Carolina Reaper Flower Drop & Leaf Damage

[ASU]

Hello,

I started growing some reapers last October and they have finally started growing flowers and 4/5 fruits. However I am now experiencing a lot of flower drop and there is a weird gold effect on some of my leave. I grow them in south facing windows in a warm room in my house in the UK, i don't water them until they are very dry and the leaves start to sag and now they have started fruiting I have used some tomorite when watering.

Does any one know if this is normal or could you help me out with any fixes to stop the dropping.

I know lack of pollination is a big cause of drop however whenever it is above 20c I take them outside for the breeze and also bees go to every flower so I’m not sure it’s that.

Thanks

 

[Chuck]

I would say that you have two problems. One is the lack of sufficient sunlight. The other is that it is too cool. They need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, 8-10 is better. That gold effect you referred to is a lack of chlorophyll being made. Without sufficient chlorophyll the plant weakens and as the plant weakens it drops its blooms. Hot peppers can set fruit at about 21C but they need much higher temperatures to perform well, about 27C-30C. Pollination is not really a problem as peppers are self fertile, like tomatoes. I rarely see insects of any kind on my pepper blooms. If you think you need better pollination just shake the plant a couple of times a day. All of the super hot peppers are sensitive to anything that isn't just right.
The lack of chlorophyll could be made worse by the lack of iron or possibly the plants inability to uptake the iron already there. You might try Iron Chelate although I believe it is the lack of direct sunlight causing the problem.

 

[ASU]

Hmm interesting thanks, I knew the climate here wouldn’t be good for growing them but it’s odd that the four peppers that are growing. They started growing before I ever took them outside into the sun. Seems as though the leaf issues and the dropping has happened since I took them out. They got about 9/10 hours of direct sun every time they went outside.

 

[Chuck]

Hmm interesting thanks, I knew the climate here wouldn’t be good for growing them but it’s odd that the four peppers that are growing. They started growing before I ever took them outside into the sun. Seems as though the leaf issues and the dropping has happened since I took them out. They got about 9/10 hours of direct sun every time they went outside.

There's nothing really unusual about a few peppers setting fruit. The plant is going to perpetuate itself or die trying too. The going back and forth from inside to outside is causing shock to the plant, plus not being able to produce chlorophyll in sufficient quantities is what is causing the leaf issues. How often do they go outside and what is the average nighttime and daytime temperatures now?

 

[ASU]

I only take them outside when it’s sunny and over 20c degrees ( so not that often here) and then they come back in before the temp drops again. The house is set to 20c all night and obviously is warmer during the day due to the sun. They are south facing windows and do get a lot of sun

 

[ASU]

Hello,

Both of my plants finally produced fruit however the chillies on one plant
have gone very dark brown/black with a hint of red like this:

My other plant produced chillies that went green>orange>red like normal. They look like this:

The dark brown ones have been in that state for about 2.5 months and aren’t changing anymore. What shall I do?

 

[Chuck]

Hello,

Both of my plants finally produced fruit however the chillies on one plant
have gone very dark brown/black with a hint of red like this:

View attachment 70654

My other plant produced chillies that went green>orange>red like normal. They look like this:

View attachment 70655

The dark brown ones have been in that state for about 2.5 months and aren’t changing anymore. What shall I do?

On the first picture it is probably a genetic trait. The fruit has matured and its seeds are viable if you wish to keep them. The fruit will more than likely keep turning more brownish. It is up to you whether to harvest or not. It is a perfectly good pepper. The Carolina Reaper is a cross between a Ghost Pepper and a Red Habenero. Habeneros are either red, orange or dark brown. During the cross breeding process in the distant past a brown habenero was somehow introduced into the line of cultivars. I would save the seeds and replant them next year. You could possibly get a brown Carolina Reaper although I do not know if reaper seeds come true or not. Also, brown habeneros are said to be a little hotter than either the red or orange.

 

[ASU]

Oh perfect, I’ll get them cut then. Thankyou

 

[Logan]

I've saved seeds from the Carolina Reaper and they're true from seed.