Worst possible growing conditions - but still alive

[AJ Drew]

Had patron ask how it is that his Carolina Reaper plant is a year old but has not fruited.  Flowers form, fall, but no fruit.  My immediate thought was that it was a heat issue, but asked a couple questions.  I learned it is growing on a window sill. 

Hold this in your mind if you will.  It is a year old, in a container that fits on a window sill, likely has zero direct sun light but it has been alive for a year.  While not what the patron wants to hear I think that is absolutely amazing. 

Anyone have a clue how this is possible?  I have seen some amazingly large and healthy plants in a solo cup.  Heck, Jim Duffy pulls some huge suckers out of plug trays.  Plugs from him are great because I would call them plants, not plugs.  But in a window sill for a year?

 

 

[Bicycle808]

Pepper plants can be some sniveling divas at times, because they complain about so many conditions with such drama.. But, at the end of the day, peppers are tough sumvabitches with an extremely powerful will to survive.they seem to hang on, despite incredibly bleak oddz, waiting for the right conditions. I bet I'd your buddy planted that thing in the ground with the right temps and light, it's pod up right quick...

Before I started growing chiles for myself, I found a bell pepper seedling on my Worm bin. I'd tossed some bell stems in to compost a few weeks before, and this thing was on my basement, on the dark, on a wet & dank wormbin... And it had it's first set of real leaves. I ended up dumping more compost on it and leaving it in the dark, so it died. But I was mightily impressed.

I should've learned from that experience because, this year, I grew for the first time. I started a zillion plants, thinking I'd like most of'm. In the end, the bay majority of them lived and I got more plants than I have room for. Sure, conditions weren't ideal, and my yield is pathetic considering the time/effort/money/seeds I put into it... But there all proceeds, beyond a doubt, that chile plants are tough as nails.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

I would self pollinate. Maybe not enough circulation for self pollination. Another thought is nutrients. To much or not enough. Usually in small containers one needs to feed more often. It's easy to over feed. But on a window sill, lack of circulation is a issue. It doesn't take to much stress as well to add to flower drop. I had two foot plants this year in plugs. I have a bunch of plants in 4in containers that are producing fruit. I plan on growing them into next year. They've been in there since January.

 

[AJ Drew]

Those could not possibly have come from window light.  They look great.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Those could not possibly have come from window light.  They look great.

Thanks.

Yes they could have been grown from window light, but no they're not. Grown in total shade on north side of house. No direct sun. I've grown in window light in the past. Way bigger plants than these. I believe there is more light on the sill than what my fluorescents put out. My only windows are on the North, if one had South facing even better. Can't beat the sun for light. Even in the shade. Ive seen many people on here, grow in there living rooms with just window light.

 

[Hawaiianero]

I've been told too much nitrogen inhibits fruits from forming

 

[AndyW]

I found this lying sideways behind a table outside where it could get little to no sun and pretty much no water unless it rained. Set out in March and just found it again a few days ago.