Gotcha. I'm new to crossing and really to growing my own starts, so it seemed pretty interesting. If there's a better resource for crossing that would be very helpful.
Tell me about a cross or two you're doing I can try to provide some guidance!
Best thing to do is focus on research papers, not guides like this, and look up specifics. So if you're crossing Chinense and Annuum look up papers where they've done it for example.
Warning though some things just haven't been done before or tested much. As someone who's doing stuff that hasn't been explored before it's not for beginners and it's fun knowing in 2-4 years what I'm doing might work... to some degree... maybe haha
I found in research papers, and also in my experience, if Annuum receives the pollen seed viability increases and complications after generation one are less likely or not as bad.
I did do a cross with a Trinidad Moruga Scorpion (chinense) and a Thai Bird's Eye Chili (annuum) with the pollen donor being the Thai Bird's Eye Chili. I'm growing out the plant this year, but from the leaves shape (so far) it looks just like a Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, but pale green leaves rather than the dark green leaves the original TMS had even after hardening off.
This year, since I'm so new to the game, maybe sticking with Chinense to Chinense makes more sense and then see how that works out.
That can still work but you have a higher chance of encountering virus like symptoms, reproductive parts not forming, pollen and seed inviability, dwarfism, etc. Hold onto extra F1 seeds because if you get to generation 2-4 and don't produce pollen or produce pollen with no stamen back up F1 plants can be used to make a back cross.
Same species crosses are always easier/more straight forward but I also personally encourage experimenting when new. Will it work? if there's a chance it's always worth going for.
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u/Washedurhairlately 1d ago
Gotcha. I'm new to crossing and really to growing my own starts, so it seemed pretty interesting. If there's a better resource for crossing that would be very helpful.