This year is about seed saving and genetic correction for me. I have a number of Pepper varieties and I want to keep them going.
James asked how I keep track of them, and this is a challange. I do have labels that are from the seedlings. I try keep them, but I also can identify most of my peppers by the pod.
Isolation of the plants to ensure peppers are not accidentally cross pollenate is done using mesch wedding favour bags. Peppers are self fertile so a little shake of the plant ensures pollenation and a cable tie around the fruit stem keeps track of which one are the isolated ones. The picture is of Purple UFO, and this flower is isolated. I picked 1 ripe pepper from the same plant and also an isolated Long Thin Cayenne to save the seeds by drying on a paper towel.
Rocotto is Capsicum Pubescence, and there is no need to isolate the flowers as they don't cross pollenate with other capsicum families. I red and yellow and they are seperated quite far apart.
Personal cross varieties I am working on this year will be Piri Piri with a plant from a seed lot from another trader for genetic diversity. I will also take 2 Chinense to cross, Biquinho and Aji Charapita. It's is an easy cross and I am trying to get a red hotter version of Biquinho. The AC is yellow and small but yellow is a recessive genne and so is the pointed feature of Biquinho. I expect I will get a red, hot, Berry shaped Chinense pepper.
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