Why aren't my chillies hot????

[northepaul]

My cayennes are quite mild too, along with the hotwax. I have some bulgarian rainbows which seem to be either mouth buringly hot or with no flavour at all.....??

[WrexTheDragon]

So long as you source your seeds or plants from a good supplier, you will not have a problem. Never buy from a big garden center, as they always have the wrong variety.

Bulls horn are a sweet one and has no fire, the cayenne should be quite hot to someone not used to chillies. They are classed as a mid range as far as heat goes.

They have to be rippened on the plant and not picked when green as they will not develop any heat once picked, only colour.

So far this year my chillies are looking good and the few I have tasted are on course to be true to the variety.

[Two_Sheds]

Mine have all been hot enough this year - just not many of them. It's been cloudy & cold since beginning of August

[Paulottie]

MMMmmm.....didn't the 'Hot Cayenne' seeds come with GYO mag?...Is that a good source Wrex?

[WrexTheDragon]

MMMmmm.....didn't the 'Hot Cayenne' seeds come with GYO mag?...Is that a good source Wrex?

Nicos did not say he got them from GYO.

The major seed catalogues always sold their packets to stores on a sale or return basis. Any returns would be put back into the seeds for the following year and it is possible that they get mixed up.

[danmon_81]

It has alot to do with watering and nurients. As well as heat and sunlight.....there's a lot of belief in stressing the plant gives the chillis more heat (natural reaction)....people go as far as shaking the plant, ripping the leaves, not watering, poor soil, dropping plants in their pots.
I've read that the heat produced is 60% DNA make up and the other 40% growing conditions and someone over on chillis galore found this:

" Chili pepper fruit, with their pungent compounds, respond well to the application of controlled ‘stress.’ Any factor that puts stress on the plant, such as high EC, lack of moisture and high light and temperature, increases the concentration of the heat producing compounds in the fruit and at the same time reduces fresh weight or water content. This is great for those who are aiming to grow the hottest chili possible, but should be used with caution as many chili cultivars are already genetically inclined to be scorching and intensifying these may not always be required."

[taff]

I tried the tip of my tongue on the prarie fires for the sauce about half an hour ago. It's still burning now, so that's at least one strain of hot chilli this year. They were stressed though, I stuck them in a blowaway greenhouse and because they were out of the way, regularly forgot to water them.

[Nicos]

MMMmmm.....didn't the 'Hot Cayenne' seeds come with GYO mag?...Is that a good source Wrex?

I bought mine over here!

[coreopsis]

What's with these caterpillars?What kind are they?Had one inside my chilli,it was chewing its way out.

[Nordmead]

What's with these caterpillars?What kind are they?Had one inside my chilli,it was chewing its way out.

most likely the Tomato fruitworm

[coreopsis]

most likely the Tomato fruitworm

yyyuuukkkkk

[cupcake]

I'm sure it's also something to do with the lousy weather during august and the late spring.I haven't had a single chilli ripen yet. The hotter the weather I find the hotter my chillis are. I haven't had a single chilli on my overwintered bhut jolokia, yet I had loads when I grew it from seed last year.

[Alison]

most likely the Tomato fruitworm

Mine were defo caterpillars but at least they weren't on the cabbages

[Two_Sheds]

What's with these caterpillars?What kind are they?Had one inside my chilli,it was chewing its way out.

Dunno, but I had one last year. Photos at the end of this thread

[Two_Sheds]

most likely the Tomato fruitworm

It could be, but we call it something different in the UK: Scarce Bordered Straw moth