Select to expand quoteUnderoath said..Haircut said..
is the flavour of the super hot ones quite bitter? reading the internets, alot of people seem to agree the nicest "flavoured" hotter varieties are the pequin, siling (philipines) and tepin.
regarding the fruit fly in QLD, what symptoms do you see if your chili fruit/plant has it?
freezing the fruit seems to do well
I don't eat the hot ones unless they are in a sauce. Reapers and Scorpions/Nagas will make you vomit on their own. Not a good move.
So, with Fruit Flys, If your chilies start rotting on the plant- fruit fly maggots are in your chilies. Cut one open and see, just be careful as they jump.
Now if you do have a FF infestation, you have a big problem as chances are ALL your fruit has been infected.
I refuse to use insecticides, so I use a physical netting barrier. Seems to be working for me so far this season.
Mate, do you reckon that insecticides would be bad for your innards???? 
I think Indian kids live on that stuff , and there stools are normal, it's all about the buff.
^ Log Man.
No, but the Wife is pregnant.
I was using a pesticide with the dimethoate ingredient. Studies on rats and mice have shown certain negative reproductive and carcinogenic effects.
Why take the risk.
Mozzie nets work.
Select to expand quotesaltiest1 said..
Many animals do not have receptors for the capsicum heat.
We used to shoot ducks not far from where a local was growing chillies, butternuts, mandarins and heaps of other yum stuff.
Our chilli-duck was awesome, funny thing though - chilli wasn't part of the recipe! The ducks we "pre-marinated" in chilli from raiding the plants.
We also regularly saw foxes eating chillies off the plant too- but didn't particularly want to try cooking them up. 
Select to expand quoteParadox said..
Freezing them whole works if you like to eat them chopped. Milder varieties that is.
Frankly the hot varieties you grow are not directly edible on a regular basis in my opinion. Even a small piece in a meal can get stuck and wreak havoc. The only use I had for them was to make a hot sauce out of them. ie dilute the suckers with tons of tomatoes, garlic, spices and vinegar etc. cook it and then blend it into a sauce and jar it. Even then I still have heaps of that left from seasons ago.
I stick with varieties that have good taste, healthy fruit and enough heat to zing but not be stupid. Birds eyes are still a good mainstay, but I mainly grow a variety that is slightly lower heat than a birdseye, but 4-5 times as big and really nice flavour. Great balance of heat and flavour and ease of picking. Extras go into the freezer in bags and are pulled out in winter as needed. I have also dried a lot and have a big container of flakes.
Ive grown some reapers, t scorpions and bhut jolokia's and I agree too hot to cook with or enjoy their flavour, taste like battery acid to me.
Paradox whats the name of the variety you grow thats bigger than the birds eye with a nice flavour?
Cab anyone else recommend any varieties with great taste or recommend your favourite variety, why it is, heat strength and flavour?
Select to expand quoteMDSXR6T said..
This season (spring) Richgro bought out a new natural fruit fly product that was tested extensively in the Swan Valley with fantastic results. It will kill QLD fruit fly as well. Being all natural (garlic and pymethrin) you can spray it a day or two before harvest and its fine.
I still use better fruit fly traps (ie 1 trap is enough for residential use) but this Richgro spray is a must if you are growing edibles.
Crazy demand for the super hot stuff like Carolina Reapers at work. I grew some last year but given Nandos mild sauce is still pretty hot, i never had the balls to try.
Thanks for the heads up for this Richgrow product.
Which friut fly traps do you use ?
I started with 4 types from seed ,halapenos, red thai, habenero and another cant recall.
Now , from 19 starters, have 9 left , no matter how much care I take with them , just cant seem to get past the seedling stage, except for 1 thai I started in a hydro set up, that is now 2 yrs old and 2 mtrs tall!. It has continually produced .
Whats the secret???
Latestarter continuous picking is key and get friendly with your local greengrocer.
R1der this variety is a proven performer from South Pacific Seeds (F1 Cayenne).
Mild bang and prolific bearer and great for the commercial scene.
100 odd plants producing roughly 20 kilo per week throughout the growing season, at $10 for green and $14 for red and only 5min to pick a kilo it soon adds up.
This hybrid like most hybrids does have calcium transport issues but harvesting slightly early helps to avoid this (Blossom end Rot!!)
Planted after xmas and starting to produce again- Just need rain no flowers.
Chillies like this seem to lend themselves to High OM in raised beds for great drainage Any other Questions just ask - Happy to share secrets.
Select to expand quoteR1DER said...
Thanks for the heads up for this Richgrow product.
Which friut fly traps do you use ?
I use the Gepro Organic traps. Most brands are pretty good, similiar prices and the traps themselves are similiar but the Gepro ones use a different attractant. Many are 1 trap for 2 or 3 trees but the Gepro ones are 4 traps per Hectacre. More than for my 8 or 9 dwarf fruit trees but the attractant evaporates quickly.
For all the popularity and expense of fruit trees etc it's crazy how many people skimp on soil, good mulch (Dsatco Triple C is exceptional stuff FWIW) and pest control.
Select to expand quoteHotBodMon said...
Latestarter continuous picking is key and get friendly with your local greengrocer.
R1der this variety is a proven performer from South Pacific Seeds (F1 Cayenne).
Mild bang and prolific bearer and great for the commercial scene.
100 odd plants producing roughly 20 kilo per week throughout the growing season, at $10 for green and $14 for red and only 5min to pick a kilo it soon adds up.
This hybrid like most hybrids does have calcium transport issues but harvesting slightly early helps to avoid this (Blossom end Rot!!)
Planted after xmas and starting to produce again- Just need rain no flowers.
Chillies like this seem to lend themselves to High OM in raised beds for great drainage Any other Questions just ask - Happy to share secrets.
Thanks I'll gets some seeds and try them.
Select to expand quoteMDSXR6T said...R1DER said...
Thanks for the heads up for this Richgrow product.
Which friut fly traps do you use ?
I use the Gepro Organic traps. Most brands are pretty good, similiar prices and the traps themselves are similiar but the Gepro ones use a different attractant. Many are 1 trap for 2 or 3 trees but the Gepro ones are 4 traps per Hectacre. More than for my 8 or 9 dwarf fruit trees but the attractant evaporates quickly.
For all the popularity and expense of fruit trees etc it's crazy how many people skimp on soil, good mulch (Dsatco Triple C is exceptional stuff FWIW) and pest control.
I found a gepro supplier in Perth. The website says it only attracts and kills the male flies, but I like that one trap covers such a large area. I also bought some of the Richgro spray from bunnings. I'm on a mission to get rid of fruit fly at my place.
If you get stuck with finding replacement attractant send me a pm and i'll sort some out but i'm sure it'll work for you. If its that bad i'd use another trap or two.
By killing the males you stop them fertilising the females that destroy the fruit by laying their eggs in it. I may be well off but I think the females only mate once and only live for a few weeks so you can make a solid dent in the population after a season or 2.
Select to expand quoteR1DER said..
Paradox whats the name of the variety you grow thats bigger than the birds eye with a nice flavour?
I knew someone would ask that. Thing is it is not a commercial variety, it is a strain that came from a Malaysian Chinese family I know and they gave me some, which I propagated....We call them Aunty Ann's, as that is what they called them. The plants I have are on their 4th season or so and are hugely prolific with 40 - 50 of these on a tree at any one time by Christmas.
