Sweet pepper is an extremely popular plant in the middle band, despite the fact that its birthplace is sultry Mexico. The phenomenon of popular love for this vegetable is explained by a wide variety of shapes and colors that will give any kind a festive and elegant look, as well as remarkable taste and nutritional qualities. Specific flavor gives a special flavor to summer dishes, and on the content of useful substances, it can compete with most vegetables and fruits.
One of the most common types of sweet or as it is also called "Bulgarian" pepper is the "California miracle" variety. This medium and medium-sized plant: the height of the bushes reaches 60-70 cm, and the time from seeding to ripening of the crop is 120-130 days.
Description of pepper "Californian miracle"
In one bush, up to 10 fruits can grow at the same time, each weighing 80-160 grams. The fruits have a cuboidal shape, a lobate structure, and an elastic fleshy flesh. The thickness of the walls can reach 8 mm. The skin is dense, smooth and shiny. Color for the period of ripening - a rich green, ripe fruits signal themselves bright red.
Separately, it should be said about the expressed specific taste qualities and sweetness. That is why the "California miracle" is perfect for fresh salads, for extinguishing, stuffing, home preserves.
This culture is unpretentious and, despite the heat-loving nature, yields a high yield even in unstable conditions so far from ideal, although, of course, at the appropriate temperature and illumination, it can yield a qualitative yield of up to 10 kg from 1 sq. M.
Growing peppers "Californian miracle"
If pepper is grown on open ground, planting seeds for seedlings is best done in February, so that at the time of planting on a permanent place the age of the plants is about 90-100 days. Diving seedlings is highly undesirable, so it is better to immediately plant the seeds in individual cups or pots with a specially prepared mixture that can be made from part of the earth, part of sand and two parts of humus. To prevent disease, wood ash can be added to the mixture.
Seeds of pepper "California miracle" should also be prepared in advance: soak for several hours in hot water before swelling, and then wrap it in a damp cloth and leave for a couple of days indoors. Seeds that have passed this stratification will sprout much faster - just a few days. Containers with planted seeds after copious watering are covered with a film or glass before emergence. After the emergence of sprouts should provide them with sufficient watering, ventilation, good daylight and a temperature regime of about 23-26 ° C.
Closer to the time of transplantation, the seedlings should be hardened, taking the containers to the air. First you should do this for a short interval
Planting seedlings of sweet pepper varieties "Californian miracle" is better done in May, when stable warm weather will be established. Optimal for pepper are light, well drained and fertilized soils. 5 days before planting, the land should be treated with copper sulfate for the purpose of disinfection.
To place the bushes follows the pattern of 40 by 40 cm. The depth of planting should be identical to that on which the seedlings grew in pots. Care for pepper is in modern irrigation, fertilizing (however, do not abuse mineral fertilizers) and mulching the soil . Long shoots throughout the growth period need to be trimmed to prevent shading of those below.