Characteristics and description of red pepper varieties

Experienced and active gardeners always find room for growing something new and unusual. This includes red peppers, which are distinguished not only by their fruit shape and growing conditions, but also by their distinctive, pungent flavor, which determines their potential uses.

Description and characteristics

Red peppers are a nightshade plant, meaning they require a strong root system, adequately loose soil, and timely watering. The plant thrives in warmth, so the optimal temperature for successful growth should be between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius. It's also important to maintain adequate moisture in fertile soil and regularly fertilize the roots. This pepper variety is best suited for growing in pots on apartment windowsills and balconies due to its short, compact growth habit.

The name "capsicum" describes the shape of the ripening fruit, which is distinguished by its fleshy, soft walls and lack of crunch. The entire category of red capsicums is traditionally divided into groups based on their spiciness, shape, and potential uses for the harvested crop.

Benefit

The health benefits of capsicums stem primarily from the beneficial vitamins and microelements they contain. This primarily concerns proteins and healthy sugars, as well as high levels of vitamins C, P, and B, as well as carotene, essential oils, and flavonoids. The pulp is also rich in beneficial minerals such as iron, zinc, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, and copper.

It's important to note that some varieties of hot red peppers are so pungent that even touching them can cause serious irritation. When using these peppers in cooking, for example, in stews or fried dishes, wear rubber gloves. Besides fresh peppers, they can be dried, frozen, canned, or used as an ingredient in spicy seasonings for future delicious dishes. The peppers' exceptional spiciness is due to the presence of capsaicin, which also strengthens the body's immune system against various viral and infectious diseases.

Pepper is not recommended for people with kidney, stomach, or duodenal diseases. It is also contraindicated for those with hepatitis, hemorrhoids, pancreatitis, and hyperacid gastritis.

Varieties of red hot peppers

When choosing suitable varieties of red hot peppers, it's important to consider optimal growing conditions, as well as whether they need to be grown in a greenhouse or outdoors. One of the key aspects of growing hot peppers is growing them away from other nightshade crops, as unsuccessful pollination can result in bitterness in the fruit of other plants. This is especially true for sweet peppers and various tomato varieties.

Jellyfish

This variety is considered an early-ripening plant, as the fruits ripen as early as 72 days after the first seedlings emerge. A key advantage of this variety is the small height and compactness of the plants themselves, which sprout no more than 30-32 cm and measure approximately 20-22 cm in diameter. This allows each individual plant to be grown in regular pots on windowsills. When growing this way, it's important to ensure adequate lighting in the room and the pepper plants in particular.

This variety is characterized by high yields, as each individual plant can produce at least 30-45 hot pods. The peppers are long and slender, reaching up to 5.5 cm in length while measuring only 1-1.5 cm in diameter. During the ripening period, the peppers undergo several color changes: initially green, they turn yellow and orange, and then, at full biological maturity, they acquire a rich red color.

One of the essential conditions for growing this variety is regular yet moderate soil moisture, as well as maintaining optimal air humidity. Therefore, the bushes should not only be watered with warm water at the roots but also misted with a spray bottle.

Ogonyok

The variety's popularity among experienced gardeners stems from its ability to be grown both outdoors and in small pots on windowsills. A key feature of this pepper is its long-lasting fruiting and mid-early ripening period. The variety is a cross between cayenne and Chilean peppers. This gives the fruit its distinctive pungency. Technical maturity occurs within 120 days of the first seedlings sprouting. Biological maturity occurs after another 20 days. In the former case, the fruits are distinguished by a rich green color that gradually turns to a vibrant red.

The grown fruits are lightweight, approximately 40 grams, and elongated with a slight curve. The flesh has a distinctive peppery aroma with a rather pungent flavor. When grown, the bushes are resistant to potential bacterial blight. Since this variety is extremely heat-loving, it is recommended to grow it in protected greenhouse conditions. The only exception is open ground in southern regions with a predominantly warm climate.

Indian summer

The variety's name stems from the fact that the bright red, piquant fruits fully ripen in September. The growing season lasts approximately 100 days, and it is recommended to grow the peppers in protected greenhouse conditions. In the warm climate typical of southern regions, the plants can also be grown outdoors. However, they are extremely sensitive to sudden cold snaps.

The bushes themselves are compact, reaching no more than 40 cm in height, and the stems are covered with numerous small, dark green leaves. A distinctive feature of this variety is that the fruits form singly or in pairs in the leaf axils. The fruits are also small, weighing no more than 25 g, so at maturity, gardeners receive small, ornamental bushes abundantly covered with bright red berries.

The variety's yield is considered quite high, with a single bush yielding approximately 0.9–1.2 kg. A significant advantage of this variety is its shade tolerance and resistance to various viral diseases.

Adjika

This hot pepper variety boasts excellent flavor and is suitable for outdoor cultivation. It is a mid-early variety and is widely used in modern cooking. The bushes grow quite tall, but the robust stems require no additional support.

The average fruit weight is approximately 90 g. At maturity, the elongated, conical peppers have dark red skin and spicy flesh with a pungent flavor. The harvest is typically used as a spicy seasoning for soups, sauces, and meat dishes, as well as in canning.

Peppers thrive best in loamy, loose soils that allow good oxygenation. The seeds themselves should first be treated with a light pink solution of potassium permanganate for 20-25 minutes, then rinsed under clean running water, and only then planted. The first transplant should be done only after 2-3 full-fledged leaves have formed. Plants should be spaced 30-35 cm apart.

Hungarian yellow

This early-ripening variety boasts a milder flavor, characterized by both juicy and slightly sweet and tangy. The bushes grow to just 25 cm in height. This makes them suitable for growing not only in open ground or protected greenhouses, but also in small pots placed on windowsills.

The fruit is cone-shaped and droops. The peppers acquire a yellow color at the technical ripening stage, but once fully ripened, they turn bright red. The average fruit weight is approximately 55–60 g. The peel has a glossy sheen. Peppers are typically used as a spicy seasoning for dishes and canned goods for the winter.

For the mother-in-law

This pepper variety is considered an early-ripening plant. Its fruits are distinguished by a strong aroma and a rather piquant, sharp flavor, as well as a vibrant red color and conical shape. Important advantages of this variety also include the high yield of the cultivated plants and the widespread use of the fruits in modern cooking.

Peppers are suitable for growing outdoors. The bushes typically reach a height of no more than 60 cm. The plants do not require pinching or tying to additional supports. The full growing season lasts approximately 110–120 days from the moment the first seedlings emerge. The peppers themselves are approximately 10–12 cm long.

For successful cultivation, it's best to choose loamy, breathable soils and air temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. The first transplanting of the grown seedlings is permitted only after 2 to 3 full-fledged leaves appear on the stems. Like most other nightshade crops, this variety requires regular soil moisture and several mandatory fertilizations with mineral or organic fertilizers. Peppers can be planted outdoors only after the risk of spring night frosts has passed.

The cultivated fruits ripen uniformly, and their resistance to possible mechanical damage allows the variety to be grown for further sale, and not just for personal use.

Coral

The variety's main distinguishing feature is its distinctive, pungent flavor and the high yield of each planted bush. This mid-season variety is often used as a decorative addition to a cozy home kitchen. It can be grown both in greenhouses and outdoors.

The bushes grow to a height of 40-60 cm. The fruits themselves are round, up to 2-3 cm in diameter. The flavor remains consistently sharp, even hot. At biological maturity, the peppers acquire a rich red color. When planting bushes in common soil, maintain a distance of at least 40-50 cm between holes, or no more than 5-6 plants per square meter of plot.

Fiery bouquet

This early-ripening variety produces fruits with a distinctively pungent and savory flavor. Its flavor makes it widely used in modern cooking. It is one of the few hot peppers whose bushes grow to 100–120 cm and is considered indeterminate.

The fruits themselves are elongated and cone-shaped, weighing approximately 19–20 g on average. As they ripen, the rich dark green color changes to a vibrant red. The harvest is typically used to make spices or as an ingredient in canning for the winter.

Super Chili

The hybrid's popularity among experienced gardeners stems from its ability to produce large, highly flavored peppers. Furthermore, it boasts high yields and is considered an early-maturing nightshade crop.

The bushes grow to 40-60 cm, and the fruits can reach a length of up to 6-7 cm and an average weight of about 15-25 g. The fruit fully ripens in about 65-70 days from the time the seedlings are transplanted to their permanent location. The skin color of ripe fruits is characterized as cherry-red, and during the technical ripening stage, it changes from green to orange. The only rule for growing this hybrid is to avoid growing it next to other pepper varieties, especially sweet ones, as unsuccessful pollination can result in altered flavor in the resulting peppers.

Jalapeño

This variety is most popular among experienced gardeners due to its moderately pungent flavor and the ability to be grown for sale. The bushes grow up to 1 m tall and are known for their abundant fruiting, but the plant simply sheds most of its flowers.

The cultivated peppers are approximately 7–8 cm long and up to 2.5–3 cm in diameter. Each pepper weighs approximately 50 g. The peppers remain dark green at the technical maturity stage, but turn dark red when fully ripe. Because the peppers have a medium-hot flavor, they are often used in salads and hot dishes. The juiciness of the thick flesh is unique to hot pepper varieties.

Dragon's tongue

The main characteristic of this variety is the very strong, pungent flavor of the fruit itself. These fruits are most often used to make paprika. It is recommended to grow them in closed, protected greenhouses.

This variety is classified as a mid-season variety. The fruits themselves take the form of a long, thin, bright red pod at biological maturity. The fruits are approximately 10–12 cm long and grow to 8–10 mm in diameter. The average pepper weight is 14–18 g.

Thanks to the variety's high yield, you can get approximately 90-100 full-sized fruits. In addition to being used for making paprika, this variety is successfully used in sauces, various pastes, as well as in canning and pickling.

Rules for growing red capsicum

The main difference between red hot pepper varieties is that they can be grown not only in greenhouses but also in pots on windowsills. However, it's crucial to ensure the plants are kept in well-lit areas but out of reach of children and pets. These varieties are tolerant of soil conditions, and many tolerate shaded areas, but they do require regular and moderate watering.

The optimal soil for growing peppers is a mixture of humus, peat, garden or leaf mold, and sand in a ratio of 1:2:1:2. Before full use, the soil should be thoroughly disinfected with regular boiling water or a boiling bright pink solution of potassium permanganate. First, add drainage material to the bottom of the container, filling it one-third full, followed by the prepared and treated soil. The bottom layer will absorb excess moisture, effectively preventing unwanted waterlogging and damage to the seedlings' root system.

The following are mandatory requirements for plant care:

• regular watering with warm, settled water at a temperature of at least 26–30 degrees after the top layer begins to dry out;
• fertilizing the soil with mineral or organic fertilizers, especially during the flowering of bushes and the formation of future fruit ovaries.

Seeds can be sown to a depth of no more than 1–1.5 cm. Containers containing soil and seedlings should be kept in bright rooms with a temperature of approximately 25–27°C. Hot pepper varieties are extremely sensitive to picking and transplanting, so if possible, it's best to sow the seeds directly into separate small containers, typically special peat pots.

Reviews

Andrey Ivanovich, 39 years old

One of the most dangerous mistakes in caring for hot pepper bushes is overwatering the soil with cold water, as this can trigger root rot, leading to the loss of the expected harvest. The optimal watering schedule is twice a week, but if the peppers are grown on a windowsill with a heating system running underneath, the watering schedule should be increased to once every other day, as the soil dries out more quickly under these conditions.

Vladislav Anatolyevich, 54 years old

Thanks to their distinctive flavor, peppers remain resistant to most diseases. This is especially true for spider mites and aphids, which can fly onto the balcony from outside or "live" in other nearby plants. Peppers act as an effective deterrent. To prevent spider mite infestations, avoid excessively dry indoor air and long periods without watering. A better treatment is to spray with a baking soda solution (250 g per 7-8 liters of water) using a spray bottle. This treatment is recommended to be repeated twice, with a week between each.