Bell pepper has gained popularity due to its excellent taste, breadth of use and the ability to grow in various conditions. It is possible to get a decent harvest in almost any region. To do this, you need to choose the right varieties of sweet pepper. Fortunately, there are a lot of them, for example, cherry peppers, bogatyr, etc.
This plant from the nightshade family is a perennial, but it can only be like that in its native lands, that is, in Central America. In Russia, sweet peppers are considered an annual plant.
Seeds can grow both outdoors and in greenhouses, depending on the specific region.
Varieties for open ground
Sweet pepper varieties are easiest to grow in the open air of the Krasnodar Territory, the Lower Volga region and the North Caucasus. Typically, under such conditions, species germinate well and ripen in about 120 days. Among them:
- "Big Mama" From the seeds a bush grows up to one meter high. Each fruit weighs about 200 g, the wall thickness is approximately 13 mm. Ripe peppers have a smooth texture, rectangular shape and orange color. It is consumed fresh, but it is also suitable for preservation.
- "Bogatyr". The bushes have a similar height, but the texture of the fruit is lumpy. At first the color is green, but the shade gradually changes to red. The weight of one fruit varies from 150 to 180 g. This variety is resistant to many diseases and easily tolerates the transportation process.
- "Martin". Ripens a little later, it takes about 130 days. A good harvest requires a number of rules, including removing all leaves before branching. The result is smooth light green fruits with walls 5 mm thick. The weight of each of them can reach 70 g. In addition to taste, the main advantages are considered to be disease resistance and excellent yield of the variety.
- Cherry pepper. Seeds germinate in two to three weeks; 70-80 days should pass until ripeness. The fruits are small, not exceeding 3 cm in diameter. They resemble cherries in appearance and taste sweet and juicy.
Many people prefer to grow species that mature much faster than 120 days. For example, Nikita pepper can be harvested after 70 days.The fruits have a glossy surface and a cuboid shape, each weighing about 80 g, the walls no thicker than 5 mm.
In 90 days you can grow a "Big Daddy". The harvest will consist of cone-shaped fruits, the walls are thick (about 8 mm), the weight does not exceed 150 g. At the stage of technical ripeness, they are purple in color, and then become brownish.
This variety can be stored for a long time, making it convenient to transport.
Mid-season varieties
Among the most famous varieties with medium ripening periods is the Red Elephant pepper. After emergence, up to one hundred days will pass until ripeness. The result will be a bush 90 cm tall with large fruits, the minimum weight of which is 130 g, and the maximum is 210. They have a dark red hue. Kapia peppers can be described in a similar way.
Athlete pepper is a mid-season hybrid that is easy to grow without a greenhouse. Under conditions of using seedlings, harvest ripening can be expected after approximately 67 days. The fruits are red, weigh no more than 140 g, and the wall thickness is 7 mm.
What mid-season varieties of sweet peppers can be grown in the Moscow region:
- "Hercules". Ripening occurs in one hundred and thirty days. The plant has a small height, approximately 40 cm, does not exceed one meter. The weight of each fruit will be 125-140 g, the amount of harvest is moderate. The peppers take on a reddish hue and a cuboid shape.
- "Sweet chocolate." Its ripening also takes one hundred and thirty days, the height is average, about 80 cm. The fruits are shaped like pyramids, their weight is about 130 g, the shade varies from green to chocolate.
- "Iolo-miracle." This species is also known as Yolo Wonder pepper.Ripens in a maximum of 135 days, the height of the bushes is usually about a meter, but they are compact. The cube-shaped fruits have a fleshy texture and are colored red. Their weight is approximately 300 g.
- "Dominator". The species is distinguished by its long fruiting period. Ripening occurs in 120 days, the bushes grow up to 70 cm in height. The fruits of the Dominator variety are colored red and weigh about 200 g.
Among the mid-season varieties, Snake pepper stands out, which was created thanks to Chinese breeders. Bushes 70 cm high produce pods, their diameter is 2 cm, and their length is about 20-25 cm. Although in appearance the Snake resembles a hot pepper, it is sweet.
Black pepper
Most often in gardens you can see red or green fruits, but sweet peppers can also be black. For example, among the very early varieties, “Purple Bell” stands out. It ripens in 80 days, giving a rich harvest of thick-walled fruits weighing 150-170 g.
Other types:
- "Black horse" An early ripening species, it takes about one hundred days to mature. About fifteen peppers appear on each bush, so the plant requires support. The thickness of the walls can reach a centimeter. The black horse is immune to many diseases.
- "Black Cardinal". Mid-season variety, ripening in 120 days. The plant grows up to 60 cm in height, the fruits are shaped like a truncated pyramid. The variety has gained popularity due to its high yield.
- "Bagheera." Low bushes produce heavy, thick-walled fruits of rich chocolate color. It is considered an early ripening plant.
The Mulatto variety can only be grown in greenhouse conditions. The glossy fruits become ripe in 130 days, their weight is about 170 g. The walls are thick, about 7 mm.“Mulatto” has a noticeable peppery smell and can easily withstand moderate cold weather.
Late varieties
Of the late varieties, “Hottabych F1” is excellent for growing in greenhouse conditions. The fruits, which weigh about 100 g, ripen in about 170 days. The walls are of medium thickness, the shade varies from green to red.
In 140 days, if there is shelter, the late-ripening hybrid “Nochka” manages to ripen. The bushes are tall, up to 150 cm, the weight of the fruit is approximately 140 g. They have a slightly curved shape and purple color, the wall thickness is about 7 mm. This type of pepper reveals itself best when used fresh.
Technical ripeness of the “Ruby” variety occurs after one hundred and thirty days. The result is medium-sized, semi-spreading bushes of small height, within 60 cm. Dark red fruits can weigh from 110 to 150 g, the thickness of their walls will be no more than 10 mm. The shape is flat-rounded, length does not exceed 7 cm.
