Pepper variety “Big Mama” with juicy sweet orange-colored fruits: easy to grow on your own plot

We bring to your attention an article about a unique variety of pepper with large sweet fruits and the unusual name Big Mama.

This is one of the best varieties of recent years, belongs to the large “family” of big peppers, bred by the famous agricultural company “Aelita”. The range of varieties includes varieties Big Daddy, Big girl and Big Boy, they all differ in the color of the fruit. Growing vegetables does not require any special skills. The plant is absolutely unpretentious; even a novice gardener can cope with agricultural technology.

What type of pepper is this?

The variety is new, developed quite recently, first registered in 2012. The very word “Big” (large) already gives a certain characteristic to the variety. Big Mama fruits are bright orange in color and rich in beta-carotene, which determines the color of the vegetable.

Reference! Most people believe that orange peppers are the sweetest, although this is a misconception. However, orange color has a beneficial effect on a person’s psychological mood.

Characteristics and description of the variety

Big Mama is a variety with early ripening fruits.. About 140 days pass from the appearance of the first shoots to full ripening. Designed for cultivation in open ground and in greenhouses. Has excellent taste.

Semi-spreading bushes with a height of 50 to 70 cm, in greenhouse conditions can reach 1 m. The leaves are medium-sized, smooth, dark green in color. The root system is powerful.The stems are strong, but during the fruiting period they require additional support in the form of a garter. The variety is resistant to many diseases of the nightshade family and is rarely attacked by pests.

Important! Outdoors, Big Mama is grown only in the southern regions of Russia.

Distinctive features

Big Mama peppers are grown using traditional seedling methods.. Plants require additional feeding; regular watering with warm water and loosening the soil is important. It tolerates low temperatures well and is able to quickly recover from cold shock.

Fruit ripening lasts from August to September. In unfavorable weather conditions, peppers can ripen at home.

The photo shows the fruits of the Big Mama sweet pepper.

Fruit characteristics and yield

The fruits are large, cube-shaped. Average weight is about 120–150 g, maximum weight is 200 g. The surface of the skin is smooth, glossy, with slight ribbing on the sides. The pulp is fleshy and juicy, ranging from 6 to 12 mm thick.

The color of ripe peppers is bright orange, and during the period of technical maturity it is green. The fruits are suitable for both fresh storage and freezing. Universal use: fresh consumption, preservation, cooking.

Seed germination rate is about 80%. Productivity is high: about 7 kg of fruits per 1 sq. m. Big Mama is not inferior in yield to the famous variety Californian Miracle and is far superior to another popular variety Belozerka.

Attention! Orange peppers are not the sweetest. They are inferior in sweetness to red peppers. But fruits of orange and yellow colors are especially rich, compared to peppers of other colors, in vitamin P, potassium, phosphorus, iron and rutin - a substance that strengthens the walls of blood vessels.

Preparation for cultivation

Varietal pepper Big Mama requires preliminary preparation for cultivation:

1. First, the seeds are soaked for several hours in plain water. It is best to use melt water (melted snow).
2. Then they are placed in a growth stimulator. Suitable solutions include aloe juice, infusion of onion peels and ash, and honey water. You can also use store-bought products: “Novopin”, “Zircon”, “Epin”, “Immunocytophyte” and others.
3. A few hours after soaking, the seeds are removed from the solution and dried before planting.

Sowing takes place in February (if you plan to plant in a greenhouse) and in early March (when planting in open ground). Seedlings require special soil designed for planting tomatoes and peppers. Vermicompost, coconut extract and fertilizer (for example, Shungi Terra) are added to the soil. After seed germination, after 8–10 days, the shoots are placed in special containers for further growth.

Reference! Soaking seeds increases the percentage of germination and ensures uniform germination.

Growing seedlings

To seedling was suitable for further landing, follow a few simple rules:

1. Seedlings are prepared approximately 3 months before the expected date of planting in the garden.
2. Containers with seedlings are covered with plastic film in order to maintain a certain microclimate and maintain moisture levels.
3. Water regularly: 2-3 times a week.
4. Young shoots will need 12 hours of light - use additional light sources.
5. Regardless of the further method of cultivation (in a greenhouse or in open ground), the seedlings must be planted in soil heated to at least +15 °C.
6. Before planting in the ground, hardening is necessary.Over 1-2 weeks, the air temperature is reduced at night to +12–14 °C. 3-5 days before planting, the temperature should be consistent with outdoor conditions. To do this, the seedlings are taken out onto a glassed-in balcony and left there for the remaining time.

Attention! The amount of moisture required depends on the temperature. The warmer the room where the seedlings are grown, the more water they need.

Seedlings can be grown in two ways:

1. With picking: the seeds are sown in a common box, then the sprouts are transplanted into separate cups.
2. Without picking - directly into separate containers with a volume of 300 to 350 ml.

It is better to cultivate peppers without picking, since after transplanting the seedlings noticeably slow down their growth, sometimes stopping for 1-2 weeks. This is due to the increased sensitivity of the fragile roots of the vegetable to any, even the most insignificant, mechanical impact.

If you choose the picking method, keep in mind: the older the plant, the easier it is to transplant it without damaging the root system. Before removing the sprout from the ground, water it well - this will make it easier to get the seedlings. Make small holes in the cups at the bottom and sides of the bottom. Replant the plant carefully, without bending the root. It must be planted at the same depth at which the seedling grew.

Planting pepper

Seedlings are planted in the garden from the moment the first flowers appear.. If the temperature does not yet meet optimal levels (below 15 ° C), a temporary shelter is built. Peppers are planted according to a 35x50 cm pattern or a little looser. Burying seedlings is excluded. It is recommended to mulch the soil using a thin layer of humus or peat chips.

Reference! Mulching the soil will help combat possible drying out of the soil and weeds.

Further care

Big Mama pepper is especially moisture-loving. The soil should be moderately moist at all times.

Feeding the plant is required: the first time 10–12 days after planting the seedlings, the second time immediately after mass flowering. The peppers are fertilized a third time after the appearance of the first fruit, which acquires an orange color. Use mineral or organic fertilizers, but do not overdo it with nitrogen.

Bushes do not require special shaping. You just need to remove those branches that have grown below the first fork.

Timely weeding helps accelerate plant development. This is also good prevention against pests.

Pick fruit possible in a state of technical maturity. They, just like orange peppers, are tasty and healthy. This makes it easier for the next peppers to grow.

Reference! An excess of nitrogen can provoke active growth of the plant, prompting it to produce new shoots, but there will not be a high yield.

Features of growing the variety and possible difficulties

Pepper varieties Big Mama is suitable for growing in any climate conditions. The period for planting seedlings largely depends on the region where the planting takes place.

Attention! You cannot plant peppers in an area where nightshades previously grew, as they deplete the soil, taking away almost all the microelements necessary for pepper growth.

Throughout the growing season bushes need to be tied up. Removing the first stepsons and buds will increase the yield.

Although Big Mama is no more difficult to grow than any other pepper variety, If not properly cared for, you may encounter certain difficulties. (see table below).

Typical diseases and pests

The table shows the most common diseases and pests of peppers, as well as ways to combat them.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The variety has no significant disadvantages. In rare cases, the plant does not take root or does not bear fruit. Most often, such problems are caused by errors in care or other reasons listed in the table above.

The Big Mama variety has plenty of positive qualities.:

• excellent taste;
• beautiful appearance of the fruit;
• high seed germination;
• high productivity;
• good survival rate of young plants;
• relative ease of cultivation;
• unpretentiousness;
• cold resistance;
• immunity to disease;
• high content of vitamins and minerals (vitamin C, P, carotene, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron, etc.).

Reviews

Most reviews about the Big Mama variety are positive.. People note its good yield, unpretentiousness, early ripening, excellent taste and attractive bright orange color.

Olga, Kaluga: “I really liked the variety, I’ve been growing it for two years now. I planted it in a garden bed, not in a greenhouse, and at the end of July the first orange fruits appeared. All other peppers ripened a little later, around mid-August. Advantages: unpretentious, does not require special care. It grew in rather poor soil, but the harvest was good.".

Oleg, Krasnoyarsk: “Orange peppers were grown for the first time, previously only red ones. We bought Big Mom seeds because we liked the description on the package. The reviews are also good. They planted it in a greenhouse. There were a lot of fruits, large, cube-shaped. Very sweet and juicy. I'm pleased with the variety. I paid a little more attention to it because it is new to me. The fruits are great for stuffing".

Conclusion

Big Mama pepper is a successful combination of beautiful appearance, excellent taste, high yield and early ripeness. It is not surprising that the variety is so popular among gardeners. If you have never grown it in your garden, you should definitely try it. You will be pleased with the result.