Content
To choose the best pepper varieties and hybrids, you need to weigh several important factors. Sweet pepper belongs to the southern heat-loving crops, therefore, when growing it in the climatic conditions of Russia, it is necessary to follow a number of rules. Despite the apparent complexity, many domestic gardeners and summer residents are engaged in cultivating sweet peppers on their own plots. It’s so nice to pick a fresh juicy vegetable from the garden, add it to a salad or just eat it.
Let's try to understand the features of varieties and hybrids (F1) of pepper, name the best peppers for 2019 and determine the most promising variety.
What criteria are used to choose a pepper variety?
To ensure that the fruits grown in the garden are exactly as depicted on the package with the seeds, you should buy material only from a trusted manufacturer. High-quality seeds are sorted, treated with antiseptics, and sometimes sealed in granules with a growth stimulant. Such planting material will give a high percentage of healthy and strong seedlings.
Before buying seeds, you need to choose several suitable varieties of bell pepper. The choice will depend on several factors:
- Appearance of fruits. Peppers can be oblong, cubic or conical, round or flattened, ribbed or smooth. Another feature is the color of the peppers. They come in green, red, orange, yellow, purple and even brown.
- Pepper size. You can choose a variety that produces compact peppers suitable for pickling whole fruits or stuffing them. Large fruits are great for salads, because they are meatier and juicier.
- Pepper wall thickness. The thicker the walls of the fruit, the juicier and tastier the peppers. But thin-skinned fruits are better soaked in brine and cook faster.
- Taste qualities. Although peppers are called sweet peppers, the fruits can have different aroma and differ significantly in taste. There are fruits that are sour or neutral in taste.
- Plant Characteristics. The pepper bush itself can be tall or low, spreading, leafy, with a developed or compact root system.
- Plant resistance to diseases, pests, climatic conditions (humidity, low temperatures, strong winds).
- Breeding features. Sweet peppers can be varietal or hybrid.
What is the difference between a variety and a hybrid?
Varietal crops are obtained as a result of natural or artificial selection. These peppers can be adapted to certain conditions (climate, soil composition), which allows you to select zoned varieties that are most suitable for growing in a particular region.
One of the advantages of the variety is that the fruits can be collect seeds. Seed material is collected from the most beautiful peppers grown on the healthiest bushes. This approach allows you to save on seed material, and also to grow exactly the pepper that the owner of the garden liked most.
Scientists are engaged in the selection of hybrids. These cultures are obtained by crossing different species, isolating and developing their strongest sides. A hybrid plant is always better than its “parents”. It is possible to obtain high-quality seed material only after several years - the maximum accumulation of positive qualities occurs in the 5-7th summer.
The disadvantages of hybrid peppers are their inability to adapt to certain conditions and the impossibility of collecting seeds.
There are more advantages, among them:
- earlier fruit ripening;
- resistance to common diseases;
- good adaptation after transferring seedlings to a permanent place and diving;
- ease of care;
- high yields of large fruits.
How to grow sweet peppers
Only by adhering to certain rules can you grow a good harvest of bell pepper. After all, this culture is quite capricious, requiring special care.
So, in order to harvest a good pepper harvest, you need to go through the following steps:
- Choose a sunny place in the garden, protected from wind and drafts. If possible, it is better to grow peppers in a greenhouse: it can be a regular film or a heated greenhouse.
- The best soils for bell peppers are fertile and loose.Suitable black soil, loam or sandstone. Groundwater must lie deep because pepper does not like soil that is too wet. The acidity level of the soil should be neutral.
- In the Russian climate, bell peppers are grown by seedlings. The growing season of this crop is two to three months; pepper will not have time to ripen during the short summer. Seeds for seedlings are sown around mid-March.
- Pepper does not tolerate transplantation well, so as not to pick it, it is better to immediately plant the seeds in disposable containers.
- Three weeks before planting seedlings in a permanent place, they need to be hardened off. First, open the window for a few minutes, and then take the containers with plants out into the yard or onto the balcony.
- By mid-May, the first buds should form on the seedlings. The plants themselves are short and strong. It is better to plant seedlings in the ground in the morning, while there is no intense heat.
- The best temperature for bell peppers is considered to be between 20 and 25 degrees. Prolonged low temperatures will cause leaves and flowers to drop. Therefore, it is better to cover the pepper with film or agrofibre at night.
- You need to water the plants with warm water, especially if the day was hot. The best method of watering is sprinkling.
- During the entire growth period, vegetables need to be fed 3 to 5 times. To do this, use mullein diluted in water, bird droppings, ash, and herbal infusions.
- It is better to tie up even low-growing pepper bushes - their branches are quite fragile. For short plants, pegs will be enough; you can also protect them from the wind by planting taller crops nearby.
"Lumina"
Gardeners appreciate this variety for its unpretentiousness.The crop can be grown in any soil; the plants can withstand low temperatures and resist a number of viruses and diseases.
Even under the most unfavorable conditions, the Lumina variety will produce a stable harvest, which is why this pepper is most often grown for sale. It is the fruits of the Lumina variety that are among the first to appear on the shelves of shops and markets after winter. Their shape is cone-shaped, and their color is very unusual - pale green with a white tint.
The thickness of the walls is only 5 mm, and the weight of one fruit rarely exceeds 110 grams. The taste of the pepper is average, it is moderately sweet, juicy, and not too aromatic. But such vegetables can be stored for a very long time - up to three months. They also tolerate transportation well and are suitable for preparing any dishes.
"Ivanhoe"
An early ripening variety that can be grown in any part of Russia - the fruits will have time to ripen even during the short northern summer. The vegetable is well suited for growing both in a greenhouse and in the garden.
The fruits ripen by the 110th day after sowing the seeds in the soil. The bushes grow compact, their height reaches 70 cm, and the side shoots are short. The fruits are quite large, their weight reaches 140 grams. The shape of the fruit is conical, with weak ribbing.
At the stage of technical maturity, pepper is colored creamy-yellow, and after biological ripening it turns red.
The bushes reach medium height and need to be tied up. Plants are resistant to low temperatures and even short-term frosts, but do not tolerate drought well.
The pulp of the fruit is juicy and very aromatic. The wall thickness is 7 mm. The harvest tolerates transportation well and can be stored for up to two months.
The vegetable is suitable for any purpose: canning, fresh consumption, etc.
"Marinka's tongue"
One of the most productive varieties was bred in Ukraine. A distinctive feature of the variety is its unpretentiousness. Under any weather conditions and with minimal care, the crop will produce a consistently high yield.
The bushes grow medium - up to 70 cm, but spreading. They definitely need to be tied up, because about 15 fruits will ripen on each bush at the same time.
The pepper got its name due to the shape of the fruit - it is conical and slightly flattened. The color of the peel and pulp is bright cherry. The thickness of the walls is uneven - from 10 to 5 mm (at the bottom the fruit is fleshier than at the stalk).
The taste is excellent - the vegetable is juicy and very aromatic. Perfect for salads and fresh consumption, canning and pickling. The weight of one vegetable often exceeds 200 grams.
The plant tolerates low temperatures and is therefore suitable for growing in open ground. The fruits of this variety do not last long - about a month.
"Triton"
Refers to super early and very productive varieties. In addition, the plant is characterized by increased resistance. This variety can be grown in any region of the country (in the north, of course, it is better to do this in greenhouses).
The plant can withstand prolonged rains, lack of sun, low temperatures or drought. Moreover, up to 50 fruits can ripen on each bush.
The bushes reach an average height of about 70 cm; they must be tied up so that a bountiful harvest does not break off the branches.
The peppers themselves are cone-shaped and slightly rounded. The color of the vegetable at the stage of technical maturity is green or yellow; after full ripening, the vegetable becomes bright red.
The weight of each pepper is about 180 grams, the wall thickness is 6 mm. The taste qualities are quite high: the fruits are juicy and aromatic.Under the right storage conditions, vegetables will remain fresh for 30-40 days.
"Eroshka"
These early ripening peppers can be grown in a thickened way - only 10-15 cm are left between plants. Thus, even on a small plot of land you can grow a huge amount of vegetables.
The bushes themselves are very compact - their height does not exceed 35 cm. The fruits are cube-shaped and colored deep red. The average weight of the fetus is 160 grams, the wall thickness is 5 mm.
The yield of the variety is quite high - about 16 fruits can be collected from each small bush. The vegetables ripen together and ripen quickly. The plant is resistant to the most dangerous nightshade diseases - blossom end rot, verticillium, and tobacco mosaic virus.
Pepper “Eroshka”, thanks to its thin walls, can be stored for about three months.
"Funtik"
The favorite of many summer residents and gardeners is distinguished by its early ripening period - 100 days after sowing the seeds, you can enjoy the taste of fresh vegetables.
The fruits are cone-shaped, fleshy and heavy. The mass of each is about 200 grams, the wall thickness is 8 mm. “Funtik” is first colored green, and after full ripening – red.
The taste of the vegetable is quite high - the pulp is sweet and juicy. You can prepare any dishes from this variety; in canned form it is also quite tasty.
The bushes reach an average height of 60 cm, not spreading. The plant is resistant to tobacco mosaic virus.
The main advantages of pepper: high yield, large fruits, taste.
"Star of the East chocolate F1"
This exotic pepper is distinguished, first of all, by its unusual shade - the fruits are colored chocolate brown.
The hybrid is an early ripening one - the peppers ripen by the 110th day after planting in the ground. At this point, the peel is painted bright green; after biological maturity, it turns brown.
The fruit has a standard conical shape. The surface is smooth and shiny. The fruits grow large - about 200 grams, their wall is thick - 10 mm. The hybrid has excellent taste, increased crunchiness and juiciness of the pulp.
From each square meter of garden you can harvest up to 10 kg of pepper. Fruits can be stored for a long time without loss of presentation and taste. The plant is resistant to a number of diseases and viruses.
"Apricot Favorite"
Early ripening peppers are intended for growing in a greenhouse. However, many gardeners plant this variety in open ground. I ripen vegetables on the 110-120th day after sowing seeds for seedlings.
The bushes are very compact, their height rarely exceeds 50 cm. The fruits themselves are quite small and fleshy, the wall thickness is 7 mm. The weight of the fetus ranges from 110 to 140 grams.
The fruits are first green in color, and by the time they reach biological maturity they become bright orange. The variety is loved for its high yield (up to 20 kg per square meter) and the taste of the fruit. They can be canned and eaten fresh.
"Belladonna F1"
The hybrid is a super early hybrid - the fruits become ripe on the 80-90th day after sowing the seeds in the soil. These peppers must be grown in greenhouses, or in film greenhouses. In the southern regions, gardeners plant the hybrid even in open ground.
The bushes are of medium height, quite compact - their height reaches 65 cm.The fruits are cube-shaped, initially pale green, and become yellowish when fully ripe. Their surface is shiny and smooth.
The pulp is quite juicy, the thickness of the walls is about 6 cm. The vegetables taste aromatic and sweet. Suitable for preparing various dishes, often used in salads and fresh.
The plant is resistant to most diseases, in particular to the tobacco mosaic virus. However, it is afraid of the cold, so it is better to grow the hybrid in a greenhouse. With proper care, pepper yield is up to 15 kg/m².
What to choose: hybrid or variety
As can be seen from the description of the best varieties and hybrids of pepper, they have no significant differences. It cannot be stated unequivocally that hybrid peppers are less tasty, and varietal peppers are poorly protected from diseases and viruses.
By purchasing high-quality seed material from well-known breeding companies, you can certainly provide yourself and your family with an excellent harvest of tasty and aromatic peppers. It is not so important whether it is a hybrid or a variety; growing conditions and proper care of plants are much more important.
