Don't believe everything you read. Hot and mild peppers can grow together just fine. The hot ones will be hot and the mild ones will be mild. However, if you save seeds from each, there is a chance that cross-pollenation has occurred and the second generation will be a hybrid of the two, so your mild peppers may be hot and your hot peppers mild. If you isolate them somehow, you reduce the risk of cross-pollenation. But again, the crosses will not show up until the 2d generation.

Somewhere I heard that the since the seeds and membranes hold the heat - if they cross pollinate the sweets will be hot. Not true? Would love to hear about this. It would make planning the garden a lot easier. :)

Words will hold still for anybody..........

Seeds don't hold any heat.

Josh

Thanks everyone. The cross polination makes more sense then just having them planted together.

If sweet/hot cross pollinate the NEXT generation's plants will most likely (almost 100%) be hot if you save that seed and plant it. The peppers you pick off the plant (or even the cross pollinated flower/pod) will not be effected in flavor/heat for the current season.

Heat is a very dominate trait in peppers.

Think of it as having a kid. When someone gets pregnant it's the offspring showing the genetic mix, not mom.