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breeding Cross polination and Growing in Containers

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Pepper Girl

The stuff I have been reading says it's rare that hots cross polinate. I am growing (planning to anyway ) many varieties next year and would love to save some seeds to share and grow again.

Do I really have to worry about cross pollination?

Also, do all hots do well in containers, or should I plant them all or some in the ground?

Fiery Appreciations!
 
All plants will do fine in containers from my knowledge. That is if they are properly taken care of (not over or under watered, enough room to grow, good soil, enough nutes). That said mine seem to flourish more planted in the ground.

As for cross pollination. Since so many species of chili have the ability to cross pollinate it seems likely that if they are planted in close proximity they will cross. If your plants are in the same general area and you are letting nature pollinate for you in open air then there is no guarantee that you do not have some crossing going on.
 
I grow exclusively in 5 gallon nursery containers that are on drip fertigation (just put it in this year and it saved me about 3 hours a day)...I grew 350 plants this year...

Cross pollination...since I grow in very close proximity for most of my varieties, I will cover a branch with cheese cloth to keep the insects from doing their thing...several methods are used but to me the cheese cloth is the easiest..

I have found that if you bunch your plants by variety and place them as far away as possible from the others, then take a pod from the deep interior of the plant, I don't get much cross pollination...I think a quarter mile is a good guide for eliminating cross pollination but that is impossible with me living on a lot with 5' property lines...and I know my neighbors grow a few chiles...

good luck in your growing effort
 
Chiles are considered inbreeders since they generally pollinate themselves but insects can spread pollen and cross-pollinate. If you're growing in containers you can easily isolate plants by bringing them indoors(seperated) just before flowers open, and bring them back outdoors once a few pods start forming. Just remember to label those pods for seed saving
 
I assume what you read involved plants inside with not much air movement. Outside though bees will change all that. I have a cross from last year I began growing out this year that is a Caribbean Red Habanero X Jimmy Nardello. Next year I will have one completely isolated because I love the bees for making it. Other crosses I have got suck. If you want to or have to because of available indoor grow space grow outside see if any friends or family have garden going with no peppers. I have found 4 possibly 5 that don't have close proximity to other gardens or one with peppers growing at least. Each will get 1 plant so I can get pure seed stock for the following year. Also thinking of putting a few on the edge of some local woods, since we don't have naturally growing hots around here and I don't think a maple or oak tree cross is likely.....although I would love to see those pods. :crazy:
 
Great advice everyone.

So the answer is yes, maybe.

I will cover some flowers on each plant until I see fruits, label them, and hope they produce true.

I am still confused about cross pollination, even though it seems quite simple. This is what has kept me from seed saving anything.
 
Pepper Girl said:
Great advice everyone.

So the answer is yes, maybe.

I will cover some flowers on each plant until I see fruits, label them, and hope they produce true.

I am still confused about cross pollination, even though it seems quite simple. This is what has kept me from seed saving anything.
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Understanding intentional crosses may help lessen your confusion. Here's a recent thread with a link to a nice article with pictures too!

link
 
Don't mean to hijack your thread but I have a pollination question of my own. Will the pollen from a flower be enough to pollinate that flower or does it need to go to a completely separate flower and pollinate that one?
 
I'm yet to encounter a pepper that won't grow well in a container. Last year, I grew 23 types, with many of them in both containers and in the ground. The only ones I grew that did noticeably better in the ground were Aji's (aji limon and costeno amarillo). I think it's due to their large size and root structure - the aji's just need more space. Plants that grew particularly well for me in pots included jalapenos and habaneros. My orange habs had 100+ pods in the containers and only 25-30 pods in the ground. A possible reason for this is that you get so much more control over what happens throughout the season to a container plant, in terms of controlling fertilization, water, etc.

Personally, I really enjoy the cross pollination and the randomness it brings to the garden. Last year I had hot Jimmy Nardellos and other oddities of that nature. I really enjoy seeing nature's randomness and unpredictability at work like that.
 
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