Sweet pepper Volovye ear is one of the most demanded and popular varieties that Russian gardeners grow on their land plots. Designed for film greenhouses and open ground, it gives good yields in the temperate climate of our country. It is not surprising that farmers grow this variety for sale, and amateur gardeners give it the best places on the site. Today we will talk about the description, technical characteristics of the sweet pepper variety Volovye ear, the features of its cultivation and storage, as well as the advantages and disadvantages.
Characteristics of the cow's ear pepper variety
Pepper Volovye ear belongs to mid-season varieties, the approximate ripening period of which is 112-130 days from the appearance of the very first shoots, or about 70 days from the moment of planting seedlings in open ground. A strong bush can grow up to 75-80 centimeters, forming a spreading crown and an abundance of leaves. With proper care from one bush, you can get a crop of up to 2.5-3 kilograms. The crop can be harvested until mid-September under favorable weather conditions.
The fruits are dark green at technical maturity and deep red when fully ripe. Elongated peppers with a pointed tip can reach a length of 15 cm and a weight of 170-200 grams. The wall thickness is on average 6-8 millimeters, the pulp is dense and juicy. The taste of the fruit is sweetish, rich, but without the bitterness inherent in many varieties of pepper. Well suited for eating raw (preparing salads and vegetable smoothies) and canned (various dressings, lecho, vegetable preparations).
Advantages and disadvantages
Among the advantages of this sweet pepper are:
- excellent taste;
- good transportability;
- the possibility of long-term storage;
- resistance to most pepper diseases;
- high productivity;
- early ripening;
- the possibility of eating raw and processing for canned food.
The disadvantages include:
- low resistance to cold and frost (in spring, young plants die when freezing in the air and on the ground surface);
- the need for sunlight (the plant must be grown in sunny or partially shaded areas);
- heat intolerance (at temperatures above 30-32 degrees in the greenhouse, the flowers and young ovary begin to fall off);
- the need for watering in the absence of rain (before flowering by sprinkling, after - at the root).
Growing features
Like most peppers, Ox's ear is grown using seedlings. The main feature of this variety is that the sprouts do not tolerate frequent transplanting, and therefore diving.
When growing plants in a greenhouse, they need to provide an influx of fresh air and protect them from overheating (an increase in the temperature in the room above 27-28 degrees).
And after planting in the garden, the bushes must be watered regularly, loosen the ground around them, destroy weeds and periodically apply fertilizers (preferably organic).
Selection and planting of seed
Before planting seeds in seedling boxes, they need to be calibrated and prepared. You can start all work on growing seedlings from 10 to 20 days of March. Sizing is an important step in growing seedlings, as it can significantly increase germination (for peppers it is only 50%). Seed preparation consists of the following stages:
- Seed sorting... The planting material is immersed in water at room temperature for several minutes. For planting, only those seeds are used that sink to the bottom of the container with water. The rest are not suitable for germination - they are either overdried or underdeveloped.
- Soak. For 3-4 days, the seeds must be soaked in warm water (26-28 degrees). You can put cheesecloth in 2-4 layers on a flat dish, pour a little warm water so that the gauze gets wet well. Put the seeds on top and leave for several days (it is important to add warm water on time so that the gauze with the seed does not dry out). Instead of water, you can use a very weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- Soil preparation. For seedlings, you can also use a store-bought soil mixture, but it is better to take the land from the area where the pepper will be grown. You need to add sand to the ground in a ratio of 5: 1 and 2-3 handfuls of wood ash. The earth must be well moistened and left for a couple of days in a warm place to warm up.
- Planting seeds. It is better to plant the seeds right away, taking into account that they will not have to be dived later. After planting the seed, the boxes can be closed on top with foil and placed in a relatively warm place (the temperature should not be lower than 20-18 degrees).
- Thinning. If the seedlings have sprouted very densely, it should be thinned out, removing weak shoots. After the appearance of 4-6 leaves, it is advisable to add earth to the box so that the sprouts get stronger. It is also necessary to provide seedlings with sufficient lighting, otherwise they will grow thin and tall (or simply die stretching towards the light).
Features of caring for bushes in a greenhouse and open ground
Seedlings are planted in early - mid-May only after the frost stops. At the same time, the air temperature at night should not be lower than 18 degrees, otherwise delicate young leaves may freeze. If the soil is not warmed up enough, young pepper bushes can get sick, which means that the harvest will not be so plentiful.
Given that the bush is sprawling with many branches and leaves, plants should be planted with a row spacing of 60 cm and a distance of 50 cm from each other.
Watering should be done regularly, especially if the summer is dry:
- before flowering and the formation of the first ovary - by the rain method (spraying water over the bushes and aisles);
- during flowering and until the end of fruiting - at the root.
For irrigation, you can take water with a temperature of at least 25-27 degrees.
Pepper can be fed with superphosphate and organic matter - slurry or bird droppings. During flowering, it is advisable to apply complex fertilizers in order to get a good harvest.
Diseases and pests
The variety perfectly resists most diseases that can affect both fruits. So is the trunk of a plant or its root.
The variety is distinguished by good resistance to diseases such as verticillosis and phytoplasmosis.
However, plants cannot effectively resist pests such as:
- aphid - it can only be destroyed by applying insecticides;
- spider mite disappears after spraying with a solution of laundry soap with the addition of garlic and onion juice;
- naked slugs do not like tobacco dust and mustard;
- Colorado potato beetle - it can be sprayed with celandine tincture.
Many hobbyist farmers and gardeners grow cow's ear bell peppers every year. In their reviews, they note not only the excellent taste and versatility of the variety. Large yields, disease resistance, short ripening period, good keeping quality and transportability - these are the main qualities that are appreciated by both simple summer residents and respectable farms.