So sad...

I never give anything away that I don't expect people to kill.

Many plants I've given away to people who don't already have established gardens end up dieing...most of it because it never even makes it into the ground.

People -think- they want to garden way more than they actually garden.

I see the same thing, even worse, from people who buy starts from stores/nurseries. I see the cartons/cells sitting on the back porch 2 months after they bought them fried to a crisp long ago.

...and a lot that do plant them give up on them or kill them before they even set fruit, too.

I just live with it and roll on...

nc-crn is 100% right. Chances are, no one you give them to will give them as much attention as you will. If you give any away, expect them to be dead and still in the same pot a month later. At best they will make it into the ground somewhere but it will be forgotten about after that, forced to battle weeds and all manner of peril.
Bruce

I'm happy to say that the Bhut plants I gave away last year didn't meet with a similar fate.

One grew very well and produced a fair amount of fruit (in a 4 gallon pot). The new owner even brought it inside in an attempt to overwinter it.

The other was planted in the ground and flourished but only managed a couple pods.

I honestly believe that the ground here is too cold for too long to make the peppers happy.

I grew all three of mine in 4 gallon pots and had (IMHO) a great crop (50-75 pods per plant).

I usually have about 100 plants I give away since I have a hard time not planting all the seedlings that emerge. I give them to fellow gardeners that I work or have worked with, my sister and a couple neighbors. Last year I gave a dozen to my director at work who I guess does veggie gardening. She later said she gave 1/2 to her neighbor since she said she was in over her head with the garden that year and didn't want to take the chance they all die.

Yep, it's hard to see plants meet the dreadful fate of dying a slow death by folks that think they want to garden.

Update;

Two were too far gone, the one pictured above in the white cup in the middle, survived. New growth

One is better than none.
Bruce

Thanks Bruce, I hope the pod output is worth this lone survivor. Will see as the season goes, looks like a fighter, hope it's ready for the seasonal aphid strike. Every spring it's a battle, I've won the last 3 yrs never look forward to this fight though.