Disappointment

[Skyjerk]

So far none of my superhots (Caribbean Reds and Naga Morich) that are coming ripe during this cooler weather are nearly as hot as they should be.

I know that my tolerance is higher this year than last because I've been eating very hot stuff almost daily, but even so, these things should be giving me a lot more pain than they are.

I ate most of a caribbean Red yesterday afternoon and didnt even need milk or cheese or really anything
to follow it.

It was hot, but not stupendously so. Far less than I would expect from a Caribbean Red. This pepper didnt even measure up to an ordinary orange Hab in my estimation.

All these peppers began to ripen after the cool snap began.

I think the mild days (upper 70's) and cold (mid to upper 50's) nights is impacting the power of my superhots.
Possibly the nights more than the days.

Today I'm building a makeshift greenhouse on top of my plant table.

 

[RichardK]

So far none of my superhots (Caribbean Reds and Naga Morich) that are coming ripe during this cooler weather are nearly as hot as they should be.

I know that my tolerance is higher this year than last because I've been eating very hot stuff almost daily, but even so, these things should be giving me a lot more pain than they are.

I ate most of a caribbean Red yesterday afternoon and didnt even need milk or cheese or really anything
to follow it.

It was hot, but not stupendously so. Far less than I would expect from a Caribbean Red. This pepper didnt even measure up to an ordinary orange Hab in my estimation.

All these peppers began to ripen after the cool snap began.

I think the mild days (upper 70's) and cold (mid to upper 50's) nights is impacting the power of my superhots.
Possibly the nights more than the days.

Today I'm building a makeshift greenhouse on top of my plant table.

Mine are VERY HOT and the weather here has been mid 70s for the longest time, and I think this is because I routinly let my loaded plants (that are not flowering anymore) wilt extensivly before I water them.

Pepper plants spring back to life in less than 10 minutes after watering anyway... Perhaps you should give this a try? Also I let my Pods stay on the plant long after ripining, untill they are the darkest color they can get.

 

[Skyjerk]

Mine are VERY HOT and the weather here has been mid 70s for the longest time, and I think this is because I routinly let my loaded plants (that are not flowering anymore) wilt extensivly before I water them.

Pepper plants spring back to life in less than 10 minutes after watering anyway... Perhaps you should give this a try? Also I let my Pods stay on the plant long after ripining, until they are the darkest color they can get.

I may have a fear of deliberately stressing my plants after my experience with killing them all last year

Its possible that being too healthy and happy has added to the problem, though.

Perhaps the combination of greenhouse and being a bit less nice to them will help.

 

[talas]

I may have a fear of deliberately stressing my plants after my experience with killing them all last year

Its possible that being too healthy and happy has added to the problem, though.

Perhaps the combination of greenhouse and being a bit less nice to them will help.

D`ont be cruel to your plants..just love them..and water occasionally when you need to..they'll be hot hot hopefully

 

[RichardK]

It's not being cruel, plants dont have feelings and it's not like they get damaged anyway.

Letting them wilt does two things:

1: Plant stress of any kind (I tend to think wilting is the least damaging of them all) will cause the plant to "defend" it's fruit (during hard times) by increasing the amount of Capsaicin inside the pod.

2: Sets the roots in motion looking for sources of water, making them larger and the plant larger and more vigorous.

The fact is, the more you "Baby" a plant, the more likly you are to kill the thing.

Remember, these plants are capable of living their entire lives without human presence. All you are there for is to make sure it gets water, nutrients and of course to collect the fruit!

If underwatering causes the fruit to get Hotter, by all means do it. Just dont let your plant sit in the wilt stage all day and for gods sake, dont do what some here have done by bringing your seedlings to the brink of death expecting Naga like heat by the over-kill stress.

Other than making the roots larger this "hotter by stress" technique only works when the plant has pods on it