Content
Peppers are a whimsical crop, and in the middle zone not every gardener will allow himself to grow them in open ground. Although summer temperatures and the amount of sunlight should satisfy the needs of this overseas guest. But the problem is different - almost all peppers have a very long growing season. This means that the time interval from the emergence of seedlings to the ripening of the first fruits can be from 3.5 to 5 months or even more. And these plants are very sensitive to replanting, and in a flowering state, as a rule, they drop all the flowers and ovaries. That's why they try to grow sweet peppers mainly in greenhouses or greenhouses. In the Urals and Siberia, even in unheated greenhouses, it is not always possible to grow a decent harvest of pepper.
Therefore, for such regions, varieties of sweet peppers that manage to ripen in record time, in 100 days or less, are in extraordinary demand. Such varieties of sweet peppers are usually called ultra-early ripening, and the Zdorovye pepper, the characteristics and description of the variety of which are presented in this article, belongs to this type.
Sweet pepper, or bell pepper, as it is sometimes called, belongs to one of the most useful garden crops.
And the variety of other vitamins and minerals in it is such that it can be called a pantry of health in the garden. But its calorie content is only about 25 kcal per 100 grams of vegetable weight. It is most useful when eaten fresh, since most of the healing substances are not preserved during heat treatment.
The name of the pepper variety Health speaks for itself - the fruits of this variety have all the properties of their counterparts, and even in a more concentrated form.
Description of the variety
Pepper Zdorovye has been known to gardeners for more than 30 years, and this is a significant period of time for a vegetable variety, during which it has passed numerous tests in various parts of our country. It was bred back in the late 70s of the last century at the Institute of Selection and Seed Production in the Moscow region. In 1986, the Zdorovye pepper variety was officially registered in the Russian state register and approved for use in the northernmost and eastern regions of Russia, from the Murmansk region to Magadan. This could be possible due to the unique feature that pepper plants have. Plants of this variety are quite capable of developing, blooming and producing good yields in low light conditions.
Zdorovya sweet pepper bushes are distinguished by their semi-spreading shape and quite significant height; they can grow up to 1.5-1.7 meters.Therefore, it is best to grow them on a trellis and be sure to tie them up as they grow. For a greenhouse, this is a definite advantage, since it allows rational use of the greenhouse space in its high part, where the most heat and light accumulate.
It is not very rational to grow Zdorovye peppers in open ground, since in the temperate zone it will still be too cold. And for the southern regions, there are many other varieties with a small bush height, and therefore more suitable for growing in open ground, since they do not need a garter.
In terms of ripening time, the Zdorovye variety has practically no equal - its fruits at technical maturity can be obtained within 76-85 days after germination. If you want to wait for biological maturity with full coloring of the fruits, then you will have to wait another 20-30 days and in just 95-110 days from germination your bushes will be strewn with cute red peppers.
The productivity of the Health variety is quite high - a large number of fruits ripen on the branches. True, their size is small, but in general, about 4.5 kg of peppers can be collected from one square meter of plantings.
Pepper Health, as already noted, is capable of setting fruit even in low light conditions. This variety has also shown to be resistant to many diseases common to peppers and to insect pests that plague pepper bushes.
Fruit characteristics
The fruits of the Health variety are distinguished by the following characteristics:
- The shape of the peppers is prism-shaped, elongated, the surface is slightly wavy, the fruits droop down.In general, the shape and size of peppers of this variety somewhat resemble representatives of the hot pepper family, so not everyone dares to try them from the bush.
- At the stage of technical maturity, when the fruits can already be eaten, they are characterized by a light green color. Having reached biological maturity, that is, the moment when the seeds in them fully ripen for further sowing, the peppers acquire a red tint.
- The thickness of the walls is not very large - about 4.2 mm, but they themselves are quite fleshy and juicy, the skin is thin and tender.
- The fruits are small in size, reaching 10-12 cm in length, with an average diameter of 5.5 - 6.5 cm. The weight of one pepper usually does not exceed 35-45 g.
- Pepper Zdorovye has good and excellent taste characteristics. When fresh, even at the stage of technical maturity, it is very tasty and does not taste bitter at all. But for twists it is better to wait for biological maturity, since in jars in green form it can change its taste.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The Zdorovye pepper variety has a certain set of incomparable advantages over other sweet peppers:
- One of the earliest ripening varieties of pepper, it ripens within 80 days after germination.
- It has good fruit set even in low light conditions.
- There are a lot of fruits on the bushes and they have a good taste.
- Easy to grow and disease resistant.
But this variety also has some disadvantages:
- Small size of fruits and thickness of their walls.
- Tall bushes must be additionally tied up.
However, in northern regions where growing sweet peppers can be a pipe dream, this variety may be an ideal choice for the gardener.
Reviews from gardeners
Reviews from gardeners growing this variety of pepper are mostly positive. Of course, owners of household plots located south of Voronezh may not be impressed by the fruits of the Zdorovya pepper with their size and even taste, but this variety is not intended for cultivation in the south. It has a different purpose - to delight residents of the middle zone and more northern regions with its vitamins.
Conclusion
Pepper Health will be an ideal choice for growing in areas with insufficient light and for beginners. This variety of pepper will not disappoint you with its productivity and will delight you with its early ripening.
