Early sweet pepper seeds of Siberian selection for open ground

Among the various varieties, as well as hybrid forms of this crop, thick-walled sweet peppers are especially popular among gardeners. They're ideal for salads, and many people also use them for stuffing and freezing. Growing these peppers is profitable, although it does require some knowledge of agricultural techniques. But the most important thing is choosing the right variety, based on ripening time and flavor.

Today, gardeners can buy thick-walled pepper seeds from a wide variety of producers. Numerous varieties and hybrids have been developed that have proven themselves in various regions of the Russian Federation, including areas with challenging climates. Our review presents peppers suitable for growing in the Moscow region, as well as thick-walled varieties developed by Siberian breeders.

As is well known, thick-walled peppers are those with a pericarp over 6 mm thick. Pepper shapes, like colors, can vary widely, so it's not difficult to find cone-shaped, prism-shaped, or barrel-shaped peppers.

The best varieties of peppers for greenhouses

Heat-loving peppers bear fruit well in various shelters:

• greenhouses;
• greenhouses;
• tunnels.

Siberian breeders have developed many varieties that provide luxurious fruits even in risky farming zones.

The review also features hybrids whose fruits are large in size, and the plants themselves are resistant to both diseases and adverse weather conditions.

Siberian format

A single plant of this pepper variety can produce up to 12-15 large fruits weighing up to 200-300 grams. Those who have grown this variety are simply amazed by the size of the peppers, as well as their excellent taste.

The plants grow to approximately 70-80 cm, spreading, with numerous leaves. The fruits are beautiful, even cubes, approximately 12 cm long, with a pericarp up to 10 mm thick. Initially dark green, they later turn deep burgundy.

The peppers are very sweet in taste, with a pleasant aroma. The flesh is tender and juicy, so the fruits are used both in salads and for various preserves (in marinades, in chunks).

Siberian bonus

This variety will surprise you with its high yield and large, unusually orange-colored fruits. Since 2012, it has been included in the State Register of the Russian Federation and is recommended for greenhouse cultivation.

The bush is vigorous, up to 80 cm tall, with a dense habit that conceals the developing peppers. The fruits are cylindrical, pot-bellied, with walls up to 10 mm thick. The fruit typically contains three chambers. The flavor is classic peppery, with sweet notes. The skin is thick, gradually changing from dark green to bright orange as it ripens.

One square meter can yield up to 3-4 kg of fruit. The Siberian Bonus variety is valued for its resistance to temperature fluctuations, good shelf life, and long-lasting fruit appearance, with dense, elastic fruit walls.

Tusk

The low-growing "Biven" pepper can be grown in garden beds, but it yields a higher yield in a greenhouse. Its bush barely reaches 50 cm, making it all the more surprising that such a small plant produces large, thick-walled peppers. The fruits weigh up to 280-300 grams, and the flesh is very juicy and delicious. The peppers are cone-shaped, with a slightly glossy skin that initially turns creamy-green, then red.

Its yield reaches 2-2.5 kg per square meter, which doesn't seem like much. However, thanks to the compact size of the bushes, larger quantities can be planted, and with proper cultivation techniques, very good results can be achieved.

Mustang

For those who love lecho, we offer a undemanding Siberian pepper variety with the colorful name "Mustang." The fruits begin to ripen as early as 110-114 years, and are distinguished by their large size (up to 300 grams) and excellent flavor.

The peppers are drooping, cone-shaped, attractive, and uniform in weight. The skin is initially green, then turns bright red. The pericarp is 8 mm, so it's no coincidence that Mustang peppers are commonly used for making lecho and stuffing. These peppers are also excellent for canning and salads.

The yield is very good, with up to 6-7 kg of fruit per square meter, provided watering and fertilizing are provided. A special feature of the variety is its resistance to cold. The Mustang packages (manufactured by "Uralskiy Dachnik") clearly state: "Super Lecho" variety.

Hippopotamus

Hippos are powerful animals, so the choice of this name for this pepper variety was no accident. Its fruits, weighing up to 300-350 grams, are indeed large and very sweet. The dark red, fleshy walls are 8 mm thick.

The plant itself is medium-height (about 70-80 cm), belongs to the semi-standard pepper varieties, and is characterized by its compact size. The yield is average, up to 1.2-2 kg per square meter, but the Begemot variety is primarily grown for its delicious diced peppers. The fruits are suitable for canning, salads, stuffing, and freezing.

Sweet chocolate

Sweet and juicy peppers, the color of chocolate bars—you think that's impossible? The Sweet Chocolate variety was bred in Siberia and adapted to regions with harsh climates. The plant reaches approximately 80 cm in height, and the fruits weigh up to 100 grams. The pericarp is thick, up to 10 mm. The skin of the cube-shaped fruits is dense and glossy, and when fully ripe, it takes on a dark chocolate color.

Peppers are used to prepare salads, are very tasty and beautiful when sliced, and are suitable for canning.

The best pepper varieties for open ground

This section is dedicated to Siberian-bred peppers that can be grown in open-air beds. However, it should be noted that yields will be higher under cover, especially in cold climates where it's difficult to predict the vagaries of the summer weather.

The firstborn of Siberia

One of the most productive Siberian-bred peppers is the mid-season variety "Pervenets Sibiri." Small peppers form on a compact bush, up to 30-45 cm tall. They are pyramidal in shape and weigh an average of 70 grams. The skin is glossy, initially yellowish, then red. The pericarp is 7-10 mm.

This variety is characterized by stable yields (up to 10-12 kg per square meter), resistance to many diseases, and high marketable fruit quality. It is a shelf-stable variety and suitable for transportation.

Peppers are used for preserving and preparing various dishes.

Dandy

Breeders at the Siberian Garden company developed the early pepper variety Shchegol for garden cultivation. Its low, spreading bushes produce beautiful, cylindrical fruits weighing up to 120-130 grams.

They are used in salads, lecho, and preserves. Above all, the variety is prized for its thick pepper walls (up to 10 mm). The Shchegol variety's advantages include its low maintenance, tolerance to temperature fluctuations, and consistent yield.

The fruit is initially green, then turns bright yellow at maturity. Yields exceed 3.8 kg per square meter.

Moneybags

Krokha is a variety that will delight you with fruits weighing up to 200 grams. Among Siberian varieties, this variety is considered one of the thickest-walled, with a pericarp measuring 10-12 mm.

The bush is low, reaching 45-50 cm, and ripens early. The fruits are prismatic, slightly ribbed, and slightly flattened. The skin is bright red when fully ripe.

Characteristics of the Tolstosum variety: unpretentiousness, compactness, increased content of vitamin C in the fruits.

Merchant

The Kupets variety also produces a good harvest when grown directly in the garden. This early pepper produces fruits weighing up to 90-100 grams. The peppers are thick-walled, up to 7 mm, tasty, and very aromatic. Their pyramidal shape makes them suitable for all types of canning and stuffing.

The bush itself is up to 90 cm tall, semi-spreading, and tolerates cold temperatures well. It is recommended to cover the plants in the beds with non-woven materials.

Apple Savior

This pepper variety is shorter than many others in terms of bush height, growing only to 45 cm. However, this doesn't stop it from producing large, sweet peppers weighing up to 200-300 grams. The Yablochny Spas variety is distinguished by its combination of early maturity, compact plant habit, and large fruit.

It's for these qualities that it's particularly popular with gardeners. The fruits are cube-shaped, initially dark green, then gradually turn red. The pericarp is up to 9 mm thick, and the flesh is very juicy and sweet. This tiny variety yields up to 1.5 kg per bush, with up to five plants per square meter. Ripening time is approximately 100 days, and it's recommended for growing in beds, as well as in greenhouses and under awnings.

Novosibirsk

You'll only have to wait 100 days to harvest the first Novosibirsk peppers. Sure, it'll be a bit of work, but you can harvest up to 10 kg of fruit per square meter.

This variety is very easy to grow, early, and productive. The plant typically reaches 60-70 cm in height, producing prismatic, multi-directional, bright red fruits. Each pepper weighs 120-150 grams, but with proper care, slightly larger ones (up to 180 grams) can be grown. The walls are up to 7-8 mm thick.

The flavor is very good, with a distinct aroma. This variety is suitable for both processing and salads.

Siberian felt boot

Cold-resistant and easy-to-care-for—these are two characteristics that set this hybrid apart from others. However, the Siberian Valenok also boasts large fruits and excellent flavor, with its peppers ripening in 100-110 days.

The plant grows up to 70 cm tall and is recommended for outdoor cultivation (however, this variety, like others, can also be planted indoors). The fruits are elongated, cube-shaped, weighing up to 180 grams, with red skin.

The pericarp thickness is 9-10 mm. This variety is suitable for salads, slicing, canning, lecho, and freezing.

Eastern bazaar

This is a classic sweet pepper, with prismatic, slightly elongated red fruits and thick (up to 7-8 mm) walls.

The Vostochny Bazar variety is mid-early, produces fruit well in open ground, and has a high yield (up to 4.5-5 kg/sq.m).

Developed by Siberian breeders, it's adapted to harsh climates and highly disease-resistant. The bush grows to approximately 70 cm, and the fruits weigh up to 150 grams.

This pepper is used for stuffing (ideal option), freezing, lecho, canning and salads.

The best varieties of early thick-walled peppers for the Moscow region

This section of our review presents peppers that are successfully grown in the central part of the country, particularly in the Moscow region. However, their geographic distribution is not limited to these regions; Atlant, Winnie-the-Pooh, and other thick-walled hybrids and varieties can be found in gardens across Russia. These peppers were developed by various breeders (including international ones), and if you don't want to limit yourself to Siberian varieties, you can try others.

Fidelio

This early-ripening hybrid is renowned not only for its juicy, thick-walled fruits, but also for their color. The fleshy peppers have a silvery-white skin.

The Fidelio F1 hybrid ripens in approximately 90 days, reaching a height of one meter. The fruits are cube-shaped, weighing up to 160-175 grams, with walls up to 8 mm thick.

They are used in all types of canning, salads, slicing, and stuffing. Dishes with peppers of this unusual color look very festive and beautiful.

Rhapsody

Many gardeners have appreciated the powerful and highly productive hybrid with the romantic name Rhapsody. This early-ripening (up to 90 days) pepper produces large, prismatic fruits. Each one weighs up to 100 grams, with a glossy red skin. The pericarp is up to 7 mm.

This hybrid produces good yields both in garden beds and greenhouses. It's suitable for salads, stuffing, and canning.

Orange miracle

The Orange Miracle pepper is a favorite among many gardeners. It's prized for its high yield, delicious fruit, and ability to be used in lecho, stuffed dishes, marinades, and preserves.

This hybrid grows a very vigorous bush, up to 110 cm tall, with foliage. It is recommended for greenhouse cultivation, but requires shaping and support.

With proper care, you can get up to 14 kg of fruit per square meter of planting. The peppers are large, weighing up to 200-250 grams, with skin that initially turns green and then bright orange. The pericarp is up to 10 mm, and the fruits are cuboid and uniform in shape. Three to four plants are planted per square meter in a greenhouse.

Atlantic

A hybrid created by Dutch breeders, Atlantic F1 is a popular choice among gardeners. It's a productive, relatively easy-to-grow pepper that produces large, tasty fruits.

The plant reaches a height of one meter (maybe a little more) and requires support. The peppers are elongated, cuboid, weighing up to 300-350 grams, and are very juicy. The walls are up to 9 mm thick.

Pepper is great for slicing, salads, making lecho, and also for freezing.

Winnie the Pooh

Winnie-the-Pooh is a variety that can produce a harvest even in the most unfavorable summer. The low bush (up to 30 cm) produces cluster-shaped fruits. These pepper varieties are well suited for dense plantings and grow well in greenhouses with tall tomatoes and eggplants.

The Winnie-the-Pooh pepper has been listed in the State Register since 1981, and it remains popular to this day. This variety is prized for its ease of cultivation, excellent flavor, and shelf-life. The cone-shaped peppers are initially a soft light green, later turning red.

The fruits weigh up to 70 grams, with a pericarp diameter of approximately 7 mm. This variety is ideal for canning, all types of processing, and stuffing. When grown, up to 8-10 bushes can be planted per square meter.

Funtik

The Funtik variety, resistant to various diseases, is an early-ripening pepper. Its fruits are large, weighing up to 180-200 grams, and bright red. The peppers are tapered and cylindrical in shape, with no texture or ribbing.

The fruit has excellent flavor and thick walls, up to 7 mm. Funtik produces consistent yields even in short summers and is resistant to temperature fluctuations, with the first fruits (green, at the technical maturity stage) being harvested as early as 100 days. The plant typically produces up to 12-14 fruits, producing high yields.

Pace

The attractive, thick-walled Temp hybrid will grace any greenhouse and delight with a bountiful harvest. Its peppers are initially yellowish, later turning red as they ripen. A large number of multicolored fruits—up to 10-12—ripen simultaneously on the 50-60 cm tall bush.

The downward-facing, cone-shaped fruits weigh approximately 120 grams. Thanks to their thick (up to 6 mm) walls, this hybrid is used for lecho, stuffing, and freezing. It is also delicious and attractive in fresh salads.

Distinctive feature of the variety: sweet taste even during the period of technical maturity.

Agapovsky

The well-known Agapovsky variety is grown not only in the Moscow region but also in other regions of the country. This variety has a densely foliated bush, producing large, prismatic peppers weighing up to 120 grams. The peppers have thick walls (up to 7 mm), a very strong, pleasant aroma, and excellent flavor.

The skin is initially dark green, like many varieties, then turns red. The stalk is not sunken, and the fruit is glossy. This variety is renowned for its productivity, with up to 10-11 kg of fruit per square meter.

The best results are achieved when grown in greenhouses, planting no more than 4 plants per 1 square meter.

Atlas

The Atlant variety has proven itself to be a very successful one, with its juicy, thick-walled fruits. They grow up to 200 grams in weight, and with proper care, you can get up to 3-3.5 kg of peppers per square meter.

This variety is best planted in a greenhouse; bushes up to 75 cm tall require staking. Trellis are also suitable for growing.

The peppers are cone-shaped, with drooping fruits up to 14 cm long. They have excellent flavor and a wide variety of uses: for lecho, stuffing, freezing, or adding to salads.

Cardinal

This Dutch hybrid will surprise you with the unusual color of its peppers, whose skin turns dark purple when fully ripe. Many pepper varieties are red when ripe, but the Cardinal "trades" from red to a more vibrant and distinctive color.

The peppers are large, weighing up to 250-280 grams, with walls reaching almost 9 mm thick. The flavor is pleasant, sweet, and not bitter.

The advantage of this exotic hybrid is its excellent yield (up to 9-13 kg per square meter) even in unfavorable conditions. However, proper care (watering and feeding) is required for the plant to truly thrive.

Latino

Reviews on gardening forums are full of praise for the Latino pepper hybrid. It's prized for its flavor, high commercial quality, and resistance to many diseases.

Latino peppers are cube-shaped, weighing almost 180-200 grams, initially dark green and then turning deep red. This thick-walled pepper, with a pericarp up to 10 mm, is therefore used for lecho, as well as slicing and salads.

The bushes are a little over a meter tall; when growing them, it is necessary to provide supports and garters.

Cockatoo

The fruits of this hybrid closely resemble a parrot's beak, so the choice of name is entirely justified. This mid-season pepper is typically grown in greenhouses and requires ample space due to its vigor and growth. It grows up to one and a half meters tall, with very spreading branches and a cup-shaped plant.

The peppers are fleshy, trunk-shaped, and curved, with a pericarp up to 8 mm thick. The fruit weighs impressively – up to 400 grams; a single pepper makes an excellent salad.

The fruits are excellent for various slicing, salads, making delicious lecho, and freezing. Kakadu fruits make delicious pickles.

Rules for growing pepper seedlings with thick walls

The basic growing techniques for thick-walled peppers are no different from those for regular varieties. The cultivation methods are standard, but it's important to remember that to produce juicy fruits with the characteristics specified in the descriptions, the peppers require proper care.

When a plant's description states that a variety or hybrid is low-maintenance, that doesn't mean it requires minimal care. Even the most easy-to-grow and highly productive variety won't delight you if you neglect watering, fertilizing (especially hybrids), and shaping.

When growing crops directly in the beds, it's important to monitor the weather and, if necessary, cover the plants with plastic or other suitable materials. Soil and seed preparation, as well as proper care throughout the growing season, are crucial.

Sowing seeds

A unique feature of growing sweet peppers in our Russian climate is the need for a seedling period. Since this crop has a relatively long maturation period (even early peppers), early sowing of seeds and initial cultivation of seedlings indoors helps create the necessary time advantage.

Hybrid seeds generally don't require any pre-treatment. There's also no need to treat the seeds if the packets indicate that the peppers have already undergone the necessary treatments. All other seeds are disinfected, soaked in growth stimulants, and germinated.

Experienced gardeners already have an idea of ​​the sowing times; they know and take into account the local climate, the ripening times of peppers, and the weather.

To treat the seeds, use potassium permanganate, soaking the seeds for no more than 20 minutes. The solution should be pink. Afterward, rinse the peppers.

To speed up the germination of peppers, it is recommended to soak them in various special preparations. The following are commonly used for this:

• Zircon;
• Epin.

Ash infusions are also used, and the ash is then used to treat mature peppers against pests and for fertilizer. Seeds are hardened on a shelf in the refrigerator and germinated in a regular damp cloth.

There's nothing complicated about this; these procedures don't take much time, but you'll be confident that you'll get healthier, higher-quality seedlings.

Germination of seeds

Various containers are used for sowing—boxes, cups, and containers. When sowing in shared containers, seedlings will later need to be transplanted into individual containers, which is very stressful for peppers.

Recently, gardeners have been more likely to sow peppers directly into individual cups, and then carry out the usual transplanting of the plants into larger pots.

The soil should be nutritious, loose, and of high quality. If using soil prepared in the fall, remember to steam it, then water it with a solution of potassium permanganate. Ready-made soil mixes are suitable, but they should contain the following components:

• Earth;
• peat;
• leavening agents (perlite, vermiculite, sand);
• humus.

Store-bought potting mixes consisting solely of peat are not suitable for peppers. Such soil requires the addition of humus, soil (turf, leaf mold, and sand).

Sow seeds in small furrows (if sowing in boxes) or in small holes (if sowing directly into cups). Maintain a temperature of 28ºC to 30ºC throughout the germination period. As soon as the pepper sprouts appear, bring them into the light and lower the temperature to 18ºC. Keep the seedlings at this temperature for about 5-6 days, then raise the temperature again to 23ºC to 25ºC.

This is done to prevent the pepper seedlings from becoming leggy. It's also important to provide the peppers with supplemental lighting.

Picking seedlings

Once the peppers have 2-3 true leaves, they'll need to be transplanted. Prepare the containers you'll be transplanting them into in advance.

This process is only carried out if the seeds were sown in communal containers. This process must be carried out very carefully, without damaging the delicate roots of the plants.

After transplanting, the seedlings are shaded from direct sunlight for approximately 2-3 days. During this time, the peppers will slow their growth and adapt to the new conditions, which will take approximately 4-7 days.

Otherwise, caring for thick-walled pepper varieties is standard. By mastering simple techniques and following recommendations, you'll always get a harvest of delicious fruit.

Reviews

Eliza, Tula Oblast

I always choose early varieties, and in recent years I've been trying to only pick thick-walled ones. They're great for lecho and for canning. I've been planting Kakadu for three years now, and it's growing absolutely beautifully in the greenhouse. This variety is perfect for our summers, which alternate between being cold and scorching hot for weeks at a time! The bushes grow about a meter tall, and the fruits are absolutely enormous. I was so impressed the first year I saw it! I highly recommend it.

Polina, Kirov region

Among my favorite peppers is the Winnie-the-Pooh variety.

I grow a variety of varieties, including new ones, but I never forget to buy this one. I don't collect seeds; I prefer buying them. It's a very compact variety; I grow 15-20 plants at a time, and it always produces a harvest. I plant about 8 per square meter; everything fits, and it doesn't affect fruiting. The fruits are delicious; I bake them, freeze them, and then add them to side dishes and soups in the winter, and I also make salads in the summer.

Irina, Moscow region

I grow many hybrids, sampling them every year to select the best. Among my favorites is the white (well, almost white) Fidelio. It's a large pepper with delicious fruit. Both it and the Latino always delight me. The peppers grow like piglets, and they're delicious, as if they were grown in the south. They require standard care, but hybrids always need additional feeding. I use complex supplements, usually applying them four or five times during the summer.