Mildfruit 2023

Here we go!
Can't believe I created my first glog back in 2018, back then it was all about indoor hydroponics in a small tent. Now it's in a greenhouse, and this year I don't have to build it!

This year I will also be monitoring the greenhouse more intensely. I have installed a greenhouse "computer", a device monitoring temperature, humidity, and lux levels. All this will be accessible on my phone, so hopefully, I can use this data to improve the plant environment further. I will also use this to monitor soil water levels in plants not in autopots. Handy to be able to check on the phone if plants need water

I will also be collecting rain water, as opposed of using tap water, as were I live the water is rather hard. Hopefully this will make a difference, at least it will be cheaper

Anyway, this year I will live up to my username, most plants will be rather mild.
This list is subject to change.

Name:	Vendor:	Note.
Quadrato d’Asti Giallo	Chili Samen | Tomatensamen | Semillas La Palma Weltweit größtes Chilisamen Angebot. 570 Chilisorten und 170 Tomatensorten in bester Qualität verfügbar. Jetzt online bestellen! semillas.de	XL pot Yellow bell pepper
Thunder Cacho Brown	Chili Samen | Tomatensamen | Semillas La Palma Weltweit größtes Chilisamen Angebot. 570 Chilisorten und 170 Tomatensorten in bester Qualität verfügbar. Jetzt online bestellen! semillas.de
Spanish Giant	Fatalii Seeds Seeds for People Passionate about Chili Peppers fataliiseeds.net	XL pot Red Bell pepper
Jalapeno El jefe	Pepperseeds.eu - Chili Seeds | Hot Pepper Seeds Are you interested in chili peppers? You've come to the right place. Our product range includes over 200 varieties of chili peppers! pepperseeds.eu
Guajillo	Pepperseeds.eu - Chili Seeds | Hot Pepper Seeds Are you interested in chili peppers? You've come to the right place. Our product range includes over 200 varieties of chili peppers! pepperseeds.eu
Chilhuacle Negro	Pepperseeds.eu - Chili Seeds | Hot Pepper Seeds Are you interested in chili peppers? You've come to the right place. Our product range includes over 200 varieties of chili peppers! pepperseeds.eu
Candy Cane	Fatalii Seeds Seeds for People Passionate about Chili Peppers fataliiseeds.net
Freshno	Pepperseeds.eu - Chili Seeds | Hot Pepper Seeds Are you interested in chili peppers? You've come to the right place. Our product range includes over 200 varieties of chili peppers! pepperseeds.eu
F3 Dutch chili x Poblano	Own seed stock	First cross.
Habanada	plantekasse.dk Chilifrø, tomatfrø, forspiring, vækstlys, selvvandingspotter og systemer og meget mere. plantekasse-dk.myshopify.com
Canario	Chili Samen | Tomatensamen | Semillas La Palma Weltweit größtes Chilisamen Angebot. 570 Chilisorten und 170 Tomatensorten in bester Qualität verfügbar. Jetzt online bestellen! semillas.de
De Arbol	Own seed stock
Peruvian Giallo Arancia	Own seed stock	Old favorite
Pimentos de gernika (Padron pepper)	Fatalii Seeds Seeds for People Passionate about Chili Peppers fataliiseeds.net
F1 Murupi x pimenta de Neyd	Own seed stock.

The maybe list:
Cajun Belle
Jalapeno Mammoth
???


I began my pepper journey today planting seeds of the Habanada pepper and Canario. Being c. chinense and c. pubescent respectively, they could use a little headstart.
The rest will be planted in two weeks' time.

I wish you all a great growing season

 

[Mildfruit]

Today we broke into >40 degrees celcius (104 FH) in the Greenhouse, luckily the plants took it without much hassel. Perhaps I should get some fans hmm..

Habanada a few days after transplant, with new growth already.

Canario have also begun a growth sprout after transplanting. Really looking forward to purple flowers this year.

This picture was not taken on the 40 degrees day, but here is my biological aphid killer. So far no aphids

Freshno with lots of pollen, hopefully pods will soon emerge.

D'Asti to the left in a 15L pot. To the right is Peruvian Giallo Arancio witch is an old favorite of mine, I haven't grown it in a few seasons, so I hope it can hold up to my own hype.

This fellow was simply called Guajillo

Cajun Belle, also flowers full of pollen

Chilhuacle Negro. A classic chocolate brown pepper known for its uses in mole sauces. Really excited for this one.

 

[CaneDog]

Wow! Your peppers are looking in great shape for mid-May. Could be a ripper of a season, MF!

Seems like your greenhouse has proven itself a keeper

 

[Mildfruit]

Finally some pod(s) time!

Candy Cane. This plant should show some stripes, and some are beginning to show. This was the biggest pod so far.

Thunder Cacho Brown are also podding up! It's fun to see day for day, the growth of the long slender pods.

Cajun Belle's first pod. Not the shape I thought it would take, but there's still time to change I guess

Freshno

D'asti to the left and Peruvian Arancio to the right. They are getting big. No pods on the Peruvian yet, but a small one has begun on D'asti

First Jalapeño at the hybrid plant El Jefe. Still a little baby.

Lastly is a picture of my Habanada plant, I do like the grow pattern from chinense plants.

 

[Mildfruit]

Big picture heavy update*

Chilhuacle Negro plant are starting to set a lot of pods. Still in the small stage but looking good!

Fresno plant.

Habanada to the right, and Canario to the left. Habanada are really growing dense and beginning flower setting

Candy Cane plant, easily the most pod dense plant so far.

Jalapeno El Jefe

F3 Dutch chilie x Poblano, so far the pods are showing this erecting behavior, wondering if they fall down as they grow bigger.

Cajun Belle, also pod heavy

Guajillo plant

Quadrato DīAsti Giallo
Really growing huge, and the pods are starting to grow big

Jalapeno Mammoth,

F1 Marupi armarela x Pimento de neyde, now flowers are starting to form

Lastly Thunder brown mountain. Last years BER issues are beginning to show :/

 

[MarcV]

Your plants are doing really good! I can only dream of that stage right now...

 

[Tinkerbelle]

wow MF, stunning work there

 

[CaneDog]

Looking good great, MF!

 

[Mildfruit]

Your plants are doing really good! I can only dream of that stage right now...

Thanks for the kind word, im sure with this weather we having that your plants will explode in growth!

wow MF, stunning work there

Thank you! I didn't really do much, but I'll take the compliment nevertheless

Looking good great, MF!

Thanks, CD!

 

[Mildfruit]

A short update with some problem discussion.

Murupi Amarela x Pimento de neyde F1 have begun to bloom, with lots of pollen, so hopefully some pods will emerge over the next few weeks.

Habanada have also begun to set its first pod, very excited for this one

Chilhuacle Negro looks to have an almost habanero style type of pods. I know these are really common in Mexico, but I've never seen them in my country before.

Candy Cane. A striped type of pepper with no heat. The stripes are beginning to show on a few pods

Just tasted my first pepper today!
Tasted an unripe jalapeño from El Jefe, an hybrid jalapeno
Tasted really good, with a real kick in heat, can't wait for some ripe ones for pickling.

Now to the problem discussion. I've been having some issues this season and also in my last season. Been having BER issues especially in larger peppers, but also in my tomatoes. Normally this is related to calcium uptake problems, and while there's plenty of calcium in my fertilizer mix, I'm beginning to suspect the issue is related to the environment.

This graph shows the last two weeks in the greenhouse. With max temperatures above 40 degrees celcius (104F), Average = 22.5 degrees celcius (72.5F) and lowest measured value is 9.6 degrees celcius (49F). Perhaps I will have to look into ways to reduce this for next season.

 

[MarcV]

BER = bit error rate?

 

[Mildfruit]

BER = bit error rate?

Blossom end rot, also common in tomatoes

 

[MarcV]

Ah ok... tried looking that up but didn't find anything that made sense...

 

[ahayastani]

Blossom end rot, also common in tomatoes

I observe more BER during the rainy season. How is humidity in your greenhouse?

 

[Wild Boar Garden]

Really nice looking plants and pods

Last year I also had some issues with BER. In my specific case it was just the variety Nocturne.

I think the problem was related to an insufficient or irregular water supply. We had really high temperatures last year and those plants have been growing in quite small containers of just 10 l / 3 gallon. They were drying out every day. I did not have this issue later in the season.

As I understood the plant itself is getting supplied with calcium first, then the fruit. Calcium is getting transported with the water throughout the plant. Apparently this process can be quite slow. So if the pot / plant is drying out really fast the fruit do not get enough calcium, even if it is in your soil.

How big are your pots and how often do you water your plants? Are the plants getting droopy in the heat of the day?

 

[CaneDog]

Great to see your murupi amarela x pimento de neyde F1 getting close and looking healthy and happy. Can't wait to see the pods.

Sorry to hear about the BER issues. FWIW, I've read blossom end rot is commonly related to watering considerations - inconsistencies and nonoptimal watering - with the suggestion it's more often a result of that than of a lack of available calcium in the soil. Also, that early fruits that form while the plants are still growing vegetation rapidly and before they've established stronger root systems are more likely to show BER than later fruits.

EDIT: I didn't see @Wild Boar Garden's post slip in while I was writing mine, but yeah, that's pretty much my understanding of it as well.

 

[PaulG]

Plants are looking very nice, MF! Recovering very well.

I am still jealous of your beautiful greenhouse!

 

[Mildfruit]

Ah ok... tried looking that up but didn't find anything that made sense...

No worries, its definitely not common knowledge so I should have spelled out the abbreviation, as you always should once you use it first time :p

I observe more BER during the rainy season. How is humidity in your greenhouse?

It goes from around 95% in night time, down to 20-30% in the day when the sun is up. At least what my data says for the last two weeks.

Really nice looking plants and pods

Last year I also had some issues with BER. In my specific case it was just the variety Nocturne.


I think the problem was related to an insufficient or irregular water supply. We had really high temperatures last year and those plants have been growing in quite small containers of just 10 l / 3 gallon. They were drying out every day. I did not have this issue later in the season.

As I understood the plant itself is getting supplied with calcium first, then the fruit. Calcium is getting transported with the water throughout the plant. Apparently this process can be quite slow. So if the pot / plant is drying out really fast the fruit do not get enough calcium, even if it is in your soil.

How big are your pots and how often do you water your plants? Are the plants getting droopy in the heat of the day?

Very good point, and this is also what I've read. But I must admit I've always thought that didnt matter, as I use the autopots, a system where they are automatically watered, and hence they never get droopy. But as I read your text, that may still apply if the pots are too small to supply the need of the plant in these hot weathers?
I can't recall from last season if the issue persisted, I only remember it was the plants with the largest peppers who was affected, which also grew the biggest, perhaps they are in too little a pot?

I use 8.5L pots for most, and 15L pots for my biggest plants.

Great to see your murupi amarela x pimento de neyde F1 getting close and looking healthy and happy. Can't wait to see the pods.

Sorry to hear about the BER issues. FWIW, I've read blossom end rot is commonly related to watering considerations - inconsistencies and nonoptimal watering - with the suggestion it's more often a result of that than of a lack of available calcium in the soil. Also, that early fruits that form while the plants are still growing vegetation rapidly and before they've established stronger root systems are more likely to show BER than later fruits.

EDIT: I didn't see @Wild Boar Garden's post slip in while I was writing mine, but yeah, that's pretty much my understanding of it as well.

Same! Im really looking forward to this cross, already thinking on what to cross next, but I shouldn't get ahead of myself haha

I hope you're right, would be a shame if I have to throw out my big bell peppers the whole season. As I mentioned to Wild Boar Garden I have always thought that was a non-issue in the autopots system, and why I was quick to suspect heat issues, but maybe I'll have to look at it again.

Plants are looking very nice, MF! Recovering very well.

I am still jealous of your beautiful greenhouse!

Thank you Paul for the kind words! It still won't beat the number of peppers you have going. When I acquired the greenhouse, I made (had to) a commitment to my girlfriend to confine all my peppers within its boundaries.

 

[PaulG]

You have me beat this season, my friend. I have been a real slacker so far !

 

[Mildfruit]

What a dry season so far! Luckily my (spoiled) plants don't rely on rain so things are blooming!

Just a quick overview of the greenhouse:

Now all my plants have opened flowers, and the last two plants were Canario and Peruvian Giallo Arancia a pubescent and baccatum variety respectively.

My Candy Cane plant continues to amaze me, not only is it prolific but in terms of stripes, here's a picture of stripes through the calyx.

Also my Habanada plant is beginning to set pods, they sure look more potent than they are

Speaking of chinense pods. My F1 cross (Murupi x pimento de neyde) is also growing its first pod.

My Guajillo plant is also growing some big pods, really big plant as well, can't wait to try them out.

And lastly my two bell peppers.
My Spanish Giant is a late bloomer, so only one pod so far,

But Quadrato d’Asti Giallo have been more active, unfortunately I have already tossed 3 big pods due to BER (Blossom End Rot). Hopefully this will diminish over time

 

[Mildfruit]

Just some pictures this time

Biggest pod on the Murupi x pimenta de neyde F1 cross. So far the shape resembles the mother plant (murupi), but the color, that's certainly more in the parents spirit. So far it's just a strong anthocyanin response, the parts of the pod without sun, its just dark green.

My Thunder Brown cacho have begun to develop without BER, so fingers crossed these pods make it.

My Jalapeño Mammoth. None ripe so far, but they sure taste excellent! Perfect for pickling for the less spicy adventurer, not very hot but great taste.

Speaking of heat. My other Jalapeño, El Jefe, sure is hot just were I want them for pickling.

Candy cane plant fall over last night, so it has been secured with more strings. Really pretty pods and plant so far, hope the taste can live up to the pretty exterior.

Chilhuacle Negro plant. The picture's colors make it look like they are ripe dark colored, but they are just very dark green. Can't wait to taste a ripe one.

I've tasted my first Fresno pepper!
I didnt have a banana for scale, but I had conveniently a ping pong ball that have to act as an international scale.
I wont do a taste review yet, as the pepper was unripe, but its not without reason it is so popular, thick walls, medium heat, and went right into a tomato sauce used on pizza.