Hi all
Wondering if anyone might know what's happened here.
I know that there's always a hot pepper or two in a bunch of Pimentos de Padron, but this year I've grown two plants and ALL the peppers are hot. I'm not talking habanero strength, but enough to make it a tad uncomfortable to eat a whole tapas plate of them.
I doubt there's anything I can do for the remaining season's harvest, but wanted to ask if anyone could shed some light on why this might be.
The seeds came from different packets from different sellers (one leftover from last year, no such issues)
They were grown in different planters alongside other varieties (Razzmatazz, Jalapeño, Big Jim, Fresno)
The seeds would have germinated amongst various varieties in the same propagator (in airing cupboard)
Only thing different from most years is the recent heatwave, but it can't have been hotter here than the pepper's origins (I'm in Hertfordshire, UK).
Any thoughts welcome.
Thanks
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pepperhead212
- Super Green Thumb
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- Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b
Welcome to the forum!
Were these seeds you bought, or seeds you saved, from when you grew them in the past? Are these several plants you are getting nothing but hot peppers from? Getting crossed with a much hotter variety will not make this season's peppers hotter, but the plants grown from those crossed seeds will be the ones showing the heat, and other differences.
I don't understand some of these peppers, like padróns, that are mild, but occasionally have a hot pepper on the same plant. The only thing I can think that does that is the hot one is more mature, and has gotten hotter on the plant. And ones always hotter than normal sounds like the variety is not stabilized, and there are more hot ones out there than we know! I've never heard about different varieties of padróns, but think about what they've done with jalapeños! You buy them in a supermarket, and unless you taste one in the store, you don't know if you'll be getting one of those mild ones, or something like the old varieties!
Were these seeds you bought, or seeds you saved, from when you grew them in the past? Are these several plants you are getting nothing but hot peppers from? Getting crossed with a much hotter variety will not make this season's peppers hotter, but the plants grown from those crossed seeds will be the ones showing the heat, and other differences.
I don't understand some of these peppers, like padróns, that are mild, but occasionally have a hot pepper on the same plant. The only thing I can think that does that is the hot one is more mature, and has gotten hotter on the plant. And ones always hotter than normal sounds like the variety is not stabilized, and there are more hot ones out there than we know! I've never heard about different varieties of padróns, but think about what they've done with jalapeños! You buy them in a supermarket, and unless you taste one in the store, you don't know if you'll be getting one of those mild ones, or something like the old varieties!
Hi
Thank you for replying.
To cover a couple of points.
This is my third year growing padron peppers in the garden.These are definitely hotter than the previous two years' harvests, so the comparison is with these rather than shop bought.
Both plants were grown from seeds bought in packets. One was from the same packet as used last year (and possibly the year before).
As you say, there shouldn't really be any effect from the plants they're grown next to in the space of a season.
They've been allowed to grow a little big, but not to over ripen (did have some that got a little hot last year because we left them a little long and they started to darken).
Other factors. They've just been grown in multipurpose with John Innes and not even needed extra Chilli Focus/Tomato feed yet as they've been growing so happily this year.
Thanks again, still a bit of a mystery.
Thank you for replying.
To cover a couple of points.
This is my third year growing padron peppers in the garden.These are definitely hotter than the previous two years' harvests, so the comparison is with these rather than shop bought.
Both plants were grown from seeds bought in packets. One was from the same packet as used last year (and possibly the year before).
As you say, there shouldn't really be any effect from the plants they're grown next to in the space of a season.
They've been allowed to grow a little big, but not to over ripen (did have some that got a little hot last year because we left them a little long and they started to darken).
Other factors. They've just been grown in multipurpose with John Innes and not even needed extra Chilli Focus/Tomato feed yet as they've been growing so happily this year.
Thanks again, still a bit of a mystery.
If the plants crossed with hot peppers, the seeds might be hotter, not the pepper. Either that or the seeds were mixed up in the packet. Even if you get seeds from different vendors. Seed companies don't always grow their own seeds, so maybe the seed suppliers got their seeds mixed up. If the seeds come from the same area, maybe they are using the same vendor.