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Ghost Pepper Plant Won't Fruit

Vbkid

Getting There...
So I have a single ghost pepper plant, here in St. Louis Missouri that is VERY bushy and seems to be doing well. For a month or so now it was been flowerign quite regularly, but seems to be dropping all its flowers and not fruiting yet. Anyone have any advice? It's been in a hot wave here (100+ every day for a few weeks mostly), but the plant seems to be doing well...just no peppers.
Thanks,
Kyle
 
Possibly too much fertillizer...peppers do this if they are "overfed" during the blooming period.
 
Peppers do not pod during summer, it is sort of a resting period, they focus all there energy into there foliage but once we start into the fall months those plants will be loaded down. Don't worry, you just have to keep caring for it. And remember that spring and fall are when the pods are mainly produced.

If it was too much fertilizer you would have a nutrient lockout with shock and crumbly leaves.

My plants were loaded down with fresh pods until the Texas summer hit it's peak.
 
Thanks for the advice! While we are on the subject, are ghost peppers able to survive through the winter if I bring em inside? I know some are easier to keep alive than others.
 
You can overwinter them with a grow light in your garage or even indoors.
 
The guide that Av8tor1 referred to when he gave away some seeds said this:

http://www.chilepepperinstitute.org/files/tiny_mce/file_manager/SpecialBhutJolokiaInst.pdf
The Bhut Jolokia is an interspecific hybrid, meaning it is a cross between two species, due to this
it has a very hard time self-pollinating. For better pod development grow a habanero plant next
to the Bhut Jolokia, if your plants are indoors you will have to manually transfer pollen with a
soft paint brush. It is typical for the first set of flowers to drop from the plant and not produce
any pods, be patient, pods will eventually start to develop.
 
The guide that Av8tor1 referred to when he gave away some seeds said this:

http://www.chilepepperinstitute.org/files/tiny_mce/file_manager/SpecialBhutJolokiaInst.pdf

As the link says, I wouldn't worry just yet.... they are known for that tendency.

I typically grow several plants next to each other for good measure.
So far, I seem to get good pollination rates and I am able to maintain true seed stock.

FWIW I have plenty of young fruit at the moment with the largest being 3" or so in length.
Expect another giveaway come winter, just in time for chili season :)

Av
 
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If the plant does not fruit when it comes time in the season you can try limiting your use of nitrogen rich fertilizer. The effects of high in nitrogen fertilizer is a big beautiful plant with no fruit. You don't need to worry about it now but it can really help later in the growing season if you still have that problem.
 
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