Yellow-fruited varieties are no less popular among vegetable growers than varieties with red pepper coloring. They have a rich vitamin composition and are perfect for dietary nutrition. And many gardeners consider the pepper with the loud name Gladiator to be one of the best. In the material presented below you can familiarize yourself with its general description, reviews from gardeners, and the pros and cons of the crop.
Characteristics and description of the variety
- The Gladiator pepper is distinguished by its truncated pyramidal shape.
- The surface of the fruit has a slight gloss with mild ribbing.
- The fruits are bright yellow.
- The mass of pepper can reach 370 g. The walls of the vegetable can be 14 mm thick. The thick, dense pulp has a very delicate, sweet and peppery aroma.
- The main purpose of the variety. The fruits can be eaten fresh, boiled, fried, or canned.
- Dutch collectors created a mid-season variety. Technical maturity occurs 115 days after the appearance of sprouts.
The plant has spreading and vigorous branches. On average, a bush can have a height of no more than 50 cm.
This variety can be grown in a greenhouse, in an open bed, and also with film shelters.
Landing
The start date for sowing is mid-February. For seedlings, use soil for nightshades (purchased or independently compiled). The composition includes compost, humus, peat, the base is loose garden turf.
Before sowing, seeds are disinfected and soaked in an activator (aloe or Zircon).
The seedlings are kept warm (under a film until germination), then in a sunny southern window. Water with settled water, feed with diluted mullein, humate or Azotovit.
60-day-old seedlings are transplanted into permanent beds, maintaining a distance between holes of 50 cm. Scheme - 4 plants per 1 sq. m.
Features of growing and caring for the variety
First, seedlings are prepared. The seeds need to be sown to a depth of 3 cm. They begin to germinate at a temperature of about 27 C. When real leaves begin to appear on the plant, it must be transplanted into a separate cup. Its capacity should be 0.5 liters.
Since this pepper does not like being transplanted, after this procedure it takes a long time to come to its senses. A special drug can help restore his strength during this period. Timely watering, fertilizing and loosening of the soil are carried out.
This variety is mainly grown in regions with warm climates because the pepper loves a lot of sun.
Important! In order for buds to begin to form on the sprouts, you need to water them at the root with warm water so that the root system is not damaged!
Obtaining seedlings
Summer residents who want to get the maximum harvest of healthy Gladiator peppers must approach the growing process responsibly. Therefore, experienced agronomists advise sowing seeds and caring for seedlings yourself.
Gladiator pepper seeds can be collected independently from previously grown fruits or purchased in specialized stores. You should pay attention only to products from trusted manufacturers.
It is recommended to plant seeds after pre-treatment. They should be pickled in potassium permanganate for 20 minutes and washed with cold running water. After this, experienced gardeners in reviews advise soaking the seeds in a fertilizer solution, using “Zircon” and “Epina”. They can be alternated: first, the planting material is kept for 18 hours in one solution, then it is disinfected with potassium permanganate and soaked for another 18 hours in the second solution.
Mid-season varieties, which include Gladiator, should be sown 65 days before the planned date of planting in the ground.
Attention! The first ovaries should not be allowed to appear on seedlings that have not been transplanted into the ground. This exhausts the plants and delays the period of fruiting.
The seeds are buried into the soil no more than 1.5 cm. The container is covered with glass or polyethylene until the first shoots appear. The optimal temperature for seed germination is 23-27oC. If possible, it is better to plant the seeds in separate containers. Pepper does not tolerate picking well: even minor damage to the roots significantly lengthens the time of growing seedlings.
You can get strong seedlings if you organize a 12-hour daylight hours and carry out timely fertilizing. The first fertilizers are applied already in the phase of 1-2 leaves. Watering is important: at first, add water with a teaspoon to prevent the possibility of washing out the seedlings.
Planting time for seedlings
You can start doing this in May. If the climatic conditions in your region are too harsh, you will have to use a covering material, a film. About six sprouts can fit on one square meter. Peppers are planted in the soil without making any special holes, since they do not have lateral roots.
Productivity. On one square meter you can get about six kilograms of crop.
Attention! When planting peppers in open ground, it is necessary to use film at night. If the plant is planted in a greenhouse, periodic ventilation should be done, especially when buds and fruits form!
Recommendations for cultivation
Attention! Seedlings of sweet peppers of the Gladiator variety begin to be prepared from mid-February to mid-March.
Seeds can simply be planted in prepared containers, but such planting will not ensure high germination rates. Experienced gardeners recommend preparing seeds in advance:
- All seeds are immersed in a container of water. Seeds that float to the surface are empty and unsuitable for planting.
- Soak the seeds in water for no more than 2 days. To increase the speed of their germination, you can add any growth stimulant to the water.
- Treating seeds with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After this, they should be rinsed with warm water.
Such preparation of seeds will not only speed up the appearance of the first shoots, but also strengthen their immunity.
Important! Some producers do their own seed treatment. Information about this can be found on their packaging. Such seeds should simply be planted in the ground without additional procedures.
When planting, the seeds of the Gladiator variety are buried no more than 1.5 cm. Before the first shoots appear, they are covered with polyethylene or glass. For successful germination, they should be provided with a temperature of 23 to 28 degrees.
Young seedlings are planted permanently at the age of 60 days. Gladiator is a fairly heat-loving variety, so the place for planting it should be sunny and protected from the wind. Before planting this variety, it is recommended to add any organic fertilizer to the ground in the fall. If crop rotation is organized on the site, then it is better to plant pepper after the following crops:
- legumes;
- cucumbers;
- root vegetables and others.
Planting sweet peppers after green manure shows good results. In addition, they can be used to mulch the soil.
Regardless of whether Gladiator is planted in open or closed ground, there should be 35–40 cm of free space between neighboring plants.
Advice! The dimensions of the Gladiator bushes allow you to plant from 4 to 5 plants per square meter.
The Gladiator variety of sweet pepper is undemanding in terms of care, but for abundant fruiting it needs to be provided with:
- Lots of light and warmth. If the peppers are planted in open ground, then at first they can be covered with film at night. When planting in a greenhouse, you need to remember about regular ventilation. This is especially important during the formation of buds and fruits.
- Regular watering. As a rule, in our climate, the frequency of watering this crop will be at least 2 times a week. In this case, overhead watering can be done only until flowering. After the formation of buds, watering is carried out only at the root. For each Gladiator plant, the water norm is from 1 to 3 liters. It should only be warm. Watering with cold water will have a negative effect on the root system of plants.
- Regular loosening and weeding. Mulching the soil can replace these procedures. For Gladiator sweet peppers in the form of mulch, straw or green manure is perfect.
- Fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers. They should be carried out 2 weeks after planting, during the period when buds begin to form, and then during the period of active fruit growth. Excellent results are obtained by using bird droppings, slurry, and superphosphate.
With proper care, the Gladiator sweet pepper variety can bear fruit abundantly from mid-July to October.
We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the ten most common mistakes when growing sweet peppers:
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
- Does not succumb to various diseases.
- It has very large fruits.
- Easy to transport.
- Has high productivity.
- Has high commercial properties.
Among the disadvantages, it is worth noting the fact that pepper does not like windy weather and grows with difficulty in regions where clouds constantly cover the sun.
You may be interested in: Favorable days for planting pepper for seedlings in 2022: terms and rules for sowing at home Favorable days for picking pepper in 2022 according to the lunar calendar Favorable days for sowing sweet and bitter pepper for seedlings in 2022
Varietal features
Gladiator pepper is a proprietary variety of Dutch breeders. It has a high content of vitamins and excellent taste. Gladiator is a mid-early variety. It is grown by seedlings. In February-March you can already sow the seeds.
- bushes grow small, 45-55 cm in height, semi-spreading;
- from the moment of germination to the receipt of technically mature fruits, 105-115 days pass;
- the yield from 1 m2 is 4-5.5 kg, although some report that they can harvest up to 9 kg from 1 m2;
- genetic resistance to verticillium disease;
- recommended growing area: Russia, Moldova, Ukraine.
You can get the maximum yield of Gladiator pepper if you comply with all agrotechnical requirements. It can be grown in greenhouse conditions and unprotected soil. There is no direct relationship between yield and planting location.
Resistance to diseases and adverse conditions
To grow this crop, you can make a temporary shelter. The plant cannot be affected by vertilosis.
By maintaining the necessary cleanliness of the planting and using pollination, the appearance of aphids and slugs can be prevented.
Remember! There will be no need to constantly weed the soil if it is mulched with siderites or straw!
Preparing for winter
You should not leave fruits on the bushes during frosts. You need to collect them in advance and place them in special boxes, boxes or other containers. It is better to stack them in sorted form.
Storage rules
To maintain the value of a product, it must be stored correctly. Pepper can be stored perfectly in boxes or paper bags. Having laid out the sorted fruits in containers, you need to leave them in a dark, cool place such as a basement or cellar.
Reviews from gardeners
Photos from gardeners who like to share their experience allow you to see the result. Their reviews allow you to find out whether Gladiator is difficult to grow, and whether the fruits grown meet their expectations.
Gardeners are attracted to this variety of pepper not only for its yellow color, but also because it contains large amounts of vitamin C. It is enough to eat one pepper daily to satisfy your body’s daily need for this vitamin.
Reviews from those who planted
“I have been planting this pepper for several years now. I liked the abundant fruiting and the size of the fruits. Even my neighbor liked the shade of this vegetable. It grows well inside my greenhouse and other varieties get along well with it. The main thing is to water it, sometimes feed it with organic fertilizer, and you can expect a good harvest.”
“I choose varieties according to their descriptions. In fact, you can grow good fruit. They are very tasty. The thick and dense pulp has a lot of juice and sweetness. I needed peppers for planting under film. This variety was just right.”
“I’ve only been gardening for a few years, but I’ve already been able to achieve success. They were especially evident in Gladiator. I didn’t even think that I would be able to get such a good harvest. Indeed, the pepper has grown so large and juicy. The bright yellow fruits glowed like lanterns on their bushes.”
The choice of many landowners fell on the Gladiator pepper variety because of the excellent quality of its fruits. They have a good presentation and can be used not only for home use, but also for sale. It's worth growing this vegetable! This is a very profitable idea!
Reviews
Those gardeners who have already grown this variety speak positively about it:
- Irina Pavlovna, who lives in the Moscow region, liked the Gladiator pepper because it does not cross-pollinate with other varieties planted in her greenhouse. Every year it produces good harvests.
- For its high yield, Pyotr Gennadievich from Voronezh, who grows it in the OG, chooses this pepper for himself.
- Alexey from Kazan notes the quality of the fruit. His peppers always turn out juicy, large and meaty.
As can be seen from the reviews of gardeners, Gladiator fully corresponds to the description. It confirms its best characteristics in practice. This pepper is really tasty, meaty and productive.
