glog 1st time Growing Zimbabwe Bird🌶️

I've started a few seeds, I got from Amazon.

I've seen some call Zimbabwe
Anuum and some people say they are
fructescens
That doesn't matter too much.
I'm going to try to grow them up to fruit and save seeds for sharing and collecting pollen for breeding.
Also I want to hear from people that have grown Zimbabwe Bird Peppers. Any advice on growing these is much appreciated.
Maybe help confirm that I have an actual Zim .
Because I got the seeds from Amazon


Here's my 2 babies

I might need help growing them
I will be posting pics of the grow process.
Thanks

 

[HerbCasa]

GOOD SHOW
@Englander



Alright Update:

The Zims have been lounging in the shade and the leaves are bigger now. I'm throwing them back into the sunshine

I still haven't gotten any flowers yet

They are getting taller though

​

 

[HerbCasa]

There They R​

The time has come.

WOW, finally
​

 

[HerbCasa]

Blooming Begins​

Even though...
The plant is not liking the full sun

 

[Englander]

Hi Guy's

My Zim this morning finally getting chillies it's brother's and sisters that are in my friends houses are doing much better than mine that's been out in the greenhouse for months now..........

I'm going to assume they like a constant temperature or rather they don't like the night /day temperature fluctuations I get in my greenhouse.

As the house Zims have produced 20 to 30 chillies already

At last my first fruit on my Zim and a gazillion flowers

I wonder how big it will get ........

 

[Englander]

Hi Guy's

Here's two of my Zimbabwe birds siblings from the same packet of seeds that I gave away.

The small one is still in a 1 litre pot and not been fed and must have been existing on the original blood and bone meal. I have it for 2 weeks while he's on holiday abroad, I shall spoil it with some organic liquid chilli feed But it's still pretty impressive given the pot size.

The bigger plant has been Potted up twice now in 3 litre I believe and looking much fuller both live on window legdes in friends houses.

My friend has tried one straight off the plant........ a real punch he said caught him off guard for its size he said.....I've seen him eat Scotch bonnet raw so I respect his first review.

Goes to show a slightly larger pot and a bit of feed makes a big difference but both show the Zimbabwe bird has potential for a house chilli with a good kick

 

[HerbCasa]

Those peppers have tags similar to the peppers that I have in my breeding project.

breeding-crossing Post in thread 'Gorilla Chili Pepper Breeding Project'

Apr 9, 2025

Here's another "look"

Would you?
look at that!

• HerbCasa

• 

Here's the latest photos of the peppers on the plants

ZIMBABWE

And some new buds on the way

 

[Englander]

Hi Guy's

Quick update on my Zim and it's sibling that I gave away that I'm looking after whiles he's on holiday.

Wee Paco still in the 5" pot I gave it to my mate in ! I've been watering it with chilli focus organic liquid fertiliser.

Nite the small ripe pod's.........and open tree like shape ..........

My Zim in 5 litre kratky hydroponics no ripe pids yet I reckon because it's still busy growing the leaves, flower's and green chillies.

How many pod's

The pod size is much better

Stephen

 

[HerbCasa]

Nice pods!

 

[HerbCasa]

The pods are showing some color

I like peppers

 

[Englander]

Hi Guy's

This morning I took my mate Dougies Zimbabwe bird chilli plant to work for him to pick up.

I took the opportunity to take a photo this of his in 5" pot and mine in 5 litre hydroponics also noticed two pod's "just" stating to turn red

Told Dougie to remove all the Red pod's to induce more flowers and pod's

Quick question ..........do these bird pod's "twist" off when ripe ? Or should you snip them ?

 

[growyourown]

i had "malawi bird" last year and when ripe they literally came off (separate from calyxes) with only the gentlest pull (not even requiring twisting). this is what's known as having "deciduous" pods.

no idea if it's the same family as zimbabwe though, as the malawi berries were round or slight ovals, not nearly as elongated/"pointed" as those on yours.

did you give it a try?

 

[Englander]

No not yet the red Pods are on Dougies plant..... it's up to him

Today I've just noticed the first two pod's on mine "just" stating go go red .........

 

[Englander]

Hi Guy's


Just got a photo of another of the Zims i gave away this one "Miguel" it belongs to Wee Alan not really a plant guy but he's loving the Zim

His favourite chilli I've ever given him he says it lives in the kitchen but goes outside in the afternoons if the weathers good .....today it's been 29 oC / 84 oF outside !

 

[HerbCasa]

Thanks for sharing the beautiful pepper plants

His favourite chilli I've ever given him

They might become my favorite too

The excitement continues....​

​

 

[HerbCasa]

ZIMBABWE peppers PODS​

They are not bad tasting.
They have good amount of heat.
Juicy Fruits! make for long lasting heat that spreads.
These are great for eating fresh and I can see them being useful for cooking.
Can't wait to grow more.

 

[Englander]

Hi Guy's

Having figured out that my Zim will not grow ridiculously large in kratky I decided to move it to a 20 litre container.

I've plenty of red pod's but I haven't harvested any yet ! To be honest it's quite difficult to get to them through the massive tangle of leaves and branches !! It does seem to love hydroponics

I'll need to have a good look and perhaps start harvesting some, although apparently they will dry if left on the plant ??

My little Zim in its new home a 20 litre kratky bucket it's difficult to see thevripe fruit through the mass of branches.......but they are there.

See told you

 

[HerbCasa]

Nice pepper production @Englander
They look like they are packing the peppers on.

After trying the first pod, I liked the heat and flavor.

So, sowing the seeds A.S.A.P.
They then , germinated
.. soon after

...now, We R

Round 2​

As they Adapt to my grow conditions

Keep 'em going

 

[Englander]

Hi Guy's / Herb

Thank you for letting me share your post gentleman sir

Confession time .......... Would you believe it I've managed to kill my Kratky hydroponic Zim ! don't ask me how ! ?

However ive harvested and dried a load of pod's and am about to make :

"Molho de piri piri sauce"

recipe I saved a while back from some where on this forum I believe a chap from South Africa put it up some where.......?

As you know I gave away a bunch of seedlings and noticed that all the" house Zims" seem to love the constant temperature unlike my greenhouse Zim I gave one to my wife's friend hers in in soil but in a greenhouse and too has been slower than the House Zims........

When I realised i killed mine .... I split a pod a sowed fresh seed straight away ! Currently I have 6 or 7 germinated and expected more each day

Not only that I've another half dozen friends who are begging me for Zims too after hearing how good they are.

I'm planning on keeping my new Zim as a house chilli not decided wether soil of Kratky yet .......

Here's some recent pics of my Zims I gave away ........

My wife's friend greenhouse Zim in soil 5 litres I think ........

Her first crop she delighted !

And my mate Dougie who's kept his in a very small pot says he's on his third crop and it's the best chilli I've ever given him ! A sentiment echoed by everyone I gave a Zim to A truely wonderful and punchy little chilli

Dougies little Zim "Paco " a house chilli but Dougie puts him out in the Sun when ever possible

 

[Englander]

Hi Guy's

Paco Dougies wee Zim bird in a very small pot a litre i think ! He's absolutely delighted with it "the most productive house chilli I've ever given him " he keeps saying "it just keeps flowing and producing " He using the same organic liquid chilli feed I use on my soil plants. He really excited when I told him apparently they over winter very well

As you know I managed to kill my Kratky Zim took my eye off the ball juggling too manythings at once ! How ever I managed today harvest enough fruit and currently have a piri piri recipe fermenting small Incredible

My wife's friends Zim is in a 3 litre pot in a greenhouse she's delighted with it too but I noticed like mine it didn't like the highs and lows of the temperature's we get in our greenhouses. Not sure if she's going to over winter it..........if not I can have it back

Currently on a window sil I have 10 baby Zims all sown the same day at the end of July and left to germinate on the window no heat mat....as you can see great variation in germination times

I know your saying there's only 9 .......... but a day or two after I took this a second seedling shot up out of nowhere !

 

[Englander]

Hi Guy's

Wee update on my 10 baby Zims...........

First........ one of ten ( sound's like something out of space trek) this is the specimen I'm keeping for my self Potted up yesterday from 7cm pot to this on.

All are being fed liquid organic fertiliser Chilli focus.

Here's the rest of the ten ........all sown on the same day..........currently all in 7cm pots I'm giving them all away to friends/family/colleagues who have expressed interest after seeing and hearing how happy the first batch are doing

Getting excited my Zimbabwe bird fermented Piri piri sauce will be a month old on Thursday going to blend/ strain and bottle it Thursday/Friday