HAJ's hajj to chili

Guess it is about time I make a GLOG...
I'm living in cold Denmark, which means that everything is indoors, either in the greenhouse (spring and summer only) or in the south facing windows in the house. This again means that everything is in pots, and most in too small pots (that is also a consequence of growing more plants than I have room for).

This is the list of plants that I currently have:
Updates 2013-08-13 in red

Annum:
- Filius Blue
- Peruvian Purple
- Hungarian Hot Wax * 2
- Some Cayenne type of uncertain origin * 2

Bacatum:
- Aji Lemon Drop (4th season)
- Aji Benito
- Blondie * 2
- Criolla Sella

Chinense:
- Chocolate Habanero (2nd season)
- GRIF 9293 (2nd season)
- Some Bhut Jolokia like chili of uncertain origin (2nd season)
- Some big orange chinense of uncertain origin * 2
- Fatali White (almost as yellow as the Lemon Drop)
- Pimenta da Neyde
- Cheiro do Norte * 2
- Not CGN 21500
- Trinidad Perfume
- Bonda ma Jaques

Frutescens:
- Kaantari Mulaku (a tiny landrace from Kerala, India). This one doesn't like Danish climate. But it's mrs. HAJ's favourite...
- Some landrace from Changanacheri, Kerala, India. Turns white then red like Tabasco, but is more round. Locals just call it "chili" !

Homemade crosses:
- HAJ12D F1 and F2, Chocolate Habanero X GRIF 9293 (Chinense). Hoping to get a chili with some of the taste of the Chocolate Habanero, but with less heat.
- HAJ13A F1, Aji Lemon Drop(Baccatum) X Chocolate Habanero(Chinense). Mostly for the fun of it. But if I can get a chili that is cold tolerant like Baccatum and has brown chilies, then I'll be happy.
- HAJ13B F1, Aji Benito X Blondie (Baccatum). Hope to get a big rounded pod in cream white color.
- HAJ13C F1, <some orange chinense> X Trinidad Perfume
 
Pests:
- White Fly
- Aphids
- Spider mites
- you name it, I got it ...
Some pictures
 
Some ripe pods, from left to right: Blondie, Fatali White, Aji Lemon Drop, <some orange chinense>, CGN 21500, Aji Benito, Hot Hungarian Wax (double), HAJ12D F1, GRIF 9293, Chocolate Habanero (old and wrinkled), Pimenta da Neyde

 
Hot Hangarian Wax trying to take the term "pod porn" to a new level

 
Filius Blue flower

 
Ready to make some yellow powder

 
End of Bhut season 2012 (plant was filled with aphids and had to be stripped and cleaned)

 
A handfull of HAJ12D F1. Has the glossiness of the father, GRIF 9293

 
HAJ12D upskirts

 
Inside of HAJ12D F1. Oil drops visible on placenta (though I am aiming at something medium hot)

 
HAJ12D family. From left to right: HAJ12D F1, GRIF 9293 (father), Chocolate Habanero (mother)

 
Bonus picture. My son with a bottle gourd (some Indian cucumber-like vegtable)

 
A big thank you for all the fantastic info. and GLOG's on this site, and special thanx to POTAWIE, Spicegeist and gasificada for inspiration on making crosses.
 
That's all for now. Thanx for looking 

 

[HAJ]

Very nice!
Red, Shorter than lemon drop and more folded as a habanero is. Looks like you are doing it right!
Are there more pods on the way? 5 seeds aren't much to work with :/
F2 is in sight

 
Thank you.
Yes more pods on the way. I'll try to OW the plant to get as many seeds as possible. F2 should have a lot of variety between the plants (still provided that seeds are viable. Have read about problems with Baccatum X Chinense hybrids).
 
Since we are moving to "indoor season", I have to prioritize hard, and I already have 12 F2's of my first cross ... So F2's on this cross will have to wait until "normal sowing time" around New Year.

Great idea for a cross, especially since there are no brown ripening baccatums. I have made a similar cross this year, Criolla Sella x Georgia Black. Really looking forward to seeing your growout of the F2's...

 
Actually the background is, that I was reading the GLOG's of Spicegeist and gasificada about crossing Baccatum and Chinense. So feeling impatient in the dark winter, 25th of Feb., I pollinated the first flowers of my OW Lemon Drop and Choc. Habanero, and was lucky 
 
Feel free to post pictures of more of your crosses. I'm as curious as Ferby ...

 

[HAJ]

Frost has fallen. 
 
Summer has been good this year. So should have experimented a bit more with plants in the ground. Last pull

 
A few more harvest pictures

 
Preparing to dry and powder a load of HAJ12D (Choc. Hab. X GRIF 9293). Should have enough F2 seeds now ...

 
One of them pretending to be a scorpion

 
First HAJ12D F2 pod turning   (got 12 plants, comparison to follow when a selection of F2's are ready)

 
A few HAJ13A F1 (Aji Lemon Drop X Choc. Hab). Still only around 5 seeds per pod

 
First pod on HAJ13B F1 (Aji Benito X Blondie). Should be full size now

 
And my Pimenta de Neyde cross is about to sprout, still a few days until I can see if it worked
 
The Filius Blue has now turned red

 
And now it is time to pick the last apples. Have a nice weekend everybody 

 

[HAJ]

Oops time is flying by. A rather overdue update coming in...
 
This is finishing up of 2013. Lots of throwing out, to make room for the new grow. So here is a status on crosses.
 
Choc. Hab X GRIF 9293, aka HAJ12D, F2 #1. First ripe pods

 
First line up of HAJ12D F2. Tasting notes (from the left) 
#1: Generic red chinense taste. Maybe a bit milder. Terminated.
#2: Generic red chinense taste. Maybe a bit milder. Terminated.
#3: Hot as the choc. hab. Quite similar taste too. Not terminated (yet).
#4: Maybe a bit of choc. hab. taste. Same heat as #1 and #2. Terminated.
#5: Generic red chinense taste. Maybe a bit milder. Terminated

 
Second line up:
#3 see above (more ripe pod)
#4 see above (more ripe pod)
#10 Lots of chinense smell when cut (evaporates fast though). No heat. Beautiful dark red color when fully ripe. Plant kept for now.
#12 Think it has quite a bit of choc. hab taste and is a bit milder. Best candidate this far (turned more red after picture was taken)

 
Plants #6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 are fighting with aphids, and have not managed to produce pods yet. But there is still hope.
 
Single shot of #10

 
Aji Lemon Drop X Choc. Hab. aka HAJ13A F2: got 3 plants growing from around 12 seeds...
2 F1 plants kept for further supply of seeds.
 
Aji Benito X Blondie, aka HAJ13B, F1. Have a huge plant, and got a total of 1 (one) pod. Plant still growing. Hoping for some better production rates in 2014.
Pictures of ripening pod:

 
The family shot ... well kind of. No Blondie pods were around for the shot. So mom (to the left) and son only 

 
HAJ13C F1 didn't manage to make a pod before it got too dark  :
 
HAJ13D, my supposedly Pimenta de Neyde cross. Well, it doesn't look as if it takes much from the dad. Wonder if momma has been fooling a bit around 

 
Final picture for this update. Peruvian purple gone red:

 
That was the end of 2013. Think I'll stick with this thread for 2014, since it hasn't got that many updates yet ... 
 
Grow list for 2014 coming soon (things are sprouting already).
 
Have a prolific 2014 !

 

[meatfreak]

Nice update, looks you've got your hands full on growing out all your crosses. Best of luck with the 2014 season!

 

[HAJ]

High time to start 2014 updates !

Grow list so far. It will change during the year, as F2+ plants are terminated and hopefully new ones started.
 
Annum:
- Jimmy Nardello
- Kung Pao
- Peruvian Purple. Planning to cross this one with Jimmy N. !
- Some purple chili I got from a colleague.
 
Baccatum:
- Aji Angelo
- Aji Benito (OW)
- Aji Lemon Drop (both OW and new plants)
- Aji White Fantasy
- Blondie (OW)
 
Chinense:
- CGN 21500
- CGN 23209
- Cheiro do Norte (OW)
- Not CGN 21500 F2. Want to see if I get something exciting from this unexpected cross. 5 plants.
- SB7J F3 from DonDix. See picture of his pods below.
- Some yellow/orange chinense (OW)
- Trinidad Perfume (OW)
 
Frutescens:
- Some landrace from Changanacheri, Kerala, India. Turns white then red like Tabasco, but is more round. Locals just call it "chili". (OW) Didn't get any pods last year, but wife won't give it up !
 
Home made crosses:
HAJ12D F2 (Chocolate Habanero X GRIF 9293), still have 6 plants OW to try. Hoping to get the perfect medium hot Chocolate Habanero pod.
HAJ12D F3, have 4 plants from F2 #12
HAJ13A F1 (Aji Lemon Drop X Chocolate Habanero) (OW) need lots of pods, as I only get a few seeds per pod, and at most half of those sprout ...
HAJ13A F2, 4 plants
HAJ13B F1 (Aji Benito X Blondie) (OW)
HAJ13B F2, 3 plants
HAJ13C F1 (some yellow chinense X Trinidad Perfume) (OW) see picture of first ripe pods below
HAJ13D F1 (my little secret X Pimenta de Neyde) see picture of first pod set below
 
Unknown:
Hot Mix from Semillas, 3 plants
 
And a lot of aphids 
 
A few pictures:
First pods from HAJ13C F1

 
First pod from my Pimenta de Neyde cross. Even though I was earlier very much in doubt whether the cross worked, I'm now sure that it did, since the stems of the F1 is much darker than that of the mother. Looking forward to some more darkness in the F2's 

 
One of the plants from Semilla's Hot Mix looks very much like an annum, except for the fact that it has 2 flowers in the first node. Other nodes seems to have one flower only, though it is still a bit early to be sure. An accident or a cross ???

 
DonDix's picture of the parent of my SB7J:

 
That's all for now. Much more to come when plants get a bit bigger, and the weather hotter    

 

[HAJ]

A few more pictures 
 
My Pimenta de Neyde cross, HAJ13D F1, showing it's ancestry

And a picture of mama

 
Aji Lemon Drop X Choclate Habanero, HAJ13A F2, first flower. Looks very baccatum like. Now pls. be chocolate color ! (sorry, camera insisted on NOT focusing on the flower)

 
Last picture. Unknown purple variety. Flower certainly showing the way.

 
May the heat be with you. 

 

[Spicegeist]

"my little secret?"  heehee 

 

[Ferby]

Nice update HAJ.
 
I think i have a pretty good guess for "your little secret" and if i'm right, i'm doing a similar cross this year.  Dammit i'm one step behind !
 
How are the pots you are using indoors to OW?

 

[HAJ]

Nice update HAJ.
 
I think i have a pretty good guess for "your little secret" and if i'm right, i'm doing a similar cross this year.  Dammit i'm one step behind !
 
How are the pots you are using indoors to OW?

 
Thanx.
 
Even if you/others know which variety I used, I guess it doesn't matter much. The chances that you get 2 F2 plants that are the same should be small. On top of that what are the chances that we would choose the same kind of F2 as best candidate ? Anyway I'm still not telling 
 
The pots I use, is whatever is available, from 2 to 5 liter. Nothing fancy. 

 

[Ferby]

I agree. Even with the same cross we could never get the same result. Maybe similar but never the same.

I'm just curious about pot size because I Somehow convinced myself that pots have to be really big, when all you need to get pods is a couple of liters.

 

[HAJ]

I'm just curious about pot size because I Somehow convinced myself that pots have to be really big, when all you need to get pods is a couple of liters.

 
Depends on the purpose. If you just want to try one pod, then small pot is ok. If you want a huge harvest, then you need a big pot. I don't have much space, but want to grow many F* plants, so I need to go with small pots at least until I know that I want to keep the plant.

 

[heefy]

Wow I love the Pimenta de Neyde cross, HAJ13D F1. What a great looking pod. Amazing.

 

[HAJ]

Wow I love the Pimenta de Neyde cross, HAJ13D F1. What a great looking pod. Amazing.

 
Thanx heefy.
I'm very happy about it too. However, also because it was so difficult to get it to take. After a few failed attempt (flowers dropped), I emasculated every single flower on the mother plant, and pollinated with PdN pollen. After around 30 attemps I finally got a flower that did not drop. Then when the seeds sprouted, the plants were a "boring" normal green, and I assumed that I had fumbled and accidentially pollinated with some other pollen. But as the winter ended and the sun finally came back (we had an unusually gloomy Jan., with the least sunlight ever recorded for a Danish Jan), the dark colors came out 
 
F2 will hit the dirt as soon as first pod is ripe.
 
PS: if anybody is wondering about my naming standard for crosses, here is the explanation:
my initials + year + letter for cross number made that year
Inspired by the early name for Carolina Reaper 

 

[HAJ]

And first pod on the Pimenta de Neyde cross F1 is ripe ! Code named HAJ13D 

 
A pod from the mother, and the F1 pod. I'm not growing the father, Pimenta de Neyde this year. But you can find pictures earlier in this glog.

 
And the inside

 
And the F2s. Agreed, they are not that far yet

 
Another cross, the Aji Benito X Blondie is finally podding up. The chillies are nice and big, quite pale green, and getting some lillac sun tan, like the father.

 
No more chili pictures this time. But nice to see the apples flowering too

 
Though the neighbour is going to have more apples than me

 
Enough for now. Next episode should have the first ripe Aji Lemon Drop X Chocolate Habanero F2

 

[Nulle]

I like your crosses.   Great pictures.

 

[HAJ]

I like your crosses.   Great pictures.

 
Thank you Nulle.
 
F1 is the easy part. Now comes the slow and space consuming part of stabilizing. May have to do a few more crosses just to pass the time 

 

[Nulle]

Well I have to admit that I'm far too much of a noob to have started looking into making crosses and how to stabilize them.
 
For new I'm having quite enough with just trying to keep my peppers alive and free from aphids.
 
But I'm glad you're doing well with those beautiful crosses. I'm looking forward to seeing more

 

[Ferby]

Really beautiful pods of both crosses. Did you dry the F2 seeds from the PDN cross before you bagged them? Or did they go directly into the bag?
 
How is your CGN 23209? It looks pretty much like my PI 159236.

 

[HAJ]

Really beautiful pods of both crosses. Did you dry the F2 seeds from the PDN cross before you bagged them? Or did they go directly into the bag?
 
How is your CGN 23209? It looks pretty much like my PI 159236.

 
Thank you. No drying, just straight in the bag.
 
CGN 23209 is attracting aphids worse than anything else I've grown. No nice pictures of that one   Bought it because Semillas described it as "medium hot". I see that PI 159236 is described as very hot. 

 

[HAJ]

As I wrote a few days ago, time for an update. Lets just hope that the server gods do not eat the post this time. Hope it is not too far from what I wrote the other day...
 
HAJ13A F2, Aji Lemon Drop X Chocolate Habanero first ripe pod

It seems to have a few more viable seeds than the F1. Size, colour, taste and shape (save for aphid damage), seems to be the same as F1. This is not what I am hoping for, so plant will be sent to some corner of the greenhouse.
A harvest picture of F1 pods

 
HAJ13B F1 , Aji Benito X Blondie ripening

First F2 plants on the way, but none with "stuffable" shape that was the goal. More on the way...
 
HAJ13C F1, Yellow Habanero (?) X Trinidad Perfume. Harvest picture

Do not plan to sow these. Cross was made with the hope of getting a medium hot yellow chinense. But have since learned that the heat in chinense, normally is eather full power, or none. So need a chinense variety with genes for medium heat, to reach the goal.
 
HAJ13D F1, my PdN cross. Harvest picture, followed by picture of F2 plants. Some difference in F2 leaf colour is there ...

 
Finally a line up of HAJ12D F2, Chocolate Habanero X GRIF 9293. Plants #6, 7, 8, 9 and 12.

Again, the goal was to have medium heat chinense. But all F2's has had full heat or no heat, and none have had the special Chocolate Hab. taste, so expect to stop growing this cross. Have 4 F3s from #12, but have lost hope for this cross.
 
That's all for this repeated post. Next update should have pictures of ripe "Not CGN 21500" F2.