Dennish 2016 - Bacca to the Future

No specific theme this year, as although I enjoyed sourcing and growing Fataliis last season I did find this a little limiting for other things I wanted to grow.  So this year I return to my usual eclectic mix of old favourites and new varieties I'm itching to try!
 
Current list updated 16/01:

 
I’ve decided to go heavy on c.baccatum this season, I just can’t get enough of the beautiful flavours and mid-range heat.
 
I’ve also been careful to limit my super hots and generally turned down the SHU wick a bit this year too, as to be honest I only have limited use for the face melters.
 
I’m growing out my own Lemon Drop x Aji White Fantasy cross… can’t wait to see what Lemon Drop Fantasy will bring and very excited about this, hoping for something special. 
 
The mysterious and uniquely shaped Death Cap hybrid will also make an appearance, will the F2 yield the same blistering heat and pod shape?  On the subject of hybrids, I'm the lucky recipient (thanks John!) of the Madame Jeanette x Goronong cross all the way from Holland.
 
So far I've had great germination rates including my Lemon Drop Fantasy crosses which are flying, I'm going to have to pot them up soon and cull a few as had multiple loops in each pellet...

 
Meanwhile, my overwinters doing very nicely, TS CARDI veteran looking positively perky after hard cutback root and branch for the 5th time (Year 5)!

 

 

 

 

 
Hope 2016 is a decent year weather wise here in the UK!  Good luck for a great season all.
 
Cheers,

Dennish

 

[dennish]

Steady progress continues as does the decent weather!

My first Lemon Drop x Aji White fantasy F1 pod ripening... Looks like a lemon drop, but a deeper more golden shade of yellow unless I'm deluding myself!?

My Baccas in the 26l SWP haven't skipped a beat...

Pardon doing nicely

Aji Mango savaged by my resident earwigs, not seen damage from them on this scale before... Maybe our days of peaceful cohabitation are over?

BOC in an AirPot seems to be having a better time of it than the quadgrow chinenses which are still sulking

Meanwhile I've got some strawberries ripening and elsewhere the garden is springing into life...

 

[Trident chilli]

Great picture update Dennis your garden looks spot on

 

[OCD Chilehead]

I have to agree, garden looks amazing. That greenhouse shot is great. Actually all the pics are great.

You and John have great grows.

Chuck

 

[dennish]

Thanks
 

Great picture update Dennis your garden looks spot on

 Thanks John!
 
 

I have to agree, garden looks amazing. That greenhouse shot is great. Actually all the pics are great.

You and John have great grows.

Chuck

Cheers Chuck, appreciate the comments!  I've just had a quick read through your Glog, looks like you've got a hell of a grow on your hands!  I will revisit in slower time when I can give it full attention.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Thanks Dennis, and your welcome.

We shall see if I did something right in a couple months.

 

[dennish]

So time for an update on what is forecast to be the last sunny day for some time in these parts...
 
Usual shot from the GH door for comparison, less crowded now the courgettes, pumpkins and squash moved outside.

 
Quadgrow chinenses still not motoring as I'd like, really must start later next year I think them being potbound on potting up plays a big factor.  Checking last years log, my plants were a bit bigger at this stage which is kinda frustrating given the great spring we have had.

 
Still signs of progress and I've stopped nipping out early pods now, here is my Peach Congo...

 
CGN21500 lovley mottled leaves and small pinky pods forming

 
Fatalii x Cleo's Dragon Yellow podding up

 
BOC in the AirPot is by far the biggest plant and this was the latest chinense sown due to being a late addition.  Coincidence?  I think not.  Also interestingly, whereas the smaller more potbound plants seem keen to hold onto flowers and pods, this plant is shedding naturally whilst growing faster. 

 
Big Jim's coming on strong, stocky closely branched plants which are neck and neck size wise... pods allowed to set on both plants now
 
WR Big Jim in 26l SWP

 
Big Jim Heritage in 15l AirPot 

 
My Aji White Fantasy x Lemon Drop F1 showing signs of colour change, now has a limey yellowish tinge on some of the pods  

 
My 'spare' Madame Jeanette in 1l pot soldiering on gamely, couple of nice pods set

 
5 year old TS CARDI starting to ripen a few now too

 

[OCD Chilehead]

The plants are looking wonderful. I let some of my plants go rootbound, and I'm having slow growth rate as a result. They'll catch up eventually. Really short season here. They won't get that big, but hopefully lots of pod's.

Congrats on the pod formations. AWF x LD looks like a good one.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

Looking good man!

 

[dennish]

On nipping out to the GH this morning I was greeted by this wonderful sight, my AWF x LD F1 pods now fully on the turn... green, lime green, now mustardy yellow creeping in  8)

 

[moruga welder]

great looking garden ! and the greenhouse is spectacular !  All looks perfect !!       

 

[mrgrowguy]

Beautiful garden, love it all! Sucks with the earwigs, peace was a better option for them... Seeing your Big Jims are making me think I have my hands full in THE LAND OF THE GIANTS!

 

[dennish]

So quick update from me...
 
The usual GH door shot for view of overall progress, everything coming along OK despite rubbish weather over the last week.

 
Chinenses slowly starting to put on growth and setting pods

 
Middle row really taking off, Big Jim's podding up nicely now too

 
Quite a few baccas ripening now, I'll be picking and tasting my eagerly anticipated AWF x LD F1 later today when I'm planning to make a salsa, taste report to follow!

 
The Passandra F1 Cucumber I am growing has shot up like a magic beanstalk and setting small fruit.

 
Tomatoes growing like triffids! 

 
Garden not complaining about the rain of late, grass looks lush and the flower bed has exploded with colour 8) 

 
Check out this giant Echium, must be 3m tall and still growing...

 
Meanwhile in my Veg corner, potatoes doing really well, courgette and summer squash too...  peas havent really taken off as I'd like yet.

 
I've also enjoyed a small picking of TS CARDI from my 5 year old veteran

 

 

[dennish]

Slow and steady progress, pods forming on well over half the plants now...

 
Chinenses chugging along

 
Runt of the litter MOA Scotch Bonnet seems to have responded well to being allowed to dry out for a couple of weeks before re-establishing the wick.

 
Fatalii x Cleo's Dragon Yellow podding up, pods look different to last years (smaller, more lobes)

 
Peach Congo

 
Big Jim's

 
Bucket of Baccs, TDW, Madre Vejea, Aji Omnicolour now with pods...

 
Padron in the foreground, Jalapeno Barajas in the background

 
Aji Melecoton

 
A small picking of Lemon Drops x AWF (AKA Lemon Drops  ) and TS CARDI

 
TS CARDI now going through the gears with some lovely big pods
 

 
Also, I finally tried my new ‘Aji Bodysnatcher’ (Aji White Fantasy x Lemon Drop) F1 pod... here are a couple of pics and my taste test...
 

 
The pods are chunky and quite large (about 6cm long, 3cm) and look great hanging on the plant like alien pods!  Even more so when fully ripened to a deep vibrant yellow with a bumpy texture, a distinctive bulbous top and central groove which runs the length of the pod.  The effect is a wedge like shape as you can see below. 
 

 
A striking citrus / lemon aroma on slicing the pod in two, very similar to that of the Lemon Drop.  The pod walls are thicker than a Lemon Drop, but not as thick as the Aji White Fantasy - somewhere nicely between the two.
 

 
I ate the bottom section of the pod first, a little heat at the blossom end and a lovely sweet yet zesty flavour.  It has definitely picked up some of the Lemon Drop zing.  I ate a slice of the middle section, including seed and the heat stepped up a notch, not too overpowering and at a really nice level for me.  The thicker pod walls and larger pod gave that extra juiciness too which is a bonus.  I'd say about 10k-20k SHU, maybe a little hotter in the middle of the pod around the seed/placenta.     
 
So Salsa time!  I whizzed up a couple of pods along with an Aji Melecoton, cherry tomatoes, small red onion, handful of sliced red/orange bell pepper, half a lime juiced, salt, coriander and it was divine, the batch was devoured in a single sitting -   8)
 

 
Other uses - eating fresh sliced into salad, stir fried in a Chinese/Thai dish or pan fried with salt and olive oil Pardron style, roasted whole with Mediterranean Vegetables or sliced in half stuffed with cheese, not forgetting pickled... I'll be trying all other above and let you know!
 
Overall I'm really pleased with how this has turned out, pods look and taste great - I've harvested some seed and will be sowing now in an attempt to grow-out the F2 this year.  My hope is to stabilise the variety before releasing the seed.

 

[Malarky]

congrats on a beautiful pepper! I love the shape and color. Thanks for sharing.
Do you keep your old CARDI dormant overwinter or under lights?

 

[Spicegeist]

What a heavenly garden, really amazing.  Loving the pics!

 

[GhostPepperz]

Holy cow thats sexy!

 

[D3monic]

Everything is beautiful. Garden and yard are very nice and healthy looking from all the rains. Great work!

aji fantasy lemon drop cross sounds and looks like a winner. 
 
Might have to organize a seed trade this fall. 

 

[dennish]

Plants seem to be enjoying the warmth of late, even if there has been a lack of sunshine.  Things now really taking off in the GH...

 
Baccas growing strongly, Aji Melocoton ripening a good number - love these chillies, slightly less hot than a Lemon Drop with an unusual aromatic and fruity tropical flavour.

 
The WR Big Jim on the other hand is really flying now in the 26l SWP, some biggies forming up... non quite big enough yet to topple the current LOTG leader but I'm hopeful!

 
The latest pods on my Aji Bodysnatcher seem to be developing in a new shape, which is surprising to say the least! 
 
I had assumed that the previously seen pod shape was the mature final shape, as around 6 or so large pods developed with a consistent shape and size.  So I'm scratching my head as to what is going on here, as far as I understood it, F1 pod shape should be consistent, with variations coming in at F2 and beyond?
 
So the question is, was this simply a case of 'gun jumping' an early pod shape?  Is another possibility that the parent strains may not have been stable and thus I'm now seeing variable shapes as a result?  Time will tell I guess... Any thoughts?
 
Still a great looking pod, meaner looking and more gnarly/pimply, especially for a bacca!
 

 
More Aji Bodysnatcher 2nd wave pods all coming through with spikes  8)

 
Madame Jeanette

 
A nice little picking of pods yesterday...  Aji Melocoton, Lemon Drop, Madame Jeanette, TS CARDI, Padron

 
Cucumbers doing OK now, the kids love em!  Loads of fruit on the plant.

 
Hope your grow is going well, thanks for reading!

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Amazing grow. Plants will be pushing the windows out soon. Very healthy plants. Bodysnatcher looks good. Congrats on all the pods. Not much of a cross master. I'm assuming it's just putting out different characteristics. Save seeds from both. D3monic is pretty good with the crossing. He would be better at answering.

 

[Comptine]

Wow, everything looks amazing! I love seeing crowded greenhouses, mean that all the space have been put to good use! Haha, I can barely walk in mine these days XD