Rocotos, was: Re: [CH] Chile-Heads Digest V8 #486
phil and meredith (brownz@d2.net.au)
Thu, 31 Jan 2002 10:01:57 +1100
concerning rocotos,
Cameron Begg wrote:
> Exactly my experience. In fact I consider any first year fruit a
> bonus. They seem to need a well established root system before they
> will fruit more heavily.
imagine my delight apon returning from a month away from my plants (having
threaded a soaker hose into the clothes line, attached the hose to a timer
and placed all my potted chilies under it) to find that two of my three
rocotos, all first year plants, are laden with chillies. looks like i'll get
about two dozen rocotos this year. woohoo.
i've been wondering about their pollenation. i've noticed that the first of
my plants to flower has been the one which has set the least fruit. do they
set fruit from their own pollen?
it seems that the bees are doing a pretty good job, but i've read a couple
of times that hand pollenation is required for rocotos, has any one tried
this, is it more for the non red varieties (mine are red), and are the non
red varieties less vigorous?
regards,
phil brown
(in oz)