Author Topic: Grafting chillies  (Read 7395 times)

Hector

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Grafting chillies
« on: January 29, 2016, 20:08:24 »
Hi folks
I had quite a bit of success with grafted peppers and chillie plants . However, I'd like to try some preferred varieties on a graft. Have anyone tried this? Wondering re varieties to use as grafts and how successful folk have been in doing this.
Thank you
Jackie
Jackie

Hector

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Re: Grafting chillies
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2016, 09:19:24 »
Found this. Looks like the preferred rootstock is wild form Capiscum annuum scm33

http://www.fupress.net/index.php/pm/article/viewFile/11358/12204

Looks like may only be commercially available
Jackie

Vinlander

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Re: Grafting chillies
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2016, 19:38:08 »
If you're looking for a tough rootstock that confers vigour then I'd recommend C.pubescens (manzano/locoto/rocoto/"gringo killer") which can easily reach 2m in their second year and always leap away in spring as long as they were kept above zero through the winter (no sulking).

However despite good intentions for several years I've actually never tried it as a way to make the other species grow bigger and quicker - and that means I can't guarantee graft incompatibility (which can easily crop up between closely related species and even in the same species occasionally).

The other possible contra-indication is that C.pub. is quite late to fruit if grown as an annual - though there's a chance it could make it much easier to overwinter the less robust species.

This year I will definitely try to graft West Indian Seasoning peppers (C.chinensis?) onto it as they also fruit late and making them perennial is one way to solve that. Tobago Seasoning is (for me) probably the quickest of them.

Cheers.
With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

Hector

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Re: Grafting chillies
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2016, 09:46:04 »
Thanks for reply, much appreciated. I have some older Locoto/Rocotto seed, so will try that. It's the overwintering and robustness I'm after.

Thoroughly enjoyed growing and cooking with my chillis, so growing more this year.
Jackie

Vinlander

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Re: Grafting chillies
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2016, 15:57:18 »
Other rootstocks with unknown potential:

1) Saw some pepino fruits on sale in Morrisons today (Solanum muricatum) at £2 each - a silly price for a small melon-substitute - but a very good price for a giant edible seed-packet.

Yes, they are worth growing if there's a good indian summer - but more important is their potential as a rootstock - they will overwinter well at anything over -1C and in general the roots survive.

Even better is the fact that if the roots die you can cut the tops off and they will grow new ones within days - I've never seen a quicker rooter - they make tomatoes look slow.

Unfortunately I lost my stocks to the big freeze of '10/'11 - just before I was going to experiment - probably best for aubergines? but might work with peppers?

2) S. sysimbriifolium (Lychee tomato) is similarly hardy and even more vigorous, but not a particularly enthusiastic rooter - not to mention the demonic thorns. Again, interesting but untried (as far as I know).

Cheers.

With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

Hector

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Re: Grafting chillies
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2016, 16:39:18 »
Thanks Vinlander. I'll check this out as they have now opened a Morrisons near my work.

I've found some chilli seed...older but the varieties you mention. I'm doing a germination test, if it's ok do you want some?
Jackie

Vinlander

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Re: Grafting chillies
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2016, 12:52:35 »
Thanks Vinlander. I'll check this out as they have now opened a Morrisons near my work.

I've found some chilli seed...older but the varieties you mention. I'm doing a germination test, if it's ok do you want some?

Bear in mind that a) it was the biggest Morrisons in my area and b) I can't guarantee the fruit will always have seeds in - but I've asked a friend to look out for some very ripe ones in the Canaries (they are a minor commercial crop in Spain) - I pay for the fruits and he sends the seeds here (the process should cost me less than a euro). If yours is seedless I may be in a position to fill the shortfall soon.

My chilli seed collection dates from 2008 and I have seeds from every year since. I found last year that 2008 seeds had stopped germinating at all, so I've dumped 2008+9, and avoid 2010 + 11 if I have any newer alternative. There are a lot of dud summers and correspondingly flat seeds in my collection - I try to avoid those too.

I grow less varieties every year - the only hot ones I grow now are C.pubescens for their perennial convenience - leaving more space in heat & light for the delicious seasoning chillies that you simply can't buy - even in London  :angryfire:(I've met about 10 people who know about them, and they all say their mothers get them sent from family & friends in the West Indies).

Unfortunately the seasoning chillies tend to be just as late as their hot cousins so I have to buy in seed occasionally - www.semillas.de has a good range of them but they are like needles in a haystack of hot ones :confused5:.

I can recommend Tobago Seasoning - probably the earliest - with just enough heat for a really good pepper sauce. Other ones with less heat are Numex Suave and Trinidad Perfume. This year I am trying Pera Dulce, Aji Sweet, Vicentes annuum and Santa Lucia Yellow.

I also grow the various 'chiquita' orange peppers - seeds taken from fruits bought in supermarkets (both the medium length ones and the "mini sweets") - for me the best and strongest flavour of any sweet peppers. The other colours aren't as tasty.

Cheers.
« Last Edit: February 22, 2016, 12:57:31 by Vinlander »
With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

Hector

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Re: Grafting chillies
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2016, 19:51:15 »
Sent other half to Morrisons with instructions....he returned with ...Avocado :)

I'm doing Pasilla
Ethiopian Brown
Alberto's Locoto
Padron
Jalapeño
Beasque

Il go look at the flavour ones. I'm not into the red hot stuff


Jackie

 

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