CaneDog 2019 Hirsute Pursuit – Rocotos, Wilds & Moar

So, here's the new glog for the coming season.  With the indoor grow culled pretty hard now I can focus more on getting ready for what's ahead.  Hoping for a great year, but I’m already a bit behind - the germinators are packed right now and I've still got a round of annuum seeds waiting for their turn.  I guess it wouldn’t feel much like pepper growing though if everything were going perfect.
 
My focus was going to be rocotos with a side of bonnets and some other stuff, but I found I kept planting more and more wilds. Eventually I just kinda went all-in with them and they took on co-main event status. 
 
I’ll start things off with some pics of some of the earlier pube’s.  There’s not too many at this point. Unfortunately, the vast majority just went into germination.
 
First off, Costa Rica Red.  This is the CRR with flattened triangular pods.  I also have an OW CRR that’s a 3-4 lobed “boxy” variety.  I didn't get true seeds off this one last summer, so I have a few of these growing and crossing my fingers they grow true.

 
Rocoto DeSeda.  These guys were from a bush I’d OW’d a few years in a row, but it didn’t make it through this winter

 
 
Rocoto San Camillo

 
 
Gelbe Reisen Variant.  These are from true seeds off a plant I’ve been growing for a few years that was supposed to be Gelbe Riesen, but the pods are more orange vs yellow, rounder/less boxy, and just a touch smaller. I don’t know if it’s a natural variation or it might have crossed with a Costa Rica Orange, but it's a great plant. I have a few of these started and am curious what comes of them.

 
 
Giant Yellow Rocoto.  Suppose I should pinch that bud off.

 
 
Recently hatched Gelbe Riesen sprouts (the parent plant has been a beast for me for a while now) and CAP 217 Hyper-Pube.

 
That’s it for the rocotos for now.  Will try to post up some pics of the early wilds in a little bit. 
 
CD

 

[BDASPNY]

I  don't even know where to start on how fantastic those pods looks and the wild variety!
 
great job!  there's some good eating in your future.

 

[CaneDog]

Yo Cane-Daaaaaaaaawg!!!!
Holy mol-ski! Fantastic shtuffff!
 
Hey Bhuter!!  thanks man.  I've been really digging the crazy pods you've been pulling in recently.

You've been doing a lot of work this season. I personally have like 3 or 4 crosses and I have a hard enough time keeping up with those. I won't grow 'em all out; it's too much.  I'll just see what I end up with that's most promising and weed out further along the way.

Are these the USDA Cards that you started in like June?  That one of yours I started in June is doing great.  I've been pruning it to try to make it a short indoor bush so it looks a little sparse ATM, but good.  The current pods are from a different plant that's been around a while.  Hopefully once I get some true seeds from yours I'll cross the two for some diversity.  My goal was to have 2 of the CGN and 2 of the USDA plants in true form and the USDA seeds you sent me makes that possible.
 
If so, that Mofo grew fast! I started quite a few really late and surprisingly they're ripening. I have a whole plant loaded with Orange Pepperoncinis. I can't wait for those to ripen.  Dang, I can't believe yours are ripening already!   And I remember those orange pepperoncinis.  Going to have to go back now and look for the pic you posted.

Did I send you seeds for the Rocato from Jukka? That's the correct spelling. 

It's a Chinense. I tried a green pod (slugs are killing this plant) and I recognize the flavor.
"I'll be damned.....that definitely tastes like a Pubescens." Fantastic flavor! Solid7 sent me seeds last year and I started this one late, too.  That's really cool.  Never heard of it. Can't imagine a chinense tasting like a rocoto.

Anyway, great photography and loads of potential coming from your garden. Lots of people will be happy you work so hard.

Keep up the great work. I'll get some of those Grocery Store Mystery seeds to you if I haven't yet.  

 

 

 

[Bhuter]

 

Here are a couple pics of the Orange Pepperoncinis:

I've never tried a fresh one.

 

[Devv]

Really good to see the success you're having there buddy! Hard work in a tough climate paid off for you for sure

 

[CaneDog]

Here are a couple pics of the Orange Pepperoncinis:

I've never tried a fresh one.

 
Shoot, I'm looking forward to seeing what those look like ripe and getting your take on them.  They sound really cool and it looks like a producer!

 

[CaneDog]

Really good to see the success you're having there buddy! Hard work in a tough climate paid off for you for sure

 
Thanks Devv!  If you ever want to see how some of these guys perform in your warmer climate, I'm sure I have some seeds lying around that would be happy for a change of weather.

 

[PaulG]

Looks like you are finishing the season in style, CD!

 

[CaneDog]

A few eclectic pics...
 
I finally found a use for the organza bags that were so worthless for truing seeds this season. After I'm leaving the seeds sitting out inside for 2-3 weeks to dry I'm giving them a final couple pushes of a couple hours each in my old Nesco at 95F to make sure they're properly dry.  (I measured temps on mine after reading PaulG's post and I got the same (IIRC) 100F low and 105F at the top row during use).  I just swap the seeds in and out periodically while I'm drying pods. and the bags provide good seed management.
 

 

 
Really like the ridges on a couple of the Turkish varieties: Antep Aci Dolma and Trilops Uc Buren Biber

 

 
The 3 Purple Flower Goat's Weed X? from suspect-crossed seeds are looking good.  I plan to grow a true goats weed next summer, but I'm excited to how these turn out - especially the one in front.

 
And thanks again to Bhuter for hooking me up with seeds to grow a genetically diverse (hopefully) partner for my usda cardenasii.  Despite how sad it looks now, the plant's been growing great and I'm happy to have the additional genetics.  I recently did a staggered trim of all the verticals to force the plant into branching compactly, versus the sprawling growth I get from these guys and it seems to be working with it staying vertical and having developed multiple laterals on each branch within a week or so of clipping.

 

 

[Devv]

 
Thanks Devv!  If you ever want to see how some of these guys perform in your warmer climate, I'm sure I have some seeds lying around that would be happy for a change of weather.

 
Thanks for the offer CD, lets put that thought on hold until next season. I have quite a few "oldies" that I would love to get going again. I've let a few slide by and have missed them; wanting to grow them again for seed stock. I'm really looking forward to a season I can put adequate time into this time around.
 
Once again, a killer glog!
 

 

[CaneDog]

Had a decent pull of these Not SB Jamaican Longs so I threw it into a ferment.  Ran out of lids
without holes, so I had to use an airlock.  

 
Had some BOC's and Not Alan Boatmans left over too so I through those into a second. 
Getting to have a pretty good collection of ferments underway now.

 
In the backgrounds above is this Chacoense Putapario piece I managed to break off the
plant about a week ago, but I stuck it in water and it's ripening.  Get's wilty during the day,
but seems to perk up in the evening. 

 

[CaneDog]

Never culled this guy (Tatiana Rocoto), so it's just sort of been hanging around in its Dixie cup getting watered when I notice it. Managed to put out a ripe pod though!

 
Really like the look of this one - and wish they'd keep that look as they got bigger (I can see now the colors don't come through in the low-res pic), but the greens are intense against the black).  It's one of the 3 sprouts that was supposed to be a purple flowered goat's weed. Not sure what it will end up being.

 

[CaneDog]

Things are still ripening, if slowly, despite the chilly wet conditions.
 
Very happy to see this pod finally start to ripen.  Tekne Dolmasi x Jalapeno Zapotec

 
Some rocotos ripening on the lawn

 
And in the bush

 
This Eximium CAP 1491 has done really great.  I've been watching the pods progressively ripen down the limb and the next in line, the dark pod in the white circle, is a USDA Cardenasii x Eximium cross.  Hopefully it will redify (readify?) itself within the next few days.

 
And these flexuosum pods have been hanging ripe for quite a while, so probably time to harvest them for seeds.  The pods have a cool look/effect/pattern to them that can look pretty cool at times.  These are the purple flowered flexuosum variety - more of that in the next post.

 

[CaneDog]

The purple flowered flexuosum is showing darker coloration again now that the cooler weather is here.  It was like this in early spring too, but was more lightly colored during the heat of summer.  The cold really makes these guys pop. I isolated this guy from the standard variety flex's and other purples early on due to its dark coloration and plan to select for this trait going forward. 

 

 
And it's still dropping pollen and setting pods...

 

[BDASPNY]

you're killing it on the season end.  glad to see all of those ripening pods! 
 
interested to see how your ferment comes out.

 

[PaulG]

Really like the look of this one - and wish they'd keep that look as they got bigger (I can see now the colors don't come through in the low-res pic), but the greens are intense against the black).  It's one of the 3 sprouts that was supposed to be a purple flowered goat's weed. Not sure what it will end up being.

 
Around five seasons ago there was a GW hybrid making the rounds.
I think it came to me from Romy6 via stc3248. Had lightly purple-y foliage,
although more typically GW - fuzzy and green, although darker, foliage.
Pods were upright, shorter and fatter. My plant hit 10'8" in height 
but had few pods for the size of the plant. I liked the regular GW pods
better. Romy6 did not know what the GW had crossed with.
 
Oh, and that tall plant was grown in a #10 pot in partial shade.

 

[CaneDog]

Well, if this thing tries to hit 10 feet in my grow tent it and me are gonna have a problem!
 
Not too worried about the cross.  I think I might have some true GW seeds on the way 
 

 

[Mildfruit]

So cool to see all these rare varieties. Looking forward to see what crosses you come up with! 

 

[Mr.joe]

Well, if this thing tries to hit 10 feet in my grow tent it and me are gonna have a problem!
 
Not too worried about the cross.  I think I might have some true GW seeds on the way 
 

I can't be the only one here hoping for a 10 foot plant growing thru your tent. Sure it's going to ruin your tent, but you will be able to laugh that off later.

 

[PaulG]

I can't be the only one here hoping for a 10 foot plant growing thru your tent. Sure it's going to ruin your tent, but you will be able to laugh that off later.

 

 

[CaneDog]

I can't be the only one here hoping for a 10 foot plant growing thru your tent. Sure it's going to ruin your tent, but you will be able to laugh that off later.

 
It's laughing-off the hole in the 8' ceiling that would be tough, but heck, if that GW X has it in it to grow 10 feet then it can just go on with its bad self and do it.