2011 Chinense problems

[RedtailForester]

Howdy all. This has been one of the most challenging seasons I've ever experienced in the northeast U.S. We had torrential downpour rains in the spring which delayed my plant out. We just went through a severe lack of rain since June and are just now getting some much needed rain.

Most of my other species are doing well but for some reason, my Chinense (particularly the "superhots") aren't producing any pods. I've got huge plants loaded with blossoms, but very few pods on some to absolutely no pods at all on others. This is definitely a first for me.

Any suggestions or opinions?

 

[woody3says]

Hard year on all. Super hot and dry around here and having the same issue. This summer is just going to be a write off the way I see it. Hopefully fall will be closer to "normal" so we can all have some poddage!

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Howdy all. This has been one of the most challenging seasons I've ever experienced in the northeast U.S. We had torrential downpour rains in the spring which delayed my plant out. We just went through a severe lack of rain since June and are just now getting some much needed rain.

Most of my other species are doing well but for some reason, my Chinense (particularly the "superhots") aren't producing any pods. I've got huge plants loaded with blossoms, but very few pods on some to absolutely no pods at all on others. This is definitely a first for me.

Any suggestions or opinions?

Well, I can tell you that some growers seem to think the heat is making your blossoms abort. Im sure I live in a HOTTER region than most of the growers on here and I NEVER have a problem getting fruit set throughout the entire summer! It hits nearly 100F most days and weeks here, and my plants go NUTS when it starts baking! Basically Im saying "dont believe everything you hear". All you guys experiencing flower drop or lack of fruit set, there is DEFINITELY something else going on. The reason I can't tell ya what it is, is because Im not there with you and your plants. I don't have these problems so I have never been able to diagnose the symptoms before. My best guess is something in or NOT in your soil.

 

[Vultture]

I have had similar results with my Buht's..but all others have had magnificent pod set.
here is a link to a thread that talks about pruning to encourage flowering and pod set...
I'm going to try it on my buht's when I get home...

http://www.thehotpepper.com/topic/21375-selective-pruning-to-increase-crop-experiment-wpics/


V

 

[thaichillihead]

The C chinenses love humid summers. They do well for me in full sun all day, weathered droughts and thunderstorms. The only thing is the plants are slow to mature compared to other Capsicums. I say give them more time and wait it out. Next year, you should sow early or overwinter them.

 

[capsidadburn]

RedTail, I believe that is typical of the heat. I have a couple annuums that don't mind it but not much else until mid September when the heat usually breaks. This is well noted by many growers here in central Texas. Prior to the heat I have good production but only growth from June thru August.

Good luck with your season Mike

 

[Pepper-Guru]

RedTail, I believe that is typical of the heat. I have a couple annuums that don't mind it but not much else until mid September when the heat usually breaks. This is well noted by many growers here in central Texas. Prior to the heat I have good production but only growth from June thru August.

Good luck with your season Mike

Guess I just need to get 108F to figure it out...lol

 

[capsidadburn]

I would be happy to have your forcasted high of 90 today along with 50% chance of rain and a yearly rainfall total on par with you 30 year average of 46 inches of rain!

RTF please excuse my keyboard rant.

Mike

 

[Pepper-Guru]

I would be happy to have your forcasted high of 90 today along with 50% chance of rain and a yearly rainfall total on par with you 30 year average of 46 inches of rain!

RTF please excuse my keyboard rant.

Mike

Its 97F right now on the garden thermometer and 65% humidity on the hygrometer Whats your temps near your plants?

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Its 97F right now on the garden thermometer and 65% humidity on the hygrometer Whats your temps near your plants? I know RTF's have been in the 70's

 

[RedtailForester]

The C chinenses love humid summers. They do well for me in full sun all day, weathered droughts and thunderstorms. The only thing is the plants are slow to mature compared to other Capsicums. I say give them more time and wait it out. Next year, you should sow early or overwinter them.

I may try to overwinter some this year. Otherwise, I started these plants around February this year. Maybe not early enough...

 

[capsidadburn]

Up in the plant conopy of a shadescreened raised bed it's around 95-105. At the mulch it is much hotter. I seen temps as high as 173 F this year on the mulch. 135-155 F is normal on the mulch in my containers, using Extech lazer thermometer which reads 94 when place over my arm. I used thermal probes in my containers and they are 95 near the top and 90 at the bottom of a standard #5 pot. Last year I had cypress lighter color mulch. This year I am trying pine bark which is a mix of black red and light color.
One week ago.

Last year container at mulch

Last year side of container

Internal

 

[Dshlogg]

I cover my black containers with aluminium foil. It really seems to help lower the soil temp.

Our temps aren't nearly as high as yours but the day before yesterday was in the mid 90s with a crazy 97 percent humidity.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Up in the plant conopy of a shadescreened raised bed it's around 95-105. At the mulch it is much hotter. I seen temps as high as 173 F this year on the mulch. 135-155 F is normal on the mulch in my containers, using Extech lazer thermometer which reads 94 when place over my arm. I used thermal probes in my containers and they are 95 near the top and 90 at the bottom of a standard #5 pot. Last year I had cypress lighter color mulch. This year I am trying pine bark which is a mix of black red and light color.
One week ago.

Last year container at mulch

Last year side of container

Internal

Wow...you're cookin! Look at those leaves! Water them babies!

 

[Jetchuka]

RedTail you are describing my experience this year almost to a T here in northern new jersey Zone 6b.

Though from the sound of it i may have a few more chinense pods than you. My most prolific are the scotch bonnets, some fatali's, and some other i can't think of. However most of my habs, bhuts, tobaggo seasoning, trinidad perfumes are trailing far behind with just young pods but finally setting a decent amount of flowers. I did spray everything down with Big Bud Bloom Buster twice about 2 weeks ago, i have no idea if that jump started the flowers i'm seeing now.

Most of my annuums were blooming/podding fine, except my serrano's and jalapeno's which are less productive than normal.

Tough year for Chinense in the northeast maybe?

Edit: meant to say i didn't experience much of a flower drop this year, most of the chinense flowers i did get hung on for dear life.

 

[fireface]

I got a decent amount of pods from my first wave, but they were pathetically small. We have had a terrible year up here as well, 2 months of rain every day and it hasn't gotten above 90 yet this summer and probably won't.

With the cooler temp we have been getting, I have noticed significantly less flower drop than last year, with the same plants that I overwintered from last year.

The only changes I've made are adding used coffee grounds to the soil and using a 10-52-10 fertilizer during the growth phase instead of a high nitrogen fert. I read some where that Phosphorous increases flowering as well as root development, so I figured its worth a shot.

edit: I can't spell apparently

 

[Avon Barksdale]

I live in a similar climate as you guys, and I've had the opposite result. I've gotten tons and tons of chinenses and superhots, and also baccatums. Most of my annums on the other hand have not produced worth a damn. As an example, I've picked about 200 ripe bhut jolokia, bih jolokia, and naga morich (combined), and have about another ~50 to pick tomorrow, compared to maybe 10 ripe jalapenos plus a few that I'll pick tomorrow, and I have about an equal number of plants of each. The jalapenos were started about a month to a month and a half later, but some of them are even "Early Jalapenos" Frutescens are also doing very well, they were started a little late but they're pumping out pods now, the chinenses and baccatums are pumping out pods like machines, while the annums just slowly produce a few ripe pods here and there. The only annums that are really producing well are Jamaican Red Hot, Fish Pepper, and a few others.

 

[Avon Barksdale]

But I definitely hear you on the monsoons during the spring and non existent rain this summer. It was almost the end of May before I could leave plants outside permanently. I think it rained once in about a 2 month period after that. Having to water twice a day every day is a big PITA. My plants seem to like the rain water much more than the tap water.

 

[RedtailForester]

Don't get me wrong, not all of my Chinense are dragging ass. It really seems to be my "superhots." I've got quite a few fataliis, paper lanterns, orange habs and devil's tongues. Granted, my experience growing supers is very limited but this seems odd to me.

 

[PIC 1]

Wow...you're cookin! Look at those leaves! Water them babies!

"Holy Smoke Plantman" that's some heat your plants are dealing with. Black pots do tend to bake in the sun. Im sure were all in for some cooler weather soon, can you stack your containers close together to help with some shading?