The best varieties of orange peppers: descriptions with photos

Orange peppers look beautiful in the garden and add a touch of appeal to prepared dishes. But the beauty of these varieties extends beyond their striking color. In this article, we'll explore why you should plant orange bell peppers in your garden, what their benefits are, what to consider when growing them, and which orange pepper varieties are considered the best.

Description and characteristics of orange pepper

Orange bell peppers create a sunny atmosphere both in the garden and on the table, and they also offer numerous health benefits. They are rich in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Compared to other varieties, they have significantly higher levels of potassium, phosphorus, and rutin, and when eaten green, they are an excellent way to prevent cancer and tumors.

Orange pepper varieties can be ultra-early, early, mid-season, or late. But even the earliest varieties have a fairly long growing season, so they are grown exclusively from seedlings.

Experienced gardeners generally plant peppers at different ripening times. This allows them to have fresh fruit in their garden throughout the season.

Orange peppers can be grown outdoors, in a greenhouse, or even indoors on a balcony or windowsill. Recommended growing conditions should be indicated on the seed packaging. Peppers grown in a greenhouse won't produce the same yield as those grown outdoors.

When choosing varieties, you should also pay attention to the appearance of the potential garden plant. This primarily concerns the height and width of the bush. If reliable supports are not available, it's best to choose low-growing orange peppers.

Disease resistance is also of great importance. Most orange pepper varieties available today are hybrids and have already been treated for diseases and pests.

Health benefits of orange pepper

The orange color indicates a high carotene content. Translated from Latin, this word means "carrot," and indeed, the vegetable got its name from its distinctive hue. Previously, carrots were thought to be beneficial for vision and to be the leader in the content of essential nutrients, but after breeders developed orange bell peppers, they became the winner in this competition.

In addition to carotene, this pepper contains a huge amount of vitamin C. In this regard, it can even surpass lemon! Vitamins A, B, P, and E, iron, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, and other micronutrients make this vegetable a true treasure for everyone. Crucially, it is hypoallergenic, and thanks to its low calorie content (26 kcal per 100 g), it doesn't harm your figure.

Early orange varieties

They say early pepper varieties lack a distinctive flavor and aroma. Perhaps, but not the orange group. All of them are characterized by vibrant color, thick, fleshy, juicy walls, increased yield, and rich flavor.

Let's briefly dwell on the most popular early varieties of orange pepper.

Orange Wonder

This hybrid produces fruit 100-105 days after the first shoots emerge. At this point, the fruit is still green but edible. It develops its orange color later. Each pepper weighs 250 grams, with a wall thickness of approximately one centimeter.

It has a high seed germination rate. It can be grown outdoors, but produces best results in greenhouses, with three plants per square meter.

The bush reaches one meter in height and therefore requires support. One square meter produces up to 15 kg of fruit.

It is mainly eaten fresh or in salads.

Orange Bull

https://youtu.be/VlOlLwOi_7I

This orange pepper is beloved by gardeners not only for its early ripening and good germination rate. Its main advantage is its increased yield. Even in a small plot, you can grow enough fruit for the whole family.

The fruits are quite large, weighing between 200 and 450 grams. The shape is slightly elongated. The wall thickness is up to one centimeter.

It can be grown both under plastic and in open ground. It is resistant to diseases and pests, even to tobacco mosaic virus.

It is used fresh, suitable for freezing and canning, but due to the size of the fruits, they do not fit whole in a jar, so they have to be cut into pieces.

Kinkan

This hybrid is often chosen as an ornamental plant due to the neat shape of its low bushes and miniature fruits, but they also have a more than decent taste, so the variety can be called universal.

It can be grown in a greenhouse, in the open ground, or indoors. Kinkan looks especially beautiful planted in a decorative flowerpot. The bush, with its rich green leaves, is abundantly covered with orange peppers up to 5 cm in size. The peppers are eaten fresh, added to salads, first and second courses, and used for canning.

Orange mini

Another hybrid, classified as a mini pepper. It can also be grown indoors or outdoors. The bush reaches up to half a meter, is lush, and covered with fruits weighing up to 35 grams. It is disease-resistant. It prefers moisture and warmth, but requires increased fertilization.

Contains a lot of vitamin C and sugars.

Used for preparing fresh summer dishes, as well as for canning.

Amber

This sweet pepper reaches technical maturity 110 days after germination, but at this point the fruits are still green. Only after two weeks will they turn a rich orange. They can be picked green and left to ripen indoors; only then will the color be more dark yellow than orange.

The peppers are medium-sized, weighing up to 100 grams. The bushes grow up to a meter tall, so they require support.

Culinary use is universal.

Orange miracle

This hybrid is the most popular of all orange varieties. It can be identified by its brighter color. Harvesting begins in 90-95 days. The cube-shaped fruits, weighing up to 250 grams, have a very distinct, pleasant flavor.

The walls are thick, approximately 7-9 mm. The flesh is juicy. The bush reaches a height of up to a meter, so support is essential.

It can be grown both outdoors and indoors. It requires enhanced nutrition, especially during flowering and fruiting.

It has an attractive appearance, stores well and can be transported without problems, so it is often grown for sale.

Orange Delight

This early-ripening hybrid has a small, compact bush and medium-sized fruits. It can be grown in any conditions. It's suitable not only for open and closed garden beds, but also for growing indoors on windowsills or balconies.

The pepper is very beautiful. Despite its small size, it has very thick walls, up to one centimeter thick. A bush can bear 15-20 peppers at a time. They change color as they ripen, adding to its charm.

From one square meter you can collect 10-15 kg, depending on the stability of environmental conditions and the nutritional value of the soil.

The undoubted advantage of this variety is that even after processing it does not lose its taste and aroma.

It is also popular due to its excellent presentation, shelf life, and resistance to transportation, even over long distances.

Orange beauty

This hybrid grows quite tall. The bush can reach a meter or slightly higher, but since it is a standard variety, it requires no shaping. It thrives in any soil type. The yield per square meter can reach up to 10 kg. It should be planted spacingly. There should be no more than seven bushes per square meter, otherwise the plants will shade each other.

The harvest can be started 90-95 days after the first shoots appear. The fruits are large, weighing 210-250 grams, and very juicy. They have a sweet taste.

The variety is resistant to many diseases, including verticillium wilt.

The early orange bell pepper varieties we've listed are considered the most proven. They produce a good harvest, require little care, are pest-resistant, and are resistant to infections and fungi. They also boast a rich flavor and a very pleasant aroma, as well as a wealth of vitamins.

Other orange varieties

Early pepper varieties are essential for regions with short summers. They produce a harvest as early as June. However, mid-season and late varieties can also be grown together to ensure harvests throughout the season. Therefore, it's also worth briefly familiarizing yourself with the best representatives of these categories.

Big gold

This variety is mid-early and can be grown both under plastic and in open ground. The fruits contain increased amounts of vitamin C. At biological maturity, they acquire a rich yellow color with an orange tint. Fruit weight up to 220 grams, and wall thickness up to 8 mm.

It has versatile culinary uses. It has a pleasant, slightly sweet flavor and a very rich aroma.

The bushes are medium-height (up to 75 cm). Up to 7 kg of pepper can be harvested per square meter.

Orange Lion

This variety surprises with its unusual combination of a small bush height (up to 45 cm) and fairly large, bright orange fruits (up to 300 g).

Ripens approximately 120 days after emergence.

A hybrid of this variety was recently developed. Orange Lion F1 is intended exclusively for greenhouses; the bushes grow up to a meter, and the fruits are the same size as those of its closest relative.

When choosing between the original and a hybrid, focus on the natural conditions of the region and the place where you will grow it.

Orange Classic

A mid-early variety. Ripens in 95-120 days, depending on whether grown outdoors or in a greenhouse.

The fruits weigh no more than 100-120 grams. They are distinguished by their interesting conical shape and upward growth. The bushes are medium-spreading, reaching a height of up to 60 cm.

At technical maturity, the fruits are green, and at biological maturity, they are bright orange. They are juicy, sweet, and fleshy. They can be used fresh or in any culinary recipe.

Fox

This pepper variety is considered the smallest of the orange varieties. "Foxtail" is suitable for growing indoors or in a greenhouse. Each pepper weighs only 25-35 grams, but has a very pleasant taste and a rich aroma. Even when grown on a windowsill, a single plant can yield up to 1.2 kg, while in a greenhouse, this figure nearly doubles.

It takes 110 days from emergence to technical maturity, and 130-135 days to biological maturity.

Voivode

This mid-early variety is suitable for growing in open ground and greenhouses. The bush reaches 65 cm in height. Fruits are green and weigh up to 180-200 grams at technical maturity, while at biological maturity they are orange and weigh up to 300 grams. The flesh is sweet, juicy, and aromatic. The wall thickness is 6-7 mm.

The yield is high, reaching up to 8-10 kg per square meter. It's versatile in culinary applications.

Star of the East orange

This mid-early variety ripens in 115-120 days. Suitable for both open and closed ground. The bush is 60-70 cm tall and spreads moderately. The fruits are yellow-orange, sweet, and aromatic. Each fruit weighs up to 200 grams.

It is resistant to viral diseases. With proper cultivation practices, up to 8 kg of fruit can be harvested per square meter.

It's used fresh, but it's also suitable for canning and freezing. It doesn't do well stuffed.

Star of the East Mandarin

This hybrid is considered an early-ripening variety. The bush reaches 80 cm in height and requires support. The fruits are juicy, fleshy, dark orange, cubic in shape, and weigh up to 230-250 grams.

From one square meter you can collect up to 7-7.5 kg.

Due to its good commercial appearance, its ability to be stored for a long time, and its ability to withstand even long-distance transportation, it is often grown for sale.

Its use in cooking is universal.

Sun

The "Solnyshko" pepper is a short variety. The bushes are not spreading, not growing taller than 45 cm. The fruits weigh 60-80 grams, are a rich yellow-orange color, have thin skin, and a distinct, pleasant flavor without bitterness. They can be grown both outdoors and indoors.

It's considered a mid-season variety. It takes 115 days to reach technical maturity, and 160 days to reach biological maturity.

It thrives on full sun and high humidity. It is resistant to verticillium wilt and fruit rot. It has versatile culinary uses.

Firefly

This mid-early hybrid was bred exclusively for greenhouse cultivation. It takes 120-130 days from germination to harvest. The medium-spreading bush reaches 70 cm in height. The pyramidal-shaped fruits weigh approximately 100 grams. They have a sweet flavor and a distinct aroma. A single bush yields up to 1.5-1.7 kg of fruit.

The main distinguishing feature of this variety is that it is never green. At technical maturity, the fruits are yellow; at biological maturity, they are bright orange.

The Orange King

This mid-season hybrid ripens in 110-130 days. It is dark green when ripe, and light orange when ripe. The average fruit weight is 175-180 grams. It has a pleasant flavor and a rich aroma.

The plant is medium-height and fairly compact. 4-6 kg of fruit are harvested per square meter.

It is intended for growing under film, but if the weather conditions in the region are stable, it can also be planted in open ground.

Used fresh and for canning.

Ryzhik

This early-ripening hybrid is suitable for both open and closed ground cultivation. The plant is semi-standard. The bush is not shaped, leaving only a single main stem.

The fruits are ready to harvest 98-105 days after the first shoots appear. The fruit is slightly elongated, weighing up to 160 grams. The wall is thick, up to 9 mm. The flesh is very aromatic, juicy, and sweet. Suitable for all types of recipes.

It is distinguished by its long fruiting period; the main thing is to collect ripe peppers on time.

Orange Jubilee

An early variety. Suitable for both open and closed ground. Bushes are medium-height.

The fruits are harvested 95-100 days after the first shoots appear. They are tomato-shaped and round. They weigh 85-90 grams. The walls are up to cm thick. The flesh is juicy and sweet.

Suitable for any culinary recipes and simply ideal for stuffing.

Rules for growing orange peppers

Growing orange bell peppers is similar to other varieties. Seedlings are planted in mid-February to early March. After two true leaves appear, they are pricked out, given root feeding, and foliar feeding two weeks later. Hardening off before planting is essential. However, there are some nuances that must be taken into account to ensure a good harvest.

Orange peppers are considered delicate plants, and indeed, this crop is quite demanding, especially when it comes to air temperature. If nights are cool, it's essential to use cover, and avoid drafts while growing seedlings. Humidity is crucial. Overdrying the soil or air can lead to disease and even death.

It wouldn't hurt to provide additional protection for the root system. The main recommendation is to plant the seeds not in a common container, but directly into individual cups. It's especially helpful if you can use peat cups. Then, when the seedling is ready to be transplanted into the soil, you can plant it directly into the hole, significantly reducing potential damage.

Some varieties can be picked at technical maturity and left to ripen. However, it's important to understand that the fruits can only acquire the maximum amount of nutrients in natural conditions and only if they receive sufficient light, warmth, moisture, and vital nutrients from the soil.

Reviews

Nikolai Pavlovich, 58 years old

Orange peppers have always been a staple in my garden. I'm not particularly knowledgeable about the varieties, as I mostly harvest the seeds myself and get confused. I used to think that the huge, glossy bell peppers sold in stores mostly in early spring or winter were harmful and only grew abroad.

I don't know about their nitrate content, but I only discovered that such giants can be grown in a garden bed this year. A neighbor grew his own seedlings and gave me a few plants. They're simply wonderful. It's a shame that almost all orange peppers are hybrids, so you have to buy the seeds, not harvest them yourself.

Alevtina Viktorovna, 63 years old

I don't like experimenting. I try to grow only crops that have long been known and proven. But my daughter-in-law planted new varieties of peppers this year. I really liked them. If you don't pick them green, they first turn yellow and then bright orange. They even have a different taste. I'd rather not waste such a treasure on preserves and only eat them fresh.

Natalia, 30 years old

I'm so glad that every year more and more varieties of vegetables are available for growing at home. We have a dacha, but we can't get there regularly to water and fertilize them. So potted plants are the best option. I recommend planting orange mini peppers. They don't require a lot of space, and you'll have fresh vitamins on hand practically all year round. And how beautiful it is when it's raining or snowing outside, and the peppers are thriving on the windowsill!

Many gardeners buy orange peppers for their distinctive appearance, but they are confident that once they taste them and learn about their incredible benefits, their fans will grow.