Confused about peppers...need some knowledge please.

[CrazyConure]

I have a few questions.

I planted these pepper seeds: http://www.lowes.com/pd/Ferry-Morse-Pepper-California-Wonder-300-Tmr-Vegetable-Seed-Packet/3664698

1. What colors will the peppers be? It doesn't say on the package. It just shows red and green peppers. Do peppers produce all sorts of colors, or does it only give the color of the pepper the seed came from?

2. on the back of the seed package, it says don't plant next to hot peppers (which I did) because it will cross pollinate.

a. Don't peppers polite by wind?? How can they cross pollinate?
b. What will happen if they DO cross pollinate? Will I get some weird mutant pepper? As long as it's not something nasty, I really don't mind surprises.

 

[Chuck]

I have a few questions.

I planted these pepper seeds: http://www.lowes.com/pd/Ferry-Morse-Pepper-California-Wonder-300-Tmr-Vegetable-Seed-Packet/3664698

1. What colors will the peppers be? It doesn't say on the package. It just shows red and green peppers. Do peppers produce all sorts of colors, or does it only give the color of the pepper the seed came from?

2. on the back of the seed package, it says don't plant next to hot peppers (which I did) because it will cross pollinate.

a. Don't peppers polite by wind?? How can they cross pollinate?
b. What will happen if they DO cross pollinate? Will I get some weird mutant pepper? As long as it's not something nasty, I really don't mind surprises.

#1 Most peppers, unless otherwise stated will end up red. Hybrids can end up purple, orange, brown yellow...whatever the cultivar is programmed to do, but they ALL start out green.
#2 You can plant next to each other if you are not going to save the seeds from the cross pollinated peppers. Cross pollination will not affect what the peppers will be the year of planting.
a. Peppers can pollinate by wind and by insects or by hand
b. The first year or the year they are grown nothing will happen. It is only when you plant the seeds of that cross pollinated pepper the next year that you will have a different pepper, maybe weird, maybe not

 

[CrazyConure]

Thank you, Chuck.

I may, or may not save the seeds for next year. I'm tempted to test it out though. What's the worst that could happen?

 

[Chuck]

Thank you, Chuck.

I may, or may not save the seeds for next year. I'm tempted to test it out though. What's the worst that could happen?

You might get a hot sweet pepper and eat it by mistake

 

[CrazyConure]

Seems like a good idea for a horrible prank. I am planning on saving the seeds so I won't allow any chances of cross pollinating. I don't want to buy new seeds every year. I heard that the plant's seeds will do even better because they have been accustomed to the weather they have grown in.

 

[Chuck]

Seems like a good idea for a horrible prank. I am planning on saving the seeds so I won't allow any chances of cross pollinating. I don't want to buy new seeds every year. I heard that the plant's seeds will do even better because they have been accustomed to the weather they have grown in.

Just make sure that you plant open pollinated and not hybrids if you want to save your seeds. I have been meaning to plant Hungarian Wax and Sweet Banana side by side to see what happens. An old gardener told me many years ago that if I wanted to save seeds, to collect the seeds from the first and the best fruit the plant had to offer.

 

[CrazyConure]

It doesn't say on the seed packet whether it's open pollinated, or not.

I saved some seeds off a yellow pepper yesterday, and planted it's seeds. I don't know if that's open pollinated either.

Is there any major difference if I accidentally plant hybrids?

 

[Chuck]

It doesn't say on the seed packet whether it's open pollinated, or not.

I saved some seeds off a yellow pepper yesterday, and planted it's seeds. I don't know if that's open pollinated either.

Is there any major difference if I accidentally plant hybrids?

Yes. If you plant hybrid seeds you do not know what you will end up with. They don't come true. You may end up with traits of something you don't want. It should say on the packet somewhere if it is hybrid. And hybrids are usually more expensive than heirloom/open pollinated

 

[CrazyConure]

Ohhh got it. I thought when you said non-open pollinated, you meant that it will be harder to pollinate them. Like you need to separate plants to get crops.

 

[Chuck]

Ohhh got it. I thought when you said non-open pollinated, you meant that it will be harder to pollinate them. Like you need to separate plants to get crops.

A hybrid is a cross of two or more varieties. An heirloom/open pollinated is what it is