Description of early varieties of sweet pepper

A good harvest of bell peppers can be achieved even in regions with relatively harsh climates. In Russia, gardeners successfully grow this crop in the Northwest, the Urals, and Siberia.

The best option would be to choose early varieties, whose short growing seasons allow them to yield a harvest earlier.

Description and characteristics of early pepper

Like many garden crops, sweet peppers vary in ripening time. When choosing a variety, it's essential to pay attention to this important factor. The average growing season for peppers is 120 days, so in most regions of the country, they are grown from seedlings.

It will take about 80-100 days to wait for fruits from early varieties and hybrids, for mid-season varieties another 15-20 days are added to these days, and for late peppers the first fruits can be harvested only after 140 days.

Early peppers produce very good yields even in risky farming areas. Today, a wide variety of varieties and hybrids are available, so you can always choose a pepper that suits both your growing practices and the results you'll achieve.

Properties

Early-ripening pepper varieties are a real find for gardeners living in the central part of Russia, Siberia, and the Urals. These plants are typically characterized not only by a relatively short ripening period but also by their small stature. These low-growing, compact plants grow well in greenhouses, open ground, and under awnings (using film or non-woven fabric as cover).

The first fruits can be harvested as early as the beginning of July (technical maturity), and if the correct variety or hybrid with a long fruiting period is selected, the peppers will grow until autumn.

Early peppers are typically determinate plants, with limited growth and low maintenance requirements. They don't require bush training, which significantly simplifies their care.

Their yield is lower than that of indeterminate peppers, due to the plant's characteristics. However, it's important to remember that tall peppers require special cultivation techniques, bush training, and enhanced nutrition.

Peppers also vary in the thickness of their pericarp (fruit walls), with thick-walled varieties being the favorites. These fruits are typically produced by late-ripening indeterminate varieties, but early-ripening varieties also exist. Thick-walled pepper varieties and hybrids are excellent for stuffing, making lecho, and other dishes.

Early peppers are easier to grow, and many modern hybrids are just as tasty as the fleshy, late-ripening indeterminate varieties. Early-ripening peppers come in a variety of cultivars and hybrids, and it's up to the gardener to decide which to choose.

Varieties are selected and zoned by location, meaning they are adapted to specific climatic conditions. This is especially important for regions with short and often cool summers, where the first cold snaps can arrive as early as late August or early September.

Hybrids are the result of crossbreeding and targeted breeding. They are characterized by higher yields and resistance to many diseases, but they also require proper agricultural practices.

The best varieties of early peppers

This review presents the best early-ripening varieties and hybrids of this crop. They have proven themselves to be excellent in a wide range of conditions, especially in areas with lower temperatures and limited sunshine.

Othello

This pepper hybrid with such a "literary" name will delight you with its attractive fruits of a beautiful purple hue. Ripening time is up to 109-111 days, and the hybrid produces its best results in greenhouses.

The bush is vigorous, yet fairly compact. The fruits are cone-shaped, drooping, and up to 11-12 cm long. A distinctive feature of the Othello F1 hybrid is its thick pericarp walls (approximately 6-7 mm). This pepper is distinguished by its excellent taste and excellent yield.

Flame

It will take a little over three months (about 110 days) to produce the first fruits from this hybrid. Flame is a productive, early pepper with very tasty fruits.

The plant is medium-sized and has few leaves. This hybrid produces beautiful fruits—at first yellowish, then, when fully ripe, dark red, truly reminiscent of a flame.

The peppers are thick-walled (up to 8 mm), large, weighing approximately 130-140 grams. The conical fruits have a dense, glossy skin and contain a large amount of ascorbic acid.

Provide this variety with proper care and you'll get up to 8 kg of fruit per square meter. This hybrid has received excellent reviews from gardeners in the Moscow region and the Northwest.

Aeneas

One of the best orange pepper varieties is the Aeneas pepper, although it's more of a mid-season variety than a very early one. It ripens in about 120-130 days (until technical maturity).

The bush is not tall, about 60 cm, but powerful and spreading.

The fruits are prismatic, juicy, and fleshy, with a pericarp up to 10 mm thick. They are green while ripening, turning bright orange when fully ripe. Each pepper weighs 200-220 grams, and some, with proper cultivation, can reach 300-350 grams.

Aeneas pepper is suitable for canning, lecho, freezing, and is also very tasty fresh.

Siberian prince

Since 2006, this high-yielding variety has been included in the State Register of the Russian Federation. Recommended for Western Siberia, it is successfully grown by gardeners in other regions.

This is an early variety, ripening in 114 days. The fruits are conical, hanging drooping on the branches, with a dark red skin. The peppers can be harvested at technical maturity, when they have a yellowish color but have reached all the parameters of a ripe fruit.

The pericarp is 5 mm, the peppers have a good flavor and a distinct aroma. They are suitable for all types of processing, including salads. Their yield is also quite good, with yields reaching up to 4.2-4.5 kg per square meter.

The variety is valued for its unpretentiousness and resistance to adverse weather conditions.

Lumina

This variety is familiar even to those who don't garden, or rather, its fruits. The reason is that Lumina peppers are the first to appear on the market in all regions of the Russian Federation.

The dense, white-greenish cones weigh approximately 100-120 grams. The flavor is classic and pleasant, and the fruit walls are 4-5 mm thick. The variety's value lies in its stability and reliability during cultivation, which is especially important for gardeners in northern regions. Even in the conditions of Siberia and the Urals, planting this variety can yield good results.

This early pepper has a medium-height bush and requires no shaping. It's easy to grow, produces fruit consistently, and is easy to store and transport.

Ivanhoe

The early "Knight" variety is a determinate variety; the fruit can be harvested after just 110 days. The bush is short and fairly compact. The fruits are cone-shaped, making them ideal for stuffing. Many gardeners specifically plant several bushes of this variety to produce thick-walled (up to 6-7 mm) fruits.

Peppers grow to a weight of up to 140 grams and are bright red or orange in color. It is recommended to harvest the first "wave" of fruit when technically ripe, allowing the plant to produce the next batch of peppers.

It is advisable to grow Ivanhoe in greenhouses; with good care, up to 8 kg of peppers can be harvested from one square meter.

Marinka's tongue

Not particularly early (up to 120 days), but productive, the Marinkin Yazychok pepper variety will surprise you with its unique fruits. On 60-70 cm tall bushes, elongated, thick-walled peppers form. The pericarp at the stalk is approximately 7-8 mm, while the rest of the fruit is up to 10-12 mm.

The fruits are tasty, fleshy, and aromatic. When fully ripe, the peppers have a distinct red color.

This variety was bred in Dnepropetrovsk and tolerates slight temperature drops well, maintaining its fruit set and fruit production in adverse weather conditions. It is recommended for all climate zones of the Russian Federation.

Peppers are suitable for transportation, but cannot be stored for long periods.

Triton

The easy-to-grow and productive Triton variety will reward you with tasty, large fruits. It refutes the notion that early peppers are inferior in flavor to late varieties.

Triton's cone-shaped peppers grow to 130-150 grams and have a beautiful, vibrant red color. The walls are up to 5-6 mm thick, and the flesh is very juicy.

The plant is short, reaching approximately 55 cm in height. The leaves grow in umbrella-shaped clusters, and a bush produces up to 30 fruits throughout the season. This variety is very productive, but requires nutrition and care. With proper cultivation practices, yields of 10-11 kg of fruit per square meter are quite achievable.

The variety has earned praise from gardeners across a wide range of regions, but in the conditions of Siberia, the European North, and the Urals, it is recommended to grow Triton in greenhouses or hotbeds.

Atlas

The mid-early Atlant variety lives up to its name. Its fruits are firm and large, typically weighing up to 250 grams.

The bush grows up to 70 cm tall, with medium foliage and a compact habit. The first cube-shaped peppers (still green, at technical maturity) can be harvested in approximately 110-115 days. The fruits are juicy, with fleshy and delicious pulp. The pericarp is 8-11 mm.

The variety's value lies not only in its high yield and thick-walled fruits, but also in its resistance to many diseases. Today, breeders have developed the Atlant F1 hybrid, which produces heavier fruits than the variety, but with a slightly shorter growing season.

Charm

Yes, this F1 hybrid will definitely "enchant" anyone who chooses it for their greenhouse. Its tasty and juicy fruits grow to a weight of up to 100 grams, and with proper care, the total yield will reach 10-12 kg per square meter.

Compact Ocharovaniye bushes grow to 60-80 cm, producing conical fruits up to 12 cm long. A distinctive feature is the thin-skinned peppers, with a pericarp of only 1.5-2 mm. This hybrid tolerates temperature fluctuations very well, produces an early harvest (after 110 days), and is resistant to a number of diseases, including verticillium wilt.

The fruits are initially yellowish-green in colour, then turn dark red when ripe.

Snow White

The Belosnezhka variety, a determinate pepper, has performed well in short summers. A small bush, up to 50 cm tall, produces long, cone-shaped peppers weighing up to 70-90 grams. The skin is white, but there are no significant differences in color between the peppers at technical and biological maturity.

The pericarp of Belosnezhka fruits reaches 6-7 mm, and the flesh is very juicy and tender. The fruit's taste is excellent, making this variety a favorite among farmers. Yields up to 6 kg of fruit per square meter, and it requires little special care.

In summer cottage conditions, the Belosnezhka variety gives excellent results in greenhouses and tunnels (film, non-woven material).

Rules for growing early peppers

The cultivation techniques for early-ripening peppers are no different from standard methods. The key here is to time the seeding, as the crops are grown from seedlings, and a number of factors must be taken into account.

1.      Climatic conditions of the area (weather, temperatures in spring, warming of air and soil, probability of return of frosts).
2.      Conditions in which the pepper will be grown (greenhouse, special hotbed, shelters on the beds).
3.      Characteristics of the variety (height of bushes, plant habit).
4.      The weather of a specific season.

The best age for planting early pepper seedlings is 60-70 days. Don't rush planting, as overgrown peppers will have difficulty establishing and will stunt their development.

It's recommended to grow peppers without transplanting. In this case, sow the seeds directly into small pots, then, when the plants develop 2-3 true leaves, transplant them into larger containers. A 500 ml pot or glass is sufficient for peppers.

Another option is to sow seeds in peat tablets and then plant them directly in the tablets in prepared pots with soil.

Seedlings: what should we pay attention to?

Peppers are considered slow-germinating plants. They need to be provided with comfortable conditions: moisture, light, and warmth. After sowing, the seeds in pots are placed in a dark place, maintaining a temperature of 25ºC to 28ºC. This will be enough for the peppers to begin sprouting, but the time it will take for the seedlings to germinate is difficult to determine. Sometimes peppers appear in as little as 4-5 days, while in other situations, sprouts may take up to 10-14 days.

As soon as the first shoots appear, the pots are exposed to light, and the temperature is reduced to 18ºC. This will allow the seedlings to adapt and strengthen, rather than stretch. After 5-6 days, the temperature is adjusted again, increasing to a comfortable temperature of 23ºC to 25ºC.

After about 14 days, the peppers can be fed using complex fertilizers.

Place the seedlings on windowsills or shelves so they don't touch or shade each other. About 10-14 days before planting early peppers in the greenhouse, they need to be acclimated to fresh air. What's the suggested method? Move the plants to a veranda (balcony, or other location) where you can open the windows to provide the peppers with fresh air.

Planting peppers

Typically, seedlings of early varieties have about 8-9 leaves and a couple of buds when planted.

Planting is only done when stable, warm temperatures have been established. The soil should warm to 14ºC…16ºC. Peppers are typically planted in greenhouses towards the end of May, and in tunnels and raised beds no earlier than June 8-10. It's recommended to cover the plants with non-woven material to ensure they establish and thrive.

Early peppers are usually short, so planting up to 6-9 plants per square meter of bed is acceptable. These varieties can also be planted in dense plantings, alongside tall tomatoes (for example, in a greenhouse). However, it's important to consider not only the height of the plant but also its habit (spreading and foliage).

Caring for the crop

Further care is routine and includes:

•         regular feeding;
•         watering;
•         loosening (if the soil has not been mulched).

Immediately after planting, peppers are not watered for approximately 5-6 days, allowing the roots to develop. Then, water according to the weather (in open ground) and the condition of the plants and soil (in a greenhouse). Use only warm water (20ºC), and make sure it's settled.

Watering with cold water can lead to the appearance of rot and various diseases of peppers.

Fertilizing begins approximately 18-21 days after planting the peppers, ensuring that all nutrient levels are applied at the correct rate. It is recommended to alternate organic matter with mineral supplements, and avoid applying fresh manure to the peppers.

During the first stage of vegetation, nitrogen is added; during flowering and early fruiting, peppers require potassium and phosphorus. Yeast-based fertilizers, ash infusions, and green teas (made from nettles or other weeds) are effective.

Early, low-growing peppers don't require shaping, but if the plant is tall, it's best to remove excess shoots. During harvest, almost all peppers require support, so placing stakes under the trusses and tying the stems is recommended.

Harvesting begins when the peppers are technically ripe. At this stage, they haven't yet acquired the characteristic color of the variety (red, yellow, or orange), but they have reached certain weight and size. Early harvesting of the first fruits allows subsequent peppers on the vine to develop, which positively impacts the overall yield.

Peppers picked during the technical maturity period ripen perfectly at home, and can also be eaten green.

Selecting and growing early peppers allows gardeners in regions with challenging climates to obtain good harvests of this tasty and healthy vegetable.

Reviews

Marina, Penza Oblast

I grew Atlant peppers using seeds from two different producers. The fruits were excellent, and interestingly, they were very similar to each other. The peppers are beyond praise, even though our summer wasn't particularly warm. I grow them in a greenhouse, planting five plants per square meter. I fertilized them three times, but otherwise, I just watered them. It's an easy-to-care-for variety and a productive one!

Stas, Kineshma

I always plant only early peppers; I don't appreciate any tall, late-growing varieties or other tricky ones. I always grow Lumina, also known as Beloserka. I think there's no better pepper. Tall peppers always require a ton of attention, but these are 50 cm tall, and I pick the first peppers from them as early as the end of June. And so on until frost. The care is minimal, the return is maximum. Of course, you could use other varieties, but for me, that's a waste of time.

Elizaveta, Yekaterinburg

I bought seeds of the Siberian Prince variety after reading about it on a forum and getting high praise. It was bred for Siberia, so I decided to give it a try. It's an early pepper, and the fruits were large, fleshy, and delicious. I had nothing left for canning; I used it all fresh. My son only ate it, but he doesn't really like fresh peppers; he just crunched on these. Now I'm planning to plant it again this year, along with Krepysh and Krasny Byk, also juicy and "meaty" peppers.