Ox-Ear Pepper: Variety Characteristics, Cultivation, and Reviews

Sweet bell peppers are a frequent guest on the tables of our gourmets and others, thanks to their excellent flavor and rich supply of vitamins. That's why gardeners often grow various varieties of bell peppers, and among them, the "Ox Ear" variety holds a place of honor. This variety excels in flavor among other bell pepper varieties.

Characteristics and description of the variety

To choose a variety, carefully study the characteristics and description. These parameters will determine the gardener's choice, not only the extent to which they can utilize the variety's flavor, but also whether they can grow it in their own plot in a given region, given its ripening time.

Productivity

When grown properly, this bell pepper yields up to 3 kg per plant. If basic care is not followed, the fruits will be small and thin-walled.

Height, plant weight, color, shape

The fruits are distinguished by their thick, fleshy walls. The color of the ripening fruits changes from dark green to a rich red.

A single pepper can reach 16 cm in length and weigh up to 200 grams. The fruit is considered one of the largest among other bell pepper varieties, with walls up to 7 mm thick. Its elongated cone-shaped form resembles an ox's ear, hence the variety's name. The bush is quite vigorous and spreading, reaching a height of 75 cm when properly cultivated.

Ripening speed

To obtain fully ripened fruits, a gardener will need 130 days from a sprouted seed to a fully ripened fruit.

Feedback from those who planted

Galina Mikhailovna

I've been planting ox-ear peppers annually for many years now and always have a good harvest of marketable fruit. They grow best in a greenhouse, as they have fairly large bushes. When planting them, I leave up to 50 cm between seedlings. The pepper's thick walls make it great for making lecho or using it in salads. This variety has a wonderful flavor without any added bitterness.

Olga Mitrofanovna

I came across this variety by chance. A neighbor gave me some extra seedlings. I was so grateful when the first fruits began to ripen. My whole family now eats this Ox's Ear, both fresh and in salads. And growing it is easy, the same as for other bell pepper varieties.

Tatyana Ivanovna

The variety is delicious, with thick, juicy flesh and no bitterness. The pepper is producing fruit beautifully, even though I barely fertilized it this year. The large fruits fill the palm of my hand.

Features of growing and caring for the variety

To ensure the plant thrives, it's important to prepare nutritious soil. To do this, mix store-bought soil labeled "For Seedlings" with existing soil from your garden. This way, the seedlings won't have an adaptation period when transplanted to their main growing area.

To ensure good germination of seeds, you need to perform the following steps:

• Select live seeds. To do this, immerse them in a saline solution in a glass. Those seeds that float to the surface are dead and are discarded, while the rest are processed further;
• Now the seeds are soaked for several days, and to prevent the moisture from constantly evaporating, the saucer with the seeds is placed in a transparent plastic bag;
• To disinfect the seeds, they are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

These seeds are planted in prepared pots with nutritious, loose soil. To avoid washing the seeds, carefully water them with warm water from a spoon and cover them with a plastic bag. When most of the seeds have sprouted, remove the bag and continue growing the seedlings until they are ready to be pricked out. This occurs when the peppers have grown two true leaves.

Before planting in the main location, the seedlings must be hardened off in the open air.

The remaining measures are suitable for any bell pepper and include:

• the place was chosen to be sunny;
• the weather was warm;
• When watering, only warm and preferably settled water without chlorine should be used;
• During flowering, water the flowers so that they don’t get wet, that is, water them at the roots;
• Weeding and loosening the soil surface is carried out after each watering or rain and this will lead to an increase in the yield;
• Fertilize bell pepper bushes according to the growing season.

By following all these rules, you can be sure of getting a good, stable harvest.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Like any pepper, this variety has its positive and negative properties.

Positive:

• excellent taste;
• has good transportability;
• can be stored for a long time under appropriate conditions;
• the variety is resistant to various types of diseases;
• ability to produce a large harvest;
• early ripening of fruits.

Negatives:

• does not tolerate cold temperatures on the soil;
• Only sunny areas of soil are suitable for cultivation;
• does not tolerate air temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius.

The main purpose of the variety

The "Ox Ear" variety, according to those who have grown it or used it in cooking, is considered a versatile one. It is used in the preparation of:

• summer vitamin salads;
• lecho;
• When preserved for the winter, it serves as an excellent spice or main vegetable.

In which regions is it grown?

This vegetable is intended for cultivation in southern regions of Russia, such as the Krasnodar Krai. However, gardeners in the northern regions grow it in their greenhouses. Since summers are short at the latitude of the Moscow region, their greenhouses may be closed as early as late May due to recurrent frosts. The first cold snaps arrive in early September, so the entrance to the greenhouse where bell peppers are planted is also closed to prevent low temperatures from affecting the harvest. However, the greenhouse should be ventilated during the day to ensure fresh air is available.

Timing of planting seedlings

The timing of pepper planting depends on where the mature seedlings will be planted. If the bell pepper seedlings are planted outdoors in mid-May, they should be prepared in early March. If they are planted in a greenhouse, the seeds should be sown in the soil two weeks earlier, around February 16th.

Resistance to diseases and adverse conditions

Sweet peppers can often be contaminated with:

1. phytoplasmosis.
2. Verticillium wilt.

These diseases cause root rot, which ultimately leads to the complete death of the bush. Therefore, the bush is removed from the soil and destroyed outside the plot to prevent the harmful spores from contaminating the garden soil.

The 'Bull's Ear' variety is highly resistant to various types of diseases that are common to this type of plant.

But the following insect pests may appear on peppers:

1. Colorado beetle.
2. aphid.
3. slugs.

To get rid of pests, you can use various folk remedies or special chemicals that are sold in specialized stores.

Storage rules

Ox-ear peppers have a much longer shelf life than other bell pepper varieties. However, it's important to remember that they should only be stored in the refrigerator, so their appearance will remain unchanged.

Basic rules for storing bell peppers:

• Pepper is placed in sterile dry containers, preferably made of plastic;
• the plastic container should have holes in the side walls to allow the pepper to “breathe”;
• When storing sweet peppers in a plastic bag, there is a risk of the fruit drying out and rotting, since there is no air exchange;
• the temperature in the place where the fruits will be stored should be within 10-11 degrees Celsius;

By the way, it's very interesting tomato variety Volovye Ukho.