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shopping Heads up on S.Cal "datils" purchased from nurseries...

Aji hombre

Aji hombre

In the last few years, local nurseries (e.g., Plant Depot and Green Thumb in Orange County) have been stocking a nicer variety of peppers in 4" pots, and up until now they have all grown true for me. This season though, I bought a plant labeled "datil"--C. chinense, that is pretty obviously a C. annuum. No large fruit yet, but the plant's growth is that of a C. annuum, and there is only one flower per node. I went back to see if I didn't pick up a mislabeled plant, but all of their leftover stock were showing the same traits. It's evidently a problem from the supplier.
 
So if anyone on the west coast has a "datil" growing from a purchased plant--it might be a good idea to confirm or establish its identity. There's still plenty of time to replant. At this point I'm going to keep it and see what I get.
 
I stopped growing Nursery Plants in the last few years,especially Supers.
 
Almost all never are what they are supposed to be.
 
I got a Bell pepper instead of an Annuum hybrid-Chinese Pepper,almost all supers weren't even Chinense.
 
Also a ton are $4.00 each for a 2 inch start or $10.00 for a larger one in a 1 gal. pot.
 
I get screwed either way,I have to bring the original plant back to get more of the same thing.
 
But It's now in my #15 pot and 100 times bigger...they won't take back a bare root plant.
 
They just stick it back out at a higher price to sell.
 
After all,I spent the time to grow it out,made it a much bigger plant...
 
I get to cross my fingers hoping the new  plant isn't the same...It isn't the real thing,most times.
 
No $ back,they will only give you credit/a replacement.
 
Prices for small,screwed up looking starts have sky rocketed.
Especially for Popular stuff.
People read stuff on the net. and will pay any price for the name on the tag.
 
Most people have no clue as to what some stuff should look like.
They are buying the name most times.
 
Too many new suppliers sell anything these days for the $ they can get for it.
I used to think,I thought it was switched tags.
SO since I live 100 or so yards from Green Arrow,I just bought plants off the truck,as delivered.
It Is the growers using non isolated seeds or selling extra seeds that didn't sell last year,as supers or whatever gets more $,or just trying to fill the order for whatever.
 
It sucks,I used to get a lot of plants up the street.
Not worth the walk these days.
Except to talk to friends that work there.
 
Their plants were higher priced back then,but for 15+ yrs. everything I got grew true.
The last few years,nothing grew true.
 
I used to know what was coming in at whatever day.Meet the truck...
Now I don't even bother looking at their pepper starts.
 
Add to that is the nasties the plant has on them these days.
By the time that plant shows damage,your whole garden is infested.
 
Ají hombre said:
... a plant labeled "datil"--C. chinense, that is pretty obviously a C. annuum. No large fruit yet, but the plant's growth is that of a C. annuum, and there is only one flower per node. I went back to see if I didn't pick up a mislabeled plant, but all of their leftover stock were showing the same traits...
Click to expand...
 
I am growing Datils sent from a guy in Florida from seeds and they are as annuum as can be: grows straight up, long internodal length, pointy leaves. I asked that question here too and have been told that Datils are a very "lanky" chinense. That eased my worries a lot. So relax, yours is probably fine. :)
 
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