Weird plant problem with dead flowers

[Bicycle808]

Ok so I'm growing two plants from seeds that were supposed to be Giant Yellow Congos but the one of them is putting out red pods that are off-shaped but, to be fair, they are pretty big. But that's not the plant in writing about today. Writing about his "brother," the other nof-Giant Yellow Congo...

So, the other plant has not produced one single ripe pod for me. In fact, it has only set one single pod, which is just now turning yellow. The plant assists healthy for the most part; it's a nice size, pretty lush, covered in blossoms... But 99.9% of those blossoms shriveled up without setting fruit.

Now, in not sweating this at all. I have too many chiles this year, and I've been sending boxes ask over the nation, making gallons of sauce, smoking enough pods to make my wife angry. I am totally ok with the fact that the plant isn't producing. But the circumstances are weird as F. So, I'm mostly just confused/ curious about what's happening...

I'm accustomed to flowers turning yellow and dropping from time to time, especially in these dogdays of summer where temperatures routinely approach 100°F. But that's the weird part, here. The flowers turn yellow, but they don't drop. In fact, I gotta put some effort into pulling the dead blossoms, as much as i would to pick a pod. I'm used to seeing failed blossoms blow off in a light breeze! But these turn brown and shriveled, yet they still hold on. Brown, crinkled, dark, long dead flowers are clinging to the plant, which has otherwise green and healthy-looking foliage. Brown coloration/deadness follows the stem all the way to the node, where everything turns green and "happy" again.

It's pretty weird. I guess in just wondering if anyone has seen anything like this, and knows a possible cause. The plant looks good otherwise, so my gut is telling me that it's not a disease/ pathogen, but rather some sort of defect with the plant..

Tia,
-Rob

 

[Drachor]

I am no expert, but I wonder if the plant is failing to self pollinate for one reason or the other.
Maybe as an experiment, try pollinating one or two from its own flowers.

 

[Bicycle808]

That could definitely explain why the flowers are failing, for sure. But it doesn't explain why the flowers aren't dropping. They hold on for dear life, even after they're long dead.

But yeah couldn't hurt to try that. I bet it's a deeper problem; all the other plants right by it are pollinating like crazy. I think the plant is close to infertile(I was legit surprised when i saw the single pod on there) but it's like it doesn't know that the flowers are duds, so it holds onto the blossoms

 

[acs1]

The plant looks good otherwise, so my gut is telling me that it's not a disease/ pathogen, but rather some sort of defect with the plant..

Tia,
-Rob

 
From your post, seems about right to me, as you certainty know Chile basics and how to grow them exceptionally well...
 
The more I grow, the more I see that every plant seems to be an individual with its own traits, subtle as they may be. Then there is the plant that just doesn't respond the same as all its brothers. Even though all basics are great and identical to all its brothers doing exceptionally well.
 
  You might have raised a plant with vegetable palsy... While plants don't have a brain to control functions, must be something that tells it when and what to do accordingly. Would seem just as mammals get genetic mutations/conditions that mess this function control up, would imagine so do plants, yes..?
 
jmo

 

 

[Bicycle808]

Yeah, I feel like humans still don't understand the bio-mechanics behind plants' responses to stimuli. And I think your right about each plant being an original...I got a really weird one on my hands, here. Our of the 350+ plants I've grown out, this is the first time I've seen this type of thing. Sure, I've had a few other plants that stop all their flowers for a while, and from what I've seen on here and Facebook, that's a fairly common problem.. Often caused by environmental factors, but sometimes you just have a plant that's "wired" wrong. But never have I seen nor heard reference to a plant that clings to its failed flowers for....ever. (When I pull them off, it does make more. And when I morning, there's evidence of brand new pods setting...)