ChilliCrosser Crosses

ChilliCrosser · Sep 7, 2021

ChilliCrosser said:
X004 : Tasmanian Habanero x Giant White Habanero (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)

ChilliCrosser said:
Another nice F2 plant emerging. F1 was just green ripening to red as expected. This F2 is going from light green to a pinkish cream and then on to a dark peach colour. Not sure if it's stopped yet and it may keep going to a darker orange. Really liking the initial pinkish cream transition as that's a new one!

This F2 plant didn't ripen further, it finished on peach. I'm good with peach combined with the nice intermediate pinkish-cream colour

First ripe pod too small for seeds but hopes for some more soon.

ChilliCrosser · Sep 8, 2021

ChilliCrosser said:
Ironically, I've also started another huge crossing project that I've been planning since last year which is also starfish related. That was going to be nearly my entire grow for next season. Between that and X018 my growing for the next 18+ months is going to be 90+% starfish crosses and <=10% standard peppers. Going to be fun but strange!

Now have the first of my F1 seeds for my big new crossing project. Still awaiting lots of pods to develop and ripen but have these to get started with. This is probably the biggest crossing project I've attempted. In total I have 9 plants being used in this crossing project - 4 Stripeys and 5 Starfish of various colours. End of season approaching after a poor growing season outside so will be doing everything I can to protect them as long as I can given pods are taking 2+ months to ripen on these.

Background on what I'm attempting and how in the link shown in the quote above. Short version is I'm trying to create a stripey starfish.

First set of ripe F0 pods, these both took 82 days to get to this ripe state from the cross-pollination event.

First shock was that the Sugar Rush Stripey x Brazilian Starfish Yellow threw malformed & aborted seeds even though Baccatum x Baccatum. I've had two other pods with similar problems from this plant and they were both attempted Baccatum x Chinense crosses. All non-crossed pods on this mother plant have been totally normal. Will see if the same happens on other plants where I've made this cross.

Good news though is the Brazilian Starfish Yellow x Sugar Rush Stripey gave me plenty of seeds, only a couple look non-viable.

Also had an F0 cross pod fall off of another plant recently before it was ripe, it'd been growing for ages so cut it open anyway to see if the F1 seeds looked vaguely OK. This is for the Brazilian Starfish Orange x Sugar Rush Stripey pairing. They looked formed and healthy so doing a test germ on a couple to see.

Very long road ahead but it's going to be fun to see how it pans out.

ChilliCrosser · Sep 11, 2021

ChilliCrosser said:
X004 : Tasmanian Habanero x Giant White Habanero (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)

The Tasmanian Habanero has always given me high yields even on small plants. Crossed with something bigger and a different colour to see if I can generate one or more of:

same yield with larger pods

same yield but different non-red colours

Currently growing out a small number of F2 plants.

So far at F2 stage it looks like I'm going to hit some of ^^^these traits.

One of the F2s already posted about before that's going from light green pods -> pinkish cream -> darker peach colour, so not red like the mother. Pod sizes not noticeably bigger yet on this small F2 but the number of pods still looking good.

20210911-x004-f2-a-turning-from-green-to-cream-before-peach.jpg

Another F2 plant has a different phenotype, pods starting dark green and wrinklier. Don't know what the colour change will be but it has kept the heavy cropping trait. Non-red would be good, red and white parents should help with colour range.

ChilliCrosser · Sep 11, 2021

ChilliCrosser said:
X003 : Brazilian Starfish Red x [CGN21500 x 7 Pot Barrackpore] (C.Baccatum x C.Chinense)

My attempt to get the unique starfish flavour profile into something else. I also liked the purple blush on the red CGN21500 x 7 Pot Barrackpore pods so seeing if this can also be retained when crossing with another red. Grew an F1 plant last year but I didn't get pods as it was damaged during a bout of bad weather.

I still had some F1 seeds and started a couple more F1 plants growing this year. Risking no seeds or non-viable seeds as inter species but will see where it goes.

Last minute double rescue attempt on what appears to be my four sterile F1s. Wanted this cross to be C.Baccatum dominant originally, the F1s certainly are, so hit some of the plants with some other Baccatum pollen to try and up the %s. Two have taken:

Backcrossed one, so seeds will be (Brazilian Starfish Red x [CGN21500 x 7 Pot Barrackpore]) F1 x Brazilian Starfish Red

Another Baccatum I had pollen to hand for on this one, so seeds will be (Brazilian Starfish Red x [CGN21500 x 7 Pot Barrackpore]) F1 x Sugar Rush Stripey

Nothing ventured and all that.

ChilliCrosser · Sep 11, 2021

ChilliCrosser said:
X005 : Fidalgo Roxa x Giant White Habanero (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)

Aiming to retain the unripe and ripe colouration of the Fidalgo Roxa and the fruitiness in the taste whilst increasing the pod size. Would prefer to also keep the dark foliage of the roxa.

Slow going on this one but some plants getting their first pods now, they don't seem to know the end of the season is nigh!

Nice bud groupings, dark stems, keeping the purple blushed white flowers and a few pods starting:

talas · Sep 11, 2021

One day sir you will have Stripey starfish and the world and me and you will be happier for it nice to see the crosses coming along C the Roxa X Whit hab is my fave.

ChilliCrosser · Sep 13, 2021

ChilliCrosser said:
X004 : Tasmanian Habanero x Giant White Habanero (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)

The Tasmanian Habanero has always given me high yields even on small plants. Crossed with something bigger and a different colour to see if I can generate one or more of:

same yield with larger pods

same yield but different non-red colours

Currently growing out a small number of F2 plants.

Harvested a small ripe pod from the F2 plant that's giving me a peach phenotype whilst waiting for the bigger pods to ripen. As expected, not big enough to have F3 seeds in.

Took the opportunity to have another little taste. Packed way more of a punch than I expected when I taste tested it, glistening pod internals should have waved the red flag to me!

It had an initial sweetness but I was almost immediately overwhelmed by heat. I'm not great with hot pods raw but the heat was way up there somewhere past an average hab. Still looking forward to trying the larger pods when ripe and also hope to get enough to dehydrate and powder which is how I use most of my hotter varieties. Flavour when powdered might be more dicernable to me

talas · Sep 14, 2021

C those do look like shiny inside so the heats understandable and rather thick walled to nice.

ChilliCrosser · Sep 16, 2021

ChilliCrosser said:
X006 : Fidalgo Roxa x Fijian Bongo (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)

Aiming to blend the fruity and sweet flavour tones of these two varieties. Ideally with a pod size nearer the bongo than the roxa. If the flavour and pod size is there then I am less bothered about the colour.

Currently growing some F2 plants.

Different pod shape seems to be emerging on one of the F2s, pod on the left in this picture. Not sure how many pods will end up like this but I like the shape.

Nothing ripe on this particular plant yet so don't know colours, guessing it will be red and go through a nice colour transition like the F2 I posted previously.

ChilliCrosser · Sep 17, 2021

Sometimes you plan a cross and get something good, sometimes nature shows it can do way better than my futile attempts and gives you a cool F1!

Just have to try and chase this C.Baccatum F1 pheno into an F2 population, perhaps get even more of the longer legs showing on some of the pods.
Looks like 'octopus' has to be in the working title

PaulG · Sep 17, 2021

@ChilliCrosser - that is a great phenotype, CC!
Looking like little octopi or jellyfish larvae :clap:

talas · Sep 18, 2021

C nature always knows best my friend and love the shape Octopi.

ChilliCrosser · Sep 18, 2021

PaulG said:
@ChilliCrosser - that is a great phenotype, CC!
Looking like little octopi or jellyfish larvae

An accidental cross, mother is Brazilian Red Starfish. From same harvested batch of non-isolated seeds as my accidental X018 cross that I've posted before. Those seeds were from same plant I think but weren't split by pod, so this could be from a different cross-pollination event.

I was convinced that other one was crossed with Peppacream based on traits and my growing notes. I'd have to guess this one is with Peppacream too. Not opened it up or tasted it yet to see what's going on. This one starts the normal green colour for starfish, unlike X018 which starts pale cream/white like the Peppacream. Have a number of alternative ideas as to what's gone on with this octopus plant, like it might be an F2 from a normal-ish F1, but you soon end up confusing yourself trying to fathom Mother Nature.

So it is what it is. Now I need to try to keep plant alive if possible, lots of unripe pods on it still and end of season over here. It's also in the same physical pot as the X018 plant as they were originally meant to be two starfish red plants for my stripey starfish project! Once everything is ripened up I might attempt to wash off the root ball and split them and re-pot, should be possible. Then will need to get creative to find a winter home without growing an aphid family.

Not all pods on the plant are this shape at the moment obviously, bit of a mix. I'd also not isolated any of the pods on this plant as it didn't look as distinctly different when immature, unlike X018, so separating harvested seeds by pod is what I'll do. If I keep alive long enough then I can try to get a couple of isolated pods.

In short, I think I've just found I need to overwinter some plants and grow another 20 plants next year. This + X018 + stripey starfish project.

ChilliCrosser · Sep 18, 2021

Octopus autopsy!

Juicy, sweet, starfish level low-mid heat, hint of apple/apple peel maybe, hotter in placenta but nothing crazy. Plenty of seeds for next-gen, this pod was open pollinated though as are all the current unripe pods. Not as ultra-sweet as the other accidental starfish cross I have (X018), at least based on my recollection of it, but the other one ripens to red so that might explain the perceived difference in sweetness. Be good to try these two side by side in the future. Second smaller octopus pod was similar inside and about 60% as many seeds as that shown.

PaulG · Sep 18, 2021

Got to hand it to you, @ChilliCrosser. Your patience in
these crossing projects is admirable. Good luck getting
some plants into some OverWinter digs.

talas · Sep 18, 2021

Octopi have come forth and multiplied for you C couldn't be happier and get them seeds in the kratkys or Aerogarden pronto.

ChilliCrosser · Sep 20, 2021

ChilliCrosser said:
X005 : Fidalgo Roxa x Giant White Habanero (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)

Aiming to retain the unripe and ripe colouration of the Fidalgo Roxa and the fruitiness in the taste whilst increasing the pod size. Would prefer to also keep the dark foliage of the roxa.

Currently growing out a small number of F2 plants.

One of the F2s for this cross is starting pods that are much darker. The others are more like the start of a Fidalgo Roxa (mother) which are light green with a purple-pink blush. Intrigued to see how this F2 plant ripens versus the others.

ChilliCrosser · Sep 20, 2021

ChilliCrosser said:
X006 : Fidalgo Roxa x Fijian Bongo (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)

Aiming to blend the fruity and sweet flavour tones of these two varieties. Ideally with a pod size nearer the bongo than the roxa. If the flavour and pod size is there then I am less bothered about the colour.

Currently growing some F2 plants.

I've already posted an example of the F2 plant from this grow out that has produced a ripe pod. Again, the F2s on this are starting light green with the typical Fidalgo Roxa blush.

I do have this F2 plant that is starting super dark though, not sure how it will ripen.

ChilliCrosser · Sep 22, 2021

Latest progress update on my attempt to create a #stripeystarfish is over here.
Still waiting on lots of crossed pods to ripen on various combinations of plants but making some good progress with the seeds I have.

talas · Sep 22, 2021

Thx for the update on Starfish Stripey C.

*ChilliCrosser Cross*	*Current Status*
X001 : Bolivian Rainbow x Cheiro Roxa (C.Annuum x C.Chinense)	16/8/21: F1 seeds, not grown on yet.
X002 : Fijian Bongo x Cheiro Roxa (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)	16/8/21: Only had a single F1 seed even though this was an intraspecific, strange result and the seed didn't germinate. End of cross project.
X003 : Brazilian Starfish Red x [CGN21500 x 7 Pot Barrackpore] (C.Baccatum x C.Chinense)	16/8/21: Had plenty of F1 seeds from the original F0 pods. First attempt to grow an F1 was ended when weather finished off the plant before any fruiting. Currently growing four F1 plants outdoors in the 2021 season. All looking healthy but concerned I've not seen any fruit setting yet. Possibly sterile but reserving judgement until the end of the season.
X004 : Tasmanian Habanero x Giant White Habanero (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)	16/8/21: Growing F2 plants, some initial pods setting.
X005 : Fidalgo Roxa x Giant White Habanero (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)	16/8/21: Growing F2 plants, no pods set yet.
X006 : Fidalgo Roxa x Fijian Bongo (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)	16/8/21: Growing F2 plants, some initial pods setting.
X007 : Fijian Bongo x Aji Jobito (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)	16/8/21: Growing F2 plants, some initial pods setting.
X008 : Fijian Bongo x Brazilian Starfish Yellow (C.Chinense x C.Baccatum)	16/8/21: F1 seeds.
X009 : Brazilian Starfish Yellow x C.Flexuosum (C.Baccatum x C.Flexuosum)	16/8/21: Very small F0 pod set but zero F1 seeds. Inside of pod looked healthy. Lack of F1 seeds could have been due to pod size. One for me to try again at some point I think.
X010 : Brazilian Starfish Yellow x [CGN21500 x Grao De Bode] (C.Baccatum x C.Chinense)	16/8/21: Had 4 F1 seeds from a single F0 pod, only 1 germinated. F1 plant taken out by a storm. End of cross project.
X011 : Giant White Habanero x Fijian Bongo (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)	16/8/21: Summary of wide range of phenotypes from F2 here. Currently have F3 seeds for all phenotypes and have been growing a batch of F3 plants for the red phenotypes outdoors this season, waiting on F3 pods from these so hope to have F4 seeds this year. Most likely to also grow forward the Apricot Peach phenos to stabilise.
X012 : Brazilian Starfish Yellow x Tasmanian Habanero (C.Baccatum x C.Chinense)	16/8/21: Had an F0 pod but no F1 seeds. End of cross project.
X013 : White Bhut Jolokia JW x Variegated Jalapeno (C.Chinense x C.Annuum)	16/8/21: F1 seeds, not grown on yet.
X014 : White Bhut Jolokia JW x Sweet Apple Kambe (C.Chinense x C.Annuum)	16/8/21: Single F1 seed, not grown on yet.
X015 : White Bhut Jolokia JW x Scotch Brains XCP Chocolate (C.Chinense x C.Chinense)	16/8/21: F1 seeds, not grown on yet.
X016 : White Bhut Jolokia JW x Brazilian Starfish Red (C.Chinense x C.Baccatum)	16/8/21: Had 2 F1 seeds from a small F0 pod, both failed to germinate. End of cross project.
X017 : White Bhut Jolokia JW x Sugar Rush Stripey (C.Chinense x C.Baccatum)	16/8/21: Had 2 F1 seeds from a small F0 pod, both failed to germinate. End of cross project.
X018 : Brazilian Starfish Red x Peppacream (C.Baccatum x C.Baccatum)	16/8/21: Started as an accidental cross. Starting to get ripe F1 pods with F2 seeds. Super tasty!
X019 : Clavo Peach x Sugar Rush Stripey (C.Chinense x C.Baccatum)	16/8/21: Had 3 F0 pods, each with healthy looking F1 seeds. Started germination for some F1 seeds from each of the F0 pods on 14/8/21, waiting to see if viable.
X020 : Scarlett's Chilli x Indian Chilli Bullet (C.Annuum x C.Annuum)	16/8/21: F1 seeds, not grown on yet.
X021 : Sugar Rush Stripey x White Bhut Jolokia JW (C.Baccatum x C.Chinense)	16/8/21: First F0 pod was unhealthy inside, only 1 F1 seed formed which still looked non-viable, tried to germinate it anyway but no surprises when it failed. Have another F0 pod ripening, waiting to see if that's any better.
X022 : Clavo Peach x Brazilian Starfish Yellow (C.Chinense x C.Baccatum)	16/8/21: F1 seeds, not grown on yet.
X023 : [BOC x Aji Pineapple] x Sugar Rush Stripey ([C.Chinense x C.Baccatum] x C.Baccatum)	16/8/21: F1 seeds, not grown on yet.