In the world there is an abundance of different types of pepper: some are sweet, others are hot, but there is a unique product that combines both flavor combinations. Bell pepper refers specifically to the sharp-sweet type of peppers. It impresses not only with its taste, but also with its appearance.

Grade description

This species appeared relatively recently and has not yet gained popularity among farmers and pepper lovers. This exotic product was launched in South America. Consider the characteristics of this variety below.

Description:

• late ripening - the vegetative period of ripening from sowing seeds to ripeness of the fruit lasts 140-150 days;
• tall plant: large stalk, has good leafiness;
• the height of the bell pepper bush reaches 2 m;
• leaves are large, soft, green; have small hairs on the inside, in shape resemble hot pepper foliage;
• the shape of the pepper resembles a bell;
• on one bush of a vegetable grows up to 50 fruits;
• the fruits increase below, the base of the vegetable looks like a flower, the walls are solid 1.5–2 mm;
• at the initial stage of ripening, the fruit has a pronounced dark green color, then orange, at the last stage the fruit is red;
• ripening is average;
• diameter about 6 cm;
• fruit weight when planting in the soil reaches 30-50 g, in a greenhouse - up to 100 g;
• the taste of the variety bell F1 is sweet, slightly islandy, with a pronounced aroma;
• the pulp is dense and fleshy, tender in structure;
• the culture has the same diseases as bell pepper, does not tolerate moisture, low temperature and heat;
• the vegetable is planted both in open and closed ground;
• productivity is from 1.5 kg to 2 kg from one bush;
• the fruits are perfectly separated from the stem, they are easy to collect;
• during transportation do not lose their presentation;
• The purpose of the bell pepper in cooking is versatile, it is great for preservation, various salads, drying and stuffing.

Did you know? Eating this pepper lowers blood cholesterol.

Advantages and disadvantages

Before deciding on the cultivation of this variety of piquant pepper, you must evaluate all the pros and cons of its cultivation.

• Benefits:
• the fruits have an exquisite taste, are great for conservation;
• the vegetable contains many vitamins;
• gradual ripening of fruits, as a result of which at least 50 fruits can be collected from one bush, and with a greenhouse content of 60;
• the plant belongs to perennial subspecies, for the winter it can be dug up and planted back in the spring in the ground.

The disadvantages include only late ripening of the culture, which lasts 5 months.

How to independently grow seedlings at home

In order to independently grow seedlings, it is important to take into account all the subtleties of preparation for this stage.

Need to know:

• how to choose the right seeds;
• optimal timing for sowing;
• soil composition and how to disinfect it;
• how to care for seedlings;
• seedling stabbing procedure.

Optimum timing for sowing

This variety ripens in the period from 140 to 150 days.. For a gardener, this means that first you need to sow the seeds, and then peppers to pee, let it grow a little, and only then plant in open or closed ground.

It should be noted that pepper seeds can sprout for a long time. The optimal time for sowing seeds falls at the end of February - beginning of March. It is important to choose a time of year when the danger of frost is over, otherwise seedlings will die from the cold.

Seeds can be sown in a shallow container, but you will have to dive sprouted plants. Dive begin to carry out after the appearance of 2-3 leaves on the stem of seedlings. There is a method of sowing seeds, in which peppers do not need to dive. To do this, put one seed in a separate cup. Such landing is convenient and will save you further time. Seedlings planted in a separate container grows faster and grows larger.

The soil

Gardeners make the soil for sowing on their own. However, if you doubt the correct proportions of the elements of the soil or prefer to buy a finished product, you can contact the garden shop. There you can buy special land for peppers.

In order to prepare the soil yourself, you must adhere to the following instructions:

1. Mix sand, peat, humus and earth 1: 1: 1: 1.
2. Dry the soil before use and warm it up for 4-5 days, since the sowing of seeds occurs in February, when the soil does not yet receive enough sun.
3. Fertilize the soil with ash. For 10 kg you will need one glass of ash.
4. To disinfect with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
5. Seedlings will develop better in soil that is removed from the top layer of land from under the acacia.

Capacity

For planting bell pepper varieties suitable:

• disposable cups;
• peat tablets or containers;
• boxes with individual cells, which can be purchased at specialized gardening stores.

Did you know? To save money, you can use plastic bottles, having previously cut off their upper part.

Seed preparation

It is recommended to plant this variety in seedlings.. Before sowing, seeds must be selected. They should not be empty or have defects, such seeds are immediately sorted. To check the seed for emptiness, you need to draw water into the tank, throw some salt, as well as seeds there. Empty seeds will pop up, and ripened ones will remain at the bottom.

Despite the selection, decontamination is considered a mandatory process in seed preparation. To disinfect the seeds, you will need a 1% potassium permanganate solution.

Disinfection procedure:

1. Make a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. The color of the liquid should be light pink.
2. Place the seeds in it for 1.5 hours.
3. Dry the seeds.
4. After drying, the seeds are ready for planting.

Sowing seeds

Observing the rules of sowing seeds for seedlings, you will ensure good growth of seedlings.

The process of sowing seeds is not complicated, but it has a certain sequence:

1. First you need to sprout the seeds.
2. Then place them on a damp cloth for several days, the temperature should be + 20 ℃.
3. Depth for planting should be 3-4 cm. The first shoots can be seen in a couple of days.
4. The earth must be watered and covered with a film.
5. When the seedlings begin to grow, it must be moved to a room where the temperature during the day will be around +25 ... + 28 ℃, and at night at least + 15 ℃.
6. Watering should be moderate to prevent root decay.

The process of sowing pepper seeds for seedlings

Seedling Care

Bell pepper is not too demanding to care for, but keeping and growing seedlings under the right conditions increases the likelihood of a good crop.

Planting seeds is in peat cups, as the root system develops slowly. Seedlings are placed on the windowsills, so that the plants have access to direct sunlight. Solar lighting is extremely important for the further development of the plant, especially considering that pepper is a light-loving vegetable.

The temperature for the pepper should be within +23 ... + 24 ℃. The minimum allowable temperature at night is + 16 ℃. Lowering the temperature by 5 ℃, you harden the plants.

The bush should not be watered abundantly, the amount of water should be moderate. Use water at a temperature of about + 30 ℃. Watered in the morning, once a week. The soil should be loosened the day after watering. Loosening the soil provides additional moisture for the plant.

Topping seedlings has several stages. The first feeding occurs in the second week after the dive. The second time fertilizers are used 14 days after the first feeding.

Top dressing is introduced in liquid form. For this, ready-made fertilizers are used:

• Agricola
• Fortress;
• Fertika Lux, etc.

These drugs can be purchased in specialized stores for gardeners.

Seedling hardening

As soon as the root system is formed and 2 petals appear on the stem, it is worth starting to prepare the seedlings for transplantation. To do this, it is necessary to harden the plant.

Hardening of seedlings is carried out so that seedlings after greenhouse conditions do not die when transplanted into open soil. To do this, gradually reduce the usual temperature of the plant, giving it the opportunity to gradually adapt to new conditions.

This procedure begins 2 weeks before the seedlings move to the garden. Hardening involves lowering the temperature and carrying the sprouts to fresh air. It must be taken into account that at the time of hardening it is required to observe the correct temperature: it must be at least + 13 ℃, and also keep the plant from frost.

Video: Hardening pepper seedlings

When and how to transplant seedlings to a permanent place

Seedlings are planted in open soil as soon as frosts pass. The soil for planting should warm up to + 15 ℃, should not be planted in cold ground, since the plant will freeze and die.

Before planting, you need to water the plant well. Wells for planting should contain a seedling and a lump of earth, which are sprinkled with a sprout.

Important! The distance between the planted sprouts should be at least 1.5 m.

Each well must be filled with potassium fertilizer, 1 tbsp. l enough for 1 plant. Carefully check the fertilizer for chlorine in the composition. Chlorine adversely affects the growth and development of peppers.

Then the hole is moistened with water. Once it is completely absorbed, the sprouts are removed from the container and laid in the hole. It is advisable to leave the ground from the first container on the roots of the seedlings. So the sprout will take root faster in the soil. Planting occurs at the same depth in which the seedling previously grew.

We compact the earth near the bush with a vegetable, moisten it with warm water and tie it up. Garter is carried out in order to avoid the death of the stem.

How to care in the open ground

Bell pepper is undemanding, it is as easy to take care of it as it is for bell pepper. But there is one important difference: the bush must be independently formed.

In order for the vegetable to develop properly after transplanting, it is necessary to observe the following conditions:

• water on time;
• fertilize;
• weed;
• tie up plants.

Watering

Water the plant only with warm water. Otherwise, moisture will lead to the death of the root system. On the hottest days, watering is increased, but at the same time the water is heated.

It is preferable to water the pepper until 12 noon, so that the soil has time to dry before evening. It is necessary to water the soil as the earth crust dries near the base of the stem. Humidification is moderate.

Fertilizer application

So that the plant receives the maximum amount of nutrients from the soil, fertilizing is added to the soil. Vegetables are fertilized with potash fertilizers. Fertilizer is mixed with water for irrigation. It is necessary to fertilize the soil 1-2 times a month.

Important! Also in gardening, use an infusion of herbs and mullein to feed the vegetable. It is stirred in a proportion of 10: 1.

As soon as the bush blooms, mineral fertilizing is introduced into the soil. They can be purchased at a store where professional gardeners will tell you what tool is best to choose.

Tillage

In addition to watering and fertilizing, the soil of peppers needs more careful care by loosening, mulching and hilling. Loosening, or hilling, is carried out using the hoe, gently loosening the top layer of soil. During this process, it is very important not to damage the stem and root of the pepper.

Mulching is necessary to strengthen immunity in vegetables. Hay and weed inflorescences are suitable as mulch. Mulch is spread near the stem, thus protecting the plant from hypothermia. In addition, mulching prevents drying of the soil, so many gardeners use it as an additional measure for moisturizing.

Stitching and tying bushes

Pasynkovka carried out at a time when the pepper blooms. To do this, pinch the side shoots of the plant. Thus, the gardener creates the shape of a bush with pepper. Extra lateral branches do not grow, taking the juices from the vegetable.

In addition, the stem of the pepper is tied up, as large fruits burden the trunk, and this can lead to the death of the plant.

Harvesting

The first crop of peppers falls on the 140-150th day after sowing seedlings in the soil.

Pepper must be stored correctly, otherwise it quickly rots. It is stored fresh for no more than two days. For storage, both wooden crates and ordinary bags are well suited. Store vegetables in the refrigerator, prolonging its freshness for a month.

Caviar, pasta, roasting, mashed potatoes, preservation are made from pepper, dried and frozen in sliced ​​form.

Important! The required temperature for storing peppers is from + 8 ° C to + 10 ° C, humidity 80–90%.

Bell pepper is perfect for any culinary delights. And given the unusual shape and piquant taste of the fruit, it can be used in dishes of any complexity.