trouble shooting ghost

[K1ng_k1ller]

Last spring I picked up a ghost pepper seedling from a local vender. I was unable to get it to set peppers all summer long, it would grow blossoms then they would drop. I double checked temperature, made sure it had enough water but not to much, repotted it with different potting soils, nothing worked. Towards the end of the summer I tried pollinating it by hand, and figured if it worked I would bring it in for the winter. Most of the blossoms I tried pollinating with pollen from the same plant, those blossoms dropped. Two of them I pollinated with pollen from a cyan I was growing at the time, those two set peppers. After bringing it in for the winter I picked the first pepper (it appeared ripe to me), however it was not spicy (think bell pepper), and it had no seeds. I figured it might not have been fully mature so for the second pepper I waited till it started to wrinkle and dry on the plant, however it was also not spicy and had no seeds. meanwhile the plant is still blooming but its the only one I overwintered so I cant pollinate it and all the blossoms are dropping. Does anyone have any idea what's wrong with it? Is there anything I can do to fix it? perhaps its got a mutation that makes it sterile? Any advice would be welcome.

 

[UnNatural]

Do you have pictures of the plant and the 2 pods that formed?

 

[K1ng_k1ller]

not the two pods but I can take a picture of the plant.

 

[willard3]

Flower drop probable causes:
 
1. Day temp too high >95F
2. Night temp too low <65F or too high >85F
3. Too much nitrogen fertilizer
4. Too much water
5. Low light levels (reduces fertility).
6. Very low humidity (reduces fertility)
7. Poor air circulation (air circulation contributes to pollination).
8. Lack of pollinating insects.
9. Size of pot
10. Too much mineral in feedwater.
11. Too much grower attention/anxiety.

 

[solid7]

I can only imagine the problems that one would have in trying to shoot ghosts.
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So, the problem with not seeing pics, is that it's hard to know if we should be picturing a laboratory grade specimen, with bland pods, or if it looks like it grew out from between the cracks in the sidewalk.
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There may be such thing as too much info, but you've still got a bit of margin.

 

[K1ng_k1ller]

ok, sorry guys, just took some photos will attach here.
 
The reason I didn't think it was humidity, temperature, or light is because I was growing other peppers in the same spot without problems. 
I assumed it was not water or fertilizer for a similar reason, all my peppers were being watered/fertilized on the same schedule. 
my next thought was something was off with pollination, which is why I tried to do it by hand. It just struck me as really odd that only the flowers pollinated with cyan pollen actually set fruit, and the peppers had no seeds.
 
PS let me know if these pictures are showing up.

 

[solid7]

That's a really odd growth habit for a ghost.  The stems are fat, and the leaves are narrow, with short node spacing.
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Tell us about your lighting.  And then your feeding.  Temp, humidity, etc.

 

[solid7]

meanwhile the plant is still blooming but its the only one I overwintered so I cant pollinate it

 
This is not correct.

 

[K1ng_k1ller]

what I meant was that I cant pollinate it with pollen from another pepper. As I said, when I tried to pollinate it with its own pollen none of the flowers set, but when I used pollen from a cyan I had at the time both of the flowers I pollinated set fruit. 
 
The plant is currently residing in a sunny south facing window with no additional artificial light. It never gets below 65 in the house(rarely gets even that low). It gets watered every couple of days(when the soil feels dry). I repotted it with fresh soil when I brought it inside a few months ago, but have not fertilized since. I'm not measuring humidity, however its safe to say its super dry in Boulder.

 

[solid7]

what I meant was that I cant pollinate it with pollen from another pepper. As I said, when I tried to pollinate it with its own pollen none of the flowers set, but when I used pollen from a cyan I had at the time both of the flowers I pollinated set fruit.

Unless your plant is sterile (not making pollen), then it's completely coincidental. Forget that other pollen. You're introducing extra (and unnecessary) variables.  If your plant can fertilize with external pollination, then it can do it on its own.  Or else it has no pollen.  How about we first try to figure that part out?  Can you see any pollen in the buds under a loupe?
 

The plant is currently residing in a sunny south facing window with no additional artificial light. It never gets below 65 in the house(rarely gets even that low). It gets watered every couple of days(when the soil feels dry). I repotted it with fresh soil when I brought it inside a few months ago, but have not fertilized since. I'm not measuring humidity, however its safe to say its super dry in Boulder.

So, that is a sub-tropic species.  If I were you, I'd try to get it between 50-75%, and see if it turns around.  Also...  that's pretty damn chilly for a Chinense.  I get those kind of temps here at this time of year (75 day, 55 night), and it's low season for any Chinense.  What is your max temp?  Does it vary?
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All this said, I've seen people get pods on a Ghost in office space, with almost pure negligence.  So let's keep hacking at it...

 

[K1ng_k1ller]

lol I think that may be it.  When I was trying to pollinate it earlier I just used a q-tip and wasn't paying much attention. I just tried to get some pollen onto a sheet of paper by tapping on flowers right above it and I'm not seeing any(tried with half a dozen flowers).
 
I feel dumb for bringing it in and keeping it alive lol  . Is sterility in plants always a genetic thing, or is there a chance there is a fix?
 
also, thank you for for taking the time to help me out, I appreciate it.

 

[solid7]

I feel dumb for bringing it in and keeping it alive lol  . Is sterility in plants always a genetic thing, or is there a chance there is a fix?

I don't think sterility was the right term, even in the worst case (I was just making a point badly).  Your plant is not sterile.  But what it may be, is pollen deficient. For any number of reasons.  I would first have a see about the humidity.  It could be just that simple.
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No need to feel dumb for bringing it in.  Down here, where they stay alive all year round, people still bring them in, just to prove they can grow indoors.  It's fun to learn, and good on you for attempting it.