California miracle pepper: description, characteristics of the variety

California miracle pepper reviews, photos, yield, characteristics and description of the variety , which are presented in this article, are suitable for cultivation not only by experienced, but also by beginning gardeners.

The California Miracle pepper variety is very popular not only in Russia, but throughout the world. It combines the advantages of many varieties of sweet bell peppers, and there are practically no disadvantages. In this article you will learn the characteristics of the variety and fruits, all its advantages and disadvantages, as well as the characteristics of cultivation.

Characteristics and description of the variety

The California Miracle pepper variety has been cultivated for almost 100 years.
It is believed that it was obtained in America, hence the name. Now many seed companies offer seeds, but they are included in Rosreestr from the Agros company. Varietal characteristics:

• The smooth, shiny fruits are cube-shaped, with distinctly protruding edges. The walls are thick, fleshy, up to 8 mm thick. The pulp is juicy, sweet, and has a pleasant aroma. On average, the fruits weigh 100-120 grams.
• The bush grows powerful with a thick stem. The plant can bear up to 15 large fruits and does not require tying to a support. The height of the main stem grows to 60-80 cm.
• The Californian miracle is the sweet pepper. In terms of sugar content, it is ahead of most popular varieties. The taste is devoid of sharpness and bitterness.
• High commercial quality. The variety does not form a depression at the stalk, so waste during cleaning is minimal.

Commercial and taste qualities of fruits

The pepper is cube-shaped, ribbed, with a blunt top and a stalk slightly pressed into the base. In the phase of technical ripeness it has a dark green color, in biological ripeness it is red with a pronounced glossy sheen. Ripe fruits often weigh more than 130 g, reaching 10-11 cm in length and 8-9 cm in diameter. The dense, smooth skin reliably protects the juicy, crispy flesh from damage and separates well during heat treatment. Properly harvested vegetables tolerate transportation well and are stored in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks.

The wall thickness averages 5 mm (up to 8.3 mm), the juicy fleshy pulp becomes dark red when fully ripe

California Miracle peppers have a wonderful sweet flavor with a classic aftertaste and strong aroma. Suitable for consumption and all types of processing from the moment it reaches technical ripeness. According to data obtained during field tests, green fruits contain 7.1% dry matter, the chemical composition contains:

Experienced vegetable growers note that it is better to harvest peppers at the beginning of biological maturity, when they turn red. At this point, the maximum amount of sugars, vitamins and other biologically active substances accumulates in the pulp.

The taste and chemical composition directly depend not only on the degree of fruit ripening, but also on agricultural cultivation techniques. The results of 2-year field tests conducted at the experimental site of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education of the Kurgan State University confirm the positive effect of foliar fertilizing: when spraying plants with solutions of potassium sulfate and “Zircon”, an increase in the amount of ascorbic acid in the fruits of the “California miracle” was recorded.

Potassium sulfate increases the content of sugars and vitamins, improves the resistance of pepper to various diseases.

The fruits are ideal for fresh consumption, cooking various dishes and winter preparations: freezing and canning.

Variety varieties: photo

Seed companies tried to regionalize the variety, so now you can find other names:

• California Wonder Red, California Wonder Gold;
• Miracle of California.

However, it was under the name California Miracle that the variety was registered in 1999 in Rosreestr.

Varietal varieties of Miracle are presented in different colors: yellow, red, orange, black, chocolate.

All varieties do not differ in fruit shape, taste, or yield, only in color. The only thing is that the California yellow miracle has thicker, fleshy walls up to 12 mm.

Similar varieties

According to varietal characteristics, the California miracle is similar to cultivars:

• Big Boy is an early ripening pepper that begins to bear fruit 110 days after germination. Determinate bush with a height of no more than 0.7 m. The fruits are cylindrical in shape, larger than those of the Californian miracle. One pepper can reach a length of 16 cm and a weight of up to 250 g. It shows high yields: from 1 sq. m crop yields up to 7.5 kg.
• Red Cap is a mid-early pepper that yields its harvest 110-120 days after germination. Adapted to temperature swings, tolerates lack of light well. On average, 1 pepper gains a weight of 200 g. The variety shows high productivity, which reaches 10 kg per square meter. m.
• Capsule - unlike the California miracle, it is a tall variety. The height of the bush can reach 1 m, so it is recommended to grow the crop in greenhouses. With proper agricultural technology it produces a high yield. The mass of cube-shaped fruits can reach 250 g.

Advantages and disadvantages

The California Miracle variety of sweet pepper is the choice of many gardeners. And there are a number of reasons for this:

• unpretentious;
• gives a good harvest;
• high quality fruits;
• the taste is sweet even when grown in bad weather conditions;
• resistant to most diseases;
• 100% survival rate;
• can be grown from your own seeds;
• does not need a garter.

The variety simply has no downsides, hence its popularity. The only thing gardeners complain about is late ripening.

Features of the plant

The plant is determinate (limited in growth), with a powerful standard stem, densely foliaged. In open ground it reaches a height of about 40-50 cm, and in winter greenhouses - up to 60-70 cm. At the fruiting stage, the bush is semi-spreading and compact. The leaves are medium-sized, rounded-ovate, smooth, deep green in color. The fruits are located in a hanging (drooping) position.

The variety provides high yield when grown in greenhouses, under temporary film covers and in open ground

From the moment of emergence of seedlings until the harvest of the first harvest at the stage of technical ripeness, 100-129 days pass; complete (biological) ripening of the fruit is observed after 130-159 days . The fruiting period is extended, so maximum results when grown in open ground are possible only in regions with long and warm summers. The yield and marketability of fruits are affected not only by climatic and weather conditions; the mechanical and chemical composition of the soil, as well as the intensity of the agricultural technology used, play an important role.

In the middle zone and in areas of “risky” farming, experienced gardeners cultivate the variety mainly in protected soil, receiving from 3 to 6.5 kg per square meter of area. Fruits are collected as they ripen, every 10-12 days.

Growing

California miracle pepper can be planted in greenhouse conditions and open ground. The yield in greenhouses is higher, but if you plant it in the garden, you can achieve good results. In greenhouses, crops are mainly grown in risky farming zones, which include Siberia, Transbaikalia, and the Leningrad region.

Depending on the growing conditions, the technical maturity of the fruit occurs 110–130 days after the appearance of the first shoots. It will take another 15-20 days for them to turn red.

California Miracle differs from other varieties in its later biological maturity.

Seed preparation

California miracle is a varietal species, not a hybrid, so you can collect pepper seeds yourself for sowing next year. To do this, the peppers are brought to full maturity and the largest and best are selected. Seeds from such fruits demonstrate good germination - 96%. However, they do not need to be pre-soaked in a growth stimulator. They germinate well naturally.

However, gardeners advise sowing seeds for seedlings no older than 1-2 years. If the seed is stored longer, its germination rate deteriorates and decreases to 75%.

Sowing

Seeds for seedlings for planting in a greenhouse are sown at the end of February. For open ground - 2-3 weeks later.

Sowing consists of several stages:

1. For seedlings, a soil mixture is prepared based on humus (3 parts), garden soil (3 parts) and sand (1 part). Wood ash is added at the rate of 1 cup per bucket of prepared soil.
2. The seed material is soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour. Then dry it on a cloth.
3. Each seed is buried 1-1.5 cm into the ground. Or the seeds are laid out at a distance of about 2.5-3 cm from each other, covered with earth and lightly compacted. The next stage is watering. To moisten, you can use a small watering can with a nozzle or a spray bottle.
4. The box is covered with film or glass. During the first few days, sunlight is not as important as warmth. After 2 days, the film is removed for ventilation. This is necessary so that the surface of the earth does not become covered with mold. After the sprouts appear, the film is completely removed and the boxes are placed in a well-lit place.

With the appearance of shoots, pepper needs light, preferably at least 12 hours. There is not enough daylight in the spring, so artificial lighting is provided.

As the soil dries, the seedlings are watered with a watering can so as not to damage the stems.

Picking

After the appearance of 2-3 main leaves, the seedlings dive. When replanting peppers, it is important not to bury the bushes, but to plant them at the same depth. It is better to pre-sow the seeds infrequently so that the seedling can be replanted with a clod of soil.

An important stage of growing is hardening of seedlings. With the onset of warm, sunny days, the seedlings are transferred to the balcony, veranda or outside. First for half an hour, then gradually increasing the time until a full day.

Transplanting seedlings into open ground

For peppers, it is important that the soil is heated by the sun. In cold soil, seedlings take longer to take root and become sick.

The California miracle is planted in the ground 55-60 days after germination.

Recommendations for agricultural technology

in a permanent place in open ground at the age of 60-70 days . It is recommended to place seedlings in rows with a distance of 20-25 cm from each other and 50-60 cm between rows, 6-8 bushes per 1 m2.

It is better to prepare seedlings in individual pots or cups, as the plants do not tolerate transplantation well. When using potless seedlings, you should not expose the roots and dig in the root collar - it is important to place the root system at the same depth as during the preliminary germination process.

It is advisable to provide pepper with drip watering, since plants react poorly even to short-term drying out of the soil

Plants need good lighting, warmth (optimum temperature +22...25 ℃) and fairly high humidity (within 70-80%), prefer the so-called “light”: loose, fertile, organic-rich soils with a slightly alkaline reaction.

It is necessary to adhere to correct crop rotation: do not plant peppers after related (nightshade) crops, so that rot and other diseases do not develop. The best predecessors are onions, pumpkin, cabbage, zucchini and carrots.

Considering the “dislike” of pepper for cold soil, many gardeners create special high beds for it, raising them to a level of 25-55 cm from the soil surface.

Well-warmed areas protected from the wind are suitable for planting, preferably on the south side near the wall of a house, barn or other garden structure.

Care

Caring for a plant differs little from its analogues: watering, feeding, pest control.

The crop is sensitive to soil composition. Therefore, you need to fertilize and apply fertilizer carefully and strictly according to the instructions. Root and foliar fertilizers are used.

Complex mineral fertilizers in combination with organic extract are suitable for irrigation. The drugs are diluted strictly according to the instructions. Feeding is carried out after abundant watering. If you water the seedlings once a week, then first pour 3 liters under the bush and then 1 liter of bait. Fertilizers are applied once every 2 weeks.

It is better to water the pepper with warm water, settled in a barrel.

Unlike tomatoes, the root system of peppers is located closer to the surface, so it dries out quickly. For this reason, mulching is used - the ground is covered with film, straw, hay, sawdust by about 5-8 cm. Every month the mulch is renewed or completely changed.

Mulching is protection against drying out, hypothermia at night and overheating during the day. Mulch performs another function - it prevents weeds from germinating.

During the flowering period, a “royal” flower appears on the main stem in the first fork. If you remove it and prevent the fruit from forming, you can count on higher yields.

Another way to increase the yield of the California miracle is to pinch the main stem after 6-8 leaves before setting buds. This causes the stem to branch more. The leaves protect the fruits from sunlight, and the soil dries out less.

Reviews from gardeners

Arkady, 41 years old, Shadrinsk

We have been growing the California miracle from our own seeds in open ground conditions for a long time. This season, the seedlings were sown in mid-February, and the seedlings were transplanted to the prepared site only on July 8th. The survival rate was at a high level. We plant two two-meter beds and harvest a decent harvest in the fall. The bushes are low, neat, each with 5-6 peppers. Cuboid ribbed fruits grow quite large in size and weight (about 100-120 g). The pulp is sweet and crispy. Ripe specimens with very thick juicy walls are dark red. They are not only tasty and full of vitamins, but also give dishes a festive look. True, unlike greenhouse plants, plants in open beds develop more slowly, the first fruits ripen later, and the fruiting period is shorter.

Margarita, 38 years old, Volgograd

The variety is easy to grow. Neighbors gave me Californian seedlings. After planting in the beds, I immediately mulched the soil with mowed dried grass. Before fruiting, I fed it twice with nettle infusion, once I applied a handful of ash under each bush, followed by loosening and watering. Twice over the summer I sprayed it with Fitosporin, since it was drizzling almost the entire season. The harvest turned out to be decent - almost 1 kg from each bush. Even green peppers taste juicy and sweet. I add them to all salads and freeze them for the winter.

Kristina, 34 years old, Saratov region

I prepare pepper seedlings in flower pots (1 liter capacity), three seeds at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other, placing them in a triangle in the center of the container. In this way I get by without picking at the most vulnerable age for plants. I leave the strongest, healthiest seedlings, and trim the weak ones to the soil level. I replant it into a garden bed with an already well-developed root system. I carry out the first feeding of seedlings in the phase of 1-2 true leaves. To do this, I mix 0.5 g of ammonium nitrate, 1 g of potassium fertilizers and 3 g of superphosphate in 1 liter of water. The second - 2 weeks after the first, with a double dose of mineral fertilizers. Basically, caring for this bright red cube-shaped “miracle” comes down to timely watering, weeding and fertilizing.

Disease and pest control

California miracle is resistant to such common diseases as tobacco mosaic and verticillium wilt. However, it can be affected by other diseases.

Possible diseases, symptoms, remedies:

Plant care

Pepper is a crop that needs care. It is responsive to lack of moisture, fertilizing, and loosening of the soil. However, if everything is done correctly and in a timely manner, the California miracle will reward you with a truly tasty and rich harvest.

Proper watering when growing

Watering is an obligatory stage in crop care

Pepper is a moisture-loving crop. Its productivity depends on timely watering. When there is a lack of moisture, the plant's ovaries, leaves and buds fall off . Watering is carried out using a watering can, which is directed under the base of the bush (this will help avoid burns on the leaves). The water should be warm (20–25°C). After watering, loosen the soil and hill up the roots.

Important! Using cold water for irrigation slows down the growth of peppers and reduces yield.

Table: watering schedule

Fertilizer application to increase yield

The plant needs fertilizing to improve the quality of the harvest.

Peppers also need a regular supply of nutrients. This will allow the crop to increase resistance to diseases, and will also provide strength for the formation of large fruits.

Table: feeding features

Try proven nightshade fertilizers: