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overly ripe?
- Thread starter Schnauzer
- Start date
millworkman
Extreme Member
Generally it means that you have had too much water recently.
Agree - too much water. That happened here last year, and this year I've been moving my plants (in pots) into the garage during periods of rain to prevent the same thing from happening. If they continue to get too much water, the pods will split along those lines. See if you can do something to keep them from getting (or staying) so wet, whether it's move them like I do or make some kind of covering.
Mostly it was aesthetics, but yes, a split-open pod may attract other things, only "other things" didn't necessarily get all of my pods last year. An interesting thing to note is that, just like when our skin splits open then forms a scab, a split-open pod will ultimately form a protective layer over where it split, as long as it remains on the plant. And yes, just like our scabs being dark, the protective layer on the pods are dark, too. My pods were destined for being cut open and dehydrated, so I just cut these away and kept the good parts. I saw unripe as well as ripe pods split open, so the age of the pod didn't seem to make a difference. Ripe ones I picked and dehydrated right away, unripe ones I generally left on the plant to let them mature, which is why I noticed them forming the protective layer. (I hate to call that a "scab" since no blood is involved, though I guess that's pretty much what it is.)
Another interesting thing is that different varieties responded to the excess rain differently. The Congo Trinidads were the first and worst to split open. A couple other varieties split, too, though not as badly. Others didn't split at all.
Another interesting thing is that different varieties responded to the excess rain differently. The Congo Trinidads were the first and worst to split open. A couple other varieties split, too, though not as badly. Others didn't split at all.
When I see lines on habs I assume (and rightly so for all I've cut open to check) they have molded inside, which was probably caused by water splashing up from the ground onto blooms. This should be seen in context though, once spring is over there is not much rain for the rest of the season.
Over ripening does not usually cause this. When they get over ripe they start to soften a bit (which IMO is when they taste the best) then they will start to rot at the stem end, evenly around the stem which (besides wind damage) is nature's way of making them fall off the plant.
Over ripening does not usually cause this. When they get over ripe they start to soften a bit (which IMO is when they taste the best) then they will start to rot at the stem end, evenly around the stem which (besides wind damage) is nature's way of making them fall off the plant.