Pepper Hercules - description and characteristics of the variety

The yield of sweet pepper, as a rule, is not affected by the variety itself, but by the climatic characteristics of the region where it grows. For this reason, experienced vegetable growers recommend choosing the types of vegetable crops created by domestic breeders for growing in Russian latitudes, since they are well adapted to the inconstancy of the local climate. Such varieties of sweet pepper include Hercules. It gives large and fleshy fruits with excellent flavoring characteristics. The plant is powerful, highly resistant to the main diseases characteristic of sweet pepper. This variety is highly productive and unpretentious in care.

Grade characteristics

Grade Hercules is mid-season. The plant is powerful, with a large number of branches and leaves, a little squat. Usually the bushes reach a height of 50 centimeters, but may exceed these figures. The stage of technical ripeness of peppers begins 90 days after planting the seeds, and after another 20 days the stage of biological ripening of the fruits will be observed. If you transfer the seedlings of Viking sweet pepper to beds or greenhouses in May, then at the end of summer - the beginning of autumn, you can harvest.

Crop description

Gardeners who grew sweet peppers of this variety on their plots note their interesting appearance, which is created due to the cuboid shape. Unripe fruits are painted in bright green color. Reaching the stage of biological maturation, peppers acquire a red color. The skin of the fruit is dense and smooth. The pulp is rich in juiciness, meatiness, sweet taste and pleasant aroma. The length of the fruit can be up to 12 centimeters, weight - 200-300 grams.

The variety is characterized by high productivity. If you properly care for the vegetable crop, from each square meter you can collect up to 3.5 kilograms of ripe peppers.

A large number of gardeners choose the Hercules variety for cultivation, since it gives a rich harvest of large peppers and is resistant to many diseases. The fruits have a long shelf life and are easily transported over long distances, without losing commercial quality.

It is allowed to use pepper of this kind even while it is only in the stage of technical ripeness, since it is absolutely not bitter. Mistresses use the fruits for cooking vegetable salads and other dishes, preservation and pickling, and also freeze them for the winter.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Viking sweet peppers contain many vitamins and minerals that are of great benefit to human health. The composition contains alkaloid capsaicin - a substance that is considered to be a source of excellent taste. In addition, it helps to lower blood pressure, improve the process of secretion of gastric juice, increase appetite, and thin the blood. The composition of the vegetable also includes the following useful substances:

1. Vitamins A and C, which help improve the condition of the skin, hair and nails, have a positive effect on vision, and increase immunity.
2. Vitamin R. Strengthens the walls of blood vessels, makes them more elastic.
3. Vitamins of group B. They are excellent helpers for stress, sleep problems and diabetes. When eating this vegetable in conjunction with folic acid, the risk of heart attacks and strokes is reduced.
4. Lycopene.This substance, which is found in sweet pepper, helps prevent the development of cancer.
5. Trace elements (iodine, calcium, iron, etc.) are necessary for the full work of all internal organs.

Among the other positive qualities of this variety, universal use, good transportable and marketable characteristics, high yield indicators, excellent taste, and long shelf life should be distinguished.

If we talk about the disadvantages of this variety, then some gardeners do not like the too large size of the fruit. However, most vegetable growers still do not consider this a drawback.

How to grow seedlings

Sweet pepper of this variety is grown from seedlings.

1. Sowing seeds is recommended in March. Previously, they should be soaked for 15 minutes in a weakly concentrated manganese solution. Then the seeds need to be dried and placed in containers that are filled with soil mixture. Sweet pepper is a vegetable crop that does not tolerate transplanting, so it is better to use peat pots for these purposes so as not to pull seedlings out of them when transferring to beds.
2. To create a greenhouse effect, you need to cover the landing tanks with a piece of glass or a film, so the seeds will hatch faster. Periodically, the soil should be watered.
3. When the first shoots appear, mineral fertilizers should be applied. 14 days before the planned transfer of seedlings to a permanent place, they begin to harden it. To do this, it must be regularly taken out into the open air for a while.
4. It is better to transplant germinated sprouts to open beds in the last days of May after the last spring frosts recede and the soil warms up well. For the proper development of plants when planting seedlings, one should adhere to a 40x60 centimeter scheme.

Seedlings are planted as follows:

• pre-made holes in which you need to pour water and fertilize;
• the bush with the soil or directly in a peat pot is placed in the hole;
• sprinkled with soil on top and rammed;
• immediately after this, watering is not performed.

Depending on the climatic features of the region in which the vegetable crop is grown, shelter of fragile seedlings from frost may be required. For these purposes, you can use plastic bottles. You should cut them to the bottom and put them on the bushes. If it’s cool in the daytime, you don’t need to remove the shelter. It is enough to remove the caps in the morning, and put them back at night.

When choosing a site for growing sweet pepper, you need to consider that the plant most feels most comfortable on light fertile soil in a bright and ventilated place.

Diseases and pests

Sweet pepper is affected by the same diseases and harmful insects as tomatoes. The most common of them are scoop, whitefly, fusarium.

A phenomenon such as vertex rot is quite dangerous for this plant. It can cause damage to the vegetable crop at the time when the fruits are formed, covering them with spots, on which, after drying, a thin film forms. To prevent this, the plant should be treated with calcium nitrate as a preventive measure.

How to care for a plant

In order to collect at the end of the season a large number of high-quality sweet pepper crops, the following agricultural measures should be taken:

1. Timely watering. It all depends on the climatic features of the region. However, in any case, this vegetable crop should be watered at least twice a week with plenty of warm water.
2. Top dressing. Sweet peppers need nutrients throughout the growing season. It is advisable to fertilize the bushes every 14 days, introducing organic matter and mineral fertilizing.
3. Loosening the soil. This is not necessary.But thanks to this procedure, useful substances will quickly arrive to the roots of the plant. It is also important to remove weed grass.
4. Installation of a vertical support. This is recommended, because the bushes grow sprawling, with large and heavy fruits, under the weight of which they can break. Therefore, to prevent this from happening, it is recommended to tie the plant to props.
5. Providing the optimum level of humidity. It is necessary to withstand the necessary indicators in order to prevent the defeat of diseases and pests, especially dry top rot. For the same purpose, the soil is prophylactically treated with calcium nitrate.

If you follow the above rules for care, you can collect from your beds a large number of delicious and fragrant fruits that are suitable for fresh consumption and for preparing a variety of dishes.

Video: how to water pepper seedlings