Pepper Bell: reviews, photos, description of the hot bitter variety, cultivation, yield

Hot pepper Bell: variety description and reviews

Pepper is one of the popular vegetable crops. Thanks to the beneficial substances contained in the fruit, it is included in the healthy diet. There are many different varieties of peppers.

This article will talk about the Bell variety. It is grown both in open ground and in closed conditions: greenhouses, greenhouses, and at home. The Bell pepper variety is an intermediate option between bitter, hot types of pepper and Bulgarian. Read more about the variety below.

A little history

The Bluebell plant is native to South Africa. It was widespread throughout India. Externally, the shape of the fruit resembles the bell of the same name, in honor of which it received its name.

It appeared in Russia only a few decades ago. Its seeds are rare in stores and have a high price.

Similar to bell peppers and hot peppers. The fruits acquire a spicy taste and aroma in accordance with the ripening process.

Hot pepper Bell photo

Pepper Bell: characteristics and description of the variety

The appearance of the bush resembles a variety of hot peppers. However, unlike the latter, it has slightly pubescent leaves and stems. The plant grows up to 2 meters in height.

The growing season lasts from 130 to 150 days. The fruits have an elongated, oblong shape, and, as noted above, they look like a familiar flower - a bell. From a botany point of view, the crop, like tomatoes, belongs to berry crops. However, many people still consider pepper to be a vegetable.

At the stage of technical maturity, when the fruits can already be harvested, they have a rich, dark green color. In just a week they gain color, first becoming orange and then red. At the same time, taste is formed.

Ripe fruits have a rich aroma, a piquant taste, combining bitterness with sweet-spicy notes.

The yield of the Bell variety (with proper care and good conditions) reaches 2 kg per bush.

The weight of the fetus can vary from 30 to 100 grams. Each fruit has a separate, own stalk.

Advantages and disadvantages

Moderately hot pepper has a number of advantages:

The variety is suitable for long-term cultivation in one place.
You can collect and prepare seeds for subsequent planting yourself.
It is possible to grow peppers in separate containers that can be moved from place to place without damaging the plant.
Bushes with unusual peppers have a high decorative value.
Versatility of use in cooking: canning, drying, heat treatment, eating raw.
A special spicy taste that combines sweetness, sourness and spiciness in equal measure.
The fruits contain high levels of useful substances, especially B vitamins.
Presence of serotonin.

By growing bitter bell in a greenhouse with a constant climate, you can get a significantly larger harvest than when planting in open ground. Other disadvantages include:

long growing season;
presence of contraindications for consumption.

Hot bell peppers should not be eaten by pregnant women and children, as well as those with heart and digestive system diseases.

The benefits of Bell pepper and its use in cooking

Red Bell pepper has a spicy taste. It contains a lot of useful substances that have a beneficial effect on the body. Thus, ripe peppers contain a large amount of B vitamins, which promotes the production of the “joy” hormone - serotonin, which is responsible for a good mood.

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In addition, it has the following beneficial properties:

strengthens the functioning of the heart and blood vessels;
relieves the body of cholesterol;
strengthens the body's protective properties;
has a calming effect on the central nervous system;
excellent vision prevention;
has a cosmetic effect in the form of strengthening nails and hair follicles of the skin.

These are the main beneficial properties of Bell pepper.
Due to its unusual taste, it is widely used in cooking. It is consumed fresh, as part of light salads or simply sliced. Well suited for preparing winter snacks, pastas, sauces.

All of the above advantages are an excellent reason to think about growing the Bell variety.

Bell pepper: cultivation and care

Growing Bell pepper has a number of features. The main one is that seed material is rare in specialized departments and has a high cost. The best option is to purchase from gardeners who have already grown the variety.

Shrubs grow quite large, so they require appropriately sized growing containers. In the spring, they take it outside, and when it gets colder, they take it home.

Peppers definitely need a rest period of a couple of months.

Bellflower belongs to the late-ripening varieties, however, it is able to bear fruit before the first frost in the fall. For the fastest ripening of fruits, the plant is brought indoors or 1-1.5 months before frost, the buds are removed and the shoots are shortened.

Photo of Bell pepper on a bush

Bell pepper feels great in greenhouse conditions, where it can bear fruit all year round. When growing in open ground, proper selection of a place for constant growth is important.

Peppers are grown using seedlings.

Planting Bell Pepper

Since the variety is a late ripening variety, seeds are planted for seedlings quite early. So, in the northern regions - at the end of February. The best seeds of hot pepper Bell for seedlings - at the age of 3 to 5 years. Experienced vegetable growers do not recommend fresh, just harvested seed.

Photo of the bell pepper variety

A special feature of the Bluebell is that it can be planted immediately in separate pots. Does not like picking or pinching roots. This should be taken into account when germinating seeds.

Important!

Seeds for seedlings must be treated in advance by first holding them in slightly salted water. Seeds that float to the surface are removed as unsuitable for sowing. The remaining ones are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, then dried.

The prepared seeds are placed in a container 3 cm deep into the soil. Cover with glass or film (you can use food film). Place it immediately in a well-lit place. After the first shoots appear, the cover from above is removed.

Lighting

The bluebell loves well-lit places. If there is a lack of light, it cannot form fully. Therefore, this fact is taken into account when planting in a permanent place of growth, choosing well-lit areas. Also, there should be no plants nearby that block the pepper from light. Already when growing Bellflower seedlings, the location of future plants relative to the light source is changed daily, turning it at an angle of 90 degrees.

The plant definitely needs support, as it reaches 2 meters in height.

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Watering

Pepper is responsive to watering. It requires a moderate amount of water for growth and development. Water at room temperature. After watering, to avoid stagnation of moisture in the soil, the soil is loosened.

Planting bell pepper seedlings in open ground

Seedlings are transplanted when a constant temperature is established at a level of 12 to 14 degrees. In this case, the seedlings should have formed several full-fledged leaves. Before planting, one or two weeks before planting, hardening must be carried out.

When planting, maintain a distance of 40-50 cm between the bushes.

The variety loves nutritious, loose, light soil. For seeds for seedlings, the ideal option is a mixture of humus and sand in a 1:1 ratio. The same mixture is added when transplanting to a permanent place of growth.

Bell peppers are grown in 1-3 main stems. When the plant is at the peak of flowering, the formed side shoots below the initial ovary are carefully pinched. A month and a half before the first frost, all flowers are removed and shoots are shortened. This helps the peppers ripen faster.

Fertilizer and feeding of the Bell variety

Fertilizers are applied 3 times per season. The first time - 14 days after planting. Fertilize with diluted mullein. For the flowering period, wood ash is used. The last feeding for the season - after 15-20 days - with mineral feeding with potassium, phosphorus and calcium.

Attention!

30 days before harvest, all fertilizing is stopped.

Hot pepper Bell, reviews of which are presented below, is not yet well known and widespread in Russia. Those who have already grown these peppers are happy with the results.

Diseases and pests

Since hot bell pepper, like all peppers, belongs to the nightshade crops, they also have common diseases. To reduce the risk of diseases, you need to know their characteristic signs:

Stolbur or phytoplasmosis - the disease begins from the upper shoots. The leaves bend, curl, and gradually dry out. Pathogenic microorganisms are spread by insects - mites, aphids. If infected, the affected bushes must be destroyed.
Fusarium wilt is caused by a fungus that disrupts the functioning of blood vessels in plant stems. The plant does not receive enough nutrition, and the leaves begin to curl. Signs appear at the beginning of flowering, and after a few days the pepper already dies. The disease cannot be cured; prevention of the disease is by treating the seeds with foundationazole.
Verticillium disease is also an incurable disease. It begins suddenly and its symptoms are similar to those of nitrogen starvation - the plants turn pale, the fruits gradually become smaller, and there are no seeds in them.
Blackleg is a fungal disease that young plants and seedlings are more susceptible to. The disease affects the lower part of the stem, then the entire plant rots. To avoid disease, it is necessary to control the humidity level in the greenhouse and boxes with seedlings. The development of diseases is facilitated by dense plantings and poor ventilation in greenhouses.
White rot of pepper is a disease that affects the root part of the stem. The stem becomes covered with a whitish coating, and seals form inside it - a fungus that poisons the plant. This disease appears most often when the air temperature drops and humidity is high.
Late blight is a disease that causes the most significant damage to pepper crops. Brown spots first appear on the leaves of plants, then affect the fruits.

Most diseases of peppers can be avoided if pre-sowing seed treatment, soil disinfection and all garden equipment are carried out correctly. The fight against insects that carry pathogenic bacteria and weeds is also of great importance.

Reviews about Bell pepper

Lyudmila, Moscow region, 60 years old: “I decided to grow Bell pepper, the characteristics of which immediately interested me. I wanted to try something new and original. Grown in a greenhouse. Everything is fine: we harvested the amount indicated in the description - about 2 kg per bush. The fruits are delicious, eaten fresh.”

Ivan, Vladimir, 56 years old: “At first glance I liked the Bell pepper, the description of which can be summed up in one word - exotic. Starting from the unusual shape and ending with the taste, everything is unusual, although it resembles something between varieties of hot peppers and bell peppers. Grown in an open area. No problem. Excellent harvest."

Pepper Bell: photos, reviews

Valery, Izhevsk, 44 years old: “I saw Bell pepper on the website, reviews of which were not so numerous, read the description and decided to grow it. It was difficult to get it, I had to order it online. Everything worked out without much effort, unlike purchasing seeds, it’s really difficult to find them.”

We grow hot bell peppers on a windowsill, in a greenhouse and in an open garden bed

This year I decided to plant hot bell peppers once again. Fans of spicy foods will appreciate its fruits. I hasten to share my observations and results.

Characteristics of the variety

Today, no one will be surprised by red, yellow or green bell peppers, but bell peppers clearly stand out against their background. Outwardly, it resembles a flower bud and can be used in the garden as an ornamental plant.

You can recognize a hot red bell pepper by the following characteristics:

bush 2 meters high;
original shape of pepper in the form of bells;
fruit weight up to 100 g;
powerful stems;
dense fleshy pulp of hot pepper;
spreading bushes;
The growing season is 140-150 days.

A friend of mine has been growing the crop at home on her windowsill for many years. If the climate is suitable, the plant will delight the gardener with a harvest for several years.

In the description of the bell pepper variety, it is also worth mentioning its high yield. It is 1.5-2 kg per bush.

The benefits and harms of hot bell pepper

The unique pepper appeared in South America, and began to be grown in Russia relatively recently.

Gardeners love it for a number of advantages:

exotic appearance;
excellent taste with spiciness;
large fruits;
the possibility of growing red bell pepper at home;
content of essential oils;
presence of antioxidants and vitamins;
not too difficult to care for.

The spice has a beneficial effect on the body and provides great benefits:

relieves stress and insomnia;
strengthens vascular walls;
increases immunity;
stimulates brain activity.

The fruits of hot bell peppers will not cause serious harm. The main thing is to make sure there are no problems with the gastrointestinal tract and heart rate.

How to grow hot bell peppers

Growing hot bell peppers did not pose any particular difficulties for me. True, it was not immediately possible to find planting material. The last time I purchased seeds was in February from an experienced gardener who collected them 4 years ago.

Planting seeds

The growing process begins with soaking the planting material. Fitosporin and manganese solution are suitable for this. Then the seeds should be placed in wet gauze, covered with plastic wrap and left in a warm place until sprouts appear.

Next, it is important to follow some rules:

For planting, ordinary plastic cups with small slots for air intake are suitable.
Ideal soil contains fertile soil and some wood ash.
The glass should be covered two-thirds with soil.
Seeds must be planted to a depth of 5 cm.
It is important to take care of the room temperature. It should not be less than 22 degrees above zero.
The best place for hot bell peppers is a windowsill with good lighting. If the day is short, you can use fluorescent lamps.
Seedlings will have to be planted extremely carefully, because the root system of peppers is very fragile. You can't pinch it.

Before sowing seedlings, it is better to check the lunar calendar.

For watering I use settled liquid. If the weather permits, I take the seedlings out onto the balcony so that the crop gets used to and hardens. Such “walks” need to be gradually increased. Drafts and sharp gusts of wind are dangerous for the plant.

Transplantation into open ground

The bell should be replanted after the remaining frosts have passed. The seedling should have about 10 adult leaves. A cloudy day is perfect.

Basic rules for transplantation:

The distance between bushes is 0.5 m.
There should be no strong wind on the site.
Ideal for planting in areas where cabbage or legumes previously grew.
It is better to add mineral fertilizers and wood ash to the hole.
After planting, it is necessary to water the seedlings with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and mulch the ground around them.

If immediately after transplantation the weather turns bad and there is a lot of rainfall, the plant should be covered with film. For the winter, the crop will have to be insulated or moved indoors.

To plant a bell, choose a well-lit area. Only in such a place can the fruits be fully formed.

How to care for a bell

To get a guaranteed harvest, a number of crop care measures should be followed.

Garter and trimming

To prevent fungal diseases, I trim leaves and shoots that are before the first ovary. As it grows, I remove vertical shoots. After harvesting, I remove all shoots.

A tall bush must be tied to a support.

Watering and fertilizing

Hot peppers do not like drought. You should regularly water the crop with warm water and monitor soil moisture. Cold liquid is not suitable.

The roots of the plant are located almost on the surface of the earth, so the soil should not dry out more than 2-3 cm.

Main stages of fertilization:

2 weeks after transplantation - organic matter;
during the budding period - wood ash;
after 21 days – a complex of minerals.

If the soil is always too wet, it can lead to fungal rot. There is no need to loosen the beds deeply. I prefer to mulch them with straw, peat or humus.

When to Harvest

I pick fruits selectively. Sometimes I pick green peppers because they are sweeter. In just a week, the bells become redder and acquire a sharp taste.

About 150 days pass from the appearance of the first shoots to harvest.

To prevent fruits from spoiling quickly, they must be stored properly. Spicy bell peppers can be kept fresh for 2 days, in the refrigerator - up to 5 weeks.

Before buying seeds of this variety, I read a lot of reviews about it. Most gardeners admire it, praising its unpretentiousness and amazing taste. Even beginners can cope with growing hot red bell peppers.

I grind the fruits in a coffee grinder and use them for various dishes. I especially like to cook aromatic pilaf with a spicy note and fiery adjika. I really want to try the recipe for hot pickled bell peppers. What kind of dishes do you cook from them?

What is the difference between hot bell pepper and other varieties - video www.Glav-Dacha.ru