Sweet peppers for the Urals and Siberia – the best varieties and reviews

Sweet peppers are a vegetable crop belonging to the genus Capsicum and the Solanaceae family, widely grown in gardens and greenhouses. The hollow fruits of this plant are a common ingredient in salads, main dishes, and preserves. These vibrant vegetables pair well with grains, meat, and fish, imparting a subtle sweetness.

However, thanks to the efforts of plant breeders, there are now many pepper varieties more resilient to Russia's variable climate. Therefore, every vegetable gardener can confidently grow sweet peppers in their garden, choosing the best varieties for their region, even the relatively cold Urals.

Regional climate characteristics and their impact on pepper cultivation

The Urals' climate is characterized by its variability due to its north-south orientation. Consequently, the region's northern and southern regions belong to different climate zones: subarctic and temperate.

The weather conditions in this region are not very suitable for growing such a heat-loving plant as capsicum, since winters in the Urals are long, and summers are short and, as a rule, cool.

In such conditions, it's quite difficult to provide the plant with the necessary amount of heat and light. For this reason, many gardeners prefer to grow this demanding vegetable in greenhouses or hotbeds. However, hybrid varieties are now available that are resistant to low temperatures, making them suitable for outdoor cultivation in the harsh Urals and even Siberia.

Only early-ripening varieties are recommended for cultivation in the Urals, as mid- or late-ripening plants simply won't have time to produce a harvest in such a short summer. The weather in this region prohibits sowing pepper seeds directly into the ground, so the plant can only be grown from seedlings.

If you prepare the planting material before this time, the soil will not have time to warm up sufficiently by the time the seedlings are planted. A young plant planted in frozen ground will simply die before it has time to establish itself. Therefore, observing the sowing dates and choosing early-ripening, cold-hardy pepper varieties will allow you to grow a robust plant with a good yield, even in the variable weather conditions of the Urals.

The best varieties of sweet peppers for the Urals and Siberia

When growing peppers in the cold soils of the Urals and Siberia, it's best to choose cold-hardy varieties. Otherwise, you're unlikely to get a good harvest of flavorful peppers.

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For greenhouses

There are many varieties suitable for greenhouse cultivation in this cold region, but some have become particularly popular.

1. Yantar. This variety is characterized by high yields and rapid ripening. With proper care, one square meter can yield approximately 7 kg of fruit. Smooth, aromatic orange fruits appear on a spreading bush up to 90 cm tall. Each cone-shaped pepper weighs up to 110 g. The juicy vegetables are suitable for fresh consumption.

   

2. Montero is a tall shrub, reaching 120 cm in height. Peppers ripen on the plant within 100 days of emergence. The bush requires staking, as its shoots can break under the weight of the large fruits, each weighing over 200 g. The peppers are elongated prisms with thick walls. Ripe fruits are bright red.
3. Kolobok. An early-ripening hybrid, distinguished from its relatives by its round fruits with thick walls 8 mm wide. A single dark-red fruit rarely weighs more than 160 g. The bush barely reaches 30 cm in height.

   

4. Player. The plant produces fruit within 120 days of germination, making it a mid-season variety. The fruits, weighing up to 150 grams, are cuboid in shape and richly red in color. The fruit is distinguished by its thick walls, which can reach up to 12 mm in width. The shrub grows no more than 60 cm in height.
5. Maradona. A high-yielding hybrid variety suitable for both open-air and indoor cultivation. Each bright yellow, cubic fruit typically weighs between 200 and 230 g. Due to its heavy fruit, the bush requires support. The variety is resistant to many diseases.

   

6. Blondie. An early-ripening hybrid that easily adapts to adverse weather conditions. The semi-spreading bush, densely covered with foliage, grows up to 60 cm in height and produces a bountiful harvest. A single bush can yield over 10 kg of vegetables. A single smooth-skinned fruit weighs approximately 200 g on average. Fruits at technical maturity are almost white, while fully ripened vegetables are yellow.

For open ground

Frost-resistant plant varieties are suitable for both the Urals and Siberia. These species include:

1. Edino. A popular early-fruiting variety that easily adapts to any climate. The bush grows to 65 cm tall. Its slender shoots require support. Each cube-shaped fruit weighs no more than 200 g. Biologically ripe fruits are red.

   

2. Vityaz. A medium-sized, semi-spreading shrub, growing up to 50 cm in height. The Vityaz variety ripens early and produces a good harvest. The drooping peppers are cone-shaped, weighing between 130 and 180 g. The fruit wall is 8 mm wide. Ripe peppers are dark red.
3. AtlasIt is a tall, spreading shrub with a mid-season fruiting season. Atlantis is a high-yielding variety that is resistant to all weather conditions. The plant produces cone-shaped fruits. The average weight of a red vegetable is 200 g.

   

4. Bogatyr. The plant tolerates low light and sudden temperature fluctuations well. The bush is quite robust and spreading, reaching a height of 70 cm. The juicy fruits average 180 g in weight and 18 cm in length. The deep red peppers are cone-shaped.
5. Siberian. A cold-hardy variety that produces a good harvest even in adverse weather conditions. The medium-sized bush produces fairly large fruits, weighing up to 150 g. The red fruits are cube-shaped.

   

Only plant varieties that are resistant to changing climatic conditions thrive in the open ground of the Urals.

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Basic rules of agricultural technology for growing peppers in the Urals

Given the cold climate of the Urals, sowing seeds for seedlings should be done no earlier than March 15th. This will allow the soil and air to warm up to a suitable temperature for transplanting by the time the seedlings emerge. Direct sowing of seeds is not recommended, as this method will either prevent the plants from maturing or will be too weak to bear fruit.

However, to achieve a good harvest, choosing the right pepper variety and determining the optimal sowing time is not enough. Proper plant care is also crucial.

The hardening process involves regularly moving the seedlings out onto a balcony or loggia approximately 15 days before transplanting them into the ground. The time the young plants spend in a cooler location should be gradually increased, starting with half an hour and building up to several hours. If the balcony temperature does not drop below 14°C, the seedlings can be left outside for 24 hours. Hardened seedlings generally adapt better to the garden bed.

Avoid planting peppers too close together, as this will result in insufficient light, which is already scarce in the Urals. It's recommended to maintain 45-55 cm between beds and 70 cm between rows. The soil should be neutral and rich in organic compounds.

The soil in the Urals is quite cold, so it's recommended to raise the bed prepared for planting by half a meter. When growing peppers outdoors, the newly planted plant should be covered with plastic film. As soon as new leaves appear on the bush, the cover can be removed.

It's recommended to water the bed every few days. Two weeks after planting, it's recommended to feed the bush with nitrogen-containing fertilizer. During the fruiting period, the plant requires fertilizers high in potassium and phosphorus. On average, it's recommended to feed the plants 2 to 4 times per season. Also, remember to loosen the soil and weed the beds periodically.

Regular pruning and pinching will help direct all the plant's energy toward fruit formation and development. These procedures will prevent the plant from growing excess shoots, which often become a source of pests and diseases.

Frequently asked questions about growing

Growing a heat-loving plant like sweet peppers in the harsh Ural climate is quite challenging, but if you follow a few guidelines, the results will be worth the effort. By choosing cold-hardy varieties, you can expect a bountiful harvest.