[CH] The strong survive

Peter Moss (pmoss@yoda.alt.za)
Fri, 20 Dec 2002 22:56:29 RSA-2 

Just a short note that may interest those more interested in 
species and how they stand up to different conditions.

For two years I have not had the time to tend what was once more 
than 200 chile plants.  Species I had planted were C. annuum 
very few.  C. chinese the majority, C. baccatum few, C. pubescens 
about 10.  C. frutescens a few.

Neglect failures
C. frutescens - 100%
C. annuum - near 100%  1 plant from Mauritius. "Firecracker"
C. chinense - near 100%
C. baccatum - 60%..75%
C. pubescens - 0%

The variety is not important or is seemingly not to important but 
after two years of utter neglect where all plants were left to 
their own devices with no tending, feeding or watering other 
than nature 90% plus of the C. chinese are gone.  

The survivor chile C. pubescens of which I have 100%.  The 
oldest of these plants are now 5..6 years old.

The next best survivor was C. baccatum.

Out of interest C. chinese varieties were
Scotch bonnet
Red habanero
Orange habanero
Chocolate habanero
Fatalii

Which made up the majority of plants.  Red Savina being a very 
poor survivor.

Conditions 700..1400mm rain PA
summer max 40..45 deg C 
winter 3..4 days frost, no hard frost, no snow, no ice.

Apologies to the metrically challenged but you should be able to 
do a conversion with your slide rule.

About 50% failed in the first year with those that survived 
giving few and very small poor fruit.

Position did not seem to make that much difference although the 
C. pubescens are grown in the shade of a large oak tree.  C. 
baccatum, C. chinense and C. annuum in the same spot failed.

Sorry it was an observation and not a controlled experiment.

Look after your chile plants because they need it, seems to be 
the message.

Peter

--
Peter Moss

After one hundred and fifty years and many thousands of firearms 
control laws to reduce crime the list of successes should be 
long and illustrious.  Where is the list?

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