Kakadu pepper: variety description, photos, reviews, fruit characteristics, advantages and disadvantages

Description and characteristics of the variety

The Kakadu pepper variety was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2004.

The variety is recommended for cultivation in the Central, Northern, Central Black Earth, Northwestern and Volga-Vyatka regions, as well as in the North Caucasus. Here he shows his positive qualities to the maximum. Nevertheless, the hybrid is grown in all corners of Russia.

• The variety is named Kakadu because of the shape of the fruit. They are tapered towards the end and have a slight curve that resembles a parrot's beak.
• It is a hybrid variety, so its seeds are not suitable for further cultivation.
• Heat-loving, therefore suitable for cultivation in open ground only in the southern regions. In areas with cooler climates, it can be grown exclusively in greenhouse conditions.
• The average ripening period, the first ripe peppers appear on the bushes 110-115 days after seed germination.
• Tall. The bush grows up to 1.5 m in height, has an erect stem, and large dark green leaves.
• Spreading, but does not need to be tied up, as it is stable and can withstand the weight of the fruit well.
• Not standard. It is necessary to pinch the shoots in time, otherwise the pepper will grow greatly and the harvest will not be so abundant.
• High yield , up to 3 kg of ripe peppers can be harvested from one bush.
• It is recommended to form the bush into 2 stems. Below the fork, all stepsons and buds are removed. Up to 15 ovaries are left above, depending on the size of the bush and its power. The main thing is that all the fruits have time to grow and ripen.
• With proper agricultural technology, Kakadu pepper resists many diseases well, but under unfavorable weather conditions it can be affected by late blight. It often appears on bushes that are located close to each other. To avoid infection during wet, cold weather, peppers are treated with Bordeaux mixture once every 10 days. If signs of late blight appear on the plants, they fight it with drugs such as Barrier and Phytodoctor.
• Kakadu peppers can also be affected by blossom end rot. They fight it with the help of copper sulfate, which is sprinkled on the plants and the soil near them, and also treated in the greenhouse.

Care plan

According to reviews and photos, Kakadu pepper gives a high yield with constant care. Peppers require watering, fertilizing and bush formation. To prevent the plant from breaking under the weight of the fruit, it is tied to a support.

Watering peppers

The Kakadu variety needs constant watering. Moisture is added in the morning or evening hours. The water must sit in barrels and warm up before it is used for irrigation.

Before flowering, peppers only need to be watered once a week. When fruits form, the intensity of moisture application is increased to 2 times a week. Watering is stopped 10 days before fruit harvesting.

Advice! A mulching layer of straw or compost helps maintain soil moisture.

Each plant requires 3 liters of water. To prevent the formation of a crust after watering, loosening is necessary. It is important not to damage the roots of the plants.

For large planting areas, drip irrigation is organized. A uniform supply of moisture occurs through the pipes.

Fertilizing plantings

The first feeding of the Kakadu variety is carried out a couple of weeks after transfer to greenhouse conditions. To do this, take bird droppings, which are diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20. When using mullein, the proportion is 1:10. Each plant needs 1 liter of fertilizer.

During the flowering period, the plantings are sprayed with a solution based on boric acid (4 g of substance per 2 liters of water). To attract pollinating insects, add 200 g of sugar to the solution.

Important! After flowering, the Kakadu variety is fertilized with potassium sulfate (1 tsp) and superphosphate (2 tbsp), diluted in a bucket of water.

The last fertilizing is done when the peppers ripen. Take 2 tsp per bucket of water. potassium salt and superphosphate.

All solutions with minerals are applied at the roots of plants. Treatment is carried out in the morning or evening, when there is no exposure to the sun.

Bush formation

According to its characteristics and description, the Kakadu pepper variety is tall. If you do not pinch its shoots in a timely manner, the pepper will grow and produce a small harvest.

Kakadu pepper is formed by eliminating all side shoots up to the first fork. By removing excess leaves, the plant will direct its energy to fruit formation.

When pinching a bush, its leaves and branches are cut off, leaving 2 cm in length. As a result, 2-3 shoots are left. First of all, weak branches are eliminated.

There should be no more than 25 flowers left on each pepper. The remaining buds are pinched.

Fruit characteristics

• The shape of the fruit is elongated, slightly curved.
• The color is bright red or yellow.
• The pulp is juicy, aromatic, sweet.
• The wall thickness reaches 8 mm.
• Large-fruited. One pepper can weigh up to 0.5 kg.
• The fruit grows up to 30 cm in length.
• Kakadu peppers can be picked from the bushes when unripe. Thanks to this, their shelf life is about 2 months.
• When collecting ripe vegetables, it is recommended to process them as soon as possible.
• In 2015, the Yellow Kakadu pepper from was registered, it has a different color and shape of the fruit.

Analogs

Advantages and disadvantages

The hybrid variety Kakadu has the following advantages:

• Unusual fruit shape.
• Good seed germination.
• Excellent taste.
• Large fruit.
• Long fruiting period.
• High yield.

Among the disadvantages of this hybrid are the following:

• Seeds for sowing must be purchased, and they are expensive.
• The variety does not grow well in open ground.
• Does not tolerate cold weather.
• High maintenance requirements.
• May be affected by blossom end rot at high air temperatures and low humidity.

How to store peppers in winter?

The Kakadu variety is widely used in canning, frozen, and stored fresh. When freezing, you can use the following tips:

1. The peppers are left whole for stuffing or cut into cubes.
2. Fruits must be frozen quickly, regardless of the storage form.
3. Before placing in the freezer, you need to cut off the stalk, remove the seeds, thoroughly wash and dry the peppers.
4. Separate bags are used for storage so that the smell of other food does not become attached to the vegetable.
5. Peppers can be stuffed first and then frozen. This way it retains nutrients longer and requires less cooking time.

Thawed fruits are added to side dishes, salads, sauces and soups.

The vegetable is a dietary product, its energy value is only 26-30 calories.

Features of cultivation

Kakadu pepper is grown using seedlings. Prepared seeds are planted in containers. In this case, it is necessary to maintain the temperature regime, water and fertilize in a timely manner. Grown seedlings are planted in a permanent place in a greenhouse or greenhouse.

When and how to plant pepper seedlings

Seeds for seedlings must be sown at the end of February, according to the gardener’s lunar calendar: lunar sowing calendar.

To begin with, they are laid out on damp gauze or cloth and kept warm for 2 days, constantly making sure that the cloth does not dry out. This procedure increases the percentage of seed germination and stimulates their germination.

Advice! If the seeds are brightly colored, then they do not require additional processing. They have already been coated with a nutritious coating, which promotes their rapid germination.

You can prepare the soil mixture yourself by mixing the following components:

• 2 parts compost;
• 1 part coarse sand;
• 1 part of land from the site;
• 1 tbsp. spoon of wood ash.

All components are mixed well and calcined in the microwave or oven. This procedure is necessary to ensure that no harmful microorganisms remain in the soil.

You can also use ready-made soil for planting seeds, which is sold in garden stores.

The containers are filled with prepared soil, it is leveled well and I begin planting, deepening the seeds 1.5 cm with a distance of 5 cm from each other.

If the seeds were initially sown in a common container, later it will be necessary to pick. And since pepper seedlings do not tolerate this procedure well, it is recommended to sow the seeds directly into separate peat pots.

After sowing, the soil is well watered with warm water from a spray bottle and covered with film. Containers are left in a room with a temperature of at least 20 degrees.

After some time, shoots will appear on the surface of the earth, then the film is removed and the crops are moved to a well-lit place. The temperature in the room during the day is kept within 16-18 degrees, and at night it drops to 10-15 degrees.

As the soil dries, it is necessary to moisten it, but not much. A little. If the soil is waterlogged, this will lead to the appearance of diseases and rotting of the root system. However, if there is not enough moisture, the leaves will begin to wither and curl.

Advice! It is recommended to spray the plantings periodically to maintain the required level of air humidity.

Seedlings should receive at least 12 hours of daylight daily. If necessary, additional lighting must be arranged.

Picking

When the seedlings have 2 true leaves, they are picked. After picking and the formation of 2 leaves, the first feeding is carried out. After 2 weeks, when the third pair of leaves has formed, the seedlings are fertilized again.

Top dressing

The first time is after the appearance of three true leaves.

The second time - in the phase of eight leaves.

For fertilizer, take 8 liters of water: 50 g of urea + 30 g of potassium salt + 125 g of superphosphate.

You can take liquid fertilizers Agricola, Fertika or Mortvorin according to the instructions.

10-14 before planting in a permanent place, the seedlings are hardened. The seedlings are taken out into the fresh air, leaving them for 30 minutes at first and increasing the time every day to the whole day.

Transplanting seedlings into the ground

The grown seedlings are transplanted into the greenhouse 60 days after seed germination. By this time, the plants have already grown up to 30 cm in height, they have a powerful stem and about 12 leaves. At the same time, the temperature in the greenhouse soil should warm up to over 15 degrees. This usually happens in May.

The greenhouse and soil must be prepared in the fall. The soil is thoroughly dug up and fertilized with organic fertilizers. In the spring, the soil is dug up again and 50 g of potassium-phosphorus fertilizers and 35 g of ammonium nitrate are added per square meter.

Advice! It is better to plant pepper seedlings in places where cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, and onions previously grew.

But after tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and any varieties of peppers, planting is not carried out. Proper crop rotation is necessary to prevent soil depletion and the spread of diseases.

For seedlings, dig holes 12 cm deep, leaving 40 cm between them, and about 80 cm between rows. It is more convenient to arrange the plants in a checkerboard pattern. This will avoid overload and make caring for the plants easier.

The peppers in the holes are digested with a lump of earth. Cover with the rest of the soil, compact well and mulch with peat.

Read in another article: When and how to plant pepper seedlings: planting seeds, timing rules, preparing seeds and soil, care rules

You might be interested in: Secrets of growing bell peppers in a polycarbonate greenhouse and in open ground from seeds and seedlings

Reviews

Reviews about Kakadu pepper are very contradictory. Some gardeners are dissatisfied with the low yield and weight of the fruit, while others call the variety one of the most beautiful and productive of all that they have grown.

Larisa, Tula: “This year I started growing peppers for the first time. The Kakadu bell pepper was recommended to me by a salesperson at a local store for summer residents. The pepper has a funny tip, reminiscent of the beak of the parrot of the same name. The fruits are juicy and tasty. True, the walls are not particularly thick.”

Diana, Serov: “I have been sowing Kakadu pepper for several years now and am pleased with the result. The fruits are large, shiny, juicy and aromatic. They have thick walls and store well. Peppers begin to bear fruit within 2-3 weeks after planting in the ground! In a greenhouse or greenhouse, I collect fruits until October, and they weigh up to 600 grams! I use kakadu both for soups and salads, and for preparations for future use. Out of 10 seeds, it’s rare to find 1-2 that don’t germinate. I’m very pleased with the results!”

Camellia, Volgograd: “ I bought Kakadu pepper seeds for 45 rubles. The pack says 0.2 g, it came out to 39 pieces, 28 of them sprouted, but not a single one died. I read on the Internet that the germination rate is 94%, but I got 72%. The height indicated is 1.5 m, I didn’t go higher than a meter. The weight on the pack is 500 g, my largest was 380 g. The fruits are long, so the lower ones rest on the ground. But the pepper is still large and tasty, I plant it every year and recommend it to everyone. Of the minuses, I would like to note the price. Also, Kakadu peppers are not suitable for stuffing due to their size and for collecting seeds. Pros: sweet and large, thick walls. I wish everyone a successful harvest!”

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Kakadu pepper (description of the variety, photos will help novice plant breeders to correctly sow seeds for seedlings) in the form of seeds for propagating seedlings must initially be prepared.

To do this, you should carry out the following algorithm of actions:

1. Planting material must be poured into a container with salted liquid. Those seeds that fall to the bottom of the dish are heavy and of high quality. If the material remains on the surface, it is light and defective. Therefore, it should not be used for propagating seedlings.
2. Before sowing, the workpiece must be transferred to a moistened cloth and placed in a warm room for 2 days.
3. For sowing, it is advisable to use nutritious and loose soil cover. You can make it yourself or purchase a soil mixture intended for peppers at the store. When choosing a garden soil layer in the autumn, it is not advisable to take it from beds where nightshade plants were previously cultivated.
4. Regarding the region, sowing work is carried out from the end of February to the beginning of April. For these purposes, the seed material is deepened into the holes by 2 cm. A distance of 5 cm must be maintained between seedlings. The plantings must be covered with glass or film. The seeds need to be irrigated every morning.
5. After 10 days from the moment of sowing the seeds, the first shoots should appear. After this, the seedlings will need to be moved to a brighter room and, if necessary, use an additional light source.