Hey everyone,
Sending cheers from sunny Spain!
I am currently growing 2 Pockmark Orange and one Carolina Reaper (?) pepper plants and one Genovese basil on my balcony. I bought the healthiest-looking hot pepper plant from a local selection at Fitoralia. I chose this variety because of the interesting "chemovar" description I read online.
I intentionally cut the top of the main plant to encourage it to bush out and to stress it slightly. I was happy to see that the cutting successfully grew healthy roots after about two weeks in water. With the addition of some mycorrhizae, all of the Pockmark plants have been doing well so far.
Initially, I picked the flowers off the main pepper plant. Unfortunately, we then had a heatwave, and some of the blossoms didn't survive. It's also possible my roommate might have missed a watering, which caused the plant to lose some flowers. However, it perked up after some extra care, and I'm now seeing some small fruits beginning to grow. I'm also starting to see the first flower buds on the younger plant.
As a bonus, I found a seedling in the soil of the plant I bought. As it has grown, the leaves have started to resemble a Trinidad Scorpion or Carolina Reaper. I remember seeing similar plants with a "Carolina Reaper" label next to the Pockmarks where I bought them, so I suspect it might be one of those. This plant has a distinctly different structure; the leaves are thicker and rounder, making it look more like a tropical plant, whereas the Pockmark has a more "Asian" appearance. I topped this seedling after replanting, and it's growing a nice amount of green foliage and seems to be enjoying the conditions. It has three main stems and one smaller one. I'm gently training the leaves to allow more light to reach the smaller cutting. I won't be picking the flowers or topping this plant, as it already feels quite dense.
I'm curious to see if I will need supplemental side lighting to fully ripen the fruits.
I really enjoy how different the plants are so far. I'm growing the two main ones in an 8-10 liter coconut-perlite substrate that I previously used for other plants. White pots probably would have been a better choice for the heat, but I hope the plants will appreciate the extra air and drainage from this mix.
I'm definitely unhappy about breaking my main camera, so please excuse the quality of the pictures. I hope to shoot and share some close-ups in the future.
I'm looking forward to getting some fruits, and saving and sharing some seeds. I have good memories from other plant communities, so thank you for having me!
Sending cheers from sunny Spain!
I am currently growing 2 Pockmark Orange and one Carolina Reaper (?) pepper plants and one Genovese basil on my balcony. I bought the healthiest-looking hot pepper plant from a local selection at Fitoralia. I chose this variety because of the interesting "chemovar" description I read online.
I intentionally cut the top of the main plant to encourage it to bush out and to stress it slightly. I was happy to see that the cutting successfully grew healthy roots after about two weeks in water. With the addition of some mycorrhizae, all of the Pockmark plants have been doing well so far.
Initially, I picked the flowers off the main pepper plant. Unfortunately, we then had a heatwave, and some of the blossoms didn't survive. It's also possible my roommate might have missed a watering, which caused the plant to lose some flowers. However, it perked up after some extra care, and I'm now seeing some small fruits beginning to grow. I'm also starting to see the first flower buds on the younger plant.
As a bonus, I found a seedling in the soil of the plant I bought. As it has grown, the leaves have started to resemble a Trinidad Scorpion or Carolina Reaper. I remember seeing similar plants with a "Carolina Reaper" label next to the Pockmarks where I bought them, so I suspect it might be one of those. This plant has a distinctly different structure; the leaves are thicker and rounder, making it look more like a tropical plant, whereas the Pockmark has a more "Asian" appearance. I topped this seedling after replanting, and it's growing a nice amount of green foliage and seems to be enjoying the conditions. It has three main stems and one smaller one. I'm gently training the leaves to allow more light to reach the smaller cutting. I won't be picking the flowers or topping this plant, as it already feels quite dense.
I'm curious to see if I will need supplemental side lighting to fully ripen the fruits.
I really enjoy how different the plants are so far. I'm growing the two main ones in an 8-10 liter coconut-perlite substrate that I previously used for other plants. White pots probably would have been a better choice for the heat, but I hope the plants will appreciate the extra air and drainage from this mix.
I'm definitely unhappy about breaking my main camera, so please excuse the quality of the pictures. I hope to shoot and share some close-ups in the future.
I'm looking forward to getting some fruits, and saving and sharing some seeds. I have good memories from other plant communities, so thank you for having me!
