Probably one of the most anticipated trials has started. Yesterday I sowed something like 10 000 seeds of F2/F3/F4 peppers (c.annuum). You could say the ground has been peppered with seeds (that feels like a compulsory pun). Originally idea was to also put clear plastic on to speed things up, but I got to plant a little later and the weather has been quite favorable and looks to continue over the coming week that it would maybe help a bit too much. And quite frankly, I got a little creedy. I have so many seeds that I wanted to make use of them now even thought I don’t have a strong precedent that this would work. It’s highly likely that I can get some continuity, but it’s certainly not certain. The cloth will be on when needed. Hopefully that’s only this early season when the ground still needs to collect heat, but if need be, it will be on if progress or the weather isn’t good enough. This first year continuity is the most important and to have some precedent on how well they do and how tight it will be getting seeds.
There are some okra, eggplants and basil at the end of the row to get some feeling of how likely this is to work. Those have now also clear plastic to help them get started, especially for okra, which might not think that planting them at +17C (64F) is appropriate. I dared to plant them now when it looks like it’s warming up again and sunny which should be enough under the protection. Okras are mostly with kandahari pendi landrace with some crosses with clemson spineless that I made last year. Eggplants are just some F1s that I had the most seeds of just to see if there is sense to go this way once I have excessive amounts of F2+ seeds. Basil are from F3 swarm that I grew last year.
I have a few pepper volunteers in my zone 6a garden, so direct seeding is definitely an option. Quantity of seed will definitely boost your chances of getting some plants. I think if you use direct seeding as a selection criteria, then you’ll get peppers that are adapted to direct seeding.
Yes it’s an option, but here it’s a bit tight. In general, even growing peppers from transplants is considered hard outdoors and needs a little help. Although the zone (by winter temps) is z5, summers are more akin to z3-4 on average temperatures. Some summers are hotter, but some summers it might never get over +25c (76F) which would be coupled with cold, close to freezing nights. It’s a risk I have to take if I want to select from huge amounts of seeds.
When it comes to adaptions to direct seeding, those might not be bad in general also. I think last year’s direct seeded tomatoes were better with water stress which might also be beneficial with transplants. If you think about it, just about every crop has been bred to be grown in controlled conditions. First in pots with watering and later with irrigation either in pots or in fields, or in suitable climates, with natural irrigation. Might be good to bring back some of those adaptions.
Okras are up and also eggplants had started to emerge. I now removed the clear plastic from okra, eggplants and basil as the weather is so warm that even okra shouldn’t have much need for it for now. Maybe it can provide some selection as well as it still isn’t maybe as warm as okra would like it.
At least some peppers had come up 2 days ago, but today I had a better look when I did weeding and could see that most had at least some that had come up. There are some areas where there aren’t that many yet, but I’m sure it will change in a few days. Still a bit too early to worry about that.
Weeded rows and culled some late germinating where there was extras. Only few spots remain empty where I transplanted 3 extra peppers I had left. At spots there aren’t than many seedlings, but if they have outsurvived others this far, I believe there is a good change they will grow well to maturity. Biggest have just started to grow first true leaves.
Okras have done very well as well. Seems like it’s been favourable enough even if finnish heat wave isn’t really what they are accustomed. Sauna would be more suited for them. Now starts the real test for them. At least for the next week or so temperatures aren’t expected to exceed 20C (68F) and some days at might only be highs of 15C (59F). Night likely to be under 5C (41F) at ground level, but frosts aren’t likely. Black plastic and cloth are going to help, but still going to be challenge for okra. I was planning on putting clear plastic on during cooler period, but they are already so far along that there isn’t any need for faster growth. With the forecasted rain clear plastic cover might become hazardous itself so lets just see what they can deal.
Basil didn’t germinate that well. Only 5 have come up so far. I don’t need that many anyway. Plan was just to see how well they can make seeds direct seeded. Such a low germination was a bit unexpected though. Not sure what was the problem. Might be that there was more unviable seeds than I thought and conditions did some selecting. Or they would have needed surface to be kept moist. In any case it’s just a proof of consept for which 5 is plenty.
Some of the best peppers now. They are about the same size as in last years trial at this time, the best maybe day or 2 futher along. Not all holes have this many or this big, but mostly the best in all parts aren’t that much behind. Did some culling of smaller/excess seedlings and weeding to help them grow. Looking at last years pictures, this is the point where the growth started to accelerate. Weather forecast doesn’t look too bad even if it has gone down from what was forecasted a couple of days ago. Highs around 20C (68F) and mostly sunny should be enough with the cloth and black plastic.
Okra made it through the coldest days. It seems that one row has been more affected by conditiones. That side seems to be dryer that might be part of the reason. Part might be that wind might have blown from that direction pushing cloth (and cold air) right on plants. So now there are a row that have gotten it easier and are likelier to make seeds as back-up and row that has had tough selection pressure, so that if they have time to make seeds, they are possibly more adapted to adverse conditions.
Now they are getting going. Could see the seedlings even without zooming in. Couple in the front left and one futher back are from transplants, but otherwise all are direct seeded. Thinned closer to final numbers.
Now it’s forecasted to be highs close to 30C (86F) for a few days and doesn’t look too bad after that either. To be seen how much these can outgrow last years trial. Took off the cloth now at least for the hottest days, even if okra might like the extra heat.
There are still 5 basil (2 of them pictured) and they are growing nicely, unlike transplants which got hit hard by the cold period and possibly also lack of water. It looks like I’m going direct seeding from now on.
Eggplants are really taking off. One F1 (cross, not a single plant) is not that fast, only about same space as last years trial, but other 2 F1s are much faster. Probably about week ahead of last years trial which is good news. If all goes well, next year I’m direct seeding a lot of F2/F3 eggplants as well.
Okras also have grown a bit. Maybe not fast, but it hasn’t been quite okra weather. They are still good sized for this time of the season. Those that flower in july have a good chance to ripen seeds. It might not be a big window, but should be enough to give week or two to make pods that ripen.
There are some that come, but they are more for transplant planting. I made holes myself so that I could make it the way I think works best for mass sowing and selection. When the sowing spot is small it increases changes of better plants being close together or some holes having no strong plants.
If any way possible, I would recommend not using it. It limits how you can sow seeds. In my case it’s a bit hard at this point, but with just a little bit more favourable climate should be possible without any of these. Instead early watering can be used to speed things up as direct sown they tend to struggle for water.
Biggest have flower buds clearly visible. Not sure how long it takes to open them. Last years trial had first flower 26.7 and should beat that quite clearly. Hopefully even most of the plants will have flowers open by then as anything later is pushing it.
Okras weren’t happy about the last cool period. New leaves are coming yellowish and with holes. Flower buds are showing and hopefully the warmer weather is warm enough.
It feels like it’s been longer than 11 days since the last update. Growth has been amazing even if it’s not been quite the ideal weather. Warm enough with highs mostly between 20-25C (68-77F) which is average for this time of the year, but it’s been also cloudy and rainy. Nights have been fairly warm because of that, but it feels like they could have developed even faster. Now first flowers are just about to open. 2 plants from the same cross opening at the same time. Others aren’t that far behind, but it seems like not all prioritize opening flowers over growth. They need to be fast or they get natrally eliminated from the genepool. I would say they have a week when it’s still fairly likely that flowers that open have time to ripen seeds. After that it’s highly dependant on weather, but also how short of a ripening cycle they have. There are still some extras and some that are slower than others to open flowers will get culled. Next week it looks like it will be sunnier are a bit warmer, which should make a lot of plants to start flowering
First eggplant opened flower on 18.7. Plastic at the start helped just enough that they were faster than peppers. Without it would have been probably 5-7 days later, which would also be fast enough mostly, but it is starting to push it. At least next year need to kick start with plastic just to make sure.
Basil on the right side of eggplants are very lushy and also have flowers coming in good time. Still have a couple of weeks to bloom. Okras got the cloth on as it wasn’t quite okra weather. Getting yellowish new growth. Buds are showing, but not opening. Likely that next weeks heat will be enough to get first ones to bloom. Those would have until early august to bloom, but another matter is when is warm enough for that.
Maybe it’s the hotter weather or maybe they are just mature enough. In any case today was first day with lot’s of plants their first flower open. Maybe over 20 when before there was total less than that. Tomorrow going to be at least as much making it a wider mixture that probably will contribute seeds. Also first to flower opened it’s second flower and third set of flowers isn’t that far away. I have noticed that some peppers naturally divide to 2 brances and some, like this one, to 3. Even if it looks like secondary brancing only divides to 2, it’s still more peppers faster.
One interesting trait is similarly to tomatoes ones that make sideshoots fast like this one. It’s not the fastest to flower, but it’s going to have more flowers open in a shorter period. Remains to be seen if this trait means that the first flower always is slower to open or if it can be both fast to flower and make sideshoots. Should open it’s first flower in couple of days and maybe has time to ripen seeds in that first fruit.
Yesterday there was the first flower open on okra. Today there was 2 more. Yesterday I had to self it, but today I could cross those two plants. Both are from last years kandahari pendi landrace, which for me wasn’t as diverse as some pictures might suggest, but there are still some differences between the plants. Right now these flowers have time to ripen seeds, if weather is good enough for them, but not sure how long I can expect them to develop. Quite a few plants look like they will flower shortly, but forecast for the next few days looks like it might halt all development. That’s only for a short period and maybe after that there will be just enough time for some more to flower. Fingers crossed that I’ll get seeds and crosses from as many plants as possible.
Today there were 3 more flowers on okras, but they were only partially open probably because it’s getting quite cool for okra. Night was warm for our climate with low of 17C (63F) (and probably higher under cloth), but days aren’t going to be much warmer for the coming week and atleast partially cloudy. It’s also a good trial for them. If they can make fruits under these conditions, then it’s a lot easier to get seeds from them. Don’t have to rely on a hot period right at the right moment.
One of the flowers today didn’t have stamen, but did make pollen and I was able to cross-pollinate the other two. Earlier pollinations look to be growing so far.
Lately it’s been little cooler for okra and none of the flowers have fully opened. Today had the first fully open flower in a long time. At same time there were 2 more that had not fully opened by the same time. Not sure if the one was more accustumed to lower temperatures or maybe others were just slower to open. At least it’s been little warmer and sunnier lately that definetely helps them. Still not over 25C (77F) lately or possibly even in the rest of the summer. They have to make do. Cloth does help a bit to keep them warm. I have now pollinated little 15-20 flowers and 2 pods have clearly started to grow. I’ll take any seeds that I can get.
It is very satisfying when plan is coming together like I envisioned it. First fruits are now a month from flowering and close to full size. Probably some 7-10 days more before seeds are ripe. If the weather forecast is accurate I should have plenty of peppers with mature seeds and even the first starting to change colour. Having them change colour isn’t as important as long as they have mature seeds, but it would be nice to get them ripen this year also just to show in some local facebook groups that it’s possible. Right now the weather gods are in favour of that, but early frosts might come even in the middle of warm weather. Last night it was 4C (40F) at ground level and other night just sligthly warmer couple of days ago, but rest of the month should be a little warmer nights.
Some little bigger fruited. This might have been one of the altai pepper (can’t remember the exact variety name) which had huge fruits (over 300g). Based on how rough the skin still is, those will still grow a lot.
You are doing super interesting work Jesse, which as also an interest as an archive of a selection process : telling you that specifically, because involved in a newly formed french collaborative group around adaptation agriculture / evolutionary populations (server) I refer to your threads as some of the most interesting and exciting to get what it takes to convert enlightenings from idea to reality : i.e. the selection process, with illustrations. I know, because most of them are market gardeners, that they are super super busy these days, but it’s a way to say to them : subscribe and post on GTS forum : there you’ll find topics and members who will naturally suggest ideas and share experiments for your own selection processes.
Then here, in my place : your F1 eggplants, peppers, groundcherries are doing really surprisingly great in here, peppers even falling down as they are too loaded with fruits. Send you pictures next time. F3 and F4, direct sown for selection on vigor will have some fruits and so some seeds, even if they were a bit overshaded as expected by their giant surroundings (F1 eggplants and peppers).
Overall I am very grateful to you, and you must know that, on top of sending you back some seeds, I will bring some of your crosses to the international gathering to share in networks : that will help spread our approach : starting directly from f2 being most interesting. There, there will be a gigant seed swap, and in particular a swap of allogamous populations and of manual crosses at different stages, so please let us/me now what you need (@mare.silba@Hugo, @stephane_rave, @julia.dakin, @Joseph_Lofthouse, @malterod, @Hekseringen will be there), including some eggplant, peppers and tomato crosses made this year by the french farmers + crosses of tomatoes at stage f3 to f4, and some recombined (Bruno Viennois). Joseph also will be in Denmark from Friday 18th to around wednesday 23th, if you want join in.
Now, let’s go back to our fields Gratefully
(that feels like a compulsory pun). Originally idea was to also put clear plastic on to speed things up, but I got to plant a little later and the weather has been quite favorable and looks to continue over the coming week that it would maybe help a bit too much. And quite frankly, I got a little creedy. I have so many seeds that I wanted to make use of them now even thought I don’t have a strong precedent that this would work. It’s highly likely that I can get some continuity, but it’s certainly not certain. The cloth will be on when needed. Hopefully that’s only this early season when the ground still needs to collect heat, but if need be, it will be on if progress or the weather isn’t good enough. This first year continuity is the most important and to have some precedent on how well they do and how tight it will be getting seeds.
Gratefully