Hector I don't think what you said .... "habanero growers here don't share to much info on production or strains... " is the case. Very few people are growing on a scale that you are or the way you are. Large production in a Green House. I can't really compare my humble back yard production to yours or give any really useful info on something like yours.
You have to be learning a little about different types of pepper like , the Scotch Bonnet , Golden Habanero , Peach Habenero , and so on. And in some pictures you see how large some strains are. Like the Golden Habanero is the biggest Habenro I've had in my hand .
On habanero type plants living a long time all I can speak of is what I saw in Jamaica. I've stayed with Yardie friends all over the island and many folks have a "Pepper Tree" as they called it. A Scotch Bonnet plant that's been alive for years. I have no idea how old some of them were , they just said it's been growing for years. The "Trees" they had weren't really all that pretty ... they were sprawling thin tree looking plants. No "prize winning" looking plants. They weren't into production so much . Just wanted peppers for their use and when there was extra someone might take them into town and sale them at the market , along with any extra mangoes or what ever.
With what you know and your talents I'm sure you could keep productive plants going for several years. Then at sometime when you notice it's not doing as well ...... you start more. If you kept some of those plants isolated that's where your future seed stock could come from.
I'm not you ..... but if I was trying to do part of what it seems you want to do. First I'd grow several at least "true strains". Find one or two that fit my needs. Then go from there. Start making a few cuttings or isolate some if I was sure nothing had been crossed and use the seeds. The only reason to make cuttings would be to make sure the plant wasn't crossed.
Peace,
P. Dreadie
