Sweet peppers for greenhouses in the Moscow region – the best varieties and reviews

Despite the relative lack of sunlight, short summers, and high humidity in the Moscow region, breeders have developed numerous varieties of sweet peppers that are ideal for greenhouse cultivation in this climate zone. Due to the potential for frost in May, it is recommended to germinate pepper seeds and plant them as seedlings before planting them in greenhouse soil.

With proper care, pepper varieties recommended for greenhouses in the Moscow region can produce decent harvests of delicious fruit throughout the summer, right up until the onset of severe cold weather.

Conditions and features of growing peppers in greenhouses in the Moscow region

The Moscow region is informally known as the Moscow region, or Podmoskovie (Moscow suburbs). The flat terrain has a moderate continental climate. Seasons are distinct: winters are frosty, with January being the coldest month, while summers, though short, are warm. The highest temperature occurs in July. The local soils, eroded to varying degrees, are not particularly fertile. Even the small amount of chernozem (black soil) is leached and podzolized.

Due to the limited number of truly summer days, it's important to consider that the pepper harvest must be completed within a relatively short period. April or May are favorable months for transplanting plants into the greenhouse.

For example, if you plan to transplant peppers in early May, the seedlings should be visible by early March. To determine the sowing date, subtract an additional 14 days, as this is the time needed for early varieties to germinate. This means that in the Moscow region, seeding should take place in mid-February. A lunar calendar can help determine the exact dates.

When choosing a planting site, light, well-drained soils are preferred. These should be prepared in the fall. Organic fertilizers are applied initially, followed by phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. In the spring, the upper layers are fertilized with ammonium nitrate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJI2mM67D4w

The best varieties of sweet peppers for greenhouses in the Moscow region, according to 2018 reviews

To select the most resilient and productive varieties for the Moscow region, it's important to consult the experience of experts and gardeners. According to their feedback, early-ripening varieties are best suited for planting in challenging weather conditions, although there are other pepper varieties capable of producing a good harvest.

Early ripening

Early-ripening peppers are an excellent choice for greenhouse planting in this region, given the short local summers. The most popular varieties are:

1. Apricot Favorite. This variety's advantage is its relatively small bush, reaching only 50 cm. The conical fruits are also not very large, weighing up to 120 g. It produces a stable harvest.

   

2. Tusk. The elongated, cylindrical fruit, weighing up to 150 g, is prized in cooking for its aroma, sweet flavor, and distinctly juicy flesh. However, the bushes grow quite tall—about 160 cm.
3. Big Papa. This cylindrical, thick-walled vegetable has a brownish-red hue. It weighs about 100 g. It's disease-resistant and produces a good yield.
4. Bugay. It's one of the earliest-ripening peppers. Its bright yellow, thick-walled fruit can weigh up to 500 g. The bushes reach 60 cm.

   

5. Health. One bush of this variety can produce up to 15 cone-shaped, oblong fruits weighing approximately 40 g.
6. Kolobok. A low-growing variety, which is an advantage for this region, the 40 cm tall bush produces spherical, thick-walled fruits weighing up to 150 g. Recommended for canning and stuffing.
7. Fat Baron. A 60 cm (24 in) spherical plant can produce up to 9 bright red, cube-shaped peppers, each weighing 300 g (10 oz).

   

8. Tenderness. This variety is distinguished by its sweetness and juiciness. The red pepper, shaped like a cone, is large and has a thin skin.

Mid-season

Among the mid-season varieties, the following are popular:

1. A gift from MoldovaDisease-resistant and temperature-resistant plants produce red, cone-shaped fruits, each weighing up to 85 g. Due to their compact size (up to 60 cm), the bush does not require staking.
2. Lumina. Red, fragrant, juicy fruits weighing up to 110 g are resistant to transportation and long-term storage, which can be an advantage if you want to sell them. The plant is considered disease-resistant.

   

3. Poltavsky. A fairly tall plant (up to 170 cm) that can bear fruit for a long time. The red pepper is cone-shaped. The variety is disease-resistant.
4. AgapovskyThe plant is particularly disease-resistant. Its considerable number of leaves allows for a fairly compact bush. The cube-shaped fruits weigh approximately 130 g.

   

Late-ripening

For those who prefer late-ripening crops, the following options exist:

1. BellThis juicy pepper is unaffected by low temperatures and doesn't require a lot of moisture. Its juiciness and flavor are comparable to earlier ripening varieties.

   

2. Korenovsky. This easy-to-care-for variety is quite disease-resistant. Its large, heavy fruits have a rather piquant flavor.
3. Maxim. It doesn't require much care and is perfect for growing in a garden. The large fruits have a distinct, pleasant aroma.

   

How to grow vegetables in a greenhouse?

The climate in this region leaves no room for error for gardeners. Preparation and planting must be carried out with particular care and in accordance with clearly defined guidelines.

Seed preparation

Seed treatment not only increases the chance of successful and timely germination but also ensures favorable plant development during the subsequent stages of maturation. Seeds should be immersed in water heated to 50°C.

After removing the seeds, the next step is to lay them out on a pre-moistened cloth. It's important to wait until they sprout, which occurs after about three days. This procedure ensures that the first sprouts can be seen as early as the second day after sowing.

Sowing seeds

Before transplanting seeds into containers, a regular seedling box with drainage at the bottom is a suitable container for sowing. Instead of the usual gravel or expanded clay, gardeners recommend using eggshells, finely crushed before use. Besides providing good drainage, eggshells can also serve as a good fertilizer for future seedlings.

The seeds placed in the holes are carefully covered with soil, which is sprayed with warm water; it is recommended to use a spray bottle for this.

Pepper seedling picking technology

Pricking out should only begin after 2-3 full-fledged leaves have emerged. To separate the root ball, water the soil beforehand. Then, prepare a space for the seedlings in separate, selected containers. When separating the seedlings with a spatula, be extremely careful not to damage the stems.

The transplanted pepper is filled with soil up to the thickening above the rhizome and watered. To acclimate the young plants to their new environment, they are left in a warm, shaded location.

Transplanting seedlings into a greenhouse

You should begin the replanting procedure after the plant has acquired 10-15 full leaves and buds, and its height reaches 15-25 cm.

Peppers are hardened off 14 days before the scheduled transplanting date. On warm days, the seedlings are placed outdoors in a location protected from direct sunlight. Initially, the plants are taken outside for short periods of time, gradually increasing this period. After 7-10 days, the peppers should be placed outdoors during the warm daytime and brought indoors at night.

The soil in the planting area is thoroughly but shallowly dug to ensure the roots receive sufficient aeration. To ensure successful adaptation, the soil should be covered with a layer of turf; humus can also be used for this purpose.

Peppers are planted 25-30 cm apart. This spacing takes into account not only the root system but also the ease of future tying. The distance between beds should be 80 cm. This will ensure comfortable root growth and good access to each bed.

Watering and fertilizing

You can make your own plant food. Add the following to 10 liters of water:

• 10 g ammonium nitrate;
• 20 g calcium nitrate;
• 30 g double superphosphate.

Each seedling is thoroughly watered with this solution. Organic fertilizer is also applied to accelerate growth and ripening time, which is then watered in the evening.

Peppers should be watered sparingly. This means watering the plants frequently, but in small amounts, as overwatering can cause root rot.

Caring for plants during the fruiting period

Non-fruit-bearing shoots should be removed. They provide no benefit and can hinder growth and create unnecessary shade.

Leaves need to be trimmed periodically, two leaves at a time. The first pruning is done after fruit has grown in the bottom row, and the same principle applies to the other tiers.

Reviews of the best sweet pepper varieties for 2018

Mikhail Stepanovich: "I live in the Moscow region and have been growing peppers for a good ten years, but I never sell them; I grow them exclusively for myself. My current favorites are Orange King, Bagheera, and Red Elephant. I'm drawn to these varieties not only for their flavor but also for their appearance, rich in color. The plants are disease-resistant, and their yields have never disappointed me. I grow peppers exclusively in a polycarbonate greenhouse."

Margarita Igorevna: "My opinion remains that every variety of this vegetable is unique and has its own strengths. Every variety I've tried in greenhouse conditions has yielded good results. However, my favorite remains 'Paris.' It ripens early in the greenhouse, which is undoubtedly a huge plus."

Elizaveta Maksimovna: "I've been planting sweet peppers for years now, and I only choose early varieties. I emphasize the word "varieties," as I don't grow hybrids. I transplant the seedlings into the greenhouse in mid-May, removing the plastic wrap after a while and leaving the peppers to grow in the open ground."

Valentin Sergeevich: "My space is large enough to grow peppers for both personal use and for sale. Every year, I try to plant as many plants as possible. I've settled on several well-known early varieties: Ivanhoe, Funtik, Triton, and Gerakl. I sow the seeds in late February and transplant them directly into small closed greenhouses. After a while, I remove the plastic. I haven't had a bad harvest in years."

Despite the challenging climate and less-than-fertile soils, gardeners have a wide variety of varieties to choose from for a successful harvest in the Moscow region.