• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

breeding Pepper Crossing Advice

P

PaddyMc

I've generally had good success breeding tomatoes, but have had very little luck with peppers (4 successful crosses from probably 100 attempts); and I've come to accept that replicating my tomato methods isn't working. So here's my main questions for you successful pepper breeders out there --

1) At what stage exactly do you emasculate? (Photos?) How close to "open" should the pepper flower be? I've been erring on the side of early, because I've heard that peppers can self pollinate before the flower opens (could be untrue?), but I get the feeling that I might have more success with later emasculations...

2) How do you collect pollen? The electric toothbrush/sunglass lens method (how I do tomatoes) just ain't working. Best case I seem to get a few stray grains of pollen, vs the "piles" I get with tomatoes.
 
Very small artists paint brush to collect and deposit.
Emasculation is the serious breeders preferred method.
Peppers are picky, and drop flowers until they *want* to set pods, so crossing is a PITA.
 
Gotrox said:
Very small artists paint brush to collect and deposit.
Emasculation is the serious breeders preferred method.
Peppers are picky, and drop flowers until they *want* to set pods, so crossing is a PITA.
Click to expand...
Emasculation is a must for sure, I don't want accidental selfs if I'm trying to make a cross.
I've tried the cotton swab method (fatalli method), without good results, so I'll get some brushes and give that a try.
Are you saying wait to start trying crosses on a particular plant until it "wants" to pod up (ie starting to throw a lot of pods on it's own), or are you saying they're a PITA in general, and I should get used to a low attempt/success ratio? :)
 
I would even bag it after getting pollen in there, until you see a pepper start forming. Usually the tip turns black/dark also, when the pollen has taken.
I will be starting my breeding soon. Just getting enough plants to start making crosses inside under lights, closed in environment.
 
What crosses are you working on?
 
C. Chinense generally don't make very much pollen. Sounds like you are on the right plan. Try emasculating as you do, then waiting a day or two to pollinate. May help.
I use my cell phone to catch the pollen. Works great.
 
I tried for months on one plant---picking one end of a branch leaving only 1 flower (several branch tips, several times) and bagging the little area after pollinating (every day)---no crossed pods, and only 3 pods in total.
Flowers bloom---and drop.
No daily shaking or a fan, or manually trying to get them to even take themselves made any diffefence.
Patience
Patience
Patience.
 
But then, I live over 5000' elevation and have mostly single digit humidity, and a very short growing season----not ideal conditions.
 
JesterJoker said:
.
 
What crosses are you working on?
Click to expand...
Crosses I'd like to do this year --

Alcalde x Heritage Big Jim
Alcalde x Chervena Chuska
Alcalde Improved x Donkey Ears
Chervena Chuska x Big Jim (Matt Romero selection)
Datil x Alcalde Improved
Datil x Heritage 6-4
Heritage Big Jim x Aji Pineapple
Heritage Big Jim x Donkey Ears
Donkey Ears x Datil
Guajillo x Sweet Datil
Guajillo x Datil
Thai Yellow x Aji Margarateno
Aji Fantasy x Chile de Agua
Aji Fantasy x Ramiro Orange
Ramiro Orange x White Malaysian
Chile Tepin x Aji Pineapple
Traveler Jalapeño x Roberto's Cuban Seasoning (Bicolor version )
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top