Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The flowers of
Capsicum baccatum
var.
pendulum
'Bishop's Crown' have yellow or brown spots at the base of the individu-
al petals.
The risk of cross-pollination is generally lower when growing outdoors. For the first few years at
Arche Noah, we had no problem growing pepper varieties right next to each other; slowly and increas-
ingly, however, cross-pollination occurred.
Capsicum baccatum
and
C. frutescens
in particular will
certainly be visited by bees; isolation is essential.
When crossing happens (for example, when a spicy pepper has crossed with a sweet pepper), it is
best to start over with fresh seed, unless you like the new combination. To avoid crossing:
• Keep varieties at least 100 ft. (30 m) away from each other.
• For extra protection, enclose individual flowers or stalks in insect-proof sacks; do not enclose entire
plants in bags, as the reduced light may hinder fruit production.
• Gently shake flowers, whether bagged or not, on a regular basis to encourage self-pollination.
GROWING FOR SEED
Though in some regions they are grown on a very large scale, peppers are
primarily garden plants, started indoors and set out in late spring, when all danger of frost is past. Cul-
tivation works best where summers are hot; in central Europe, that means wine- and corn-growing re-
gions. Certain more robust, less cold-sensitive varieties can be grown for seed in cooler areas. Where
growing for seed outdoors truly is not an option, row cover, hoop houses, or greenhouses can provide
the necessary warmth and season extension.
Growing for seed is easily combined with growing peppers for the table: fully ripe fruits are harves-
ted when growing for seed, and the flesh can be eaten. When fruits are harvested too early, seed viabil-
ity drops dramatically. Seed ripening can be sped up and seed quality improved by allowing only three
or four fruits to grow per plant and removing all other flowers (fewer fruits = larger seeds = better seed
viability). Removing the very first flower of the pepper plant helps speed vegetative growth and fur-
ther fruit development.
HARVEST
Harvest only the first few fruits the plant produces, as seed from later fruits often has ger-
mination rates of only around 60%. Fruits (and, by extension, seeds) are ripe when the final color
