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Will sunburned pods ripen?

cjohansen
10 years ago

One of my Aji Limon plants has most of its pods really sunburned. I'm starting to think maybe this plant needs constant shade? Anyway, it has lots of pods, all of them pretty much black on one side. Will these pods ever ripen? I'm asking because I have another plant in another location (which still gets a lot of sun) that has grown and ripened a pod since the first plant had several fully grown pods that have never ripened.

Here's the sun damage:

On the backside, they're a fresh green:

Here's the plant with a ripe pod on it. I just ate it, and am very pleasantly surprised by how well the citrus flavors come through. It's like a more lemony habanero, and not as hot, but still extremely hot to eat right off the plant by my standards.

Comments (8)

  • habjolokia z 6b/7
    10 years ago

    Yes, once they ripen you won't be able to tell it was even sunburned. Only if its so bad it's sun scald now that's different it will rot and you will know by the look. The pics you posted those peppers will be fine.

    Mark

  • cjohansen
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Cool, just have to be patient then :) These plants have a lot of pods, so good to know they'll pull through.

    I originally grew these as a curiosity, but after having tasted one I'm really excited about them. I think they will make for an excellent hot sauce.

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    How do you fine out that one is "SUNBURNED"?
    A sunburned fruit will survive, if there is such a thing. Pepper are sun lovers and should not get sun scalds. They keep changing color sometimes, from green to purplish green, orange, red ... So the side toward direct sun changes color before the shaded side. It is not a sunburn. Sunburn(if there is such a thing) will eventually cause the fruit to rot.

  • kuvaszlvr
    10 years ago

    haha, come by my place and view my rotted Beaver Dam, and the rest that are rotting, or any of my other big fruited varieties. Almost all of my Beaver Dam's are scalding, the only one that isn't is on the side of the box that is getting afternoon shade. I have started putting them in cotton drawstring bags to keep them from scalding. Poblanos are the worst, belles are also bad. I try to salvage at least 1/2 of the fruit.

    Concerning the Aji, I grow Ajis, mine are prone to turn blackish if they don't have some shade, at least they did last year, but our temps were 100-112 most of the summer. I don't remember them turning blackish the year before. I pulled up the plant this year, it wasn't acting healthy and I have plenty of seeds so I tossed it, sorry, might have had some more anecdotal evidence.
    Pam

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    10 years ago

    Seysonn: No offense. But, aren't you the same poster that doesn't believe that ants "farm" aphids? Yet, there's tons of evidence backing it up. Now you don't believe that peppers get sunburned. I guess you've probably never seen it yourself up there in the northwest.

    Just because you've never seen these things yourself doesn't mean that they don't happen. Research them -- you can see for yourself.

    Yes. Pepper PLANTS are sun lovers(All veggies are), but the FRUITS are not. If the foliage doesn't support shading the fruit in hot, sunny climates(just about any place in the northern hemisphere in the summer, OTHER than your PNW HZ1), then there are possibilities of sunburn and sunscald. Just like tomatoes. Like Pam said, the fleshier, larger varieties are more prone.

    But like cjohansen, Pam and myself earlier this year, his Ajis, Pam's Beaver Dams, and my Jalapenos have all got sunburn this year.

    Like Mark said, totally different than sunscald. Sunscald will be white and leathery. And can rot.

    Sunburn --

    Sunscald--

    Google! it's a wonderful thing!

    Cheers!

    Kevin

    This post was edited by woohooman on Wed, Jul 17, 13 at 11:27

  • kuvaszlvr
    10 years ago

    oh Kevin, you big meanie.... you didn't need to show that photo. ;-) Seeing it reminds me of my Beaver Dams... Beaver Dam is one of my very favorite peppers, and this year I had 2 plants for myself only to discover one was mislabeled, I think it's a Hot Portugal... so, now, only one Beaver Dam plant, and it's loaded with fruit, all but one looks like that sunscald pic... or worse. :-( I think I'm gonna go cry.
    Pam

    P.S. ants don't harvest aphids?... yeah... sure... take a look at my pot with habs, they were not only infested with aphids but shortly after the aphids got out of control, here come the ants. The pot was full of them until I sprayed with insecticidal soap. If it's not one thing it's another.

    This post was edited by kuvaszlvr on Wed, Jul 17, 13 at 12:06

  • cjohansen
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for all your input. I'm no expert, but what I know is that I have lots of pods that are streaky black or almost entirely black on the side facing the sun, and green on the other side. This has been a case for almost all my lemon drops, and also to quite some Jalapeños. The Jalapeños taste fine even if a little black. I also had a Hungarian Hot Wax get brown/black quickly one day where it was very warm and I forgot to pull open my makeshift green house. Maybe the temperature is part of the problem as well?

  • habjolokia z 6b/7
    10 years ago

    Do purple stems exist? Floro lights for some reason cause this purple color to cover stems and branches but it resolves for the most part once outside, some times just stays with the plant no ill effect though.

    Mark

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