Pepper Winnie the Pooh is the result of the collective work of specialists from NICSSA (a selection center from Transnistria, headed by Yu. I. Pantchev). The variety has been popular since Soviet times. Winnie the Pooh can be grown in a covered greenhouse and in open ground. The growing regions declared in the State Register are: Northern, Central and Volgo-Vyatka.
Main characteristics
All reviews of summer residents about Winnie the Pooh begin with an assessment of precocity. The variety is early ripening, technical ripeness of the fruit occurs in the period 100 – 110 days from germination. Pepper bushes are compact, standard type, low. The average height of the bush is 30 cm.
The bushes are covered with large, ovoid, dark green leaves.The number of leaves on the bush is average. The arrangement of fruits is bouquet. The fruits have a regular cone shape. There is no depression in the area of the stalk, the surface of the fruit is smooth, there is practically no ribbing (longitudinal), the nose is sharp, the number of seed chambers is from 2 to 3 pieces.
Summer residents are always interested in the description of the fruits: in the Winnie the Pooh variety they are not large - the weight of one pepper does not exceed 50 g, the length of the pod is up to 10 cm. An important characteristic of the variety is the wall thickness, in Winnie the Pooh it is 5 mm. In a state of technical ripeness, the fruits are colored in a pale green salad color; the period of biological ripeness is characterized by a rich red color of the fruits.
The declared yield of the variety is up to 2 kg/m². You can grow sweet peppers of the Winnie the Pooh variety in the open ground in summer, and in heated greenhouses and conservatories in winter and early spring.
Winnie the Pooh fruits have a good presentation and taste. Winnie the Pooh bushes rarely suffer from aphids. The fruits are well stored and transported. You can use sweet peppers of the Winnie the Pooh variety for preparing fresh salads, first and second courses, and winter preparations.
Variety value
Choosing sweet pepper variety for the new season, while reading the description of the variety, be sure to pay attention to the advantages of the Winnie the Pooh variety:
- friendly return of the harvest;
- disease resistance;
- a tight fit is acceptable;
- the bush does not need shaping or gartering;
- The fruits are versatile and have a long shelf life.
There are two shortcomings, reviews from summer residents are proof of this: in open ground the variety ripens later than the stated period, the fruit size is small.
Growing Tips
Seeds for seedlings are sown in February, the deadline is early March.To prevent diseases, treat the seeds before sowing using a pink solution of potassium permanganate. It is enough to keep the seeds in it for 15 minutes. Seeds can be sown dry or germinated. Sprout in a piece of damp cloth or in toilet paper folded in several layers.
Gardening stores have a large selection of soils for all types of vegetable crops. When choosing, give preference to soil consisting of turf soil, lowland peat and a complex of mineral fertilizers. The soil must be fertile and loose.
Before sowing the seeds, water the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate. If you take the soil from your garden, water it with a fungicide solution; agronomists recommend the drug “Fitosporin”.
Pepper seedlings do not like transplanting: it is worth sowing the seeds in separate containers with a volume of at least 350 - 400 ml. It is convenient to use transparent disposable plastic cups. Be sure to make two holes in the bottom of the glass - the roots do not like excess moisture, drainage holes will provide the roots of the seedlings with comfortable conditions.
For good seedling growth, you need to create the following conditions:
- Natural and artificial lighting.
- Moderate regular watering.
- Air temperature - from 15 °C to 22 °C.
- No drafts.
- Avoid overcooling of roots.
Transplantation into soil and care
Seedlings of Winnie the Pooh pepper at the age of 50 - 55 days can be transplanted to a permanent place. For normal growth, the soil temperature in open ground (greenhouse, greenhouse) is required to be at least 15 °C. Peppers bear fruit better when planted tightly. Never plant bitter peppers near Winnie the Pooh - due to cross-pollination, Winnie the Pooh's fruits may acquire a bitter taste.
You can plant 2 Winnie the Pooh bushes in one hole.After watering, mulch the holes with humus, compost or peat. In summer, dry lawn grass can be used as mulch. Peppers do not like it when the top layer of soil dries out and loses their color and leaves. In the summer, Winnie the Pooh peppers need to be watered regularly, but moderately - waterlogging is harmful to the roots.
Fertilizers are an important element of care. It is important to fertilize systematically throughout the season. Nitrogen fertilizing (urea, mullein or grass infusion) is acceptable at the beginning of summer, later you need to use fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium. Excess nitrogen can lead to fattening of the bush and reduced yield.
Diseases
During seasons of extreme weather conditions, pepper plantings may suffer from pests (aphids), fungal and bacterial diseases. Aphids can become disease carriers. After infestation by aphids, peppers are often affected by phytoplasmosis. The disease is characterized by the following symptoms:
- leaf curling;
- leaf falling;
- change in leaf color (yellowing);
- early reddening of fruits and their shredding;
- dwarfism of the bush.
Sick plants must be removed and destroyed, and the soil must be disinfected. The best cure for disease is prevention. When aphids appear on pepper leaves, wash the leaves and stems with a soap-ash solution. After a few days, repeat the procedure. To maintain immunity, feed with any complex fertilizer for peppers.
Gardeners' opinions
Veniamin, Dmitrov:
“I plant Winnie the Pooh every year, it ripens earlier than other varieties, the bushes are small, I pick from one to 8 peppers. I’m satisfied with the taste and juiciness of the fruit.”
Sofia, Nizhny Novgorod:
“I didn’t appreciate this variety: the fruits are small, the harvest is small. I prefer other varieties; growing Hercules and California Miracle peppers gives the best yields.I plant seedlings at the end of February and grow them without shelter.”
Lyudmila, Rostov-on-Don:
“Winnie the Pooh planted peppers only once. A C grade: the peppercorns are small, the walls are thin, there are few of them on the bush.”
Natalya, Saratov:
“Growing peppers is my favorite hobby; every year I plant Winnie the Pooh and use the fruits to freeze. In winter I stuff them with meat. I’m happy with the shape and size of the peppers—it’s very convenient to freeze.”
