Chilli Pollination

[HotStuff]

On another thread a grape said that Peppers are in fact self pollinating which runs contrary to what I had been told and read on what I thought were reliable websites.

So the question is, do you give your peppers a hand, be it paintbush, feather, Q-tip or finger tip?

[smallblueplanet]

As far as I know chillies are self-pollinating but some can also cross-pollinate easily. I don't normally interfere but occassionally give the flowers a little jiggle to help them along - more for the fun of it than in any belief of it working!

[sewer rat]

I never interfere other than possibly knocking them with my legs when I am watering but that's not a regular occurrence and they seem to be flowering no problems. I had 150 chilli plants in pots on my tunnel staging two seasons ago and they produced masses of chillies and I never went near them other than a weekly watering / feed.

[SarzWix]

I don't intentionally do anything to help them along, but they do get brushed past and jiggled because they're only in an ickle greenhouse. I think they're self pollinating the same as chillis, shouldn't need any help.

[cupcake]

I let mine get on with it and have never been disappointed with my crop.

[HotStuff]

Well, there you go, something else I've learnt from the Vine. No more fiddling around trying to redistribute the pollen for me, thanks

[Two_Sheds]

My Cayenne flowered and has produced fruit without even being outside, let alone meeting an insect. I didn't shake or tap it either. It over-wintered on my kitchen windowsill.

[Alice]

They're self polinating - no need to do anything.

[bramble]

I always give mine a little brush with a feather.
My feeling is.....just in case!

[COMPOST CORNER]

I always give mine a little brush with a feather.
My feeling is.....just in case!

I just give a rub with a finger when watering.
I only have a few plants, and figure it can't harm, and may help.

[pigletwillie]

Very much self pollinating but also as promiscuous as a promiscuous thing on heat.

If you grow more than one variety in a greenhouse, the chances are the seeds will not come true as they will have crossed.

[HotStuff]

Very much self pollinating but also as promiscuous as a promiscuous thing on heat.

If you grow more than one variety in a greenhouse, the chances are the seeds will not come true as they will have crossed.

Glad you mentioned that PW, as it raised another question for me. Does this promiscuity mean that the current generation of fruit will still be true to type but that any self-saved seed may go on to produce some kind of hybrid, or could it affect the current generation of fruit too?

The reason I ask is that I have a Naga Morich and a Santa Fe Grande sitting on the same windowsill and although I don't intend to save any seed from them I would be a bit ticked off if their respective fruit didn't show the apropriate heat levels

[Alison]

I've never noticed it myself and quite happily grow several types next to each other but have been told that as the seeds can hold some of the heat that this can be a problem. Personally I always thought it was the fleshy bits which hold the seeds in place that hold the heat but I'm often wrong.

[Dylan]

__________________
There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't.

hehe. I have that t-shirt

[crichmond]

I tend to rub my finger on the flowers just to make sure they grow.. But isnt that self pollinating? Ido it my self..