How r ur peppers going in Perth west oz?

So how'd you all go at the chilli festival this weekend?
 
I popped down there on Saturday morning for my first time at the festival.  I was a little disappointed that there were so few growers there.  I was hoping to see a lot more fully established plants on display and possibly for sale.  The show piece in the centre was OK, but perhaps my expectations / hype got the better of me...
 
The array of chilli products on offer was pretty cool though and I enjoyed the Jalapeno chilli poppers (even at $10 a serve!).  Got a few ideas for sauce flavours to try and recreate for when I get a decent harvest. 
 
The festival was OK. I always find events with crowds irritating because of how much people just suck. You'd try to get up to see the various stalls and 50% of the people causing the traffic jam would be dickheads who have finished with the stall and have just decided to have a chat with their mates right up in a high-traffic zone.
 
I had hoped to get an established orange 7 from Wildfire; however, they were sold out by noon on the first day. :(
 
It's worth a look but I doubt I will go next year. The admission price is about $10 too steep considering there's very little that doesn't cost money once you're inside.
 
I didn't end up going, woke up too late this afternoon, could have made it in time but for $18, I didn't think it would be worth it.  $18 entry is almost like Royal Show prices.  
 
Hi Guys, I'm new here, as you can see.
 
I went to the Chilli Festival this afternoon, had to park miles away and queue up to get in, then inside it was like Sideshow Alley on a public holiday. Could hardly move for the swarms of people. Bought something to eat and some random chilli plants. Wasn't a bad afternoon but I wouldn't feel compelled to go there again in a hurry.
 
Jonquill said:
Hi Guys, I'm new here, as you can see.
 
I went to the Chilli Festival this afternoon, had to park miles away and queue up to get in, then inside it was like Sideshow Alley on a public holiday. Could hardly move for the swarms of people. Bought something to eat and some random chilli plants. Wasn't a bad afternoon but I wouldn't feel compelled to go there again in a hurry.
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Good to have more Perth people around! Which chilies are you growing?
 
Super David - seems like you were the winner by giving the festival a miss!  
 
Totally agree Nemspy, $10 entry tops and I doubt I'll be going again.  I was fortunate to go in at 10:15 am on the Saturday, so crowds were small and we were able to chill out near a decent busker after checking out most of the stalls hassle free.  For me, the lack of plants and over-pricing was the buzz kill, but at least I know I'm not going to be missing out on something amazing if I don't go again.
 
Hi Jonquill - welcome to THP :)  What plants did you choose from the festival?
 
On the plus side I did score a chocolate habanero from the Canning Vale Market today.  It's huge and had 30 ripe pods and another 30 green, so quite happy with that.  Not quite as rewarding as if I'd grown it myself, but the chocolate habanero I did grow is stunted and not looking good at all.  Cant wait to try the pods tonight and make sauce through the week if I like the taste.
 
I've got a couple of plants that I planted last year, something common from Bunnings - cayenne maybe, that are making edible chillis now and I've just started a whole load of different sorts of seedlings from seeds I bought on Ebay. I know it's the wrong time of year to be doing such things though.
I think the one in my profile pic is a Serrano - I bought a plant that had a fruit on and grew the seed from that.

At the Festival I got four different sorts of Habanero (because they were half price and I can't go past a bargain - even when it's not :p   ) a De Arbol, a Bhut Jolokia and a Sunstrike. 
 
So did anyone else, at the festival, go past that display by the train and pick up any fallen pods for seeds? I scored a lilac cayenne and a white jellybean habanero. :)
 
Sneaky Nemspy I didn't think of that ;)  I noticed in the train display one of the chillies had a maggot made window.  You'd think they'd removed that? 
 
I know what you guys mean about it being crowded, learnt that the hard way from past years so I went in like Rainman, as soon as it opened on Saturday. Managed to get a free go at every stall before the crowd swell.  Of course you get the fresh practiced sales pitch at each as well as the freebies   The price was too steep but that's with all big festivals these days.
 
They have the festival nearer to the end of the growing season so that all the vendors have had time to grow a crop and turn it into product to sell.  It's not geared towards growers, I guess we are in the minority.  Most people don't have the patience.  Same as the last two festivals only Wildfire has mature plants, some loaded with chile pods too!  The other plants for sale are not going to get big enough to get a good crop before the weather gets cold, and with the average persons growing knowledge most will die and not survive winter.  The nursery knows this but they are just going for the quick buck.  I don't ever go there for the plants.
 
They need more live music, perhaps some stages set up at either end to make it worth the cash.  Sat and watched that busker too, they had a brass band walking about later on too.  I thought it was good.
 
megamoo said:
They need more live music, perhaps some stages set up at either end to make it worth the cash.  Sat and watched that busker too, they had a brass band walking about later on too.  I thought it was good.
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We were probably sat near each other and be none the wiser!  Not sure if you noticed her, but our friends little girl (2 year old) was the one who kept running up and putting 25c coins in the buskers case.  Every time she dropped one off, she'd run back asking for more money to give him.  Between the four of us he must have scored a good 10 bucks by the end, which was pretty reasonable for the hour or so he entertained us. I particularly liked some of his indian inspired slide guitar stuff.
 
nemspy said:
So did anyone else, at the festival, go past that display by the train and pick up any fallen pods for seeds? I scored a lilac cayenne and a white jellybean habanero. :)
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I was tempted to pinch off a bhut jolokia... but I don't have the constitution to do that.  If I'd seen some fallen pods tho... that would have been fair game!   For some unknown reason out of all the superhots, the bhut Jolokia is the one I'm most wanting to try. I'm hoping that my two bhuts come good over the next month as it cools, but I'm losing the battle with aphids.
 
Rainman said:
 
We were probably sat near each other and be none the wiser!  Not sure if you noticed her, but our friends little girl (2 year old) was the one who kept running up and putting 25c coins in the buskers case.  Every time she dropped one off, she'd run back asking for more money to give him.  Between the four of us he must have scored a good 10 bucks by the end, which was pretty reasonable for the hour or so he entertained us. I particularly liked some of his indian inspired slide guitar stuff.
 
 
I was tempted to pinch off a bhut jolokia... but I don't have the constitution to do that.  If I'd seen some fallen pods tho... that would have been fair game!   For some unknown reason out of all the superhots, the bhut Jolokia is the one I'm most wanting to try. I'm hoping that my two bhuts come good over the next month as it cools, but I'm losing the battle with aphids.
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I hear you with the Bhuts!  Last season I couldn't get them to germinate!! This season I bought one from Masters, the heat took its toll on it and its only just recovering now.  New growth on it.  Hopefully I can have my first Bhut pod
 
Rainman said:
 
We were probably sat near each other and be none the wiser!  Not sure if you noticed her, but our friends little girl (2 year old) was the one who kept running up and putting 25c coins in the buskers case.  Every time she dropped one off, she'd run back asking for more money to give him.  Between the four of us he must have scored a good 10 bucks by the end, which was pretty reasonable for the hour or so he entertained us. I particularly liked some of his indian inspired slide guitar stuff.
 
 
I was tempted to pinch off a bhut jolokia... but I don't have the constitution to do that.  If I'd seen some fallen pods tho... that would have been fair game!   For some unknown reason out of all the superhots, the bhut Jolokia is the one I'm most wanting to try. I'm hoping that my two bhuts come good over the next month as it cools, but I'm losing the battle with aphids.
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Yeah I was watching that.  I though she was putting in a coin, bringing it back, stopping to have a dance, and repeat. She was really getting into that case, funny stuff :P  I think mum had to step in when she decided to start throwing all the coins around.  Made me thankful I didn't bring my 3, they would've enjoyed it but I would be running around after them all the time.
 
He was good with the slide, he used one of the harmonicas as a slide at one point.  I've actually got an old 12 string guitar myself but the body is a bit warped, made me think to do what he did and turn it into a lap slide. 
 
Was definately the choice going down Saturday. There were lots of products and Beer still left :P
I even managed to get a talk in with some of the sauce makers too. They said it was quieter than last year on the Sat but was doing great business with people buying as well as tasting.
I thought Wildfires Chilli's were not as good as last years but had good choices. I was trying to track down a Naga Viper from the other plant store but couldn't seem to find any.
Had a laugh when I saw someone staggering around and asked him "so what are you eating?".
His response was a Trinidad Scorpion(It actually looked like a Morouga Scorpion). Someone gave it to him and said it was extremely hot!
My response was "Well hand some over I need something to go with my Mango Beer" Hahaha
I am now all sauced up. Also got Cheese, Nougat and 3 different types of Jerky :woohoo:
Had to stop when I looked and my $220 had just vanished :shocked:
 
Hey Jonquill welcome to the forum.
 
Micca
 
Hi Micca
These are the plants I bought there.
 
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Hi all,
 I have not posted in a while,
 But I have an issue with my Bhut  ( bunnings)  its huge in ground and has hundreds of flowers, but never sets any fruit.
 I thought initially it was just the hot spells we were having,
 but just recently it again has heap of flowers and no fruit,
 could it be a rat eating them, as a rat has been seen in the area at night..?
 
have been giving them monthly seasol and power feed
 
 I have habaneros etc growing nearby them that are doing fine
 
Sinkas
 
I doubt its the rat.  Thats just super hots for you,  conditions have to be perfect before they'll set fruit.  Could be too much nitrogen.
 
In one of my hydroponic baths I've had a Brain strain, Jamaican red and yellow, carolina reaper and a red rocotto. Because they were in the same bath they all grew off the same nutrients at the same ph.  The jamaican's were putting out hundreds of pods, the brain strain was dropping flowers, the carolina reaper was dropping flowers and the red roccoto was setting some but really not enjoying the heat so also dropping some.
Later on when I played with the ph and the nutrient levels and seemed to get things perfect, they all started hanging onto pods.   But they hotter they are the fussier they are.  The carolina reaper was the last to hang onto any pods.....right at the end of the season.
 
sinkas said:
Hi all,
 I have not posted in a while,
 But I have an issue with my Bhut  ( bunnings)  its huge in ground and has hundreds of flowers, but never sets any fruit.
 I thought initially it was just the hot spells we were having,
 but just recently it again has heap of flowers and no fruit,
 could it be a rat eating them, as a rat has been seen in the area at night..?
 
have been giving them monthly seasol and power feed
 
 I have habaneros etc growing nearby them that are doing fine
 
Sinkas
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Is there much bee or bug activity around the plant?  If you have sprayed to kill pests you might have also driven off the pollinators. Maybe give it a gentle shake, or hand pollinate some flowers?
 
If there are habaneros nearby setting pods it is probably what Super David says and too much nitrogen.  Or...  superhots are slow to set pods, and that particular plant could be weak genetically, a bad cross or something.  Mush one of the flowers on you fingertip and check close if you can see any pollen.
 
edit.. by `mush` I mean brush the open end against your finger. :P
 
Rainman said:
 
 
I was tempted to pinch off a bhut jolokia... but I don't have the constitution to do that.  If I'd seen some fallen pods tho... that would have been fair game!   For some unknown reason out of all the superhots, the bhut Jolokia is the one I'm most wanting to try. I'm hoping that my two bhuts come good over the next month as it cools, but I'm losing the battle with aphids.
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I have three established plants, if you want one to set some pods before the season closes.
 
Micca302 said:
 I was trying to track down a Naga Viper from the other plant store but couldn't seem to find any.

 
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I may have a spare in Chilliville if your interested.


Welcome to THP Jonquil.


We did not make the festival this year but by the reports above we did not miss a good show.
 
 
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