The main differences between sweet and hot pepper seedlings

If the names of the pepper varieties are lost after planting, you can distinguish between the seedlings of bitter and sweet varieties by the appearance of the young seedlings. At first glance, it seems that the crops are completely identical, but there are a number of signs that will help you accurately distinguish sweet pepper seedlings from hot peppers.

The essence of the cross-pollination problem

Hot and salad pepper varieties should be planted at least 15 meters apart. This is done to prevent cross-pollination between varieties.

Seeds obtained from cross-pollinated vegetables carry new flavor characteristics. Such plants should not be replanted.

How to distinguish plants

Gardeners rarely rely on their memory, so they label all planted seedlings. But sometimes, things go wrong—for example, during the days it takes a pepper to sprout, the label gets lost, the label gets worn off, or the seeds simply get forgotten. In such cases, don't despair; after the sprouts emerge, you can use certain characteristics to determine which peppers belong to which group.

The difference in the appearance of the bush

The first method is to distinguish differences by the appearance of the bushes and leaves. Bitter varieties have elongated leaves of varying widths, while sweet varieties have wide, rounded, and somewhat short leaves. Bitter plants have leaves of a rich, dark green, while sweet varieties have a soft green. The leaves of sweet varieties are more delicate and soft.

You can distinguish seedlings by the thickness of their stems, but the seedlings must be of the same age. The stem of hot peppers is much thinner and longer, which often leads to them bending under the weight of the vegetables. Bell peppers, on the other hand, have a thicker and shorter stem.

We determine by the taste of the seeds

When peppers sprout, seeds often remain on the cotyledon leaves. Carefully remove the seeds and rinse them under water. Taste them to easily identify the plant species.

If the remaining seeds have a pungent taste, then the peppercorn is considered bitter. The remaining seeds of salad peppers will not have bitterness.

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Is it possible to determine by the leaves?

Experienced gardeners believe that the most reliable way to identify a pepper's type is not by the leaves' appearance, but by their taste. Try a small piece of a young leaf.

Carefully cut off the tip of the leaf and taste it. If it's bitter, the resulting fruit will be pungent and hot.

By flowering time

The flowering period can also be used to distinguish the two species. Hot peppers begin budding much earlier than sweet varieties. The first buds on hot peppers begin to form as early as 25-30 days after transplanting to their permanent location. If your pepper seedlings bloom indoors, you can avoid improperly transplanting them to their permanent location.

This method is only suitable if the seedlings are kept in similarly favorable growing conditions, such as maintaining the same temperature and humidity levels for pepper seedlings. If conditions differ, flowering may be disrupted, and the cause may be unclear. This method is useful if the pepper seedlings bloom before being planted in the ground. The solution is clear: remove the bitter peppers and plant them elsewhere. The flowers should also be removed, as they will likely simply fall off after transplanting. Waiting for the peppers to bloom in the garden is dangerous, as one or two hot pepper seedlings in a bed with sweet peppers can ruin the entire harvest.

We differentiate by the type of ovary

The plants also differ in the young ovary. Hot peppers produce small, oblong fruits. Sweet peppers, on the other hand, produce a small, spherical ovary. It gradually acquires an oblong shape as they grow.

This method of identification is the most questionable, as the shape of the resulting vegetables depends largely on the variety or hybrid. There are varieties of hot peppers whose vegetables are not only oblong but also square. Meanwhile, some sweet or salad hybrids take on a pointed, elongated shape.

Labor intensity of care

Sweet peppers are a finicky crop and require proper care. Growing bell peppers from seed is difficult. Caring for hot pepper seedlings at home is simpler.

This pungent plant easily tolerates temperature fluctuations and high humidity. Hot peppers don't like bright sunlight; they're best planted in the shade, for example, near a fence or under a house.

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Prevention of cross-pollination

When growing different types of peppers in the same garden, carefully collect and plant seeds. To avoid confusion, follow these tips:

1. For planting, only proven seeds that you are confident in are used.
2. When sowing or collecting seeds, each species and variety is labeled.
3. Sweet and bitter varieties are sown in different containers.
4. At least 15 m is left between the beds of sweet and hot plants.

What to do if a mistake is made

Sometimes confusion occurs when transplanting seedlings to their permanent location. To avoid potential unpleasant consequences, follow these steps:

1. Suspicious bushes are removed by the roots.
2. Prevent the process of cross-pollination.

If you don't want to remove hot peppers from your garden, you should try to prevent cross-pollination. Choose one of the following methods to do this.

1. Insects are the culprits of cross-pollination. Protecting hot pepper plantings can prevent changes in flavor. Create a mini-greenhouse out of planks and cover the top with gauze.
2. If the bushes are scattered throughout the garden bed and building a fence isn't possible, you can tie each bush with gauze. Hide all the blossoms under the transparent cloth to keep the bees out of reach.
3. To distract insects from hot peppers wrapped in gauze, you can spray sweet peppers with honey water. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of honey in 1 cup of water.

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When identifying hot peppers among sweet ones, the most effective way to identify them is by tasting the seeds or leaves. Once a seedling is located, it should be removed from the garden bed to prevent cross-pollination.