breeding First Cross!

DontPanic

DontPanic

I haven't been growing peppers many years, so I'm excited to have my first crossed pepper (albeit accidentally crossed).
 
The mother is Jamaican Yellow Mushroom and I think the father is a Banana Pepper, but I'm not 100% sure.  Pollination was self-supervised, and on the honor system.
 
The mother plant has peppers that looks like this:
 
GSNfdBJ.jpg

 
However, the peppers that are growing out look like this:
 
dPHAto7.jpg

 
 
I like the peppers I'm getting at the F1 stage.  But, from what I understand, I'll never see these exact peppers grow out again.
 
It has the heat of the Jamaican Yellow Mushroom, but seems to have picked up alittle of that Banana pepper flavor also.  I don't have any ripe ones yet, so I'm not sure what the mature color, flavor, and heat level will be like.
 
I'm told heat is a dominant gene, so some of the subsequent generations may be at the heatless Banana pepper level even though the F1 carries the heat of the mother pepper.
 
For now, my working name for the pepper is "Junk Yard Mutt" (Jamaican Yellow Mushroom ==> JYM ==> Junk Yard Mutt).
 
Long term, maybe Jamanana (especially if I isolate a heatless version).  That'll be a ways down the road though.
 
I haven't been working at developing any skills at isolating my seeds (obviously), so this will give me the chance to try some isolation techniques.
 
DontPanic said:
I like the peppers I'm getting at the F1 stage.  But, from what I understand, I'll never see these exact peppers grow out again.
Click to expand...
 
Never say never.  If this is something that you are serious about, you should save as much seed as you can, from the most desirable pods, and grow as many as you can, carefully selecting each successive generation (according to your desired traits), and repeating the process, for at least 7 or 8 generations.  It's a lot of work stabilizing a cross...  but can be very rewarding, in the end.
 
solid7 said:
 
Never say never.  If this is something that you are serious about, you should save as much seed as you can, from the most desirable pods, and grow as many as you can, carefully selecting each successive generation (according to your desired traits), and repeating the process, for at least 7 or 8 generations.  It's a lot of work stabilizing a cross...  but can be very rewarding, in the end.
Click to expand...
 

Luckily, it really does seem to have that "Hybrid Vigor".  I should have plenty of seeds.
 
I look forward to growing out many examples next year.  It'll be my first opportunity to see how many variations I get after the F1 generation.  I've read several people talk about it.  It'll be my first chance to see it first hand.
 
Right now, my plants are planted very densely.  So one of the first steps I need to sort out is isolating the peppers to make sure it doesn't cross again!
 
I should have some time (a few weeks or so).  The weather is so hot right now, nothing is setting very many new blooms.
 
Since this plant is in the ground, I was leaning towards some kind of breathable mesh isolation bag similar to the one in your link.
 
Except I'd need one that can isolate just a branch.  It looks like the one in your link is supposed to go over the entire plant, according to the description.
 
But at only 4" x 6", that must be a really small flowering plant!
 
Oh, Its just supposed to go over the flower unless I sent the wrong link.
After its a pod you just take it off. Either way, thats what Ive been told to do to isolate them. That and a q-tip.
Ive used my finger on an indoor plant before and it worked out fine.
 
I've seen AJ Drew recommend the paint strainers bags before.

With my plant being in the ground instead of a container, I'm not sure a paint strainer bag will work.

Amazon has a couple of suggestions for bags with draw strings in a size that could wrap a whole branch.

Anybody have any feed back on using something like these:

KLOUD City Pack of 20 In 11.7"x7.7" Plant / Fruit / Flower Protect Bag
https://www.amazon.com/Protect-Carrier-Mosquito-netting-Barrier/dp/B013OWPEYW/

CUGBO 50pcs 6"x10"Insects Mosquito Net Barrier Bag
https://www.amazon.com/CUGBO-Insects-Mosquito-Barrier-Protect/dp/B074GNMF1Q/

KINGLAKE® 10 Pcs 10"x14" Insects Mosquito Bug Net Barrier Bag Garden Plant Fruit Flower Protect Bag
https://www.amazon.com/KINGLAKE%C2%AE-Insects-Mosquito-Barrier-Protecting/dp/B01G9QO8Z6/
 
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
They're ripening to a nice red color.
 
Nothing spectacular, I guess.
 
The mother plant, Jamaican Yellow Mushroom, ripens to yellow.  But my understanding is that red is a dominant trait.
 
vWpg0Ih.jpg
 
I've got 6 F2 versions of the Junk Yard Mutt going this year.
 
They all look pretty similar so far.  The pod shape is similar to a banana pepper, and the pods are all ripening to red.
 
I'm not seeing any yellow pods, or button-shaped pods.
 
Here's an example:
 
hIB0ToP.jpg

 
I know this cross is boring compared to all the other gnarley crosses going on around THP, but I'm seeing some traits I like in this pepper.
 
First off, most of the F2's seem to like my Gulf Coast weather.  Not every annuum likes my climate.  I try to stay on the look-out for annuums that are comfortable with my climate.
 
I like this pod shape better than the button pod shape of the Jamaican Yellow Mushroom.  It's more versatile.
 
Several are showing nice productivity, although it's not a giant plant.  It seems to top out at +/- 24".  But, for that size, it's productive.
 
I am seeing (perceiving or perhaps mis-perceiving) some variation in heat and flavor.  I have one or two peppers that seem to have more banana pepper flavor.  Other examples have more Jamaican Yellow Mushroom flavor.  I don't have any heatless, but there seems to be some variation in heat (although that may even out as the year wears on).
 
I haven't been isolating any of the pods.  I sort-of envision this variety as a landrace.  I may regret that decision, but this pepper provides a great opportunity to learn about the consequences of that choice.
 
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