Capsicum chinense is the botanical. Solanaceae, the family. If you are wondering why they are hanging...take a wild guess...It is not for aesthetics, it is for health reasons.
It is one of the hottest among the Capsicums, but that is not important for yours truly. As I get older and older, my tolerance to capsaicin decreases accordingly.
Every capsicum i have (there are two, frutescens the other) suffers from pain in the arse sucking insects. I tried in vain to find the name, with no luck. Lets say it is similar to powdery mildew, under the leaves. A real pain, requiring constant monitoring since, either you watch what you do carefully, (pest control has to be mild), or you will kill the plant.
For the record and as an experiment, weeks after I got the present, I propagated one stem with hormones. It is doing fine, but the pest is also around. Since both are hanging, 'I can see clearly now', as that old cool song, spraying with my secret capsicum/dish water soap formula as soon as they show up.
When you search in the web, I try to do it constantly to avoid dissidence and have arguments in either direction, you will notice that mine look like blue bonnets.. Do not ask me why. They look different that those in the web. What is important is not to confuse this with the sweet kind with so, so similar appearance.
The name Habanero requires some investigation on your part. In Puerto Rico we call chili, AJI (pronounced 'ahee'). There is no nahuatl term for this kind, therefore is not from Mexico. The story is interesting, but I am not into that bag at the moment...You can go ahead.
If you find the botanical name for the insect, and share it with your humble servant, thanks. Besides, what is relevant is detecting the insect, to know type of damage, if it chews or sucks. The sucking, I remind you will kill whatever eventually, the constant chewing by beetles(Phyllophaga portorricensis), at least with my Coccoloba uvifera and Hibiscus, does not.
Words for thought previously shared...
Imagine what food would be like without salt...Condiments, besides all the legends and stories of muting the rotten taste of rotten meat when there was no refrigeration, transform anything imaginable.
Mexico, China, Thailand and India have developed centuries old,
gastronomical schools known by their creative use
of capsicum and related condiments enhancing
what otherwise would be pretty much like
boiled meat and potatoes.
Gardeners with good sight
keep that in mind.
Gardeners with good sight
keep that in mind.
that is that
That causes me to wonder where habaneros originated! Too hot for me...I like our New Mexican chiles...Sandia Hot is my favorite. Much of the native cuisine here is spicy, and I think so flavorful, one does not need any meat with enchiladas.
ReplyDeleteThere is something about spicy food beyond definition. Some spices transform the dullest foods into a real trip. Another aspect not mentioned often, is that people/ cultures with spicy foods have less parasites in their stomachs...plus the heat makes one sweat...getting cool in the process.
ReplyDeleteThe name Habanero could be a hint, but not necessarily...Check the wikipedia if you may...