And their NUMEROUS descendants

Update on the droopy Aji Amarillo after uppotting. I still plan on doing some big prunes, but I'll let the cut roots settle first

They’ve been smashing the vegetative stage in recent weeks. Time to start sacrificing fruit to sure up stem lignification.

It is producing fruits!!! One is almost ripen and other tree is on the way. Oh and almost two years old.

Sowed in november

Unfortunately I don’t remember the name, but I think it’s lovely with all those tiny peppers.

Edit: autocorrect

Hiya, did I mess up?

It was a warm day (30C/86F)so it may have been too hot, but I don't trust it. The soil is still fully moist from the uppotting.

See 2nd & 3rd pic for how much of the roots I cut. Other pics for funsies

First time attempting to make a bonchi

I bought the plant with chillis on last year from waitrose, cut it back after I’d harvested the first year it came back stronger an got a second flush of chillies this year.

After seeing an YouTube video on bonchi’s I’ve decide to try my hand at one, have I hacked it back to much? I removed it from the pot shook off loose compost and put it back with fresh compost in the same pot (not a bonsai pot)

My plan is to let it recover if it does with regular pruning to keep it shortish, then for next year will re pot tombs bonsai pot after cutting the root ball to size.

Please any advice is welcome I’ve just been using ChatGPT for advice before finding this sub

Previous post with specs etc.

Doing a follow up a bit earlier than I originally intended. I realised I didn't really give much opportunity for comparison without individual pics. This time around some room to also see my experimentation more closely.

Firstly, with the more correct PAR levels, growth has been relatively quick and more observable. Even though my cohort is really small (and poorly standardised), plucking bottom leaves doesn't seem to do much to evoke quicker growth in height (mostly subjected bon 1&2 to this). Still the best grower in terms of height would be c-chan twins (pic 4) where also my interventions have been rather limited. The rightmost is perhaps growing a smidge quicker than the left, but that might be more explained by light than the minimal bottom leaf plucking I subjected it to (left was untouched). Chuffed that at least my cross seems to be doing something, as my crosses (Bonnet × Limon) grow quicker than the bonnets — which still seem to struggle with my hydroponics — but slower than the pure Limons (c-chan twins). On the happier side of things, at least the plants seem to bounce back from the lower plucking and develop new foliage.

Sort of top picking with light penetration in mind on the other hand seems to be doing really well. My plants seem to be bushing up and developing more leaves further down (cross 1 and 3, pics 5 and 6). Similarly crosses 4&5 (pics 7&8) are taking to bending and accidental topping rather well. Especially cross 5 is really coming along towards a shakan shape.

As a bonus, roots seem to be doing quite well (some staining from the nute but no rot). Fun to see the difference between the NFT and DWC root modes.

Any suggestions on good super hots to bonchi? Colorful cool pods r a plus

Specsheet:

Running a hydroponic setup (Nutriculture gt205, somewhat modified and the leftmost plants are intentionally as DWC) with viparspectra P1000 lights. Using Aptus all-in-one blend, started this generation also by culturing the root zones with beneficial bacteria (Voodoo Juice). Managed to goof with lighting once again (had it around 300 ppfd for too long, now adjusted to 500-650ppfd depending on zone.

Currently growing my own crosses, mostly for taste and aesthetic reasons (Scotch bonnet × Aji Limon). The two plants on left corners are a pure Bonnet and a Limon. Planta are looking a bit rough right now due to some bending mishaps and my crop steering strategy. Essentially working based on esoteric schematcis left on a whiteboard at the local hydroshop by some "university plant guy" about how to crop steer with selective plucking of leaves instead of topping etc.

Have tried provoking height by plucking lowest leaves and promoting forking by thinning out the number of the top leaves in some plants. It seems to have some application, but I'll have to check back in a week or so. (Before and after this round of plucking and mishaps today).

The biggest mistake I see on this sub is people jamming pencil thin plants into shallow show pots. The best aesthetics are nice thick trunks with good taper. You will NEVER get this by starting in a show pot. The best bonchi is grown as a full size plant for a year or two in a 3+ gallon pot. Let it get tall and full, this promotes thickening of the trunk. Then after it reaches a suitable thickness, give it a HARD trim going into the dormant winter season. Come spring you will see a thick tragic-looking stump sprout new growth and become the bonchi of your dreams within a few weeks.

Hope this helps aspiring enthusiasts.

Question: should I chop more of the leaves off? Looking to establish thick trunks and a few new core branches

One is Habenaro and the other is Carolina reaper

As an experiment this summer I have been exposing the uppermost roots on several peppers that I’ll be working into bonchis later this fall. So far looking pretty good, some are already quite thicc