Watering chillies.......makes a difference to heat?

Started by Deb P, August 24, 2018, 15:40:13

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Deb P

I used one of my Padron peppers in a meal today, which turned out to be a lot hotter than I was expecting! I looked them up online and it stated that one of their characteristics is that about 20% of chillies are hotter than the usually mild fruits, and it depends on how you water them.?
Apparently if you just water the soil, you get mild chillies, but if you water the whole plant, leaves and fruits the chillies are much hotter? I'd never heard of this before, and don't understand how that would make a difference, can anyone explain please?
If it's not pouring with rain, I'm either in the garden or at the lottie! Probably still there in the rain as well TBH....🥴

http://www.littleoverlaneallotments.org.uk

Deb P

If it's not pouring with rain, I'm either in the garden or at the lottie! Probably still there in the rain as well TBH....🥴

http://www.littleoverlaneallotments.org.uk

Pescador

Padron peppers are the Spanish tapa pepper, and generally fairly mild. However there are some, I heard 10%, that are hotter. This can make for a great game of "Spanish Roulette" at the pub, passing round a plate of lightly roasted peppers sprinkled with coarse salt!

Certainly when the peppers are left on the plants they do get hotter, but I cannot see how the method of watering can make any difference.
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ancellsfarmer

Is it likely that your plant may have cross-pollinated with a hotter pepper? ,as I seem to recall that this is possible.
Freelance cultivator qualified within the University of Life.

Deb P

I don't think so, the appearance is true of the variety and these were bought not saved seeds, and they are known vary in heat, it was the alleged difference  concerning how they are watered that intrigued me!
If it's not pouring with rain, I'm either in the garden or at the lottie! Probably still there in the rain as well TBH....🥴

http://www.littleoverlaneallotments.org.uk

jennym

Maybe its because watering the soil gets the water to the plant roots, where the plant can use it,and the chillies are juicier; whereas pouring it all over wastes a lot of water, so whatever it is in the juice that mnakes the chillies hot is more concentrated?

Deb P

Could be! I did mist the chillies daily to help with pollination, I wondered if that had something to do with it. I'll have to do an experiment next year I think!
If it's not pouring with rain, I'm either in the garden or at the lottie! Probably still there in the rain as well TBH....🥴

http://www.littleoverlaneallotments.org.uk

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