Why is it worth growing hybrid pepper "Atlant" and how it can surprise you

Hybrid of Bulgarian pepper Atlas will withstand night cold and strong winds, produce sweet fruits and provide a harvest for the year from a dozen bushes. It is not surprising that the crop is so popular among summer residents and professional farmers.

What other features does this vegetable have, what are the conditions for planting and caring for Atlant pepper, we will tell you in this article.

What kind of pepper is this

Why do gardeners love it so much? hybrid Atlant pepper? To answer this question, let us consider in detail the characteristics of this culture.

Characteristics and description of the variety

Atlant pepper is considered early according to fruiting: fruits appear already on the 120-125th day from the date of sowing. It is suitable for outdoor cultivation even in temperate climates.

Distinctive features

Atlas has features that make him attractive:

• a small stem, thanks to which the plant often does without garters and supports;
• subject to planting and care rules, tolerates temperate climate conditions (+20-25°C);
• in addition to greenhouses or awnings, open ground without film or other protective devices is also suitable for him;
• strength and large fruits (which is why the pepper received the nickname “giant”);
• high yield.

Fruit characteristics, yield

Atlant pepper has compact bushes, each of which bears on average up to 20 fruits. The wall thickness of the pepper is 0.9-1.1 cm, the vegetable is easy to cut and does not deform when heated.

The fruits are large, reaching up to 23 cm in length and 10 cm in width.The weight is also considerable - up to 150 g, the recorded record weight was 400 g. The pepper is elongated, the peel is glossy, rich red.

The pulp is juicy and soft, has a pleasant fresh aroma. Each fruit has 2-3 chambers in which dozens of seeds are stored.

Reference. Atlant pepper is rich in minerals and vitamins; 100 g of fruit contains 200 mg of vitamin C.

In addition to its characteristic external and taste qualities, Atlant is distinguished by its high yield. The active fruiting period occurs 120-125 days after sowing. With proper care, the harvest is abundant: 5 kg per square meter. m in open ground. In greenhouse conditions the harvest is even greater.

Preparation for cultivation

Before planting, the seeds are prepared. Starts at the end of January - beginning of February. If the seeds are sold undisinfected (which also happens), it is recommended to treat them in a manganese solution. Then a stimulant or aloe juice is added to a container of water, where the seeds are then placed for 10-12 hours. After the procedure, the seeds are rinsed again. These measures will protect the plant from diseases and accelerate the germination of the material.

Next, the seeds are planted in peat pots (at least 10 cm in diameter), with two seeds in one container. The preference for peat pots is determined by the fact that the plant is not removed from it when replanting.

Reference. Bell peppers do not tolerate transplanting (picking), so it is better to place planting material in several pots. The soil should be moist, and the container with the film should be placed in a dry, warm and dark place.

Soil for pots can be purchased ready-made or made independently from humus of turf or field soil with the addition of river sand.For 1 m3 of this mixture, 1-1.5 kg of superphosphate, 0.6-0.8 kg of ammonium nitrate, 0.8 kg of potassium chloride are added. The seeds are buried to a depth of 1 cm. After 40-50 days, the finished seedlings are planted in open ground.

Important! Two weeks before planting, so that the plant gets used to the coolness, the pepper is taken outside every day. If this is not done, then after planting the plant will experience severe stress and its growth will slow down.

Growing seedlings

Planting and caring for a plant are important stages in obtaining a good harvest. Let's talk about the subtleties.

Planting pepper

Some vegetable growers prefer to grow Atlant pepper using picking. This is not the best way: there is a high risk of damaging the roots of the plant during transplantation, which will lead to its death. But there are also advantages: the plant receives a wide area of ​​nutrition and space for growth.

To correctly pick Atlant pepper, we will analyze the action step by step:

1. Compact the soil in the prepared container, make a hole in the middle, and moisten it.
2. Carefully remove the seedling from the general container using a spatula. If several pieces are grabbed at the same time, choose the strongest ones.
3. Place the seedlings in the hole so that the roots are evenly and spaciously located deep in the soil.
4. Do not allow excessive planting depth; the depth that was before the pick is sufficient.
5. Gently compact the soil around the seedling.
6. Water the plants right at the roots with small streams of water.

When growing seedlings without picking, in open ground, a different algorithm of actions is used:

1. Seedlings are placed every 40-45 cm from each other, leaving row spacing of 60-65 cm (pepper is spreading and requires a large area).
2. No more than 4 seedlings are planted for every 1m2.
3. After planting, the plants are shaded for 4-5 days so that they can more easily adapt to new conditions.
4. Fast-growing seedlings require staking.

Further care

To obtain a harvest, it is recommended to follow a number of rules for caring for the plant:

• Provide peppers with plenty of sunlight, at least 12 hours a day. If this is not possible, use LED lamps or other artificial lighting. Do not place them too close to the plant to avoid burns.
• Feed 3-4 times during the growing season of the plant. A potassium-phosphorus mixture (10 g of potassium monophosphate per bucket of water) is suitable for Atlant pepper.
• Periodically water the plant with warm water. Cold water inhibits growth, and if it is too hot, the pepper will begin to rot.
• Fast-growing bushes are tied to stakes.
• It is recommended to fertilize peppers weekly using water with droppings (chicken droppings are added to the water in a ratio of 1:4).
• Regular removal of weeds to which peppers are sensitive.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

Atlant pepper is unpretentious to grow, but there are some nuances:

1. If you plant seedlings in a greenhouse in early spring, there is a chance of harvesting a double harvest before the fall. The second harvest is even more generous than the first.
2. Pay attention to the boarding time. Rain, frost and hail are destructive for young shoots.
3. For hatched seeds, ventilation and watering are carried out daily so that the plant does not experience a lack of air.

Typical diseases and pests

Despite Atlas' resistance to diseases and pests, ticks remain its main enemies. aphids, whitefly butterflies and infections. To protect the plant from these misfortunes, preventive measures are taken: pepper bushes are sprayed with infusion of yarrow or garlic. When using the chemical “Fitoverm”, do not allow it to come into contact with the leaves.

If the plant is infested by aphids, then at the initial stage they make do with a solution of laundry soap (200 g of ground soap per 10 liters of hot water), which is used to treat the fruits after watering. The product has a disadvantage - the solution is easily washed off by rain, so keep an eye on weather conditions and forecasts.

A decoction of wormwood will help against spider mites: boil 1 kg of crushed wormwood in a small volume of hot water over low heat, leave the decoction covered for 30 minutes, filter and dilute with 10 liters of water.

To prepare a tobacco tincture against ticks, use half a teaspoon of tobacco dust per 10 liters of soil.

Diluted milk is also used: water with milk in a ratio of 4:1. In the fight against the whitefly butterfly, which lays larvae on plants, only insecticides are suitable.

Advantages and disadvantages

Atlant is popular among vegetable growers due to its advantages:

• suitable for growing in open ground, in a greenhouse or under an awning;
• large fruits and good yield;
• fruits take a long time are stored, without becoming covered with stains and film;
• taste and external characteristics;
• easy to care for;
• It is not necessary to tie or support the plant, which is due to the endurance of the stems.

But there are also several disadvantages:

• pepper constantly needs feeding and fertilizer, without which a bountiful harvest is impossible;
• long daylight hours (12 hours), which is difficult to provide without special lamps.

Reviews

Atlant is grown in many regions of Russia, and the difference in climatic conditions largely determines the yield indicators. Because of this, reviews from summer residents are mixed.However, the bulk of the comments are positive.

Nikolay, Krasnodar: «In my area, Atlant is grown only in a greenhouse. I planted about 20 bushes, and this provided myself with a harvest for the whole year.”

Irina, Moscow: “Pepper can even withstand night cold if covered. We’re happy with the harvest: relatives asked where they got such delicious peppers for stuffed dishes.”

Elena, Nizhnekamsk: “I purchased peppers for my greenhouse. Growth proceeded without problems, but we temporarily had no access to electricity, and without light the plant began to wither. Fortunately, I found a way to rehabilitate him. But at the end of the year the harvest was less than expected.”

Conclusion

Atlant sweet pepper has a rich vitamin composition and is distinguished by large and juicy fruits with a rich taste. Despite the demanding nature of seedlings, adult Atlant is unpretentious and will give an excellent harvest. Moreover, in greenhouse conditions you can enjoy the results of your labor even twice a year.