glog Purple Pepper Project

The goal is to (have fun and) breed a pepper that has purple skin, purple flesh, purple foliage, good flavor, and medium heat (~30-50K SHU).

I’ll also experiment with fermented sauces, paprika, etc.

If you want to give me feedback on what makes the “perfect” purple pepper, take this survey!

 

[Benno]

Following along, is this going to be a ride!

 

[PurpPepp]

Here’s an update. My first round of seeds mostly stalled to the point of … no return? About 1/3 of this group being potted up is the batch sown in February. The rest were sown in April. Don’t let roots get cold - lesson learned.

I have one more batch in the seedling trays sown in late May.

Also, I had the peppers in the purple cups on a fence facing a street. Someone helped themselves to 10 of the choicest specimens, so numbers are down for that reason too. Technically, it wasn’t stealing because there was no sign saying that they weren’t free.

Anyways, would love feedback !

 

[The Hot Pepper]

I love your video production skills.

 

[CaneDog]

My feedback is those sleds are pretty awesome! Also, that it's still stealing and you really shouldn't have to put a sign out to stop people from taking what isn't theirs. I get that from time to time at my community garden plots and it's pretty frustrating.

Hope all those purple peppers really take off for you!

 

[PurpPepp]

I love your video production skills.

Camtasia makes it easy!

 

[PurpPepp]

 

[PurpPepp]

These were potted just over a week ago. I’ve mostly been hand-watering, with a couple of 20-minute drip sessions—long enough to see some leach from the bottom of the bags.

Mid-week, I noticed tip burn and suspected I had overdone the nutrients. I paused watering for two days, then flushed the bags with a heavy watering. These photos were taken about 48 hours after that flush.

The issue is more noticeable on Chinense varieties but appears on some Annuum as well.

Do you think this is salt burn or a nutrient issue? Could it be over- or under-watering?

 

[danish]

Cute girl, reminds me of doing this stuff with my daughter at that age. Mine is 13 now though, a hard worker to be fair but the enthusiasm they have at that age was my huge motivator. Now I ask her to do stuff with me, it's like chores to her.

The dead tips on those leaves, did they turn black first or just go straight to dried out? That would be the indicator to me whether it's nutrient or moisture related.

 

[PurpPepp]

Cute girl, reminds me of doing this stuff with my daughter at that age. Mine is 13 now though, a hard worker to be fair but the enthusiasm they have at that age was my huge motivator. Now I ask her to do stuff with me, it's like chores to her.

The dead tips on those leaves, did they turn black first or just go straight to dried out? That would be the indicator to me whether it's nutrient or moisture related.

They went straight to dry

And, yes, I’m trying to get them involved before they get teenager priorities!

 

[danish]

They went straight to dry

In that case then I would guess it's not a nute burn. Possible wind or watering issue would be my best guess. The yellowing is a little suspect. The fact you are giving nutes at all makes it highly unlikely to me to be a deficiency. I would do a pH test because I enjoy amateur science. Salt burn is a rare one in my experience unless you have reason to suspect?

 

[PurpPepp]

I’m trying to manage irrigation by watching for some droop. The tip burn doesn’t seem to be getting worse.

Decided to add some CalMag to the equation, along with some Bt, there was an out break of loopers!

 

[BluesGuy]

These were potted just over a week ago. I’ve mostly been hand-watering, with a couple of 20-minute drip sessions—long enough to see some leach from the bottom of the bags.

Mid-week, I noticed tip burn and suspected I had overdone the nutrients. I paused watering for two days, then flushed the bags with a heavy watering. These photos were taken about 48 hours after that flush.

The issue is more noticeable on Chinense varieties but appears on some Annuum as well.

Do you think this is salt burn or a nutrient issue? Could it be over- or under-watering?

I agree with Danish. It's not nute burn. That is the start of lockout causes by stress or incorrect ph. I would not add fertilizer right now. Its most likely the necassary food is in the soil, but the plants are too stressed to eat. My guess would be the stress of being transplanted outside and maybe too much water. They will most likely grow out of it if it is mild stress, but I would be careful not to overwater.

 

[PurpPepp]

Video updates. A bit behind, but I’m feeling good. Also, in Sacramento, there is plenty of warm weather left in the year!

The first two pallets are in active vegetative growth stage and flowers are developing:

Nursery stock will plant out to two more pallets worth:

And another hot sauce batch for fun:

 

[PurpPepp]

Lots of flowers. Fruit setting. I’ve been foliar feeding Cal Mag Micros and 2-15-15 pretty regularly.

Not the bushiest growth I’ve seen on THP, but I am feeling good that I have active growth and fruiting. No apparent disease. Whitefly and worms are under control.

Watering and nutrients in soilless culture is a learning curve.

 

[Harmonic_Heat]

What is/are the one(s) with the variegated leaves?

Gotta love those purple flowers!

 

[PurpPepp]

@Harmonic_Heat those are Jigsaw (Annuum). I think I got the seeds from Baker Creek

The more highly variegated one started out that slow with gnarled leaves. But it seems to be pulling through.

There is also one Tiger Anaheim Purple from Brian Townsend (photo attached).

 

[PurpPepp]

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Ramification!
(Learning new growing terms all the time )

 

[PurpPepp]

Ramification!
(Learning new growing terms all the time )

A bonsai term!

 

[danish]

Haha, I also had to go look up ramification.
I want to grow czech black next year, from what I understand a close relative of the hungarian black. What are your impressions of the hungarian black? Are the flowers fully purple or just with some tints, some more than others? Have you seen any darker or purple colouration in the leaves? Do they seem very productive? They don't look it compared to some of your others.

Plants looking great, really liking this project. Keep it up.