The best black pepper varieties for greenhouses and open ground: descriptions with photos

Many people associate black pepper with a fragrant spice, but certainly not with the familiar bell pepper. Yes, they do exist, and they come in a rather unusual color.Everything we know about black pepper varieties is written here, with photos, in this article. Experienced gardeners know about them, but not everyone dares to grow them in their garden. Yet they are just as easy to grow as any other variety.

Description and characteristics of black pepper

The fruits are two- to three-locular, hollow, multi-seeded berries with a thick wall completely covered in seeds. The seeds contain placentas, which contain numerous small, flat seeds.

Black pepper leaves can be short or long, clustered or solitary. Colors range from green to blackish-green. The fruits themselves are quite large and solitary. Rarely, they grow in clusters, with a yellow base and corollas that are either white or green.

Properties

Black pepper can significantly improve digestive function and increase appetite. In folk medicine, it is used to prepare infusions, decoctions, and extracts for the treatment of viral diseases.

The fruit contains many beneficial elements, especially vitamin C. It also contains capsaicin, which is responsible for its pungent taste. A properly prepared pepper tincture can help combat dysbiosis, achylia, and gastritis. And thanks to its liniment, the vegetable is often added to pharmaceutical ointments.

Black pepper varieties

Below is a description of the best black pepper varieties. Each one is worth considering.

Black sugar

This vegetable variety belongs to the Bulgarian category. It is a very early hybrid, ripening 100-110 days after germination. It grows equally well in both open ground and greenhouses.

The bush grows up to 0.8 m, the fruit is conical with a pointed tip, weighing approximately 90 g. The color is dark, ranging from purple to cherry. The fruit tastes quite sweet and juicy. If grown in a greenhouse, you can get a yield of approximately 7 kg per square meter.

Purple Bell

It's also an early hybrid, ripening in a maximum of 85 days after germination. It adapts well to open ground, with a single plant growing to approximately 80 cm, no more. The "Purple Bell" pepper is quite large, roughly cube-shaped, and weighs approximately 170 g. The wall thickness is no more than 7 mm. It is resistant to most diseases, such as potato virus and tobacco mosaic virus.

Black Horse

Like the two previous hybrids, this one is early, ripening in 90-100 days after germination. It thrives equally well under plastic or in the garden. A mature bush grows quite tall, producing approximately 15 fruits per harvest, which is why it requires support.

A single ripe pepper can weigh up to 250 g, with walls up to 1 cm thick and a color ranging from dark purple to deep red. The "Black Horse" pepper is very juicy and has a slightly sweet flavor. It is resistant to adverse conditions and viral infections. A single square meter can yield up to 7.5 kg.

Bagheera

This variety deserves its beautiful name. Each fruit reaches 350 g when ripe. The color changes from dark chocolate to red chocolate over time.

This is an early hybrid. The bushes grow to approximately 50 cm. It can be grown both in a garden bed and in a greenhouse.

Mulatto

A mid-season hybrid, ripening in approximately 130 days. It is best suited for greenhouse cultivation. The bush reaches a medium height and is fairly spreading. The fruits are shaped like an elongated cube, weighing approximately 170 g, and their walls are no more than 7 mm thick. The surface has a glossy sheen. This variety has a distinct peppery aroma and tolerates minor temperature fluctuations well.

Sweet chocolate

This variety is distinguished by its late ripening (approximately 135 days) and the fact that it was developed by Siberian breeders. It grows up to 80 cm in height, has an elongated pyramidal shape, and weighs up to 125 g. At first ripening, it has a dark green hue, gradually turning chocolate brown over time. Interestingly, the inside is completely red.

It can be grown both in a garden bed and in a greenhouse. Unlike other varieties, it has good immunity to all pepper viruses.

Black Cardinal

A mid-season variety, it ripens 120 days after germination. It reaches 60 cm in height. As it ripens, it gradually transitions from black to bright red, and its shape resembles a truncated pyramid. It has a very sweet and juicy flavor. It produces a large yield, with up to 10 kg per square meter.

The Gypsy Baron

The bush grows up to 50 cm, with beautiful green leaves and flowers with a purple tint. This black pepper variety differs from others in its small fruit size (maximum 8 cm in length). At the beginning of ripening, the fruit is blue, gradually turning dark purple and then black. It produces a good yield of approximately 8 kg per square meter.

Fully ripe peppers have a pearlescent surface. Incidentally, the "Gypsy Baron" peppers grow with their tips pointing upward, looking like a beautiful bouquet from the side. They look very appetizing when preserved for the winter.

Rules for growing black pepper

Seeds should be sown starting in mid-February, but if this wasn't possible, you can postpone sowing until early spring. Place the prepared soil in a warm place until it warms up. Next, loosen the soil and water it with warm water, preferably. Sow the seeds in a container with the prepared soil and cover with plastic wrap until germination.

If you follow the advice above, even three-year-old seeds will germinate. You can expect uniform sprouting by the tenth day. Never place the containers on a radiator, otherwise the soil will dry out and the sprouts will die. You can keep them near a radiator to create the necessary temperature conditions.

Once the seedlings emerge en masse, the temperature will need to be lowered. To do this, move the containers to a greenhouse where the temperature will be maintained at 15°C (59°F). This will harden the seedlings well. Next, raise the temperature to 25°C (77°F).

Once a few leaves appear, transplant the seedlings into peat pots. Water the soil at the beginning of the process to avoid damaging the seedlings by pulling them out with their roots.

At this stage, a complete fertilizer application is necessary. Check for various pests (such as lice, aphids, and spider mites). If any are detected, treat the plant immediately.

If you strictly follow the rules, after 2 months the seedlings will already be about 25 cm high, with 12 beautiful leaves and strong stems on each bush.

As soon as the weather warms up, it's time to plant the seedlings in the ground, allowing the soil to warm up thoroughly. Yes, during this process, it's important to remember to space the seedlings approximately 35-45 cm apart.

Once the peppers have rooted, apply urea and complex fertilizers. Do this twice per season.

Reviews

Tatyana, 48 years old:

"I grew the 'Black Sugar' variety. I think it's quite good, but when cooked, it changes its beautiful color to brown. Fresh, it's juicy and sweet, a real table decoration. Its yield is just as good as other varieties I'm used to. I planted it again this year."

Galina, 52 years old:

"Last year I planted the 'Black Horse' variety. Frankly, I was very disappointed with the ripened fruit. It didn't have the thick walls I'd promised; it was just skin, and the taste was like grass, nothing more. The only plus was the beautiful color. I wouldn't risk planting it again."

Alexey, 46 years old:

"I bought 'Purple Bell' last February. The seeds are inexpensive. I planted five seeds to test them out. And they all germinated in just one week. This variety surprised me with its resistance to weather changes, something that regular bell peppers don't have."

After just 70 days, the fruits were large, fleshy, and dark red. They are simply stunning in cooking. Their extraordinary color not only enhances any dish but also adds a distinctive flavor.