Bulgarian pepper “Merchant”: advantages and disadvantages of the variety, nuances of cultivation to obtain a rich harvest
Bulgarian sweet pepper is a record holder for the content of ascorbic acid and B vitamins. The fruits contain potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and other trace elements necessary for humans. Vegetables have a positive effect on the cardiovascular and digestive systems of the body.
The culture itself is heat-loving and capricious to care for, but breeders have developed the standard variety Kupets, which grows in almost all climatic zones, is unpretentious and produces a good harvest.
Description of the variety
Pepper was released in 1998 especially for regions with unfavorable climate. It quickly adapted and gained wide popularity among farmers throughout Russia and in other countries.
The merchant was included in the list of breeding achievements of the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2001.
Main characteristics
The crop is grown in greenhouses, open ground and even on the windowsill. Strong spreading bushes grow up to 90 cm in height, resembling dwarf trees. Dense foliage forms a lush crown with drooping stalks.
The stem and branches are thick and dense, support ripened vegetables well and do not need staking. The variety is early ripening: the period of fruit ripening from planting to technical maturity is 100–115 days.
Distinctive features
The main distinguishing feature of the Kupets bell pepper is resistance to low temperatures and drought. The variety feels excellent both in the harsh Siberian climate and in the hot conditions of the southern regions. He is easy to care for.
Fruit characteristics, yield
The fruits ripen large, pyramidal. Weight of medium pepper - 100 g. In a state of technical maturity, vegetables are green, while in biological maturity they are red. The pulp is thick, 4–8 mm wide, tastes sweetish, juicy, without bitterness.
With good care, high air temperature and abundant watering The merchant gives up to 10 kg per 1 m2, but even in cold summer you can collect 3-4 kg from 1 m2 plot.
Important! Pepper is more resistant to transportation during the period of technical ripeness, and the shelf life of the fruit also increases.
Preparation for cultivation
Seeds are not planted immediately in the beds, otherwise they will not have time to ripen before the onset of cold weather. Soil for seedlings is bought in specialized stores or made independently from ordinary soil, peat or sand, humus (1:1:1) and a handful of ash. Mix the components, kneading the lumps, and calcinate the mixture in the oven for 2 hours at +200 °C for disinfection.
For planting, use containers with drainage holes at the bottom.. Sowing begins in February, so that by May the seedlings are ready for planting into the ground.
At first seeds are sorted, choosing large ones and dense (they will give better germination).
The best way to check planting material — place it in a glass with saline solution (10 g of salt per 200 ml of water). The floating seeds are removed, the ones that have sunk to the bottom are used. To protect future plants from fungi and infections, grains are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Other varieties of peppers:
Hybrid pepper "Atlant" and how it can surprise you
Growing seedlings
Before planting in the ground, the seeds are soaked for 2-3 days.. As soon as the sprouts appear, they are planted in the soil to a depth of no more than 1 cm, sprinkled with earth and watered. The containers are covered with cellophane film and placed in a warm, illuminated place (temperature not lower than +24 °C) until the first shoots hatch.
After the formation of 2-3 leaves, the seedlings are distributed in separate peat or plastic pots. Bell peppers do not like picking and may stop growing for a while. Therefore, it is better to immediately plant the sprouted seeds in individual containers of 300–400 g. First, 3 grains are deepened into one pot, and when they germinate, the largest and strongest shoot is left, the rest are pinched.
Seedlings are provided with maximum illumination for 11-12 hours and regular watering with warm water.
For hardening off plants they are periodically taken to a cooler place with a temperature of +15…+17 °C.
Planting pepper
In central Russia, peppers are transplanted into open ground no earlier than mid-May. in consistently warm weather, when there is no threat of frost. They are planted in a film greenhouse in mid-April. Before picking, add a little humus to the holes to feed the plants. At 1 m2 4 sprouts are placed.
The depth of the holes is made no greater than the depth of the pots, in which the seedlings were located, because the crop does not develop a powerful root system. After this, the bushes are fed with mineral fertilizers for better adaptation to new conditions and watered abundantly.
Important! After planting, do not loosen the soil for 2 weeks: during this period, the root system is strengthened.
Further care
The Kupets variety loves moisture. Water it in the evening directly under the bush. When a shoot appears from the first fork, it is pinched so that the main stem does not stretch upward, but side shoots grow and the yield increases.
During the growing season, the longest shoots are pruned and remove all branches below the first fork. Gardeners remove the first flower growing from the main branch to increase yield.
Gives good results during the flowering period fertilizing with organic fertilizers. This will attract pollinating insects to the plants.
The soil is loosened and hilled in a timely manner, and weeds are removed.
After the first ovaries appear the bushes are watered with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. During the entire growth period, this is done 2-3 times.
Attention! If before the fruits begin to ripen the soil is oversaturated with nutrients, then all the juices will go to the growth of the stem and leaves.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
Pepper Kupets is unpretentious in care and adapts well to unfavorable climatic conditions. However, in dry soil the development of seedlings slows down, so they are watered moderately but regularly. At low air temperatures, excess moisture will be harmful - the plant will die.
Read also:
Pepper “Swallow”: description of the variety, its pros and cons
Typical diseases and pests
Merchant has good immunity to tobacco mosaic, blossom end rot, resistant to verticillium wilt.
Peppers are susceptible to diseases associated with improper care.. With a lack of phosphorus, the color of the leaves at the bottom turns purple. If there is a lot of nitrogen in the soil, flowers and ovaries will fall off. Drying of the leaves occurs due to abundant watering with potassium fertilizers.During heavy rains, the fruits may become covered with gray spots. In this case, the bushes are sprayed with fungicides.
Insect pests can reduce yields by 70% and destroy all plantings. The most dangerous are aphids, Colorado potato beetles, mole crickets, and slugs. To combat and prevent them, Basamil, Mikoafidin, Fitosporin and Metarizin are used. Bushes are treated with insecticides every 2 weeks until signs of harmful insects completely disappear.
Attention! After using chemicals, the fruits are consumed after 20–30 days.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The merchant has gained popularity among vegetable growers thanks to its advantages:
- tolerates cold and heat well;
- ripens early;
- gives a high yield;
- large-fruited and tasty;
- resistant to major diseases.
The relative disadvantages of the variety include a large number of fruits on one bush - in such cases a garter is required.
Reviews
The merchant conquered vegetable growers with his unpretentiousness, high productivity and taste of fruits.
Victor, Kemerovo: “I used to think that bell peppers were not for Siberia. I planted the Kupets seeds and was pleasantly surprised when the pepper not only withstood our harsh climate perfectly, but also produced a good harvest.”.
Lydia, Ryazan: “The fruit has a very pleasant taste, the variety is unpretentious in cultivation, and most importantly, it ripens very early and does not suffer from any disease.”.
Dmitry, Lower Volga region: “For our region with dry summers, the Kupets variety is just a godsend. With minimal costs and without much hassle, we get consistently high yields every year.”.
Conclusion
The Kupets bell pepper variety was bred specifically for the short and cold summer of the regions of Siberia and the Urals, but it is also popular in regions with a hot climate.
The culture is early ripening and resistant to major diseases. By observing simple planting, watering and fertilizing conditions, farmers get a large harvest of tasty and healthy vegetables from a small plot of land.