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The homeland of sweet peppers is the tropical regions of America. It is not surprising that the vegetable, which is becoming increasingly widespread and popular in Russia, is a heat-loving crop. That is why it is extremely difficult to achieve full ripening of the plant in domestic conditions. Even the use of the most undemanding and cold-resistant varieties of pepper does not always allow you to get a good harvest. A logical and obvious way to solve the problem is to grow peppers in film-covered greenhouses.
Sweet pepper - description of the vegetable and its benefits
The scientific description of the plant is quite simple - an annual vegetable crop that has many names, in particular, red pepper, vegetable pepper, paprika and others, with simple, single or rosette leaves of green or dark green colors, large flowers and fruits in the form of false hollow berries in bright colors (red, orange, yellow, brown and green).
What is so interesting about bell peppers, besides the beautiful and bright, extremely attractive-looking fruits? The answer is simple - a whole set of extremely useful qualities:
- high content of vitamins and many other useful substances. Among vegetables, sweet peppers are the absolute leader in the amount of beneficial vitamin C they contain, second only to black currants and rose hips among all plants. In addition, it also contains rare vitamin P, which has an extremely beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels of the human body. Some scientific data show that regular consumption of pepper reduces the risk of stroke by almost half, or, more precisely, by 46%. We should not forget about the presence of B vitamins, as well as potassium, iron, iodine and silicon, which are also extremely beneficial to the body;
- capsoicin content. The substance deserves special mention for its original properties of helping to increase appetite, launching and activating the digestion process. There is especially a lot of this substance in distant relatives of red pepper - hot chili and black pepper. But even in the vegetable in question, the capsoicin content is sufficient to recommend its consumption at the beginning of lunch or dinner;
- healing and healing effect. Recent research by scientists has shown that the substances contained in bell peppers significantly reduce the risk of cancer. These properties are especially high in green peppers. In addition, pepper can be recommended as a prophylaxis for various forms of neuralgia;
- taste qualities. In addition to the undoubted benefits that the use of pepper brings, one should not forget about the prosaic gastronomic pleasure of eating, delivered by a variety of dishes that include the fruits of the plant.
The advantages of sweet peppers are not exhausted by the given list, but it is quite enough to understand the reasons for the popularity and increasingly widespread distribution of the vegetable crop.
Criteria for choosing a sweet pepper variety
The heat-loving nature of sweet peppers makes it especially attractive to grow them in greenhouses. The most suitable conditions for this are provided by polycarbonate structures, in addition to reliability and the ability to maintain temperature, they have another additional advantage - the ability to scatter light, which has a beneficial effect on the timing of crop ripening.
Growing in greenhouses allows you to plant peppers and get a harvest almost all year round. Based on this, the main criteria when choosing the varieties used are the following:
- time of ripening of a hybrid or variety. It is important to take into account for proper planning of sowing dates, since some varieties, when grown in polycarbonate greenhouses, successfully bear fruit in December and even January;
- height and compactness of plant bushes. This is not a particularly relevant criterion for large greenhouses, but nevertheless it must be taken into account for proper planting and placement of vegetables;
- level of need for light. It can vary quite a lot among different varieties, so you should pay attention to it when choosing depending on the conditions of a particular region;
- ability to resist diseases. One of the most important properties of a pepper variety or hybrid. The prevalence of certain diseases or pests also depends on the growing region. This factor can seriously affect the vegetable yield, and therefore deserves special attention.
Common diseases and pests
Very often, gardeners, while paying great attention to maintaining the temperature and humidity conditions for growing sweet peppers, pay somewhat less attention to disease prevention and pest control. This is an extremely wrong approach, as it can lead to all the work being in vain.
The most common diseases and pests in domestic conditions are extremely dangerous for pepper:
- tip rot. A very unpleasant disease, which is usually caused by a systematic violation of the required feeding and humidity regime. Accordingly, in order to avoid the appearance of blossom end rot, it is enough to comply with the requirements for growing and caring for the crop;
- stolbur. An extremely unpleasant disease that causes a decrease in the size of the leaves, their coarsening, and subsequent falling off, thickening of the stem, and subsequently uneven coloring of the fruit, as well as loss of taste. The most important property of this disease is that it is almost impossible to cure. It is necessary to remove infected plants, preventing the further spread of stolbur;
- altharniosis. The disease is accompanied by the appearance of spots of black mold that cover the leaves and then the fruits, spoiling not only the appearance, but also the taste. Diseased plants must be sprayed with a solution of a drug called Bordeaux mixture (100 g per bucket of ordinary water) or a solution of copper oxychloride (40 g per bucket of ordinary water);
- aphid. A well-known, but no less dangerous pest. Its wide spread has led to the development of clear measures to combat it. But before that, it is necessary to detect the pest.Signs of aphids appear in the leaves curling and drying out, as well as the appearance of a shiny and sticky substance on them. In addition, the pest can be detected visually on the back of the leaves. There are many methods for controlling aphids, and their choice is the prerogative of the gardener.
After identifying the criteria important for choosing a variety or hybrid of sweet pepper, you need to go directly to their description.
Yield varieties of peppers for growing in a greenhouse
A large number of varieties have been developed that are perfect for growing in protected soil and can provide excellent yields.
Apricot favorite
Variety Apricot favorite refers to early ripening crops (100-105 days). Suitable for growing in open ground, but the highest yields can be achieved when planted in a greenhouse. The height of the bush, as a rule, does not exceed 0.5 meters. The fruits of the variety are cone-shaped, colored light green during the period of technical ripeness, and during biological ripening they acquire an orange or apricot color.
The fruits are quite large, their weight often reaches 150 grams, and the wall thickness is 7 mm. The productivity of the variety is ensured by the ripening of 15-20 fruits on each bush at the same time. Experts note the high resistance of the variety to most common diseases.
Agapovsky
The Agapovsky sweet pepper variety, bred by domestic breeders at the end of the last century (more precisely, in 1995), is an early-ripening crop that bears its first fruits in 99-110 days. The bush of the plant has a compact shape, medium height, with a large number of large dark green leaves. The peppercorns of the variety have the shape of a smooth prism, are quite large, with characteristic mild ribbing.The fruits reach a weight of 120 grams with a wall thickness of up to 7 mm. The crop yield is quite high - 9.5 -10.3 kg / kW. m.
An additional advantage of the variety is a high degree of resistance to many diseases and pests, in particular, tobacco mosaic virus and blossom end rot. The Agapovsky variety is valued not only for its fairly high yield, but also for the excellent taste of the fruit.
Cockatoo F1
The Kakadu F1 hybrid is a medium-ripe hybrid and begins to bear fruit approximately 130-135 days after the appearance of the first shoots. The bushes of the plant are very tall (up to 1.5 meters high), have a spreading structure and a large number of leaves. The hybrid was bred specifically for growing in greenhouses and is suitable for all types of conditions - film, glazed or polycarbonate. The fruits of the hybrid have a slightly elongated shape in the form of an elongated cylinder. Their length often reaches 30 cm with a normal wall thickness of 6-8 mm. Due to their size, hybrid peppercorns often weigh 0.5 kg.
The hybrid allows you to achieve yields of up to 3 kg from one bush. In addition, experts highly appreciate the taste of the hybrid, which is perfect for salads, pickling or other types of preservation.
Displayed two hybrid cockatoo varieties F1. Above we talked about the most common, bright red. Because of this, it most likely received its name, since it is very similar to the beak of the famous parrot. But there is a second variety - with yellow fruits. It is somewhat smaller in size (300-400 g), has a length of no more than 15 cm, and is not inferior in taste to the more famous variety.
Latino F1
Hybrid Latino F1 belongs to early ripening plants, which can be harvested in 100-110 days.The main distinguishing feature of the variety is its high yield. With proper care, it can easily reach 16 kg/sq. m, and often exceeds this worthy indicator. The fruits of the hybrid have an original cuboid shape measuring approximately 12*12 cm, significant wall thickness (up to 1 cm) and a clearly defined bright red color. The hybrid was bred specifically for cultivation in protected ground conditions, however, in the southern regions of the country it is often planted in open ground, although its yield is significantly reduced.
Another important advantage of the Latino F1 hybrid is its high resistance to some common diseases, in particular, the tobacco mosaic virus. At the same time, it should be carefully protected from aphids and spider mites.
Big Daddy
The variety is an early ripening variety, which means harvesting the first harvest 100-110 days after the first shoots. The bush of the plant is of medium height and spreading. Peppercorns are cone-shaped, quite small, weigh up to 100 g and have a wall thickness of up to 8 mm.
The main advantage of the Big Papa variety is its high and stable yield, achieved, among other things, by good resistance to diseases and pests. In addition, gardeners who grow the variety appreciate its excellent taste properties. The fruits of the variety are very juicy, with a distinct sweet aroma. They can be used in salads, canned or frozen, as well as in a wide variety of culinary preparations, perfectly demonstrating their qualities.
Isabella F1
Hybrid Isabella F1 is a mid-season hybrid; the first fruits reach technical ripeness after 120 days. The bush of the plant is tall, closed.The fruits of the hybrid are quite large in size, rarely exceeding a weight of 160 grams, with a wall thickness of 8-10 mm. They have a prism-shaped shape and a characteristic bright red color.
According to the method of consumption, the hybrid is considered universal, since its fruits can be eaten both fresh and processed. They are also great for canning. The variety has a good yield, reaching 10 kg/sq. m. At the same time, the Isabella F1 hybrid is extremely undemanding in terms of care and growing conditions, which makes the variety even more attractive.
Denis F1
Hybrid Denis F1 is an ultra-early hybrid, allowing harvesting to begin in 85-90 days. Pepper bears fairly large fruits, its weight reaches 400 g with a wall thickness of up to 9 mm. They measure approximately 18*10 cm and are cuboid in shape. The bush of the hybrid plant is low, rarely its height exceeds 0.6-0.7 m.
The hybrid is intended for cultivation both in open ground and indoors, where it produces the highest yields. It is resistant to tobacco mosaic virus. Most suitable for fresh consumption.
Rhapsody F1
Hybrid Rhapsody F1 is an early ripening hybrid, starting to bear fruit after 100-110 days. The bush of the plant is relatively low - 65-75 cm. The fruits of the hybrid have the shape of a cone, reaching a length of 16 cm. As the peppercorns ripen, they change color from light green to yellow.
The main advantage of the hybrid is its high productivity and crop stability, achieved by its ease of care and resistance to diseases and pests.
Conclusion
The wide variety of varieties and hybrids of sweet peppers presented on the domestic market allows any gardener to easily choose the variety that best meets his specific requirements.The result will be a bountiful harvest of healthy and tasty vegetables.
