The best varieties and hybrids of sweet peppers

Pepper

Growing vegetables is a challenging yet rewarding endeavor. For some, it's a hobby, for others, a profession. The first step in planting is selecting seeds. To help you make your choice, let's consider what a hybrid is, a pure variety, and which sweet pepper varieties are rightfully considered the best.

Hybrid or variety: which is better?

To understand which is better, a pure variety or a hybrid, it is necessary to consider the concepts themselves and their advantages and disadvantages.

A hybrid is a plant variety that results from crossing several varieties to improve flavor, appearance, and yield. Seeds collected from hybrids do not convey the qualities inherent in their parents. Hybrids are labeled as F1 on seed packets.

A pure variety is the name of a group of plants with a characteristic set of qualities. Each variety within a given group is similar to one another but has its own distinctive characteristics. Seeds of these varieties retain the characteristics of their parents and can be planted year after year without any changes.

Advantages of hybrids:

ideal external parameters of fruits;
high level of productivity;
disease resistance;
self-pollination.

Disadvantages of a hybrid:

it is necessary to create favorable conditions for the plant (optimal temperature conditions, regular fertilizing, and ensure there are no weeds);
the seeds from the fruits will not bear fruit the following year.

Advantages of pure varieties:

the variety is easy to care for;
the fruits are rich in vitamins;
the taste of the fruit is juicy and pleasant;
tolerate various weather conditions.

Cons:

Varietal plants are pollinated by bees, sometimes this causes inconvenience, because you have to do the pollination yourself;
It is difficult to collect seeds from cross-pollinated plants; the primary characteristics of the variety are lost.

Hybrids are preferred for commercial cultivation because they have excellent marketability, resilience, and excellent yields, despite the need for favorable conditions. Varietal plants are popular among home gardeners, who value their taste, nutritional value, and ease of maintenance. To determine which group of plants best suits your needs, purchase hybrid seeds and pure varieties and experiment.

Recommended pepper varieties for planting in open ground and greenhouses

Peppers are a vegetable rich in beneficial vitamins. They are grown in small garden plots, greenhouses, and fields. Bell peppers are the most common in Russia.

Apricot Favorite

The "Apricot Favorite" is prized for its low maintenance. The plant's full growing season lasts 90-100 days. It is planted in open ground or greenhouses. The bushes grow no more than 60 cm tall, producing a neat, compact appearance.

The peppers are cone-shaped. The fruit is light green when ripe, turning orange when fully ripe. The flesh walls are 5 to 7 mm thick. Each peppercorn weighs 100-150 g. Up to 20 peppers ripen on a bush. Plant 4-6 plants per square meter. "Apricot Favorite" is sweet and suitable for preserves and garnishes.

The main benefits of pepper are:

fleshy walls of fruits;
early maturity;
resistant to various viruses and bacteria;
can be grown in open ground, greenhouses;
pleasant taste.

The disadvantage is that you need to water the pepper with warm water.

Agapovsky

The Agapovsky pepper is an early variety, ripening in 100-105 days. Russian breeders worked diligently to develop this variety. The bushes are leafy and neat, growing to a height of 50-70 cm.

The fruits are scarlet. They are prismatic in shape, with prominent ribs. The pepper walls are 6-7 mm thick. According to various farmers, the fruit weighs 100-120 g. The yield per square meter is 9-11 kg. It is planted in greenhouses and open ground. Advantages of "Agapovsky":

shows resistance to many diseases;
valued for its high yields;
excellent pepper flavor;
contains a high concentration of useful microelements.

The downside is the appearance of blossom-end rot when the air temperature is low enough and the air humidity is high.

Orange

The yield per square meter is 7 kg. The fruits are rightly called "Orange," as they are a deep orange. The peppers are small, weighing only 40-50 grams. An average plant produces 20-30 fruits. The plant height is 40-50 cm. The walls are 4-5 mm thick. The advantages of this variety include:

high concentration of carotene in the peel;
the plant is practically disease-free;
no need to tie to pegs;
The fruits are harvested very early.

The variety can be grown in the central and northwestern regions of the country.

California Miracle

"California Wonder" should be planted and grown in a greenhouse. Small bushes are a delight, reaching only 60-70 cm in height. They have dense foliage. A single plant produces 8-10 peppers at a time. The peppers are cubic in shape. Fully ripe peppers are red, weighing on average 80-150 grams. The flavor is sweet, even when they are at the technical ripeness stage.

The plant exhibits resistance to verticillium wilt and tobacco mosaic. It is an ingredient in various dishes. It was officially registered in the Russian Federation in 1999. The pepper has a medium ripening period.

Hybrids pepper

Some of the best sweet pepper hybrids are the varieties: Kakadu and Isabella.

Sweet pepper hybrid "Kakadu" F1

The mid-season hybrid variety "Kakadu" is named for a reason, as its fruits resemble the beak of a beautiful cockatoo. It is grown indoors, as it is sensitive to temperature conditions. Full maturity takes 120-130 days.

The bushes are tall, reaching 0.9-1.6 m. They will need to be tied to a support. The fruits are elongated, cone-shaped, and bright red. The hybrid stands out for its fruit weight, averaging 300-400 grams. The pepper walls are 6-8 mm thick. With proper cultivation and care, a single plant will yield 2.5-3 kg. "Kakadu" is ideal for making lecho, canning, and fresh salads.

Sweet pepper hybrid "Isabella" F1

Isabella is a high-yielding hybrid. It is recommended to grow it indoors. The bushes are tall and require staking. A single plant produces 15-20 fruits at a time. The flesh is dense, 7-10 mm.

Ripe peppers are cube-shaped with prominent ribs. Each pepper weighs 90-140 grams. They are red in color. Full-fledged fruits mature in 120-125 days. They are prized for their shelf life, excellent presentation, and transportability.

Rules for growing sweet peppers

Growing seedlings:

Before planting, it's recommended to treat purchased or collected seeds with the growth stimulant "Epin." You'll need 100 ml of water and 4-6 drops of the product. Soak for 20-24 hours. This will increase the resilience of the young plant and accelerate its development.
The soil for planting seeds must be disinfected and fertilized. It's best to use special soil that's already fertilized and disinfected. You can prepare the soil yourself. To do this, mix a bucket of garden soil, add two buckets of peat, and one bucket of aged sawdust. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and place them in the greenhouse.
The seeds are planted at a depth of 1 cm. The soil beneath the seeds should be lightly compacted. They should be watered with warm water. The temperature in the greenhouse is +25°C during the day and +18°C at night. Humidity should be between 60-65%. The first sprouts appear in 7-10 days, depending on the variety.
The first seedling feeding is done when the first leaves appear. To prepare the solution, you will need: 1 liter of warm water, 0.5 g of ammonium nitrate, 3 g of superphosphate, and 1 g of potassium. The second feeding is done 15 days after the first. The composition is the same, but the fertilizer dose is doubled.

Transplantation into a greenhouse or open ground:

After 40-70 days, the seedlings can be transplanted into open or closed soil. Before planting outdoors, young plants need to be hardened off. To do this, gradually lower the air temperature in the greenhouse 10-15 days before planting, creating small drafts.
Before replanting, the holes should be fertilized with aged manure and ash. Seedlings are planted in late May and early June, as the plants cannot withstand frost. It's best to plant peppers in the evening to allow them time to acclimate overnight.

Caring for sweet peppers.

Sweet pepper care is divided into greenhouse and open-ground care. Peppers are heat-loving plants, so it's best grown indoors.
Peppers need to be watered once a week unless the climate is very hot. If it is, monitor the soil for moisture. The plant doesn't like drought; if it doesn't get enough moisture, gray mold will appear on the leaves, and the flowers will dry out and fall off.
Tall pepper varieties need to be tied to a support, so if you don't want to spend extra time on this process, choose low-growing, standard-sized plants;
It is necessary to loosen and weed the soil under the plants. Weeding is necessary to remove weeds, and loosening is necessary to saturate the root system with oxygen;
periodically monitor the condition of plants and the appearance of pests.

The best pepper varieties for open ground

"Funtik" is an early variety suitable for planting in open ground. The vegetables reach maturity 125-129 days after the sprouts emerge from the soil. It grows to a height of 0.5-0.7 m. The bushes are densely foliated. Ripe fruits are red, weighing 0.14-0.18 kg. The vegetables grow prismatic. This pepper is resistant to verticillium wilt and mosaic. According to data obtained over several years of planting this pepper, the yield is 5.5-7.2 kg per square meter.
'Czardas' is a productive variety. The full growing cycle takes 105-128 days. The bushes are determinate, up to 70 cm tall. Each fruit weighs 100-200 g. The walls are 5-6 mm thick, and the color is orange with red highlights. Various farms yielded an average of 8-10 kg per square meter. Up to 20 peppers can be produced simultaneously per plant.
'Barguzin' is suitable for planting in open ground. Fruits reach a weight of 170-200 grams. Ripe vegetables are harvested 120-130 days after germination. It is highly resistant to tobacco mosaic virus. Fruit color can be light green or yellow. The pericarp of this pepper averages 5-6 mm. Bushes reach a height of 0.8-1 m.
"Cornet" is an early-ripening vegetable with a biological maturity period of 120-138 days. The bushes are vigorous but sparsely foliated. The plant is semi-determinate. The pepper is prismatic, weighing 150-220 g. Ripe fruits are brown, unusual for peppers. The wall thickness is 5-7 mm. It is valued for its high fruit set and resistance to tobacco mosaic.
'Akkord' is a sweet pepper variety with a yield of 7-10 kg per m². The fruits are green at technical maturity, and turn red at biological maturity. The conical fruits weigh 160-190 grams. The plant height is 0.7-1 m.
'Buratino' is a first-generation F1 hybrid. The peppers are cone-shaped, 12-15 cm long, and the bushes reach 70-100 cm in height. Ripe peppers are red. The peppers are prized for their long shelf life and transportability. Average weight is 80-120 grams. The pericarp of ripe peppers is 4-5 mm.
'Yunga' is an early-ripening pepper, reaching maturity 122-132 days after the seeds emerge from the soil. The bushes are low-growing, 0.5-0.6 m tall. Fruits weigh 130-180 grams. The pulp walls are 5-7 mm thick. 10-14 fruits are formed at a time. At biological maturity, the pepper is red. Plant up to 8 plants per square meter. This pepper is easy to care for.
'Litsedey' is an early, productive pepper variety with semi-determinate bushes. The plant reaches a height of 0.7-1.5 m and may require staking. Fruits average 250-300 grams in weight. Ripe fruit walls are 6-7 mm thick. At biological maturity, the peppers are bright red. A single plant produces 30-35 fruits.
'Bagration' is a tasty, medium-yielding variety, yielding 5-7 kg per m². The fruits are technically ripe by the 100th day. The bushes are sparsely leafed, reaching a height of 0.8-1 m. The peppers resemble yellow tomatoes in appearance. Their shape is prismatic-rounded. Ripe fruits are a sunny yellow. They weigh on average 150-200 grams.
"Smile" is a pepper prized for its rapid fruit formation over a 120-day period. The peppers weigh 180-250 grams and are cone-shaped. Up to 25 fruits form on a single plant. Tobacco mosaic disease is unaffected. The fruits are ready to eat when they are still green, but already sweet.
"Nafanya" is an early pepper variety that is resilient to adverse conditions. The bushes grow compact and upright, reaching a height of 70-120 cm. Red fruits, weighing 140-170 grams, form in 120-130 days. The pepper's shape resembles a triangular cone, 11-12 cm long. It stands out among other varieties for its continuous growth and flowering.
'Sorvanets' is a medium-sized pepper, 50-90 cm tall, with a ripening period of 125 days. The bushes are semi-determinate. Fruits weigh 80-160 grams and are 7-10 cm long. The fruits are red, with a pericarp thickness of 6-7 mm. A single plant can bear 20-30 fruits. As they grow, they will need to be tied to a support structure.
The "Zaznayka" variety bears fruit 100-140 days after germination. The bushes are semi-determinate, upright, and have medium foliage. The plant can reach up to 1 m in height. The fruits are fleshy and round-prismatic. Each pepper weighs 160-250 grams. The peppers are red. This pepper is prized for its transportability and excellent taste.
'Lumina' is grown in any region, as it is virtually unaffected by weather conditions. The fruits are medium-sized, weighing 80-110 grams. The skin is white with a green or pink tint. The fruit walls are 5-6 mm thick. The fruits are suitable for long-term storage and long-distance transportation.
'Ivanhoe' is an excellent variety for growing outdoors. Fruit reaches technical maturity within 100 days of germination. The peppers weigh an average of 90-130 grams and are red in color.

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"Marinkin Yazychok" is a sweet pepper that is resistant to adverse weather conditions. The bushes are small, 50-70 cm, and produce 15-20 fruits per plant at a time. The average pepper weight is 200 grams. It has a long shelf life.
"Triton" peppers produce a high yield of 9-11 kg per square meter. Fruit weight is 100-120 g. The elongated fruits resemble the amphibious newt. They are disease-resistant. At technical maturity, the fruits are light green, and at biological maturity, they are red.
"Eroshka" is an early-harvesting variety, harvesting within 120-130 days from germination. The bushes are neat and compact, with each averaging 0.3-0.5 m in height. Fruits weigh 120-180 grams with a pericarp thickness of 5-6 mm. A single bush produces 10-16 fruits.

Each of the presented varieties is similar to each other, but at the same time, each pepper is unique.