Kitchen Garden Forum

A few years ago I got a free packet of seeds (probably with this magazine): Mr Fothergill's Capsicum. I found them the other day and, rather than just throw them out, I thought I would give them a chance. All 42 seeds have germinated. This is a mixed packet, described as "a wide range of colours, sizes and levels of heat". All the seeds looked the same in the packet, the seedlings all look the same. I wasn't really planning to grow 42 pepper plants - how do I tell one sort from another?

Binky wrote:how do I tell one sort from another?

Hi Binky

I fear the answer is: you don't Pick out and plant the ones you want and hope

Dear Binky, if there are any that are slightly different sizes, i would pot on a mxture of these.
But it will be a bit of pot luck.

Shorter plants with broader leaves and shorter joints between the leaves are likely to be Habanero types but other than that it is pot luck.

Think you're going to have to have a "lucky dip". I've grown different varieties of peppers over the years and as far as I can recall the seedlings have always looked the same. It's the same problem with telling the difference between peppers and chillis so it's a jolly good job I labelled mine when I sowed them because the seedlings all looked absolutely identical when they germinated. At least you're going to have an interesting summer of anticipation waiting to see what they turn out to be. If the packet talks about different levels of "heat" it rather sounds as if some of them might be chillis rather than sweet peppers. If you definitely want to grow sweet peppers you may have to sow a couple although it's a little late to be sowing them now as they tend to need a rather long growing season, unless you've got a greenhouse.

Binky

I've just had a look at my (still small) chili and sweet pepper plants - sown end of February. The chilis have narrower leaves than the sweet varieties. Hope this helps after my last, pessimistic post.

Alan

Hello All

Thank you for your suggestions. I still have 42 healthy little plants - I haven't had the heart to cull them yet. Perhaps I won't.

Binky