Selecting the best varieties of sweet peppers for the Urals

Bell peppers can be successfully grown in the Urals, not only in a greenhouse, but also in open ground. But for this you need to choose the right variety. Find out which one from our article.

When growing sweet peppers in the Urals, it is better to use the seedling method and plant the plants in a greenhouse. But many experienced gardeners grow early-ripening varieties in open ground and reap a good harvest. How do they do this?

When choosing a variety, it is necessary to take into account not only the ripening period, but also winter hardiness and the light zone. Many varieties listed in the register are only theoretically suitable for growing in the unstable climate of the Urals, but in fact, during the short and cold summer, pepper simply does not have time to ripen.

We have prepared for you a list of sweet pepper varieties that are best suited for growing in the Urals.

Bogatyr

Pepper of this mid-season variety grows well in the difficult weather conditions of the Urals: it is undemanding to light and can withstand low temperatures. Bogatyr is famous not only for his unpretentiousness. Its sweet and juicy red fruits are shaped like a cone and can reach a length of 18 cm. Plus, they have an excellent presentation and are not damaged during transportation, so they can be grown for sale.

How to choose

When choosing varieties of sweet peppers for the Urals, you need to pay attention to the description of the culture in order to find out what features are characteristic of it. The following types are best suited:

1. Determinate (low-growing) - plants will not expend extra strength on growing a large amount of green mass, and in case of cold weather, this variety can be easily covered.
2. Early ripening (100-120 days) - in the short summer period they will have time to set and ripen.
3. Resistant to changes in weather conditions - will be able to cope with short-term deterioration of weather and temperature changes.

In the Urals, they practice growing pepper both in greenhouses and in open ground. And the correctly selected variety plays an important role in the successful cultivation of such a southern crop in uncharacteristic climatic conditions.

Through the efforts of breeders, a large number of varieties have been developed that will satisfy these requirements and will delight you with the harvest even in the changeable weather of the Urals.

Winnie the Pooh

The bush of this early ripening variety is very compact: it grows only 30 cm in height, and the weight of the fruit does not exceed 50 g. But this fact does not in any way affect the taste of the pepper - they are excellent. Winnie the Pooh fruits are bright red and cone-shaped.

Secrets of growing pepper in the Urals

The key to a positive pepper cultivation experience will be:

• correct time for sowing seeds;
• compliance with the timing of planting seedlings;
• insulation of beds;
• temperature control.

To successfully grow peppers in the Urals, it is better to use the seedling method.

Seeds for seedlings in this region are sown in mid-March for greenhouses, and in early April for open ground. There is no need to rush to sow seeds ahead of schedule, since sweet pepper seedlings in the Urals can only be planted when night temperatures stabilize and reach 14-15 C, and the soil has warmed up sufficiently. This is approximately mid-May for greenhouses and not earlier than the 20th of May for open ground. Seedlings at the time of planting should be 45-60 days old.

Warming up the beds will be important when planting seedlings; this can be done using:

• manure;
• natural stone;
• plastic water bottles.

In order for the bushes to grow better and not suffer from nighttime drops in temperature, the bed is warmed up; for this, it is practiced to lay manure in the spaces between the rows before planting the seedlings. Remove 20-30 cm of soil, spread cow or horse manure and cover with the removed soil. This method is used for greenhouses and open ground. Consumption 3 kg per 1 sq. m. They also place stones or bottles filled with water on the garden bed, which will be heated by the sun during the day and will give off heat to the soil at night.

Often, even in summer, there is a drop in daytime temperature below 18-20; low temperatures cause a delay in the growth of sweet peppers and delay the time of fruit ripening. In such a situation, the best option would be to cover the bushes in open beds with agrofibre and additionally insulate the greenhouse with film or non-woven material.

Yellow bull, Red bull

These mid-early varieties differ only in the color of the fruit. As you might guess, the first variety has yellow fruits, the second – red. They are very large, shaped like a prism with a ribbed surface.

The bushes on which the pepper ripens are quite tall and strong. The main value of both varieties is their very high yield and good presentation of the fruit.

Merchant

Pepper of this variety is very aromatic and juicy. However, it has many other advantages: the variety is early ripening, with sweet large red fruits, shaped like a cylinder. The height of the bush is up to 85 cm. Pepper continues to ripen on it until autumn. In addition, Kupets tolerates large temperature changes well, which is important for the Ural region.

Montero

The tall bush (about 120 cm) of the Montero variety bears large scarlet fruits, the weight of which, when grown in a greenhouse or under film, can reach 250 g. And this is not the limit!

In 2002, a record weight of Montero sweet pepper fruit was recorded. It amounted to 940 g.

The best varieties of sweet peppers for the Urals

Among peppers there are cultivars intended for growing:

• in greenhouses;
• in vegetable gardens;
• giving a good harvest both in open and protected ground.

Farmers always pay attention to this. But lovers from the southern regions and the Middle Zone often ignore the recommendations of seed manufacturers, and still get a harvest for their own consumption. Residents of the Urals need to approach their choice responsibly and always pay attention to the description of the variety and advice from breeding companies.

Sweet pepper Medal variety

The variety has been in the State Register since 1992, selected by the Federal Scientific Center for Vegetable Growing. Sweet pepper Medal was created specifically for growing in greenhouses in the first light zone; it grows well in the Urals.

Forms a fairly large plant with a compact crown. Height in protected ground in the Urals is up to 150-170 cm. Needs shaping and staking.

The fruits are small, red, weighing up to 50 g, the wall is 3-4 mm. The nose is blunt, the surface has pronounced ribs indicating chambers. Productivity per 1 sq. m – up to 4.5 kg. Ripening period is early.

Pepper Merchant

An early ripening variety from agriculture, in the State Register since 2001. In the Southern Urals it can be grown in open ground, in cooler climates - under film.

Pepper variety Kupets grows up to 80-90 cm, produces fruits:

• non-one-dimensional, average weight ranges from 60-90 g;
• with high agricultural technology, individual peppers reach 130 g;
• wall - 4-5 mm, but in large fruits under the film in warm summers it reaches 8 mm;
• cone-shaped.

The advantage of the variety is high marketability, the disadvantage is low yield, 1.3-2.2 kg per square meter.

Pepper variety Trapez

Trapez is a mid-early Polish variety that can be grown in open or protected ground. The bush is semi-determinate, about 80 cm, with dense leaves. In the Urals it grows only in greenhouses.

Forms large fruits of rich red color weighing up to 150 g. The pulp is juicy, the wall is 8-10 cm. When planting 4 plants per square meter. m gives a yield of about 12.5 kg.

In order for sweet peppers to correspond to the varietal description, regular watering and fertilizing are needed

Ultra early variety Montero F1

Ultra-early hybrid of Dutch selection from BRUINSMA SEEDS. It takes 90-100 days from germination to technical maturity. In the Urals it grows only in greenhouses.

The plant is semi-determinate, grows above 1.5 m in protected soil. Fruits:

• cone-shaped;
• ruby color;
• weighing 100-120 g;
• wall – 5-7 mm.

It is recommended to form the plant into 2 trunks. Productivity – 7-8 kg per square meter. m. The variety is resistant to diseases, including blossom end rot and tobacco mosaic virus.

The main advantage that is always pointed out when describing Montero pepper is the high quality of the fruit.

Pepper variety Zarya F1

A mid-early hybrid from Semko, ripens in 110-115 days. In the Southern Urals it can be grown in unprotected soil. Despite its low growth - 55-65 cm, it produces a yield of 5-7 kg per square meter. m.

Fruit:

• cone-shaped;
• aligned;
• dark red at the stage of consumer maturity;
• weight – 100-120 g;
• wall – 7-8 mm.

Zarya pepper is very tasty, with high consumer and commercial qualities.

The hybrid is resistant to Verticillium wilt and rarely suffers from tobacco mosaic. Suitable for fresh consumption, all types of processing, freezing.

Sweet pepper Yellow Bull F1

A hybrid from, part of a group of multi-colored sweet peppers that differ in the color of the fruit.

In the company's price list you can find cultivars called Bull:

• Orange;
• White;
• Purple;
• Ruby;
• Chocolate;
• Amber.

Yellow Bull pepper is intended for greenhouses and can be grown in extended or spring-summer rotation. This is a medium-early, tall, up to 1.5 m cultivar.

Gives fruit:

• golden color;
• weighing about 200 g;
• up to 20 cm long;
• wall – 7-8 mm.

When rationing the ovaries, you can grow peppers of 400 g each.

The variety is very tasty, sweet, juicy. Shows high resistance to tobacco mosaic and potato viruses.

Productivity per sq. m:

• spring-summer – 7-9 kg;
• extended turnover – 12-14 kg.

When choosing sweet peppers for the Urals, the main thing is where the crop will be grown - in open or protected ground. There are significantly more varieties intended for greenhouses. But recently, Russian breeders have been creating thick-walled, large-fruited varieties that can produce a good harvest in short summers in a changeable climate.

Pioneer

According to amateur gardeners cultivating sweet peppers in the Urals, Pioneer is the only variety ideal for growing in open ground in the harsh conditions of this region.

The pepper bush grows up to 70 cm and bears medium-sized cone-shaped fruits, which become deep red in color as they ripen. The only drawback of this variety is its low yield. But to grow it you do not need to build any special devices.

Maradona F1

From germination to harvest - a little more than two months (from 95 to 105 days). This means that the Maradonna sweet pepper variety is early ripening.

Bushes: powerful, semi-spreading, up to eighty centimeters high. They must be tied to a support.

Fruits: cube-shaped, approximately 9x9 cm in size, average weight - 150 g and excellent taste. The color is first white and then ivory.

Feature of the variety: resistance to many diseases. It is characterized by high productivity (7-10 kg per plot of 1 sq. m).

Agricultural technology: Maradonna F1 peppers are suitable for growing in areas of the Urals in open and protected ground (in hotbeds, greenhouses).

Useful tips for caring for sweet peppers in the Urals

• Pepper loves warmth and good lighting, so novice gardeners are better off growing it in a greenhouse or warm beds. In the Urals, summer is late and short, and even unpretentious varieties of pepper may not have time to ripen.
• When grown by seedlings, seeds are sown in February-March. In May, flowers appear on the plant. In the southern regions they are usually picked, but in the Urals this should not be done: there is a risk that the fruits will not have time to ripen. It is better to take a cotton swab or a thin brush and pollinate the flowers. This way the fruit will set faster.
• It is advisable to plant seedlings or seeds in open ground when the average daytime temperature outside is at least 13-15°C. And if there is a threat of frost, the beds must be covered with spunbond.
• Sweet peppers respond well to fertilizing with organic fertilizers, so before planting, you need to add compost or humus to each hole at the rate of 3-4 kg/sq.m.
• To increase the endurance of peppers and help them “survive” in the difficult weather conditions of the Urals, during the growing season you need to spray the plants every 2 weeks with a mixture of Epin and Zircon (1 ampoule of each substance is diluted in 10 liters of water).
• In order to have time to collect the maximum harvest during the short Ural summer, the pepper fruits need to be harvested slightly unripe. This way you will give the opportunity for newly budded small peppers to grow faster.

Choose the right varieties - and then even in a cold region you can harvest a good harvest of sweet peppers. Once you taste the fruits you grow yourself, you will no longer want to buy vegetables in the store. After all, pepper from your own plot is much tastier!

Hybrids and varieties, how to figure it out?

There are two types of seeds in stores - varieties and hybrids. It is easy to distinguish one from the other. Hybrids are designated F1 after the name. The difference is that the harvest from the seeds of varieties produces fruits with the same characteristics, but from the seeds of hybrids, who knows what will grow. Fruits grown from varietal seeds are tastier, more aromatic and healthier than fruits from hybrid seeds. But plants made from hybrid seeds are more productive, more resistant to diseases and pests, and are better stored. Each gardener chooses what is more important to him.