Sweet bell pepper is one of the most common vegetables on our table. Due to the bright rich taste and a whole set of vitamins, pectins, instant sugars and other useful substances in it, pepper is an excellent assistant in the fight against vitamin deficiency, not only in fresh form, but also in canned food.
Bell pepper is an excellent
antidepressant, it fights insomnia well and perfectly restores strength. But the most interesting thing is that sweet pepper, like chocolate, contains the hormone of joy. The red color of the pepper is due to the presence of lycopene, which is a strong antioxidant. This is exactly what our variety belongs to.
Description of cowhide pepper
Sweet pepper "cowhide" is one of the ten most popular varieties for open ground. These are fleshy thick-walled fruits that change their color from dark green to saturated red. The variety is quite versatile, it can be used both in salads, where it will be an excellent juicy addition, and in homemade preparations. Especially housewives love to use it in lecho.
The fruits are very large, up to 12-16 cm long and weighing up to 200 g. They have a conical shape, for which they got their name. The plant itself is no less powerful and can reach a height of 70-75 cm. In order to get a large crop of quality fruits, early and medium early varieties are planted in
central Russia . Cowhide pepper, the most positive reviews of gardeners, refers to the most successful mid-early varieties. For 120-130 days, it goes all the way from the first shoots to the beginning of the appearance of the fruit and, with proper care, can produce up to 2-3 kg of fruit from the bush. This variety can be grown both in the greenhouse and in the open ground. Sowing seedlings is carried out on March 15, plus or minus 5 days, depending on the weather outside. Seedlings are planted in open ground after 2 months according to the 60x50 cm pattern. You can start harvesting after 70 days, from late July to late August.
How to get a good harvest of cowhide pepper?
Like any sweet pepper, the cowhide variety is very heat-loving and grows well and bears fruit only with appropriate lighting, therefore, even during the seedling period, it is necessary to maintain the correct thermal and light conditions.
Features of growing in a greenhouse
The optimum temperature for seed germination and subsequent development and growth of pepper is +18 degrees, while the temperature of water for irrigation should be within +25 degrees. Despite the thermophilicity, pepper does not tolerate heat very well, especially with low humidity. If you plan to grow pepper in a greenhouse or under a film, the plant will need to be periodically ventilated, especially during flowering. Otherwise, you can lose not only the flowers, but also the formed ovaries.
What is the best soil for cowhide?
Before choosing the soil for seedlings, select the place where the cowhide pepper will grow during fruiting. It is from there that take the main soil for seedlings. This is necessary so that she immediately gets used to the constant place of growth, and the acclimatization process is easier. After all, during the transplantation of immature shoots, lighting, air temperature, and many other conditions change for them.
When choosing a place in the open ground, one should remember the preferences of pepper, which does not like to grow after potatoes or tomatoes, but is "friends" with cruciferous vegetables, such as all kinds of cabbage or turnips.
It is necessary to add a little sand and wood ash to the soil, to spill it well. It is better to plant seeds immediately in glasses, since pepper does not like picking and stops developing for 1.5-2 weeks at each transplant. Moreover, it is better to sow seeds 2 times more than it is planned to grow adult plants, pepper has a rather poor germination. Not only cowhide pepper suffers from this, reviews of gardeners note a similar problem in other varieties.
Landing
In addition to the already mentioned features (do not plant pepper after certain vegetables), the plant can not be determined for permanent residence:
- To the old place where it grew in the previous year.
- Next to "unloved" vegetables, the same tomatoes, eggplant and other similar crops.
- Next to other varieties of pepper, especially bitter, as in this case there is pollination and the variety loses its quality. Seeds from such a plant are also not applicable for subsequent planting, since they will not have the characteristics of the main variety.
Common Pepper Diseases
An important factor affecting the amount of the crop is diseases and pests that can affect cowhide pepper. Description of the main diseases and methods of combating them are presented below.
Sweet pepper is particularly susceptible to tracheomycosis pathogens, which cause verticillosis and phytoplasmosis. Initially, the disease manifests itself in the form of root rot, after which the plant wilt and die.
Cowhide pepper quite successfully resists this disease and practically does not become infected with tracheomycosis.
Not so good with pests. Only the intervention of the gardener can save them. The main enemies of pepper: the Colorado potato beetle, aphids, slugs and spider mites. Spraying with the use of folk remedies, such as infusions of garlic, onions and celandine, will help against insects. Aphids can be bred exclusively with insecticides. It is more difficult with slugs, they will have to be collected manually, after which, for prevention, treat the plant with tobacco, and pour dry mustard around it.
Reviews of amateur gardeners about the variety
The fact that sweet pepper "cowhide" made in the top ten most famous varieties in Russia, says a lot. As noted gardeners with experience who have something to compare with, the variety is really unpretentious in care, has a good yield, is great for fresh and canned form. In addition, cowhide pepper is characterized by good keeping quality and transportability, preserving its appearance and characteristics for a long time.