[CH] Viability of dehyrated chilis' seeds; greenhouses
Gene Dunnam (EDUNNAM@NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU)
Mon, 26 Oct 98 09:05:45 EST
Greetings-
We've tried seeds from various dehydrated chilis with mixed success;
it probably depends on the heat level of the particular dehydrator. I managed
to sprout some seed from a year-old ristra once. But for our own seed we let
the fruit ripen on the plant; when harvested I slice off the sides of the pod
& air-dry the 'remains' on newspaper indoors for 2 weeks, then pull the seeds
off the dried placenta, seal in plastic bags, & freeze. In general I'd say
that a dehydrator is likely to be too warm [at least in spots] for the seeds.
We have an inexpensive greenhouse to get us through the colder
months; it isn't always needed herein n-c Florida. Ours has steel arches
covered with heavy-duty polyethylene that is treated to make it ultraviolet-
resistant. Make sure of this feature, or use vinyl---regular polyeth ["Vis-
queen"] breaks down in sunlight! The other caution is to anchor any greenhouse
to the ground---we returned from an out-of-town trip to find the greenhouse
apparently missing & finally discovered it partially dismantled behind the barn
where a high wind had deposited it.
Gene Dunnam
Gator Slde Farm
Micanopy, FL