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djoyofficial

Bhut question, 10 days of growth photos

djoyofficial
9 years ago

Curious what those of you that have grown Bhut Jolokia find the flower to ripe pod time is on average? I am sure the answer to this question varies a bit depending on conditions, maybe these two pictures that were taken ten days apart will help with an answer. Seems to be growing fast and just starting to put out flower buds. Wondering if I have a chance of getting any before the first freeze which is usually between end of Sept and end of Oct.

Taken July 17

Taken today.

Thanks for any input. I'm excited about this one. Its the last one I planted this year and I have used more advice from people here on it than any of my others Thank You all!
To give you an idea of size the barrel is a little over 24 inches wide.

Dj

Comments (25)

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    9 years ago

    In that pot? Maybe a couple if you're lucky, but I doubt it. The reason why I mention the pot is that if it was in something smaller, toy might be able to extend the season when the frost comes around by toting it in and out of the garage et al each day and night.

    Does look good though. I just think you probably started much too late, no?

    150-200 days from germination to fully ripened pods is my estimate for most chinenses.

    Kevin

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Kevin, I did plant it late, understanding that the chances were slim. I was just putting some good advice on soil (well draining, lots of perlite) to the test and it looks like it will pay off for next years crop. Really didn't expect it to fill out so fast. I would be happy with one or two pods, then I would have a few seeds to start this winter.

    I can hardly wait to start germinating for next spring.

    dj

  • pepperdave
    9 years ago

    Ill bet you get some. Looks like your plant is about to put out some flowers real quick,still should be enough time.
    Good luck.

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    9 years ago

    If the plant does set pods, but doesn't have enough season left to ripen them, gently dig it up, plop into a smaller container, and bring it indoors to finish.

    Josh

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the positive enervy Dave. Josh, I think I am going to frame in a removable, mini green house with some old wooden frame windows we replaced, when the temps start to drop. With it being right against the garage wall it should be pretty easy to control the temps as long as it doesn't become unseasonably cold. It might even look good enough to make permanent if I can figure out a mechanism to open it fully in the summer...... off to the drawing board.

    dj

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Another ten days of growth. Flowers are starting to open.... lots of em! fingers crossed. I don't have my hopes up too high. Would still be cool to actually get some pods.

    dj

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    9 years ago

    That looks great dj! How old is it?? What are you using for a mix?

    Kevin

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Kevin, I got it as a pretty healthy seedling and potted it up around end of June. This picture was taken on the first of July.

    The soil is kind of a Hodge podge of leftover supplies, 25% reclaimed potting mix (millers mix I think) that had flowers growing in it last year, 15% MG garden, 40%:MG potting, 25% perlite with a half dose of osmocote flower on top and bone meal mixes in at the time of planting. These % are approximated, as I was kind of going by feel.
    Here is a close up of the soil. We have been having a lot of rain recently and it seems to be holding up and draining well.

    dj

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Another ten days in the books.... they were rough ones. High winds pounded the garage and blew my Bhut over. I staked it and the flowers have continued to bloom. Almost all of the flowers have opened and a few are beginning to shrivel.... no dropping and no sign of a pod yet. If the first flowers pollinated I should start seeing em any day now..

    Left to right, Bhut Jolokia, Trinidad Moruga mid season transplant out of the ground :-(), supposed orange Hab and a purple tomatillo on the end.

    dj

  • stoneys_fatali
    9 years ago

    My Bhut is very tall with a nice "Y". Lots of flowers and just 2 pods so far.
    Your plant looks great and I have noticed that Bhut's are late to the party than my other Chinense.

    Stoney

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Stoney, here is a pic of my in ground Bhut (center), it is forking out nicely and getting tall too but, hasn't flowered :-( Caribbean red on the left and a Hungarian wax on the right... Interesting note: I've had a grasshopper issue and they mostly only eat the leaves off of the C. Annums, they don't like the chinense.


    Wish I had your growing season Stoney.

    dj

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Another ten days gone bye and Several pods are forming, still tons of flowers, both open and about to open. The weather has been turning bad bhut it survived a hail storm last night.

    dj

  • DMForcier
    9 years ago

    bhut ?

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    It was so cheesy, I just couldnt help myself. Sorry, wont happen again... he he. :-) must have been the grilled cheese and habanero I ate for lunch talking.

    dj

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I have been pleasantly surprised at how fast the pods are maturing. I lost one to the grasshoppers but more pods are coming in and my aim with the paintball gun is improving (grasshopper guts everywhere). I think It is going to be a close call on getting a few seeds that will be viable for next year....

    dj

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here is the full plant. I know I missed a day... this is actually the eleventh night pic. I gave it a boosr of 5-1-1 alskan fish fert five days ago, two days after a long rain (3 or 4 days), seems to just barely be having an affect ???? Or maybe it is just that weather is back to prime growing temps?? It was getting a little yellow on the top/middle.

    The arrows are part of my anti-grasshopper netting that I put up during the hottest part of the days.

    dj

    This post was edited by djoy on Sun, Sep 7, 14 at 0:45

  • DMForcier
    9 years ago

    You say you have locusts?

    Be sure there's nothing flammable in the area. Locust plus BJ -> Flaming Grasshopper.

    Ooo. That would let you take target practice at night!

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I have reached that point where I have some good sized green pods. The question now is, which will turn first, pod color or the weather? The plant is still flowering and forming new pods. I think it's time to start clipping off buds, so the plant can put that energy into pod growth.


    Not sure if its a classic bhut shape but they look pretty mean.

    Hmmmmm flaming grasshoppers..... ha! Id probably start the mountainside on fire.

    dj

  • MikeUSMC
    9 years ago

    I hope that's classic Bhut shape, because that's exactly what my "Red Bhuts" look like.

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Finally getting some color!! Pretty excited about that. Where does the time go!?? Another 11 days?? WT?


    The weather finally turned but it hasn't got much below 50F. Seems like the cold is helping them turn, not sure that's best for flavor?

    dj

  • cottonwood468
    9 years ago

    My Bhut Jolokia in zone 5b is covered in orange pods, I just took the red one off and the plant has some green pods and one branch is still flowering.

  • MikeUSMC
    9 years ago

    I just pulled all my new flowers/small pods off about 2 weeks ago. Seemed to help with ripening the Bhuts, but they seem to have stalled. I've got about 50+ orange pods that've been that color for what feels like weeks. We just had a few pretty warm days here in CT (about 85* F), and nights are hovering around 50* F. Should be high 60's low 70's for at least the next week, so we'll see what happens. Getting chillier at night, but no talk of frost yet on the news.

    Good luck djoy. Looking good so far. Hopefully you still have enough time!

    Mike

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    You got me thinking....
    This one went light green to dark green to red... On closer inspection it looks like a hopper put a tiny little hole in the pepper. Stress induced color change?

    The other more mature pods have gone from light green too dark green. I wonder if they will go orange before they turn red?

    I haven't been able to bring myself to cut off all the flowers.. My moruga (small slightly stunted one to the right is flowering and putting out pods like crazy right now. It's been a crazy warm end to the season up to this point.I fear we are going to hit the freeze mark this Thursday but things may rebound. I will be bringing the moruga inside... Wonder how many pests will come in with it??

    Here is another one that I think will turn soon??? New phone takes way better close UPS ðµ.


    dj

  • DMForcier
    9 years ago

    The birds have been at my orange habaneros. Sometimes they will peck a little hole in a green pod and you'll see it turning orange around the hole, so damaged-induced ripening is real. Sometimes a small or sickly pod will "ripen" almost immediately. (You don't want seeds from those.)

    Dennis

    P.S. Weather report is for mid-90s the rest of the week...

  • djoyofficial
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Damn you and your forecast Dennis! Haha... We actually hit the mid eighties three days ago but its barely going to reach 65 today. Gotta go get some rooting gel today...

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