through the bags since they appear to have small holes. I suppose I was wrong. Is that what most people use for isolating? Those wedding favor bags?
 
Welcome to THP Luke.  I've never read that peppers are know for wind pollination, so the wedding bags should work just fine.  Another way, is gluing the flowers shut with Elmer's glue.
 
As Masher said, you should be fine. 
 
Best of luck with your growing.
 
Sawyer said:
You might find this article by Bosland interesting for background information:

https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/28/10/article-p1053.xml
Click to expand...
 
Good stuff Sawyer. I ordered a bolt of Tulle which arrived recently and I'm working on something similar to that pictured for 1 and 2 plant isolations.  Trying for a simple, mobile, and easy to store OW solution.
 
More on topic now.  Most peppers self-pollinate at the flower level and can be pollinated even before they open. When they open without viable pollen or with the stigma unreceptive, cross-pollination becomes a significant issue.  If viable pollen isn't available in the same flower at the time a receptive stigma is exposed, insects will become your #1 concern.  Similarly, if the stigma becomes receptive after opening, insects can access the flower and introduce foreign pollen prior to a substantially complete pollination. If you can keep the insects away until after pollination in these situations, you should be in great shape. Netting will do a good job of this. 
 
Wind can certainly cause pollination by transporting the pollen, but it is well down the list.  Spacing netted plants at greater distances will progressively decrease the odds of hybridization by wind, even when the plants are fairly close, but the odds are already strongly in your favor.
 
Orekoc said:
Welcome to THP Luke.  I've never read that peppers are know for wind pollination, so the wedding bags should work just fine.  Another way, is gluing the flowers shut with Elmer's glue.
 
As Masher said, you should be fine. 
 
Best of luck with your growing.
Click to expand...
 

Where is a good place to get those wedding bags?
At what time should the flower be glued?
 
Hucklebuck said:
 
Where is a good place to get those wedding bags?
At what time should the flower be glued?
Click to expand...
 
I got my bags at a nearby dollar store. Check anywhere that they sell party supplies. Walmart or Micheals might have them, too, though I didn't have to look. 
 
If they don't have bags, they'll definitely have glue. ;) I've never tried it, but I googled around and found this article: https://growingfoodsavingseeds.blogspot.com/2016/06/gluing-chilli-flowers-way-to-save-pure.html
 
Maybe I'll try that this year. 
 
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