I've definitely seen some variation across seedlings and I'm beginning to think a lot of sellers aren't isolating their plants for pure seed. That might be why my supposedly mild ghost is the hottest thing in the patch.

That said, I've also seen huge swings in the heat of peppers over a season. Are you letting them sit a while on the plant once they've changed color and fully ripened? I've found that heats mine up a bit more, particularly when it is as dry as it has been, so maybe see if the mild ones show a little more heat if you leave them on a while longer. Sorry you're having so many come out not hot.

Might want to save your own seed from the hot one it you like it.

[QUOTE=zendog;746235]I've definitely seen some variation across seedlings and I'm beginning to think a lot of sellers aren't isolating their plants for pure seed. That might be why my supposedly mild ghost is the hottest thing in the patch.
[/QUOTE]

The superhot pepper seed market is flooded with unintentional crosses and you are correct that most of the superhot sellers do not isolate (and will even say so), but people buy the seeds anyhow, grow plants, don't isolate those and then resell or trade those seeds - meanwhile you really have no clue what you are actually growing. It also seems it is common with the 'chili-heads' to do random purposeful crosses without really a solid method or recordkeeping.

Not fool-proof, but I try to only buy from reputable companies who promote isolation - but yeah, even with those accidents and mix-ups can happen or their suppliers could be unreliable with their operations as well. Not trying to offend any group, but people do not realize the potential damage done with cross-pollination and trading when they don't isolate and then trade/swap with others.

Another point of view is that everything is a cross anyhow - so it doesn't matter. But then again, a lot of us get upset dedicating valuable garden space for growing X or Y and it turns out awful and not what was expected at all.

[QUOTE=rhines81;746262]Not fool-proof, but I try to only buy from reputable companies who promote isolation - but yeah, even with those accidents and mix-ups can happen or their suppliers could be unreliable with their operations as well. Not trying to offend any group, but people do not realize the potential damage done with cross-pollination and trading when they don't isolate and then trade/swap with others.[/QUOTE]

I agree there is a lot of crossed seed getting sold and traded, often with people not knowing what they got was crossed to begin with. Even reputable seed suppliers often don't grow all their own seed, so I've gotten seed I later realized wasn't true from a few sellers I generally trust. I bough Chervena Chuschka seeds from a seller I bought them from 4 years ago and the peppers are definitely not the same as what I originally grew and loved 4 years back. It was a good reminder to isolate and save my own seed for the plants I like.