Characteristics and description of the Kolobok pepper variety, cultivation and care

Description of the variety

The Kolobok pepper received its name due to the spherical shape of the fruit. The fruits of the variety can be not only red, but also yellow. At the same time, there are no differences between them in technical indicators.

Variety characteristics:

1. The bush is low, up to 40 cm, with strong stems, strewn with bright green foliage.
2. The leaf blades are large, triangular in shape, and in extreme heat they protect the fruits from sunburn.
3. Early ripening - after 108 days, technical ripeness occurs. The fruit is colored light green.
4. Biological ripeness is achieved within 140–145 days. The peppers take on a bright red color.
5. The shape of the fruit is round, with smooth dense skin, weight - 90–140 g.
6. The walls of the pulp are thick, up to 9 mm, the pulp is fleshy, juicy, sweet.
7. The content of ascorbic acid in 100 g is 200% of the recommended daily intake.
8. From 1 m² up to 6 kg of crop is harvested.
9. The variety is resistant to verticillium wilt, mosaic and blossom end rot, but is susceptible to fusarium and anthracnose.
10. Grown by seedlings. Can be planted both in a greenhouse and in open beds.
11. In cooking it is used in fresh and processed form, ideal for winter preservation.

Did you know? Dark chocolate and sweet peppers have one thing in common: they provoke the release of happiness hormones into the blood.

Varietal features

The early ripening variety has good yield (up to 5 kg per square meter). Technological maturity of the fruit occurs on the 120th day - when the pulp is green, the taste qualities of the crop appear. On the 140th day, the vegetables become fully ripe and the surface turns red. The sweetness and characteristic peppery taste are better expressed at the stage of biological maturity. Culture has the following characteristics:

• short height – 30-40 cm;
• early fruit ripening;
• the average weight of pepper is 80-90 g;
• color bright red, uniform;
• the pulp is juicy, fleshy, about 8-9 mm thick;
• rounded shape of the fruit;
• the skin is smooth, glossy;
• fruits can easily be transported over long distances;
• resistant to Verticillium wilt.

The harvest can be harvested after the onset of technical maturity, when the fruit is light green in color. Due to its pleasant sweet taste without bitterness, peppers are often used for consumption raw, as well as for canning and freezing.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Kolobok pepper variety, according to reviews from summer residents, has virtually no disadvantages, but it has a lot of advantages.

• Pros:
• high taste qualities;
• rapid ripening;
• the fruit is fleshy, almost without voids;
• keeping quality of fruits;
• good yield;
• resistant to viral diseases;
• does not require shaping or gartering.

• Minuses:
• the root system is close to the surface;
• prone to fungal diseases.

Disease resistance

Sweet pepper of the Kolobok variety has good resistance to diseases such as blossom end rot, verticillium blight, and tobacco mosaic virus. Sometimes it can be affected by anthracnose. It has no immunity to fusarium.

Disease prevention includes maintaining crop rotation, regularly weeding or mulching the soil, and treating plants with fungicides.

The bun can be attacked by pests such as aphids, whiteflies, slugs and spider mites. Bushes must be regularly inspected for the presence of parasites and the plants must be promptly treated with insecticides at the first signs of damage.

Growing seedlings at home

Kolobok is a heat-loving variety, so in regions with cold climates it is recommended to grow this crop in a greenhouse or under film.

Optimal timing for sowing

Sowing dates vary depending on the growing method:

• in the greenhouse - end of February;
• open ground - first ten days of March.

The soil

Given the weak root system of seedlings, the soil for seedlings should be loose, with good moisture and air permeability. Acidity indicator - pH 5–7.

We advise you to learn about the features of growing pepper seedlings at home.
Option for self-prepared soil:

• turf land;
• garden soil (top layer);
• coarse sand;
• compost.

All components must be mixed in equal parts.
For 2 kg of mixture, add 50 g of wood ash. In 3–5 days, the soil must be disinfected by calcining it for half an hour in the oven at 100 °C, or by pouring boiling water over it.

Capacity

Kolobok pepper seedlings do not tolerate picking, so it is recommended to plant them in peat cups or tablets, which are placed in a common box for ease of care. The best option would be a container measuring about 7 cm in height. Later, low-growing peppers can be transplanted into the garden bed along with the pot.

Seed preparation

2 days before sowing, the seeds must be soaked in an aqueous solution of the drug “Zircon” (development stimulant), diluted according to the instructions. Raw water is suitable, but pre-settled, at room temperature. The bowl with seeds should be kept away from sunlight so that the water does not evaporate.

After soaking in Zircon, the seeds must be immersed for half an hour in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.

Important! If the shell of purchased seeds is colored and not white, it means that they have already been processed and re-soaking cannot be carried out.

Sowing seeds

Seeds germinate in 7–10 days. You can speed up this process by leaving the treated material in a damp cloth. After 3-4 days, the shell will burst and a white tail will hatch. Sprouted seeds should be immersed in the soil with their tail down and buried 1 cm from the surface of the soil.

It is better to sow ungerminated seeds in 2 pieces. into one container, and then leave a stronger sprout. It is better not to pull out a weak seedling, so as not to damage the roots of a good sprout, but to pinch it at the base.

The box with future seedlings must be covered with a transparent film and placed in a warm place.

Seedling care

The place to keep the container with seedlings is any sunny windowsill. If the sun is too bright, the seedlings need to be shaded for a while. The temperature of the seedlings is 22–25 °C, and at night it should not fall below 18 °C. The duration of daylight for seedlings is at least 12 hours; if necessary, it is worth using illumination with phytolamps.

To avoid stretching the stems, the pots need to be rotated around their axis from time to time, creating uniform lighting on all sides of the plant.

The soil should always be slightly moist; at the seedling stage, it is better to spray the soil with a sprayer. Stronger sprouts can be watered from a watering can. The water must be warm, at least 20 °C, and settled. The frequency of watering depends on the rate of drying of the top layer of soil.

Popular varieties and hybrids of thick-walled peppers for growing without a greenhouse

In total, there are more than 1000 varieties and hybrids of sweet peppers. However, not everyone has received real popular recognition. Only the most delicious, productive and unpretentious ones have gained universal love and respect. Below are some of them, the distinctive feature of which is a thick wall and the ability to grow in open ground.

Kolobok

It is one of the most popular varieties of sweet peppers, and there are many reasons for this. It is resistant to many diseases, ripens early and has good yield. The fruits are characterized by a pleasant aroma, juiciness and are suitable for any purpose. Each of them has an average weight of about 150 g and a wall thickness of 0.9 cm. Many people like their spherical shape.

Pepper Kolobok

Red giant

This name was not given to it in vain, since the weight of one fruit can reach 300-400 and even 600 g. The walls are fleshy, up to 1 cm thick; There is sweetness in the taste. The red giant belongs to the mid-season varieties, and the height of the bush reaches one meter. The yield is good - about a dozen peppers are collected from the bush. This is one of the most prominent representatives of its family.

Red giant

Outdoor care

For the first time, it would be a good idea for the seedlings to provide shelter at night. Metal arcs must be installed along the beds at a distance of approximately 0.5 m. At night, any agricultural material is thrown over them over the bushes.

Did you know? According to the beliefs of ancient South American Indians, pepper has its own patron - the wife of the fire god Chantico.

Watering

You need to water the pepper bushes in the morning or evening with warm (22–25 °C) settled water. Watering should be done by sprinkling, but during flowering - only at the root, so as not to wash off the pollen.

Watering frequency - at least 2 times a week. During precipitation, watering is also necessary, with the exception of prolonged and heavy rains. After the fruits form, the soil should be moistened once a week.

Fertilizer application

Since fertilizers have already been applied to the soil in the fall, the crop does not need a large number of fertilizing. If after transplantation the plant has slowed down, feed it with an aqueous solution of nitroammophoska 30 g/10 l. During the period of flowering and the formation of fruit ovaries, peppers should be fertilized with vermicompost in the proportion of 2 tbsp. spoons per 10 liters of water. The interval between procedures is at least 10 days. All fertilizers should be applied in the morning, at the root, no more than 0.5 liters per bush.

To prevent diseases, every 2 weeks pepper bushes in open ground should be sprayed with “Fitosporin”, diluting it at a concentration of 40 g per 10 liters of water.

Read more about fertilizing peppers during the flowering and setting period.

Tillage

Roots located close to the surface do not allow deep loosening. The procedure is carried out to a depth of 3 cm, before watering and after it, when the top layer of soil dries.

Hilling is not necessary for low-growing pepper bushes. But they should be weeded regularly to remove weeds. After each watering, the beds are covered with hay or straw mulch, which helps protect the roots from overheating and maintains soil moisture.

Forming and tying bushes

Kolobok does not require the formation of a plant. The fruits of this variety are not heavy, the height of the bushes is small, so there is no need to tie them up either.

We recommend reading why you need to pinch peppers and how to do it.

Features of cultivation, planting and care

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out 60-70 days before the intended planting of plants in a permanent place.
The optimal temperature for seed germination is 26-28°C. When true leaves appear on the plants, they are transplanted into separate cups with a capacity of 0.3-0.5 liters. Pepper does not like transplanting, so do not be surprised if after you have transplanted the seedlings into separate containers, they stop growing for a while. You can “smooth out” the stressful state a little by spraying the plants with Epin.

When to plant pepper seedlings in the ground

After the threat of return frosts has passed, the seedlings can be planted in a permanent location. Some people plant in open ground in May, while others only plant under covering material or under film; it all depends on the climatic conditions of your region.

When planting pepper seedlings in the ground for 1 sq. m area it is recommended to place up to 6 plants.

Peppers are planted in the ground without being buried, but in exactly the same way as they grew in cups. Pepper plants, unlike tomatoes, very rarely produce lateral roots, so there is no point in deepening the bush.

Pepper responds well to watering and fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers. During the summer, 2-3 feedings are usually done.

Harvesting and storage

The approximate harvest date is mid-August, at which time the peppers are fully ripened. They should be removed using a garden tool, cutting off the stalk. If the summer is rainy and damp, the fruits are harvested at technical maturity to avoid rotting. Such peppers ripen well in a bright and dry place. Fresh fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 months.

Due to their juiciness and sweetness, Kolobok peppers are suitable for use in fresh salads.

Their pulp also remains tasty and dense after heat treatment in various dishes:

• vegetable stews;
• stuffed fruits;
• hot salads;
• soups;
• casseroles.

The list of winter preparations is also impressive:

• pickling;
• pickling;
• salting;
• juices and sauces;
• lecho and salads.

Reviews from gardeners about the Kolobok variety are mostly positive. Indicators of yield, disease resistance and taste are highly rated. This sweet pepper is rightly called one of the best varieties for both fresh consumption and winter preservation.

Harvesting: what Kolobok peppers are good for

In cool and rainy summers, especially in open ground, collect Kolobok fruits while they are still green. Otherwise, in conditions of high humidity, they may rot starting from the tips. Kolobok ripens well in room conditions, and when ripe in the refrigerator it is stored fresh until winter.

Peppers of this variety have a universal purpose; they are tasty raw, in any canned food and marinades. The fruits are used to prepare salads, appetizers, main courses, and soups. But if you like stuffed peppers, then keep in mind that the Kolobok contains very little filling.

Video: recipe for preparing thick-walled round peppers for the winter

Pepper care

Sweet peppers are among the plants that are as easy to care for as possible. The complex consists of several events:

• Watering is carried out regularly, drying out and cracking of the soil is not allowed. This is especially true on hot days. Approximately 0.5 buckets of water at room temperature are poured under one pepper bush.
• Loosening the soil around the seedling to provide ventilation and retain moisture. It is not recommended to loosen too deeply, as there is a risk of damage to the root system.
• Fertilizer application is necessary after transplantation to a permanent place of growth, during the flowering period, formation and ripening of fruits. It is strictly forbidden to use fresh manure to feed plants - it can destroy the seedling or significantly reduce the yield. Compost, humus or dry chicken manure are recommended as organic fertilizers. Among the chemical fertilizers, nitrophoska, nitrogen and potassium nitrate are popular.
• Insect spraying is carried out as needed; preventive measures are not required. It is important to accurately determine the type of pest in order to use special means to combat it.
• To maintain soil moisture during dry periods, experienced gardeners recommend mulching with grass clippings or straw.

The plants have a fairly strong trunk that can support fruits, so no additional staking is required.

Pests and diseases

It is very difficult to fight diseases

If there are pests on the pepper, it is quite difficult to fight them; it is easier to prevent their appearance.

Pest Prevention

• Before sowing, the seeds are disinfected: kept for 20 minutes in a manganese solution, washed;
• follow the rule of crop rotation, do not plant peppers in beds where potatoes and tomatoes grew;
• in the fall, remove and burn all plant remains on the site;
• We regularly remove weeds not only from the beds, but also from the paths.

Pests

Peppers growing in open areas are most susceptible to pests. Pests include:

• aphids feed on the sap of the plant, as a result of which the leaves turn yellow, wrinkle and dry out;
• The spider mite, like the aphid, feeds on sap and lives on the lower part of the leaf; a white web can be seen near the junction of the leaf and the stem;
• the Colorado potato beetle has a convex shape with yellow-black stripes, a black triangle on its head, red-orange larvae, feeds on leaves;
• whitewing;
• naked slug makes holes in leaves and fruits; over time, the perforated fruits rot;
• The mole cricket is brown in color, up to 5 cm in length, loves dampness, feeds on roots, as a result of which the plant dies.

Pest Control

Aphid

The fight against aphids consists of spraying the plant with solutions:

• take 1 glass of ash or tobacco dust and 10 liters of water, leave for 24 hours, add 1 tbsp. l. laundry soap, filter and process leaves and stems;
• take 1 tbsp. l. the drug Keltan or Karbofos, diluted in 10 liters of water; This solution cannot be used to treat plants during flowering.

Spider mite

Fighting methods:

• leaves and stems are washed with warm water and laundry soap in a proportion of 50 g of soap per 10 liters of water;
• crushed 1 tbsp. garlic or onion and 1 tbsp. dandelion leaves, add 10 liters of water, 1 tbsp. soap, filter.

Colorado beetle

Fighting methods:

• if there are few beetles, they are collected by hand into jars filled with kerosene;
• the bushes are sprayed with a solution of 1 ml of the Komandor preparation and 10 liters of water.

Whitefly

Fighting methods:

• the leaves are washed with warm water, the soil is loosened, add sand or humus 2 cm thick into it;
• the plant is sprayed with a solution of Verticillin in a proportion of 100 ml per 10 liters of water; the procedure is carried out 3 times within 10 days, but no later than 2 days before harvest.

Naked slugs

Fighting methods:

• regularly weed;
• the soil is treated with quicklime every two days, 3 times a day;
• metaldehyde granules are laid out in the amount of 5 pieces. per 1 sq. m.

Medvedka

Ways to fight:

• at the end of May the soil is loosened to destroy the larvae;
• they set traps: they dig holes 40 cm deep and pour manure into it; in early spring it is removed and destroyed;
• Places where mole crickets gather are treated with naphthalene.

The Kolobok variety has good immunity, so it practically does not get sick, especially if preventive measures are taken. To prevent diseases, a few days before planting seedlings, the area is treated with a 3% solution of copper sulfate.

Reviews from amateur vegetable growers about the Kolobok pepper variety

My favorite variety is Kolobok. The taste is super, pain is minimal, the yield is normal. The fruits don’t look big and there isn’t much, but when you pick them up in your hand, you feel like you’re holding an apple (so heavy). The wall thickness is the largest of mine. I’ve been growing them from my own seeds for a couple of years. The peppers all grow together, but this particular variety has not been cross-pollinated (maybe I’m just lucky) I RECOMMEND!

mb9

https://forum.vinograd.info/archive/index.php?t-11567-p-2.html

For filling yourself with pepper without the cost of buying seeds, Kolobok is just the thing. In terms of yield per bush, it is of course inferior to hybrids, but it can be planted thicker. And another minus is that half the weight of the fruit is the seeds.

idleness

https://forum.vinograd.info/archive/index.php?t-11567-p-2.html

I am delighted with Kolobok peppers! Thick-walled, juicy, tasty! Good for fresh consumption, salads, freezing. And they are not that small! Once I have planted them, I now collect my seeds and generously share them with my work colleagues.

Alexandra Belkina

https://otvet.mail.ru/question/99419662

And I like Kolobok. Delicious, juicy, aromatic peppers. We don’t grow for markets, but we grow good varieties for ourselves. Although there are large ones too. But those are already somewhat different, but also tasty. I plant every year and will continue to plant.

Tatyana Vladimirovna Afonina

https://otvet.mail.ru/question/99419662

2016 is not the luckiest year for gardeners. And I’m just making my debut in growing peppers (I haven’t planted seedlings myself before). Despite the average yield, I liked the Kolobok variety - I saw its potential in past years. So I will confidently plant it next year. When cut, it’s solid meat—it’s perfect for lecho and salads. The fruit weight is more than 200 grams; last year the fruits were larger.

Irina G.

https://www.tomat-pomidor.com/forums/topic/1431-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%BA/

The short Kolobok will help out those who have a small plot of land or low needs for sweet peppers. The variety has many advantages, while being very unpretentious in cultivation.

Pepper is the oldest vegetable crop; the first mentions of it were found in Indian manuscripts that are more than 3000 years old. Since then, many varieties and hybrids have been developed, with different colors and tastes. Previously, pepper was used only as a remedy against anemia and asthma, and only much later it began to be used in cooking and fresh as a food product.

Sweet peppers occupy a place of honor in gardeners' beds. It is not only healthy, but also very tasty and appreciated for its various uses: fresh, stuffed with meat and rice, as a dressing for soups and side dishes, grilled. It can be frozen, pickled, fried, salted, stewed, and used in salads.

My family is a fan of fresh peppers, there is no better pleasure than picking and immediately eating a juicy fruit straight from the garden; my family members are not, but somehow they were not very happy with my peppers. I just had catastrophic luck with growing them: sometimes the pepper gets sick, sometimes it grows small and for some reason never turns red.