Content
Spicy or hot pepper widely used in cooking and gives spicy taste of homemade preparations. Unlike sweet bell pepper, this plant is not so capricious and can produce a harvest in a greenhouse, vegetable garden or home windowsill. It is not necessary to allocate a whole bed for this crop, since just a few bushes can provide a supply of pepper for the year ahead. In its raw form, it is inedible, and a small amount of hot pepper is enough for seasoning.
Before you start choosing seeds, you need to decide on the purpose of the fruit of a particular variety. Some of them are good for cooking and can be eaten fresh, as they have a mild pungent taste. Hot varieties It is best to dry and grind it, then add it to food in small quantities. Medium-hot peppers are well suited for canning as a whole or adding to homemade preparations.
The varieties also differ in shape, color and timing of fruit ripening. For the Moscow region, early ripening varieties are preferred. But when indoor or in greenhouse cultivation, you can choose varieties with late ripening periods - in such conditions they will have time to produce a harvest.
The most popular varieties of hot peppers for the Moscow region
There are many varieties of hot peppers adapted for growing in the Moscow region climate. They differ in shape, size and color of the fruit. Some of them are generally unsuitable for food and serve only a decorative function. Indeed, a small plant strewn with small multi-colored fruits looks very picturesque.
Superchili F1
Early maturing hybrid with high yield. It begins to bear fruit 70 days after planting the seedlings.
The fruits are suitable for canning, drying and preparing seasonings. It is almost impossible to eat such peppers raw – this variety is famous for its pungency.
The height of the bush is small - only 40-50 cm. Thanks to this size, it can be planted in a greenhouse and on the windowsill. The hybrid is resistant to drought and viral diseases. The fruits change color several times during the ripening process. At the beginning of tying they are green, then turn yellow. Then they turn bright orange, and by the time they are fully ripe - red. The pepper has an elongated shape and the same size (6-7 cm) on one bush.
Jalapeño
One of the most popular varieties of hot peppers is famous for its sweetish taste.
The fruits are fleshy, so they are not suitable for drying. But they are good in canned form. Both green and red peppers are edible.
The Jalapeño variety begins to bear fruit 80-85 days after planting the seedlings. Pepper grows well in a greenhouse and is also suitable for growing in the garden. The bush reaches 1 m in height and grows very quickly in width. From 3 bushes you can collect 6-8 kg of fruits per season. It blooms profusely, but not all flowers set fruit - the plant sheds most of them.
Miracle of the Moscow Region
An early ripening variety intended for cultivation in greenhouses near Moscow. It can produce a good harvest in open ground. The vegetative period from sowing the seeds to the appearance of the fruit lasts 120-130 days. The fruits are elongated and smooth. This pepper can reach 20 cm in length. It is suitable for preparing seasonings for homemade preparations; when dried, it does not lose its pungent flavor.
Aji multicolored
An early ripening variety that bears fruit abundantly under any growing conditions. During the ripening process, the fruits change color several times. On one bush you can see yellow, orange, red and purple fruits. This “tree” will look good on the windowsill. Aji pepper is a Peruvian variety and has a characteristic citrus aroma.
Adjika
The variety is mid-season, grows well and bears fruit in open ground. Sowing of seedlings is carried out at the end of February. Seedlings aged 70-80 days are planted in the garden bed. Pepper is resistant to low temperatures and requires little care. The plant is tall, spreading and needs shaping and tying up. The fruits are dark red, large (up to 100 g) and dense. The pungent taste is preserved during drying, salting and pickling.
Jamaican red
The intensely hot, early-ripening variety of hot pepper is easily recognized by the unusual shape of the fruit.
In Jamaican Red, they resemble a bell - 4-sided, rounded at the base and tapering downward. The fruits are small, but with very thick and dense pulp. Suitable for canning and adding to dishes. The period from sowing seeds to fruiting is 92-98 days. It is grown in open ground or in a film greenhouse through seedlings. Fruiting is abundant - from one bush up to 80 cm high you can collect 3-4 kg of fruit.
Habanero
This variety is considered the most hot.The fruits weigh 12-17 g and are shaped like a heart. Among the Habanero variety there are several varieties that differ in the color of the fruit. Peppers can be orange, red, burgundy and brown. The red-fruited plant forms the tallest bush, while the orange variety has larger fruits. Suitable for growing in a greenhouse, on a windowsill and in open ground. Ripens 92-110 days after transplanting seedlings. Unlike other varieties, Habanero “loves” water, so watering must be regular.
Queen of Spades
An interesting variety suitable for year-round cultivation. The bush is small - only 30 cm. The cone-shaped fruits are painted in different colors - from pale yellow to purple. They grow upward and resemble miniature candles in appearance. The variety is considered decorative, but is also widely used in cooking. Pepper can be consumed fresh, canned, dried or ground.
Red fat man
Popular in home cooking due to its large and thick-walled fruits. Their length is from 16 to 18 cm, diameter - 3-4 cm. The mid-season variety bears fruit well in open ground and in film greenhouses. The plant is low and compact. Fruiting is friendly and abundant.
Bully
Cultivated mainly in closed greenhouses. In unprotected soil conditions it can produce a good harvest, but the fruits will differ slightly in appearance. The period from germination to fruit ripening is 105-115 days. The peppers are bright red, elongated and slightly wrinkled. Suitable for canning and drying. Can be stored fresh for up to a month.
Ogonyok
Mid-season productive variety, suitable for cultivation in open ground and film tunnels. In a greenhouse it can produce up to 4 kg of fruit, and in a garden under good weather conditions - up to 3.5 kg per 1 sq. m. m.Bright red pepper pods are elongated, large, with a slightly curved tip. By the time of ripening, they reach a weight of 30-40 g. The plant is not tall (35-40 cm).
Vizier
A mildly pungent variety that is grown in greenhouses. Ripens late - after the seeds germinate, the first fruits appear on the 120-125th day. Vizier pepper pods have an interesting, turban-like shape. When set, the fruits are green, then change color to bright red. The plant looks like a small tree with a rounded crown.
Conclusion
Hot pepper is a heat-loving plant. It needs warmth, moisture and light to grow well. It is not recommended to plant hot peppers in a greenhouse together with bell peppers - when pollinated, the fruits of sweet peppers will become spicy. The distance between the beds of these crops should be at least 5 m. It is better to plant low-growing varieties in pots on the windowsill - this way nothing will disturb the plant, and window light is enough for it.
