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]

So big update from me in the late summer sunshine which the plants and garden are lapping up 8) 
 
Had a big tidy-up in the GH this week, removed the Mexican Sour Gherkin which had sprawled everywhere and made a nuisance of itself.  Also big sweep up and clearance of leaf litter spotted first couple of signs of grey mould here and there so need to be on my toes to make sure this doesn't get a foothold in the coming weeks.
 
Also, Slugmageddon continues... is there no end to the slimey horde willing to throw themselves to an explosive pellet induced death?!
 
Here's a shot from the GH door and also underneath the canopy where all the action is!

 
QuadGrow chinenses, picking loads of tiddlers and starting to see some bigger pods show some colour now too.

 
Here's CGN 21500, a truly beautiful pod which starts off purple-pink and then ripens to a mottled peach

 
Fatalii x Cleo's Dragon Yellow, dubbed Uber Fatalii by Heefy who kindly provided the seed... you can see why!

 
Late to the party MOA Bonnet, pods at last!

 
Orange Blob and it's distinctive crumpled pods... some just starting to turn.

 
Madame Jeanette x Goronogong throwing some shapes!

 
The fearsome SBJ7, tried one of these which I knocked off along with a guest who 'could eat anything, heat wise' at a BBQ recently... she literally cried a short time after taking a big bite, lol!  
 
 

Last but not least, 5 year old veteran TS CARDI soldiers on indoors on my office windowsill

 

[dennish]

Second part of this week's update focusing on my baccatum, the plants on the left hand side of the GH have all hit the roof and are full of pods...

 
Aji Melocoton, the plant that keeps on giving!

 
Some GIANT Nepalese Bell pods like huge alien mother ships hovering here and there in the undergrowth

 
Here next to a big Aji Bodysnatcher

 
Brazilian Starfish Red and Yellow, late to the party but podding happily now

 
Aji Omnicolour

 
Aji Bodysnatcher pods dangling in bunches, the plant is very productive 

 
Aji Bodysnatcher F2s budding up and about to flower, high hopes for growing out the F2 this season now!

 
And finally a couple of small hauls this week

 

[Malarky]

Why'd the old CARDI come inside?
I love the spikes on Aji Bodysnatcher!
Just how big are those Nepalese Bells? Could you stick something in there for size reference next week?
Your GH looks awesome. Definitely something to aspire to.

 

[dennish]

Why'd the old CARDI come inside?

 
1) He acts as shade in the afternoon to stop the sun roasting me alive whilst working in my office
2) I'm harvesting some isolated seed and finally..
3) He's a pampered old boy and deserves special treatment at 5 years old, he hasn't been outside at all this year! 

 

[Trident chilli]

Wow those F2 Bodysnatchers have grown in the past few week ... over wintered in the grow tent they will be a fine specimen next season. Great update Dennis your grow has really taken off ....

 

[Plantguy76]

Dennis just caught up on your glog an it was a awesome read !
I like those giant nepalese bells & Aji Bodysnatchers
Mom told me today that she wish I grew the UFO Red SB7J this season guess I will have to add it lol.
My Aji Mangos are still kicking but have had tomato horn worm attacks .
I have been giving those tomato horn worms the foot of Justice lol
My Brazilian putting on pods I think there where your at an the aji Penec's are doing great
The aji cereza has a few pods think I will over winter it.
It really looks like you had a great season hope all continues to go well

 

[dennish]

Very quick update for this week...
 
I've now culled my 4 tomato plants creating more space in the the GH.  
 
Weather was crap today when I went out, so only took a few pics.
 
Baccas storming along!

 
Orange Blob, really deep vivid orange 

 
'Uber Fatali' (Fatalii x Cleo's Dragon Yellow)

 
Brazilian Starfish Red and some fine looking yellow pods still to show any colour

 
Aji Bodysnatcher F2s motoring along indoors, now relegated from the windowsill and squatting in front of my patio window, the big news this week is the first F2 pod has been set which is great news, especially as seed was only sown early July! 8)

 
Aji Bodysnatcher F1 pods ripening.

 
Meanwhile I've been working on this year's cross attempt, a c.chinense I have high hopes for... no luck so far but both parent strains are in flower so there is time still!  Keeping this under wraps for now, until I have managed to cross successfully...

 

[Trident chilli]

Love the bumps and spikes on the Bodysnatchers Dennis ... what are your thoughts on heat and taste

 

[dennish]

So tonight, determined to clear some freezer space before the big harvests, made some sauce... 246g of White Fatalii in quite a modest sized batch of mango based, face melting heaven!

 

[Trident chilli]

Looks a great sauce Dennis ... poor weather but the sun is coming back to colour our pods

 

[dennish]

Love the bumps and spikes on the Bodysnatchers Dennis ... what are your thoughts on heat and taste

Sorry John missed this comment, taste strongly resembles a Lemon Drop with a little less heat but larger pods and slightly thicker walled, the zingy citrus flavour is really nice and at a really manageable heat level, I've been eating sliced into salad and salsa and pickled as well as in my cooking, Yum.
Some snaps from the GH yesterday...

Uber Fataliis ripening

Orange Blob, some really cool looking flat topped pods coming through

Hat off to imposter big Jim podding gamely outside, these are great sliced in two and grilled on the BBQ!

SBJ7 on the turn, gulp!

Bunch of Aji Bodysnatcher

Lots ready to pick and apples coming on nicely soon be chutney time!

 

[Wicked Mike]

Truly impressive what you've been able to do, particularly within the space you're working with and the seasonal constraints your location imposes. I'm blown away by what can be achieved with the right dedication and planning. Hat's off, sir.
 

 
Great article OCD, thanks for sharing.  Kinda confirms what I already know... F1 pods should be identical, where the parent strains are stable.  So, either the two pod shapes I've seen at F1 were down to an early/immature pod shape or instability in the parent strains.  As you say, worth saving seed from both.  I now have seedings on the go from the first pod shape (germination rate 90%+), and am waiting for the second pod shape to ripen.

 
You've brought up something that I don't think many growers talk about. When we swap seeds, it's of course standard operating procedure to label them "OP" or "Isolated." But what do you think the odds are that the seeds you get in a trade labeled "Iso" were, in fact, isolated for the seven consecutive generations immediately prior to you? Seems unlikely, for the most part. I guess what I'm getting at is that, while it's tempting to view "isolated seeds" as a definitive means of being sure that we're growing the "real" Aji Omnicolor, BOC, etc, chances are good that the overwhelming majority of the seeds out there aren't fully stable, assuming they really were the "real" seeds in the first place.
 
Personally, that doesn't bother me one bit. I'd liken it to being painters. We can either debate which shade of blue is "the real" blue  , or mess with as many different shades of blue as we can come up with.Life isn't static, and was never meant to be.
 
There is, however, another possibility to consider. The variation you're seeing might be a result of cultural differences, rather than genetic instability. I've seen the enormous difference that variations in soil nutrition, structure, and pH, temperature, water, sunlight, and so on can make in my own grow. During the incredibly hot, rainy summers here, we tend to see deficiencies in Calcium, Magnesium, and Iron, as well as ramped up breakdown of potting media, decreased drainage, etc. The pods I got from the same plant just a few months ago can be completely different from what I harvest today, but the genetics of the plant remain the same.
 
Or (and I think this is most likely), it's a combination or even synergy of both genetic and cultural factors. To what extent each is playing a role in the case of your new cross, I wouldn't even attempt to hazard a guess.
 
Anyway, that's just my two cents, and I could be completely wrong about everything. It's certainly happened before.

 

[dennish]

Truly impressive what you've been able to do, particularly within the space you're working with and the seasonal constraints your location imposes. I'm blown away by what can be achieved with the right dedication and planning. Hat's off, sir.
 
 
You've brought up something that I don't think many growers talk about. When we swap seeds, it's of course standard operating procedure to label them "OP" or "Isolated." But what do you think the odds are that the seeds you get in a trade labeled "Iso" were, in fact, isolated for the seven consecutive generations immediately prior to you? Seems unlikely, for the most part. I guess what I'm getting at is that, while it's tempting to view "isolated seeds" as a definitive means of being sure that we're growing the "real" Aji Omnicolor, BOC, etc, chances are good that the overwhelming majority of the seeds out there aren't fully stable, assuming they really were the "real" seeds in the first place.
 
Personally, that doesn't bother me one bit. I'd liken it to being painters. We can either debate which shade of blue is "the real" blue  , or mess with as many different shades of blue as we can come up with.Life isn't static, and was never meant to be.
 
There is, however, another possibility to consider. The variation you're seeing might be a result of cultural differences, rather than genetic instability. I've seen the enormous difference that variations in soil nutrition, structure, and pH, temperature, water, sunlight, and so on can make in my own grow. During the incredibly hot, rainy summers here, we tend to see deficiencies in Calcium, Magnesium, and Iron, as well as ramped up breakdown of potting media, decreased drainage, etc. The pods I got from the same plant just a few months ago can be completely different from what I harvest today, but the genetics of the plant remain the same.
 
Or (and I think this is most likely), it's a combination or even synergy of both genetic and cultural factors. To what extent each is playing a role in the case of your new cross, I wouldn't even attempt to hazard a guess.
 
Anyway, that's just my two cents, and I could be completely wrong about everything. It's certainly happened before.

 
Thanks for the kind words Mike, appreciated.
 
You make lots of very interesting and thought provoking points and I think you are most likely right, in terms of cultural factors playing a major part in pod formation in addition to genetics.  In the example of my new cross, when I think this through I did move the plants outside into my greenhouse with bigger pots and a completely different environment part way through the season... it was only when in this final position did I see the spiky pods coming through. 

 

[dennish]

Some harvest of mainly baccas, about 1.3KG.

 
Aji Bodysnatcher F1

 
Aji Melocoton

 
Lemon Drop 

 
Aji Omnicolour & TDW

 
Pimento de Padron

 
Madre Vejea

 

[Wicked Mike]

 
Thanks for the kind words Mike, appreciated.
 
You make lots of very interesting and thought provoking points and I think you are most likely right, in terms of cultural factors playing a major part in pod formation in addition to genetics.  In the example of my new cross, when I think this through I did move the plants outside into my greenhouse with bigger pots and a completely different environment part way through the season... it was only when in this final position did I see the spiky pods coming through. 

 
I've noticed that myself, especially with the supers. When my plants are nutrient-deprived and or drought-stressed, the pods tend to not only be smaller and fewer, but the shape is often off, and I don't see the bumpiness that I do when they're getting everything they need.

 

[Wicked Mike]

Oh, and I'm stoked to see someone else tinkering with Aji Fantasy White. Thus far, it's my favorite.

 

[dennish]

Some quick pod shots, loads ripening now! Great weather here in East Yorkshire for this time of year!

Uber Fatalii...

Finally, a full size ripe SB MOA [emoji3]

Peach Congo bigger pods now colouring up

SBJ7

Bhut Orange Copenhagen

Orange Blob

 

[dennish]

So lots of ripe pods ready for harvest...

 
Here are Uber Fatalii as mentioned above, a great producer of humongous pods, I'm going to be making my next batch of sauce with these bad boys!

 
Some GIANT Nepalese Bells, destined for stuffed peppers this week

 
Here's today's haul, happy days!

 

[Trident chilli]

Great harvest Dennis ... Autumn starting to slowly bite I see the night time temperatures are starting to lower ... I wish my SB7J's would colour up they and MoA Red really dragging their heels

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Great glog. I really like your technique. I'm learning a bit on greenhouse gardening. I will get my feet wet next season. Building a Hoophouse as we speak. I may also build a smaller structure for some year round experiments. Congrats on the harvest.