Bell pepper seeds - the best varieties for open ground

Today's market for garden crops is astonishingly diverse. Peppers alone boast around 2,000 varieties, the majority of which are sweet. Bell peppers are easy to grow in our region, but care depends on many factors.

Since varieties come in early, mid-season, and late seasons, each gardener chooses the one they want to harvest within a specific timeframe. After all, the timing of sowing and planting seedlings largely depends on the climate. Choosing the best and most productive varieties of bell pepper seeds for outdoor cultivation is easy; expert experience and gardener reviews can help.

The best varieties of bell pepper seeds for outdoor cultivation

All varieties of sweet pepper are divided into three groups based on ripening time. These include early, mid-season, and late varieties.

Early

Among the early ripening peppers, the following crops should be noted:

1. Lumina are compact bushes up to half a meter tall. They are resilient to adverse weather conditions and resistant to a number of common pepper diseases. A 1 m² plot yields up to 8 kg of vegetables. The fruits are classic, cone-shaped, and red. The wall width ranges from 5 to 7 mm, and the fruit weighs approximately 140 g.

   

2. Bull – sturdy, low-growing bushes, resistant to weather changes. The fruits are quite large: a single pepper can weigh up to 300 g. They are cube-shaped and have thick, fleshy walls. When ripe, the peppers acquire a rich lemon color with a pearly sheen.
3. Big Papa – medium-tall, but very spreading bushes. The hybrid is characterized by disease resistance and good yield. The fruits are cone-shaped, purple-violet. The flesh is juicy, sweet, and emits a pleasant peppery aroma.

   

4. Star of the East F1 – a large-fruited hybrid with a magnificent aroma and excellent taste. The peppers are prismatic. The skin is thin and glossy. The flesh reaches 1 cm in thickness. The fruit color is rich shades of red, yellow, light orange, purple, and chocolate.

Mid-season

The following varieties are considered the best mid-season peppers:

1. A gift from Moldova – densely foliated, medium-sized peppers characterized by high yields. The fruits are drooping, cone-shaped, and dark red when ripe. Each pepper weighs up to 150 g. Gift of Moldova is easy to grow and has a strong immune system.

   

2. Ilya Muromets is a standard, medium-sized bush. The fruits are very large, weighing up to 300 g, with a glossy surface and no transverse ribbing. The fruit wall thickness is 0.5 cm. As the fruits ripen, their color changes from green to red. The variety is resistant to infectious diseases that cause wilting.
3. Fatsosum. Up to 15 ovaries form on short bushes, indicating a high yield. The peppers are large, truncated-conical, with a wall thickness of 0.8 cm. The fruit surface is glossy and bright red.

   

4. Yaroslav is a semi-standard, compact plant. The yield is average: 1.5-2 kg per square meter. The peppers are small, weighing up to 100 g. They have a flattened, round shape and a slightly ribbed surface. Ripe fruits are a rich yellow. This variety is resistant to some types of rot and verticillium wilt.

Late-ripening

Among the best late-ripening varieties, it is worth highlighting:

1. Black Cardinal is a medium-sized, standard plant with drooping fruit. This variety is noted for its high yield and excellent flavor. The peppers are cone-shaped and medium-sized. The flesh is 4.5-5 mm thick. The fruits have a rich, dark purple color.

   

2. Tenderness – tall, spreading bushes, reaching one and a half meters in height. Ripe fruits are a rich shade of red. They are shaped like a truncated cone with a blunt tip. Hidden beneath the delicate skin is thick, juicy flesh. Fruits of this variety grow up to 100 g.
3. Hercules – semi-spreading, medium-sized plants with drooping fruits. This variety is highly resistant to fusarium and late blight. Fruiting is high. The peppers are large and thick-walled. The fruits are cubic and glossy. As they ripen, their color changes from dark green to cherry red.

   

The most suitable varieties of sweet pepper for different regions of Russia

A good harvest depends largely on the climate in the growing region. Choosing the wrong variety can result not only in low yields but also in a complete lack of fruit set.

For the Voronezh region

The Voronezh Region enjoys a temperate continental climate. Forest-steppe predominates throughout its territory. However, the region's greatest asset is its fertile black soil, which occupies most of the region. This soil allows for the cultivation of a wide variety of bell peppers.

The following plant varieties are considered the most suitable:

1. Boyarin is an early ripening variety with dark red peppers.
2. Antiquary – huge juicy fruits, the weight of which exceeds 350 g.

   

3. Arap is a universal hybrid with purple fruits.
4. Asti – ultra-early cubic peppers of red and yellow colors.
5. Annushka is a high-yielding red-orange pepper.

   

For the Moscow region

The Moscow region's climate is characterized by distinct seasonal changes: warm summers and moderately cold winters. The warmest month in this region is July, so early and mid-season varieties of bell peppers are predominantly grown here. The following pepper varieties are well suited for the Moscow region:

1. Gold Medal is a high-yielding variety with elongated red peppers.
2. Beloserka is a high-yielding variety with light-lemon, fleshy, cone-shaped peppers that is incredibly resistant to adverse external factors.

   

3. Winnie the Pooh – low bushes with small, bright red peppers of ultra-early ripening period.

For Siberia

Siberia's climate allows only early-ripening varieties to be grown outdoors. The following sweet pepper varieties are suitable for the Siberian mountain climate:

1. Schegol is a cylindrical, dark yellow fruit with thick walls.

   

2. Tolstosum is a strong bush with large, sweet fruits.
3. Golden calf is a cube-shaped orange vegetable with flesh up to 2 cm thick.
4. Sweet Chocolate – small, dark brown, cube-shaped peppers with red flesh.

   

Peculiarities of growing bell peppers in open ground

Peppers cannot be grown from seeds in open ground; seedlings are needed, which can be purchased or grown independently.

Caring for seedlings

Seedlings are typically grown on windowsills or in heated greenhouses. To ensure healthy, strong seedlings, vegetable growers should follow these guidelines:

1. Seeds are sown in late February – early March. By the time the seedlings are transplanted into the garden, they should be 90 to 100 days old.
2. Peppers are very sensitive to transplantation, so it is advisable to use peat pots for this plant.
3. Good soil for seedlings should be light and nutritious at the same time.

   

4. The optimal daytime temperature for growing pepper seedlings is +25°C.
5. Sprouts are watered frequently but sparingly. Only warm, settled, chlorine-free water should be used for watering and spraying.
6. In cloudy weather, plants are provided with additional lighting.
7. Before planting in open ground, the seedlings are brought outside to fresh air. The air temperature should not fall below 13°C.

Planting and care in open ground

Peppers are planted in garden beds in May. In addition to frequent but moderate watering, caring for peppers in open areas requires the following essential procedures:

1. Loosening the soil. After each watering, loosen the soil around the pepper plants. Loosening the soil ensures good access to air and moisture for the pepper's root system. Loosening the soil should be done very carefully, as the plant's roots are located very close to the surface.
2. Fertilizer. Bushes require fertilization. Experts recommend alternating mineral fertilizers with organic fertilizers. The best organic fertilizer for plants is wood ash.
3. Bush shaping. Proper and timely pruning significantly increases yield.

Some varieties require staking. This mainly applies to plants over 75 cm tall and overly spreading bushes.

Reviews from gardeners and summer residents on the selection of sweet pepper varieties

Gardeners leave reviews about their personal experiences growing certain varieties of this crop:

Zyf76: "Last summer, I planted the Nochka and Big Papa varieties. I was pleased with the Nochka: juicy, black, glossy fruits, though the walls were a bit thin. Big Papa was disappointing. The promised huge fruits turned out to be small and unsightly. I won't be planting this variety again. I plan to plant Nochka again and the tried-and-true Big Mama."

GOST 385147: "The summer was unfavorable for gardening: frosts hit every June night, followed by a period of heavy rains. That summer, I planted the Mamontenok variety. Despite the weather, three plants each produced three to four large peppers with thick, juicy flesh. I think, if not for the weather, I would have had a good harvest."

katEnka2523: "I'd like to praise the California Miracle, especially the yellow one, and the Orange Classic. The former ripens early and is very productive. The peppers are large and tasty. The Orange Classic is ideal for stuffing: small, cone-shaped peppers. The fruit hung on right up until the frost. But the Lilac Mist was disappointing."

Myshanya: "I accidentally planted a California Miracle plant in my garden. I'd never grown it before, so I was pleasantly surprised by the results. Its yield and flavor rivaled any pepper I've ever grown. And the size of the fruit is second to none. I'll definitely be growing it again."

Lyubasha1976: "Last year I planted Red Bull peppers. It's a very good variety. The germination rate was 100%, but we didn't know what to do with the harvest. I plan to continue planting it."

When choosing a variety for outdoor cultivation, consider the local climate and desired harvest time. Also, pay attention to the shape and thickness of the fruit, as each variety has its own specific purpose.

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