Yolo Gardener

Breed Your Own Peppers

 Tamar Rein, U.C.C.E. Yolo County Master Gardener

 On Friday, February 2, the UC Davis Student Farm and Plant Sciences Department presented a two hour seed saving workshop at the UCD Bowley Plant Science Center. This valuable workshop included a chili pepper crossing demonstration and hands-on pepper seed saving. This program was made possible with funds from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture for the purpose of teaching home gardeners how to breed their own vegetable varieties.

Raoul Adamchak, coordinator of the UCD Student Farm, began with a presentation about our beloved domestic peppers. Peppers are members of Solanaceae family, along with tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes. It turns out that of twenty-three species of peppers only five are domesticated. By 1519, the time of Cortez’ conquest of Mexico, the Aztecs already had at least poblanos, jalapenos, and seranos. There are two to three thousand different kinds of chili peppers ranging from the sweet bells to the insanely hot Indian Bhut Jolokia. About 40 varieties of peppers are grown at the UCD Student Farm, and Raoul invited the audience to stop by this summer and have a look. The Student Farm is located west of Orchard Park Circle, between Russell Blvd. and Orchard Rd. 

The complex chemical compounds known as capsaicinoids are responsible for the heat in hot peppers, and are made up of seven alkaline compounds, including capsaicin. Raoul Adamchak showed us a wonderful chart comparing the heat of various common peppers measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Pure capsaicin measures 15,000,000 SHU, military grade pepper spray runs in the 2.5 to 5 million SHU range, Bhut Jolokia is a million plus, Habanero and Scotch Bonnets are 100,000 to 350,000 while my favorite hot pepper, the jalapeno, runs only 2,500-5,000 SHU. (Even at that level I have suffered painfully by touching my eyes after mincing a jalapeno.) Contrary to popular belief, the seeds of a hot pepper do not generate capsaicin; it is generated by the cells of the placenta around the seeds. So the seeds may have some capsaicin on them, but it’s only on their exterior.

When choosing cultivars for starting your own pepper breeding project, you might see the designator ‘PVP’ in the seed catalog. PVP stands for Plant Variety Protection, and it gives the developer of that cultivar twenty years’ protection for the exclusive right to sell that seed. PVP cultivars breed true, like heirloom/open-pollinated varieties. For home gardeners, it means you can save PVP seed for your own use, but you cannot sell it or use it to develop a hybrid other than for your personal use.

If you want to continue an open-pollinated heirloom-type or PVP cultivar, you’ll get true stable replication only if you isolate your pepper from other pepper varieties. Raoul Adamchak advised that the five species of peppers can cross, so even if you choose a couple of cultivars from two different species, you’re still at risk of unintended crosses! If you grow more than one pepper cultivar and do not want to use an isolation bag or build an isolation cage to avoid unintended pollination, you’ll need four hundred feet between pepper varieties, and that includes any your neighbors might plant. UC Davis isolates pepper cultivars by one mile! If you choose hybrid cultivars to start your project, know that their offspring, the ‘F1’ generation, will not be like the parent plant, but highly variable. To develop a true breeding strain from hybrids, known as an ‘inbred line,’ will require breeding to the F8 generation--this will take nine years in the field. Working in a greenhouse speeds things up considerably, but getting to F8 will still take three to four years.

Theresa Hill performed the chili pepper crossing demonstration. Because peppers have complete flowers containing both male and female parts, they readily self-pollinate. Breeding your own peppers requires choosing a ‘mother’ plant that will develop the cross-bred pepper, and a second ‘father’ plant that will provide only DNA via pollen. The direction of the cross can affect the outcome, so you may want to try the cross both directions, reversing the rolls of the two plant parents. To avoid self-pollination, carefully choose a flower on the mother plant that is completely developed but still closed or sutured. If the flower petals have started to separate at all, even just barely cracked apart, don’t use that flower for your cross as it may have already been pollinated. This flower must be ‘emasculated’ of all its stamen and immature anthers. Theresa used a fine-tipped tweezers to carefully cut away the male parts; any damage sustained by the pistil, style or stigma will prevent fertilization. The flower used for pollen must also be chosen carefully; look for a fully developed flower with yellow anthers dehiscing pollen. Theresa used the same fine-tipped tweezers to pull a stamen from the pollen-donating flower and dusted the stigma of the emasculated flower. She then covered the cross-bred flower with a small glassine envelope to prevent additional pollinations of that flower. She also added a small identification tag, being careful to avoid having the string constrict vascular tissue in the flower stem. As soon as the pepper fruit starts to develop, you can remove the glassine envelope.

On to the seed saving part! After you’ve carefully grown those peppers, you’ll want to do everything possible to ensure the best germination rate for those special seeds. I was surprised to learn that improved rate of germination comes from collecting the seed of early mature fruit that has been allowed to ripen (dry) for three to four months, rather than collecting seed from older mature peppers that have been left intact on the plant after reaching maturity. When you are ready to collect the seed, be sure to wear gloves if you’re working with hot peppers. A piece of window screen fixed in a wooden frame makes a very good sieve for washing your seeds. After washing, air-dry the seeds and then dry at one hundred degrees for six hours. Properly dried seeds should be brittle; store them with a desiccant packet in an air-tight freezer safe container in your kitchen freezer. Stored this way, your seed will remain viable for twenty-five years or more, far longer than the average two to five years. To determine germination rate, there are two tests:  (1) The floating test: place stored seeds in water and discard any floating seed. Re-dry the heavy seeds immediately if you’re not going to use them right away. You don’t want the seed coats to start rehydrating; (2) The damp paper towel test: place ten to fifteen seeds on a damp paper towel and put into a plastic bag or sandwich box and place in a warm spot for several days to see if any of the seed sprout.

After attending this inspiring presentation, I am very excited about experimenting this summer with pepper plant breeding and saving seed. I hope the Bowley Center has these workshops regularly! You can see versions of both the pepper presentations with slides on the UC Davis Student Farm website, at asi.ucdavis.edu/sf/SavePepperSeed-RA1-03.pdf. Y

 

Spring Gardening Tips

Linda Parsons, U.C.C.E. Yolo County Master Gardener

Have you noticed that we have had an unusually dry winter? This fact, as well as one with cooler temperatures, was predicted in the 2012 Farmer’s Almanac. Several heavy rainstorms are predicted to occur in mid-February and mid-March, but this is unlikely to bring us up to our area’s average rainfall of about 19 inches. If the Almanac is correct, we will be having a cooler spring than normal. This is important to keep in mind, especially when determining when to plant your summer vegetables. I will soon begin to start my vegetable seeds indoors, but will wait until at least several weeks beyond the Vernal Equinox (March 20, 2012), to plant them in my garden. Now that spring is nearly here, you have a few more weeks to complete your garden spring-cleaning and pruning. Remember though to hold off on pruning your once blooming spring vines, trees, and shrubs.

The following tips and ideas will help you prioritize your garden chores and possibly discover some new adventures in gardening.

 

SPRING CLEANING

• Examine trees and shrubs for winter damage. Prune damaged foliage and branches.
• If you haven’t pruned your roses and fruit trees, this is the last month to ready them for their spring bloom.
• Do not prune early flowering rhododendrons, magnolias, camellias, azaleas, viburnum and forsythia.  It is best to prune them after the blossoms are spent or wait until early fall.
• Apply the final application of dormant spray to all fruit trees before the buds swell. Roses need to be sprayed to prevent over-wintering insects and fungal spores.
• Weeds are starting to sprout, so take care of them before they take over.
• Once your spring bulbs have finished blooming, dead head (remove blossom ends), however, don’t remove the leaves until they turn yellow. This will help the bulbs store energy for next Spring’s bloom. If they are unsightly, braid them or fold them over and secure with twine, until you remove them in late Spring.

 

FERTILIZING, COMPOSTING AND MULCHING

            Your plants are hungry. Begin to lightly cultivate your perennial garden, being careful not to dig too close to your plants. Loosen the soil as soon as it is not too wet to work.

• Add soil amendments, such as compost, peat moss, and organic fertilizer.
• Roses and fruit trees need special attention now. In addition to organic rose food and soil amendments, I add a cup of alfalfa pellets and two tablespoons of Epsom salt to each rose plant. These help the rose to produce more basal breaks (new growth) and more chlorophyll.
• Be sure to use fertilizer that is recommend for each plant type. In particular, too much nitrogen will make the plant grow too quickly, producing growth which will not be as sturdy and which is more susceptible to sucking insects.
• Resume your feeding schedule for your lawn and fruit trees.
• Fertilize your spring blooming plants, such as camellias and azaleas, after they bloom and repeat for the next three months.
• Fertilize your houseplants.
• Mulch your garden to a depth of 3 inches. The reward will be fewer weeds and less watering in the months ahead.

 

PLANTING

Perennial plants need attention now.

• Remove any old growth.
• Dig and divide crowded perennial plants.

 

Select early blooming annuals,

• plant candytuft, pansies, violas, dianthus, Iceland poppies and primroses.

 

Select summer blooming plants.

• Bulbs, corms, tubers can be planted now.

Some colorful choices are cannas, begonias, lilies, and dahlias.

 

• Shade plants include:

astilbe, columbine, coral bells, dicentra, foxglove, hostas, nepeta, pulmonaria, and ferns.

 

Drought-tolerant and sunny-location plants:

• Russian Sage, Muhlenbergia, Rabbits Tale Grass, Buddleia, Echinacea, Rudibeckia, and Gallardia.

 

            Replace shrubs and roses. Be sure to select these plants with care to insure they have the correct growing conditions. Careful selection ensures healthy plants that are easy to grow and maintain.

 

            After you have completed your planting, be sure to lightly fertilize your plants and mulch well. Remember that plants do better if they are planted at or slightly above grade.

 

            If you are planning to grow your vegetables from seed, begin your seedlings indoors under lights. By late April or early May you can harden off and plant the seedlings in your vegetable garden. The soil temperature needs to be 50 degrees Fahrenheit before you set out your young plants.

 

DISEASE AND PEST CONTROL

If you have applied your dormant oil and fungicide, your plants will be off to a good start.

• Periodically check plants, especially roses, for signs of black spot, rust, and mildew. These often appear first on the interior or lower parts of the plant. If the spring is especially rainy, you will need to be more vigilant and spray more often.
• While you are checking for disease, note whether slugs, snails, and earwigs are munching on your plants. Consider whether aphids, mites, thrips, and scale creep into your garden. as the weather warms These pests are usually kept in check by a variety of beneficial insects such as lacewins, mantises, ground beetles, tachinid and robber flies. Many plants attract beneficial insects including yarrow, alyssum, feverfew, dill, parsley, coriander, penstemon, and asters.

 

If you need to use commercial pesticides, consult http://ipm.ucdavis.edu/ for excellent information on controlling pests and diseases.

 

LAWN CARE

            Lawn is often the forgotten plant and one of the most neglected plants in the garden. Lawn does surprisingly well if given a modicum of care. Most importantly, it needs to be fed and watered regularly.

• Check your irrigation system and be sure that the lawn is getting the proper amount of water. The amount will gradually need to be increased as the days become longer and warmer.
• You will also need to raise the mower blade to a height of 3 inches, as spring gives way to summer.
• Re-seed thin spots in your lawn and begin your fertilizing and mowing schedule in March.
• While it is easier to use commercial fertilizer, applying a light topcoat of compost to your lawn will greatly benefit your lawn’s growth and health.

 

FINAL SPRING TOUCHES

• Paint the lower trunks of young trees with water thinned white latex paint to prevent sunburn and borer problems. Stake tall growing perennials and vegetables before they begin to bend over in late spring. 
• In late spring, thin fruit trees, leaving 4 to 5 inches between each fruit. This will help the remaining fruit to mature properly and keep the branches from being over-weighted and splitting.
• Deadhead spent flowers to assure a long blooming season in your garden.
• Plant containers with your favorite annuals and herbs.
• Clean and re-stock bird feeders. Sharpen and maintain garden tools.
• Hang your hammock or set out your favorite garden chair. Relax with some lemonade and take time to enjoy a new gardening book or listen to a local garden radio program.

 

SPRINGTIME IDEAS

Books:

For garden inspiration, The Writer in the Garden, by Jane Garmey is a delightful book of essay written by and for gardeners. You will feel as though you are chatting over the garden fence with some very engaging gardeners.

In Your Garden by Vita Sackville-West is a classic and period book. Vita will enthrall you with her English wit and charm. She shares her monthly garden guide, as she tends her Sissinghurst Castle Garden. This book is based on her London newspaper column, which she wrote shortly after WWW II.                                                      

 

If you are looking for a vegetable and herb garden resource, you can find few as comprehensive as Burpee: The Complete Vegetable and Herb Gardener: A Guide to Growing Your Garden  Organically by Karen Davis Cutler, et.al.

I am eagerly awaiting California Fruit and Vegetable Gardening: Plant, Grow and Eat the Best Edibles for California Gardens by Claire Splan. This is due out in April, 2012. It would be great to find a vegetable garden book that is specific for our climate. Most garden books require a careful check for climate and zones, when recommending vegetable varieties to plant.

 

Radio garden shows and podcasts:

These can all be heard on weekend radio programs and there are podcasts available for past programs on their websites. *Also on Thursday.

 

http://farmerfred.com

http://tunein.com/radio/Capital-Nursery-Gardening-Show-p128876/

http://bobtanem.com

http://davisgardenshow.com

 

Garden Adventures:

 

Visit your local nursery, the UC Davis Arboretum plant sale, consult garden catalogs or books to find the perfect plant. Check out UC Master Gardener Classes. Enjoy a day in the garden by visiting one of these local offerings.

 

• Annual Woodland Rose Garden Tour April 29, 2012:  Noon-5:00 p.m.Woodland, California: www.cityofwoodland.org
• Luther Burbank Mother’s Plant and Corsage Sale on May 15, 2012: Santa Rosa, California: http://www.lutherburbank.org
• The International World Peace Rose Garden State          Capital Park: Sacramento, California
• McKinley Rose Garden: Sacramento, California: Re-opens on April 15,2012 after an extensive renovation of its 1000 rose plant garden: www.cityofsacramento.org
• The Good Life Garden: Edible Landscapes Garden at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food: UC Davis, California
• Old City Cemetery, Sacramento, California: Saturday Tours:www.oldcitycemetery.com
• Central Park Garden 3^rd Annual Mother’s Day Tea: May 15,  Davis, California: www.centralparkgarden.org

 

 

      “A garden, like life, is composed of moments. I wish mine could always be as it is right now, this late afternoon at the end of March.” Janice Emily Bauer (The Writer in the Garden). Y

                                  

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The articles above are selected from The Yolo Gardener: a quarterly publication of the University of California Master Gardener Program of Yolo County and is freely distributed to County residents. It is available through the internet for free download: Yolo Gardener