Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Chillies Ahoy => Topic started by: caroline7758 on November 20, 2010, 10:36:51
-
I have jalapeno and corno di toro plants which I brought into the house when the weather turned cold. All the fruit has now turned red and some are starting to wrinkle. i'm not sure whether they are dying or drying (I haven't watered the plants for some time). Will they dry on the plant or should I take them off pronto?
-
They are probably getting over ripe - I'd just take em off and dry them indoors..
-
Thanks- will do that tomorrow.
-
I agree - it's worth thinking about what the plant gets out of the arrangement - the plant will do all it can to ripen the seeds and make the pod as attractive to animals as possible.
So if a mature red fruit is wrinkling then either the plant is incredibly dry right through or it has given its best shot and has given up on that fruit.
On the same basis if a green fruit goes wrinkly while it is anywhere near ripeness then the plant is probably dying.
At this time of year I often find the odd weed in the pot is a very good indicator - if a UK weed seedling can survive in the soil then it can't be too dry for a pepper plant - so hold off with the water and you might get less root rot.
I've noticed with Black Hungarian that even picked fruit have a 'mind' of their own in this way - nearly ripe pods seem to try and ripen before rotting, while ripe fruits have to be watched daily.
Cheers
-
Have picked them all today and put them in the freezer- reckon if they are overripe freezing may be better than drying?