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Post by rustynail on Jul 21, 2018 16:44:59 GMT
Hi everyone. First post on this forum. Can anyone shed any light on this? As usual this summer we are growing chillies in our greenhouse. We have used seeds from the same packet as last year - Mr. Fothergill's 'De Cayenne' (sow by 2020). Last year these were great. This year, out of four plants, two are bearing the long slim chillies we were expecting whilst the remaining two are sporting small bell peppers. I'd like to know whether this can arise due to environmental conditions or whether it indicates that the seed company has somehow mixed up the seed in it's packets? We have never grown bell peppers so the mix-up could not have happened at our end. Photo enclosed of two adjacent plants. Thanks, Paul.
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Post by SueA on Jul 22, 2018 7:24:40 GMT
Hi rustynail & welcome to the forum. That is strange isn't it, the only thing I can think is that the seeds were mixed up when they were packed unless anyone else can suggest why they would look like bell peppers & not chillies, I could see maybe one or two fruits forming differently on a plant as when you get fasciation on flowers but the whole plant looks different on yours.
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Post by steve on Jul 22, 2018 8:04:48 GMT
Yes I agree with Sue it looks like some rogue seeds got in the packet, but they might turn out to be a good find
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Post by sweetpea on Jul 22, 2018 11:37:38 GMT
My first thought too
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Post by rustynail on Jul 24, 2018 16:19:36 GMT
Thanks guys. That's sort of what I figured. Interesting though that the species name for both chillies and bell peppers is Capsicum annuum. I wonder what gives rise to the differences, whether they come true from harvested seed and indeed whether they are able to pollinate one another? Anyway, Mr.Fothergill is sending me some more seed so we'll see what happens next year. Funny though, despite weeks of sunny weather and consistent high temperatures, my chillies have taken much longer to ripen this year. Just starting to turn now. But they've been more prolific this year so we'll be freezing loads
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Post by SueA on Jul 25, 2018 7:39:21 GMT
I would think they could cross-pollinate if they're next to each other because of wind or insects even though they normally self-pollinate & the harvested seed might be some sort of hybrid. If the plants are F1 hybrids also then saved seeds probably wouldn't come out the same as the parent plants either even without cross-pollination so if you definitely want to grow exactly the same chillies/peppers again from saved harvested seed you would have to isolate each plant & hand pollinate with a little paint brush or similar.
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Post by sweetpea on Jul 25, 2018 10:47:09 GMT
I would think they could cross-pollinate if they're next to each other because of wind or insects even though they normally self-pollinate & the harvested seed might be some sort of hybrid. If the plants are F1 hybrids also then saved seeds probably wouldn't come out the same as the parent plants either even without cross-pollination so if you definitely want to grow exactly the same chillies/peppers again from saved harvested seed you would have to isolate each plant & hand pollinate with a little paint brush or similar. Or a well trained bee
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