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seeds A quick update on some of the crosses and selections I've made and harvested this year 2022
- Thread starter PollenNut
- Start date
Cool. So many seeds 
I have just started crossing peppers. My very first hybrid is going well. I had four seeds but only one survived. It took 100+ days to start producing pods. I have now the moment I'm watching it every day, her very first fruits coming 
I have just started crossing peppers. My very first hybrid is going well. I had four seeds but only one survived. It took 100+ days to start producing pods. I have now the moment I'm watching it every day, her very first fruits coming
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Sometimes that first plant from the cross does not look that special. One thing is for certain though, the next generation will give you a lot of diversity provided the parental generations chosen to make the cross are significantly different. It is there in the second generation that things get truly magical.Cool. So many seeds
I already saw big differences with the flowers. 1:1 mix 
I did cross an unknown chinense that is green with some darker tones on it with Peach Bleeder that is orange and with the bleeding calyx. I'll have my own thread later when I get fully ripe pods. I'll probably plant four plants next time. I want to see as many varieties as possible. I have limites space so can't do more if I want to keep them isolated.
I did cross an unknown chinense that is green with some darker tones on it with Peach Bleeder that is orange and with the bleeding calyx. I'll have my own thread later when I get fully ripe pods. I'll probably plant four plants next time. I want to see as many varieties as possible. I have limites space so can't do more if I want to keep them isolated.@PollenNut You are more experienced, so does it matter which generation you cross chilis? Is it more stable if it's F5 than F1 or F2?
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It is a myth that simply progressing along the generations makes for a stable and true breeding pepper. What is true? The more homozygous the pepper is the more true breeding it is. It is entirely possible to select for an unstable phenotype every generation and thus never reach a stable phenotype.
An f1, in theory, should be very stable... but that depends of course on the stability of the two parental generations used. This is how many seed companies sell stable f1 generations with tomatoes, peppers, etc. every year.
An f2 is generally a very diverse population and requires a very large grow out to see a fraction of what is truly hidden in a cross. The truth is that many crosses are insect pollinations like the famous Wartryx. The reality is that many f1 plants are often missed and it is not until the diversity begins to really show at the f2 that many crosses are seen for what they are.
Take the time to plan your crosses and sow out as many f2 as you can. I can promise you that most crosses with significantly different parents will yield more phenotypes than most home growers/hybridizers could ever chase down.
With all of that being said, it is statistically possible you could arrive at a stable f2 that would be true breeding if you sowed out enough seeds. How likely is it? Well that is another story.
Proving stability in a cross can be done by a working knowledge of how the genes work as well as by simply growing out hundreds of seeds from each generation. The degree of stability in any given cross may be relative to the number of seedlings sown each generation that show the same phenotype without deviation each generation.
I have read somewhere that hundreds of plants should be grown. Very informative post. Thank you! 
100's of plants sown at the f2 wouldn't even touch the tip of possibilities hidden in a good cross, but it would provide you with enough golden magic to make some darn sweet selections.I have read somewhere that hundreds of plants should be grown. Very informative post. Thank you!
I try to sow a full seed tray and plant seed like grass. When they spring up, I would often start to cull for traits like variegation, darker leaves, etc. Pepper Guru suggested I keep some of my culls and ever since then I have kept a few of my culls back for planting as sometimes the magic can be missed and often is... if one culls too early.
I can definitely say, the more I plant from a cross in the pepper world the more I often wish I had planted. There is just too much magic in that f2 for one person to see it all, but it is possible to grow out enough to make some good selections. Making a few good selections is all I personally hope for.