2017 Pepper Season: Week 16 Plant Update
It’s been just over sixteen weeks since I started the 2017 season and I’ve certainly had my hands full as of late. Mother Nature has not been the kindest to my plants subjecting them to freak freeze warnings and torrential rains — not to mention slugs and pets digging up a couple plants. So I figured with all that going on, it’s probably time to take a look at a few of my plants and give a quick update on their status.
Overall, every plant is still alive, though those that have been on the deck in standard pots or fabric pots have seemed to fair the worse. Many have yellowed and dropped a good amount of foliage, as well as ceased growing at the rate they were prior to the freeze and rain. The plants in the double bucket set ups down below in the backyard have faired better when it comes to the rain, but have had to battle slugs and the like. As a result of this unpredictable Spring and what it has done to many of my plants, I’ve picked up a few new recruits to hopefully pick up the slack. To the peppers!
Chocolate Bhutlah
The plant that a few weeks ago was adjusting wonderfully to the outdoors and fabric pot has taken a serious beating. As you can see above, it’s lost a good number of leaves and has showed serious signs of yellowing. I don’t have high hopes for this particular plant as its growth has been nil over the past couple of weeks.
One of the Chocolate Bhutlahs that I have in buckets is fairing much better and displaying signs of new growth amongst older, yellowed leaves. While I’m hoping the fabric pot plant fairs well and pulls through, the pain is lessened by knowing I’ve still got some solid development here.
Carolina Reaper
This particular pot currently holds two small reapers that have really not done well with all of the rain. They’ve dropped a majority of their leaves and are pretty darn yellow. The fact that they are still standing upright, however, gives me hope for them. Thankfully, I’ve got a couple of double bucket reapers that are still holding their own despite showing the tell tales signs — or is that bullet holes — from all of the storms we’ve been suffering through the past couple of weeks.
This next reaper is showing the most promise currently even with a constant barrage of slug attacks, hence all of the crushed egg shells and Sluggo seen in several of these photos.
Peach Bhut Jolokia
One look at the next photo and you’re heart is going to drop. This poor plant never really took to the transition outdoors all that well to begin with. Add in one hell of an initial salvo of slugs and the massive amount of damage it has taken from heavy rains and, well, take a look. I have several other PBJs growing in buckets and standard pots — not one of them is doing well. I’m not sure if they are just fickle plants to begin with or what. Only time will tell.
Bhut Jolokia
The ghost pepper has been my favorite superhot the past couple of years. The two plants that I started this year have both also taken a beating, with plenty of evidence of both slugs and rain damage. That said, both still have good growth and, I’m hoping, should still perform well. I would hate to not get any production from the bhuts this season.
New Additions
Due to the cold snap and plant-drowning rains, I decided that it best to add a few backup plants to the group. A recent trip to a local nursery allowed me the opportunity to pick up a Red Habanero, Scotch Bonnet and a couple of Chocolate Habaneros — I’m most excited about those last two additions.
So far the plants have been doing just fine with the Scotch Bonnet, which was dug up by one of my dogs a day or two after planting. Thankfully, I noticed it quickly and reset it in the pot. So far so good.
