I received my Datil seed from Peppermania last year and had good germination rates. The rest of the pepper seed varieties from her also sprouted quickly, most within 4 or 5 days. All was going well on this new hot pepper expedition.
Then I hit a bump in the road, accidently tipped my seed tray and was reduced to picking and sifting naked seedlings (most with only seed leaves) from the spilled starting mix strewn on the floor. All of my labeling was now scrambled, but I was thankful I managed to save about half of the plants from the 72 cell tray. This turned the year into a guessing game as to which varieties had survived the spill and transplant to 16 ounce cups prematurely. The game was made more difficult since I had planted several seed of various shapes and colors from her free mixed seed mystery pack.
Later in the year, one of these plants "appeared" to be a Datil, produced heavily and was one of my outstanding favorites. It was also the easiest to pick and no sissors were needed, since the ripe yellow, golden peppers would release from the plant with very little pressure.
The plant produced well all season, so when old man winter arrived I decided to shelter this yellow pepper factory in an unused bathroom tub with very poor lighting next to a high westward facing window. Peppers continued to ripen for several weeks, but about a month later I noticed some leaf discoloration/deformation and some leaves on the floor of the tub and assumed it was due to the bad lighting. A few weeks later many leaves had fallen and upon closer inspection I discovered a huge spider mite infestation.
I sprayed with neem oil several times, but by the time February arrived the plant was reduced to a bare stem skeleton. Not one leaf remained and many of the branch ends were brown and dry. I figured the plant was history and had reached the end of its rope, so I just left it alone.
The sunlight has been very limited so far this year with many overcast days and abundant rainfall, which is a pleasant change from the drought we've experienced here in the deep south these past few years. Winter held on longer this year too, with the last frost arriving the first week in April. I really need to build a greenhouse one of these days.
Finally fairer weather arrives, the soil dries sufficiently and the garden planting commences. After finishing my garden plantings, one day around the end of April, I suddenly remembered my ravaged plant sitting all alone in the bathtub and decided to see if this sad looking naked gal had any life left in her. Upon removal from the #5 pot, half of the roots fell away with the potting mix, but I planted her deep in a new 7 gallon home with fresh mix anyway. After pruning the dead branch tips and soaking the pot with a weak fertilizer solution, she was given her place in the sun once again, but I didn't have much hope.
Two weeks later I was extremely surprised to see a few very tiny leaves peeking here and there from the nude stems and branches. As the days went by these little spurts of life became more numerous and I knew then that this plant was much more resilient than I had first surmised.
She is now clothed once more in her verdant finery and producing buds and pods. I'm anxiously awaiting the first ripe pods and wondering if I have correctly identified this die hard as "Lady Datil".
Sorry for the shoddy pics; I must get a better digital camera.
The plant in question is on the right.
Datil Lower ???
Pic of the green pods.
Then I hit a bump in the road, accidently tipped my seed tray and was reduced to picking and sifting naked seedlings (most with only seed leaves) from the spilled starting mix strewn on the floor. All of my labeling was now scrambled, but I was thankful I managed to save about half of the plants from the 72 cell tray. This turned the year into a guessing game as to which varieties had survived the spill and transplant to 16 ounce cups prematurely. The game was made more difficult since I had planted several seed of various shapes and colors from her free mixed seed mystery pack.
Later in the year, one of these plants "appeared" to be a Datil, produced heavily and was one of my outstanding favorites. It was also the easiest to pick and no sissors were needed, since the ripe yellow, golden peppers would release from the plant with very little pressure.
The plant produced well all season, so when old man winter arrived I decided to shelter this yellow pepper factory in an unused bathroom tub with very poor lighting next to a high westward facing window. Peppers continued to ripen for several weeks, but about a month later I noticed some leaf discoloration/deformation and some leaves on the floor of the tub and assumed it was due to the bad lighting. A few weeks later many leaves had fallen and upon closer inspection I discovered a huge spider mite infestation.
I sprayed with neem oil several times, but by the time February arrived the plant was reduced to a bare stem skeleton. Not one leaf remained and many of the branch ends were brown and dry. I figured the plant was history and had reached the end of its rope, so I just left it alone.
The sunlight has been very limited so far this year with many overcast days and abundant rainfall, which is a pleasant change from the drought we've experienced here in the deep south these past few years. Winter held on longer this year too, with the last frost arriving the first week in April. I really need to build a greenhouse one of these days.
Finally fairer weather arrives, the soil dries sufficiently and the garden planting commences. After finishing my garden plantings, one day around the end of April, I suddenly remembered my ravaged plant sitting all alone in the bathtub and decided to see if this sad looking naked gal had any life left in her. Upon removal from the #5 pot, half of the roots fell away with the potting mix, but I planted her deep in a new 7 gallon home with fresh mix anyway. After pruning the dead branch tips and soaking the pot with a weak fertilizer solution, she was given her place in the sun once again, but I didn't have much hope.
Two weeks later I was extremely surprised to see a few very tiny leaves peeking here and there from the nude stems and branches. As the days went by these little spurts of life became more numerous and I knew then that this plant was much more resilient than I had first surmised.
She is now clothed once more in her verdant finery and producing buds and pods. I'm anxiously awaiting the first ripe pods and wondering if I have correctly identified this die hard as "Lady Datil".
Sorry for the shoddy pics; I must get a better digital camera.
The plant in question is on the right.
Datil Lower ???
Pic of the green pods.
