cross pollination

[PMW]

I collected seeds from a fairy lights chilli plant I bought at a chilli festival last year to try and grow a few again this year. I now have a few interesting plants, with perfectly good chillies but none of the plants seem quite the same as the original. I think perhaps they have cross-pollinated with my cayenne plants.

Just thinking about collecting seeds in future and wondered if chillies would also cross-pollinate with sweet pepper varieites? I am growing 2 types of chilli and 1 sweet pepper this year so would using any collected seeds be something of a lottery?

[Paulieb]

Yes it will be a lottery. You could get big sweet peppers that are spicy, or small chillis with no heat!

You could build a frame big enough to cover the plant with some fine mesh, to stop bees etc getting in. Or this year I'm using small organza bags off ebay to cover each flower before it opens. Once the fruit has set remove the bag and tie a bit of wool 'loosely round the top of the pepper so you know which to save seeds from.