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contest Growdown Throwdown 2022

Growdown Throwdown 2022

  • C. pubescens - Farm Locoto - Samaipata, Bolivia

    Votes: 10 62.5%

  • C. chinense dominant - Purple Thunder - @PaulG

    Votes: 3 18.8%

  • C. baccatum - CAP 455

    Votes: 3 18.8%
  • Total voters
    16
  • Poll closed .
DontPanic said:
I think Samaipata is pretty close to ground zero for where they think pubescens were first domesticated a few thousand years ago.

This should be fun!
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What we are growing this year, C pubescens "Farm Locoto", is actually the mother parent to the Locopica ( Farm Locoto x C eshbaughii) hybrid from my second trip to Bolivia. I chose "Locopica" to continue the tradition of pube x wild crosses being named "rocopica" - However, in Bolivia, all C pubescens are called "Locoto" with and L instead of the R (spoken in Peru).

More on Farm Locoto (mother parent of Locopica)

After locating C eshabughii populations all over Samaipata, Bolivia and publishing detailed photographs of them for the first time since WH Eshbaugh originally found them in the 80's, I continued walking those dusty dirt roads in Samaipata. That can be seen here at the 3:57 mark. Link should time stamp for you.


After finding those populations, I headed back to my airbnb with the loot. On my way back, cuttings in hand, I noticed a flash of purple from the dusty dirt road. Afterall, the entire time I had been looking for purple corollas as reported by WH eshbaugh's original findings. So, naturally finding C eshabughii and the almost completely white corolla, with only faint hints of purple as the petals emerge from the calyx, you can see how my mind was set on purple. Anyhow, there sat one of the most beautiful and fully loaded C pubecens I had ever seen in real life. The small, ripe red fruit was much nicer than anything available in the street market. I had to get photos of this plant and the family actively farming the plot around it.

The farmer noticing my interest, invited me in after a few polite and admirable lines of my very poor espanol.

He allowed me to be my weird self and film the plant in silence as him and his son stayed frozen looking at me like "Dad why does this gringo love that plant so much"? :lol:

Then sent me on my way with a camera bag full of the ripest pods hanging off the bottom of the canopy.

That scene can be viewed here at the 8:23 mark. Link should take you to the time stamped location:


When I tell you these Farm Locoto are the superhot of C pubescens, I mean it. The heat is deceitful at first, and then...it builds and hits overdrive.

That's just speaking of the heat. The fruits are sweet, funky, earthy, and total, pure Bolivian, juicy CHOKE BOMBS. Their offspring, Locopica are no different, aside from an added wild boost of "jungle perfume" funk from the C eshbaughii.

These plants will DRIP pods, and they'll do it early.

I really hope you guys enjoy this one. Thanks for being apart of all this every year. Keep the history accurate and the story alive.
 
Pepper-Guru said:
When I tell you these Farm Locoto are the superhot of C pubescens, I mean it. The heat is deceitful at first, and then...it builds and hits overdrive.

That's just speaking of the heat. The fruits are sweet, funky, earthy, and total, pure Bolivian, juicy CHOKE BOMBS. Their offspring, Locopica are no different, aside from an added wild boost of "jungle perfume" funk from the C eshbaughii.

These plants will DRIP pods, and they'll do it early.

I really hope you guys enjoy this one. Thanks for being apart of all this every year. Keep the history accurate and the story alive.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the detailed story @pepper-Guru🤘
Can't wait to be "abused" by this Bolivian delicacy ;)
 
I wonder how fair this is. I want to get in on this, but rocotos don't grow as well in Florida like it does in other places.
Am I wrong? Lol edit dpse
 
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@AaronTT, you think your location isn't good enough? Then I should probably be very worry about mine (Québec, Canada)!! Tropical climate?? Nah, don't know nothin about that either but I'm ready to brawl🤘👊😎
giphy (1).gif
 
Looks like I missed this one but perhaps it's good thing - the only time I've successfully grown rocotos the plant didn't set fruit until January of the following year!
 
Alex26 said:
Is this closed? Can I still get in on this?
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Yes, sorry! Its a bit late at this point. Voting ends last day of year and only those who vote, are willing to actively participate and are willing to send SASE/SASBE in order to participate. Noticed your account was opened yesterday. Hang around and be active on the forum a bit, kick your feet up, stay awhile 😉
Siv said:
Looks like I missed this one but perhaps it's good thing - the only time I've successfully grown rocotos the plant didn't set fruit until January of the following year!
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No worries! This one definitely is going to be a challenge, and that's just awesome. First C pubescens in the contests history. We'd still love for you to hang around and help cheerlead whomever does come in second place! 😜
AaronTT said:
I wonder how fair this is. I want to get in on this, but rocotos don't grow as well in Florida like it does in other places. Seems like others have purposely choose this type to negate any benefit us people in semi tropical climates have...while maximizing their own benefits for a type of vegetable that is not grown well overall in their zone..
Am I wrong?
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Fair?! FAIR?!

 
AaronTT said:
I wonder how fair this is. I want to get in on this, but rocotos don't grow as well in Florida like it does in other places. Seems like others have purposely choose this type to negate any benefit us people in semi tropical climates have...while maximizing their own benefits for a type of vegetable that is not grown well overall in their zone..
Am I wrong?
Click to expand...
I've in South Africa, Durban, home of the poison and I can tell you know that the Rocotos grow well here, we have sub tropical climate. Just imagine where they originate from 😉. Its all about strategy. A nice shade cloth from the hot midday sun, they love rain and a bit of wind also.
 

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Capsicum Connoisseurs said:
I've in South Africa, Durban, home of the poison and I can tell you know that the Rocotos grow well here, we have sub tropical climate. Just imagine where they originate from 😉. Its all about strategy. A nice shade cloth from the hot midday sun, they love rain and a bit of wind also.
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There it is.

Ok?! Listen up! Wake UP! Strap in.

First round of seeds went out today!
 
Yeah lol dpse on that night. I have grown pubes here, but its certainly not ideal. In fairness, I have only given a few of them a try. Once our heat and humidity kick in they seems to really struggle and decline. Perhaps I need to grow a type known for humid and hot locations. Every other pepper I can get to grow well. So yeah, Dragonsfire maybe I am not doing something right, that is probably correct.
 
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Can't move it since it has a poll. Glogs don't have polls or tags but I could put the tag. So on second thought this is the best place for context. Never mind me. :seeya:
 
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