Among vegetable crops , pepper is especially popular. These are delicate annual or perennial plants that belong to the nightshade family. Branched bushes of pepper have an erect stem. Large leaves are oval. Plants generally reach a height of up to 60 cm. Single flowers of this vegetable crop have the shape of an asterisk. The color of flowers in different varieties is different. They can be white, purple or gray. The value of this plant is its fruits - pods. They vary in color and taste. Vegetable culture includes two groups - these are sweet and hot peppers. Varieties are grouped by distinctive characteristics and features.
The main types of hot pepper
The story of growing an amazing vegetable crop begins far in the past. It is believed that the homeland of pepper is Central and South America. Currently, it is quite popular and grown around the world.
Pepper surprises with variety. There are more than 3000 varieties of this culture. Plants are grouped by characteristic. For hot peppers, this option is the quality of the fruit. The classification takes into account color, shape, aroma and taste. Tests are based on determining the presence of capsaicin in the fruit, the content of which affects the severity of the vegetable. Measurements of this parameter are carried out on the Scovilla scale. All hot peppers are also called chili. They are united in the genus Capsicum. The plant that “bites” is the main characteristic of all the chilies included in it. The clan is a full member of the nightshade family. It consists of five domesticated species. We can distinguish the following:
- Capsicum annuum.
- Capsicum chinense.
- Capsicum baccatum.
- Capsicum frutescens.
- Capsicum pubescense.
In addition, twenty-six wild species are known.
Hot Peppers
Varieties belonging to the species Capsicum chinense are considered the most burning. The semantic meaning of this species is a plant “from China”. However, this determination is considered unsuccessful. Peppers of this species have nothing to do with China. The birthplace of plants is the territory located in the Amazon. All varieties of this type are thermophilic and hygrophilous. They have the highest capsaicin scovill scores. This group is quite large. Distinctive features of plants are a pronounced burning taste and a characteristic fruity aroma. These qualities determined its popularity among culinary specialists. For the preparation of all kinds of sauces use such hot peppers. Varieties of this type can be divided into several groups.
Popular Habanero
Hot peppers were found in Mexico. The severity of the varieties of this group varies from one hundred thousand to one million units on the Scovilla scale. They are considered record holders for burning qualities among chili peppers. In 2000, the Habanero Red Savina variety was listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The taste characteristics of this group of plants is a citrus flavor. Over the years, as a result of breeding work, various varieties have been obtained that are successfully grown in many countries of the world. When leaving, it should be noted that plants are thermophilic and photophilous. Varieties of this family are grown in seedlings. The timing of sowing seeds to obtain planting material is in February-March. Seedlings are planted in open ground in well-lit areas with sufficient soil fertility. When leaving, regular watering and fertilizing is necessary.
Variety Habanero Chocolate (Congo Black)
Powerful strongly branched plant has large oval leaves and reaches a height of 120 cm.
Unripe fruits have a dark green color. Gradually, as it ripens, the color changes. Peppers acquire a chocolate brown hue. Their sizes are: width - 3 cm; length - 6 cm.
The period when the fruits reach technical maturity is 100 days. Ripe fruits are quite fleshy. They have a special fruity aroma and a fairly high pungency. It is 425 thousand units on the Scoville scale.
Habanero Orange
Large branched bushes reach a height of 90 centimeters. However, the orange fruits are rather small and thin-walled. They grow up to 4 centimeters long and up to 3 cm wide.
The wrinkled pod is oval. It differs in early ripening. Before the technical maturity of the fetus, 85-95 days are required. It has a burning taste. The acuity on the Scoville scale is 325 thousand units.
Gourmet Chilli
Hot peppers have a pleasant sharpness and original look, the varieties of which are united by the Trinidad family. All plants surprise with the unusual shape of the pod. Chilies of this family have a characteristic burning taste and persistent fruity aroma. They are grown in seedlings. Peppers are very demanding on lighting. Some varieties of this series are suitable for cultivation in closed ground conditions. In this case, artificial pollination of plants is used.
Trinidad small cherry
The variety is early ripe. Before the technical ripeness of the fruit will take from 70 to 80 days. Outwardly, a pretty beautiful plant. A powerful, highly branched bush reaches a height of 50 to 90 cm. It is strewn with many bright orange or red fruits.
Their sizes do not exceed 2.5 cm in diameter. However, this feature does not diminish the dignity of the variety. The pod is quite juicy and soft. The highlight of the variety is the characteristic cherry flavor. Small fruits are similar in size and shape to a cherry. The acuity of this pepper on the Scoville scale is 160 thousand units.
Late-ripening varieties of this series Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Red, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Yellow are noteworthy.
Family 7 Pot
This series includes mainly late-ripening chili varieties. The period of obtaining the fruits of technical maturity is 120 days.
They are distinguished by a rather unusual form of the fetus, as well as a high content of capsaicin. These hot peppers are distinguished by quite hot tastes. Varieties of this family are close relatives of Trinidad scorpions. The main similarities are the unusual shape of the fruit and the characteristic fruity aroma.
Like all plants of this species, chillies of this family are grown in seedlings. When planting in open ground, attention should be paid to soil fertility. For the normal development of the plant, it is necessary warmth, good illumination and regular soil moisture, timely fertilizer application.
Pepper 7 Pot Primo
This variety is called the "fiery demon." The unusual shape of the fruit resembles a scorpion. Bright fruits are red.
At the end of each pod there is a process resembling a scorpion sting. Exotic appearance is combined with a pleasant fruity aroma. This variety is considered the record holder for hotness. The scovilla capsaicin content is between eight hundred thousand and one million units. Tall, highly branched powerful plant can reach a height of up to 1.3 meters.
Grade 7 Pot Gigantic (Giant)
Pepper will pleasantly surprise not only with a burning taste, but also with the large size of the fruit. Red pods are not inferior in size to bell pepper. Moreover, in open ground, bushes reach a height of 15 to 30 cm. The acuity according to the Scoville scale is from eight hundred thousand to one million units.
Varieties of the species Capsicum annuum
Annual plants are the semantic meaning of this species. But this definition is not entirely true. Chilies of this species are perennial plants of the nightshade family. However, they are mainly grown as annual or biennial. Chile is a tropical plant. Perennial cultivation is possible under suitable growing conditions or in closed ground conditions.
Capsicum annuum vegetable peppers are branched bushes reaching a height of 30 to 50 cm. The fruits of such chilies are quite fleshy, have a pleasant taste. Unlike the previous species, they are less sharp and have a different shape and color. Varieties of this species are distinguished by early ripening. The period of obtaining fruits of technical ripeness ranges from 70 to 80 days.
Mainly grown in seedlings. The main requirements are soil fertility and friability. For cultivation, well-lit, draft-protected areas are suitable. During the period of growth and ripening of the fruit, regular watering and fertilizing are necessary. These are fairly common, popular hot peppers. The Capsicum annuum species is represented by five domesticated groups, such as:
- Cherry Pepper - Cerasiforme;
- cone peppers - Conoides;
- red cone-shaped peppers - Fasciculatum;
- bell, or sweet peppers - Grossum;
- chili, or cayenne pepper - Longum.
A large detachment of plants is represented by hot peppers. Varieties belong to such families as Jalapeno and Cayenne pepper.
Mexican Chile Jalapenos
Heat-loving vegetable peppers are grown as a perennial crop in Mexico and the southern United States. In countries with a cold climate, most often these plants are grown in closed ground. Greenhouses or greenhouses are suitable for this. These chilli on the windows of city apartments feel pretty good. The fruits of the varieties of this family are elongated pods.
They have a green color, which, when ripe, changes to red or yellow. The severity of the fruit is not very strong. The flowering period lasts from spring to the end of the summer period. This contributes to the conveyor ripening of fruits. This characteristic makes plants quite attractive when grown at home. Beautiful flowering and numerous burning fruits will please peppers spicy indoor. Varieties suitable for growing at home can be found in the Jalapeno family.
Mexican Pepper Jalapeno Yellow
An early ripe beautiful plant has small yellow elongated fruits. They have a pleasant, slightly sour, spicy taste.
It is used fresh. Also, this pepper is used for the preparation of sauces and marinades.
Cayenne peppers
Unlike the Jalapeno group, these are quite hot peppers. The fruits of this family are characterized by a high content of capsaicin. Low-growing bushes have elongated pods reaching a length of 8 to 15 cm. They are painted in red or yellow. Varieties are characterized by high productivity. The best varieties of hot pepper will provide ripening for a season up to 40 fruits. Among them, such chilli as Cayenne yellow beetle, Small yellow cherry, Cayenne golden, Cayenne red deserve attention.
Chile Capsicum baccatum
The homeland of these unusual peppers are considered tropical forests of Brazil. These are “berry-like”, quite powerful plants. They reach a height of up to 1.5 meters. A distinctive feature of this species is the unusual color of the flowers, whose corollas have yellow or brown spots. The taste of fruits of an unusual shape can be slightly sharp or burning.
There is a pleasant fruity aroma. Among the plants, hot peppers of the Aji Orchid variety are noteworthy. Peppers called the Bishop's Crown and Baccatum are no less popular. They are suitable for growing at home.
Capsicum frutescens peppers
Shrub plants are the main meaning of the name of this group. It is less popular than the previous ones. This species is represented by the well-known varieties of Tabasco and Malaga. Peppers grow in compact bushes. The fruits are elongated and red. They are small in size. The length of the pod does not exceed 4 cm. The advantage of Tabasco is the juiciness of the fruit, which has moderate severity. On the Scoville scale, it varies in the range from 30 to 50 thousand units. Varieties are suitable for growing in containers.
Pubescent peppers
Capsicum Pubescens is a type of chili that is not particularly popular. It is represented by varieties of Rokoto and Manzano.