How are the temperatures there? If it gets too hot (or too cold, but that seems unlikely) the pod growth may slow. In that case, I wouldn't worry too much about it. But I completely agree that the pods are obviously not cayenne (long, thin, almost strongly pods) or Anaheims (shorter, stubbier, pointy at the end). Burpee does sell some round peppers. I don't remember for sure, but I think they are all sweet peppers. This looks more like one of those peppers maybe. Angie

Also, some oak leaves do contain tannins which '... are mainly physically located in the vacuoles or surface wax of plants. These storage sites keep tannins active against plant predators, but also keep some tannins from affecting plant metabolism while the plant tissue is alive; it is only after cell breakdown and death that the tannins are active in metabolic effects.' Meaning Tannins do have a physiological effect on the growth of plants. The good news is that 'the leaching of highly water soluble[8] tannins' into the soil will not last long since they will wash away with the rain. Tannins are polyphenolic compounds found in some oak trees. I want to stress the 'some', and not say that all oaks have them. Plants, like every other living thing, will stop and start different metabolic processes depending on the environment. Some oak trees are allopathic, and some aren't. It all depends on the situation. http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/161/evolution/161S11_germination.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannin#Presence_in_water_and_wood

My four cherokee purple plants came from tomatoes I grew last summer, that came from a tomato I ate in NC the summer before. Last year I had a huge yield from 4 plants. This year, all 4 plants have been stricken with leaves curling up, new and larger leaves. Leathery, really curly little leaves and curled (up) larger leaves. Some small brown spots on larger, older leaves, no yellowing, no dead edges. Growing conditions are ditto to last year. Plants leaves are stunted, growth is stunted. You can see through the plants and overall, the leaves are small yep, and curled. I was told to use Happy Frog fertilizer due to calcium shortage. I don't think this will work. I am going to spray for fungus AND insects. These tomatoes are the best I ever ate, and I've eaten a lot of them. No more seeds available. I should have saved a few.

I applaud those who don't care to consume slug eaten, rotting fruit or tomatoes contaminated by laying in muddy ditches beneath the plant where pathogens thrive. If you are the least bit concerned over all of the food borne illness scares in produce in the news then let the corrective actions begin in your own garden. ***** Then I think you can applaud all of us home growers who as far as I know don't eat rotting, slug ridden fruits. ( smile) The pathogens that have been associated with tomato, spinach, lettuce, strawberries and those kinds of vegetables/fruits are not going to be found in ditches under growing plants b'c their origin is human excrement. I'll say little more about that but I think it's reasonable to say that that kind of situation is not going to occur in our backyard gardens. The folks who might have such pathogens in their gardens would be those who keep poultry that harbors Salmonella or Campylobacter and give free range to those poultry. And these days most folks insist on documentation that the poultry they buy is pathogen free. There are other animals that also can carry some of the pathogens that have been associated with foodborne illnesses but they wouldn't be ones that would have free access to home gardens. And here I'm thinking of cows, etc. And I want to think that most of us home gardeners don't willfully neglect our plants after all the time that has spent, for most folks I think, raising their plants from seed and having the expectations that they do for the harvest to come. Constant monitoring of the plants for possible problems, as you suggest, is always a good idea. I understand what you're saying but I felt that I wanted to say something about your contention that neglect could lead to pathogen contaminated home grown tomatoes. And yes, I do know something about pathogens and foodborne illnesses as a retired Microbiologist who specialized in human infectious disease and taught medical students for most of her professional career. Carolyn