Big Mama pepper is a sweet Bulgarian pepper of bright orange color. A vegetable has a whole range of attractive qualities, and a low price for planting material is available for all gardeners. Learn more about it.

Description and characteristics of varieties Big Mom

Pepper Big Mama is a product of breeding work of the large Russian agricultural firm Aelita. It was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation recently - in 2011, but the variety quickly gained popularity due to its unpretentiousness in cultivation, high yield and excellent taste.

Big Mom is a member of the whole “family” of Big Peppers bred by Aelita. Among them there is also a purple “dad”, a red “boy” and a red-orange “girl”.

The Big Mom variety is an early ripe, semi-spreading, mid-sized sweet bell pepper of bright orange color.

Did you know? Bell pepper was not so named because it was first bred in Bulgaria. And because the first sweet pepper, massively imported into the USSR, came to us precisely from Bulgaria - the largest supplier at that time. When sellers were asked where the pepper came from, they replied that it was Bulgarian. So the name was fixed.

Variety characteristics:

• fetal weight - an average of 200 g, can reach 300 g;
• fetal wall thickness - 7-8 mm, sometimes it can reach 10-12 mm;
• skin - pronounced glossy, smooth;
• flesh - fleshy, juicy;
• taste - sweet, pleasant, bright;
• the scent - saturated pepper;
• bush height - from 50 to 70 cm (in a greenhouse up to 1 m);
• leaves - dark green, smooth, medium size.

Pepper is unpretentious to climatic conditions and can grow almost throughout the territory of Russia, except for the most northern regions. It is suitable for growing both in open ground and in a greenhouse. In greenhouse conditions, the yield is slightly larger, and the fruits become larger.

The stems of the bushes are thick, but quite fragile, can grow up to 1 m tall, and therefore need a garter to the trellises.

Video: Description and characteristics of varieties of sweet large-fruited pepper "Big Mom"

Ripening dates and productivity

Big mom is considered an early ripe pepper. The ripening period in the southern zone is approximately 120 days, and in the northern regions - up to 130 days. In greenhouse conditions, the fruits turn orange a little earlier, because of which it is possible to harvest already on the 115th day after planting.

Productivity is high: when grown in open ground, it ranges from 6 to 7 kg of fruit, which can be harvested from 1 m². In the greenhouse, this figure is higher - 8 kg per 1 m².

Pros and cons of the variety

• Advantages of the Big Mom variety:
• great taste and aroma;
• large size and meatiness of the fruit;
• high productivity;
• precocity
• unpretentiousness;
• adaptability to various climatic zones, cold resistance;
• long shelf life;
• good transportation;
• Attractive presentation.

• The disadvantages of the variety are relative and insignificant:
• does not tolerate drought;
• Needs constant feeding;
• garter required;
• seed germination is not high enough - about 80%.

Growing pepper

Big mom is grown through seedlings. This method is most optimal in a temperate climate zone.

The first stage of growing peppers is the preparation of seeds and proper care of seedlings, the second - in the further care of plants transplanted to a permanent place in the ground.

Seed selection and preparation

Aelita Big Mama seeds can be bought at the seed store or at the market.

Before planting the seeds must be prepared:

1. Disinfectto destroy possible fungi and bacteria. To do this, use a weak (pale pink) solution of potassium permanganate, in which grains are soaked for half an hour. After disinfection, they must be washed with water.
2. Stimulate height, since the germination capacity of Big Mom is low. To do this, the seeds are soaked for several hours in a growth stimulator (for example, in Epin, Novosil, Zircon or Fitospectrum). You can use natural stimulants - aloe juice or ash.
3. Sprout. Seeds are wrapped in a damp and warm cloth, and left for several days until the first roots appear from the grains.

After the appearance of the first tiny roots, the seeds are planted with seedlings in small pots or glasses.

Important! Pepper does not feel well when picking, so it is recommended to plant each seed immediately in a separate container.

Planting seeds for seedlings is necessary in late February, if it is planned to grow in a greenhouse, or in early March, if the crop will grow in open ground.

Soil preparation for seedlings

Pepper loves light, porous and loose soil. These parameters for this culture are even more preferable than fertility.

The composition of the soil for seedlings:

• sand;
• peat;
• land;
• humus.

All parts must be mixed evenly in equal amounts of 1: 1: 1: 1. Instead of peat or sand, you can use wood ash. Alternatively, you can use a ready-made soil mixture purchased at a flower shop.

As containers for growing, you can use plastic glasses or small pots, the size of which is 10x10. The containers must necessarily contain holes to remove excess moisture, and drainage (fine pebbles, polystyrene, stone chips) must be placed on the bottom before falling asleep.

Features seedlings care

After planting the seeds in separate pots, they need to organize proper care:

1. Creating a warm and humid microclimate. To do this, containers with seedlings need to be covered with a plastic film or bag.
2. Regular moderate watering. It is necessary to avoid both stagnation of water and drying out of the soil, watering the seedlings as the top layer dries up. Watering is usually required 2-3 times a week. Water should be settled and warm.
3. Bright lighting. Since pepper is planted early, in late February - early March, there is still too little natural light, so they put seedlings under the lamps, organizing it for at least 12-hour lighting. Additional light can be removed at the end of March - by this time natural light is already enough, and therefore the pots are simply transferred to the window sills on the sunny side.
4. Fertilizer. During the entire seedling period, young plants need to be fed with mineral complex fertilizers. Aelita company offers fertilizers of Aelita-Vegetable own production ideal for Big Mom.
5. Temperature mode. During the day, the temperature should be within +23 ... + 25 ° С, and at night - + 18 ° С.

Transplanting seedlings into the ground

Seedlings become ready for transplanting into the ground to a permanent place from the moment they grow to 20 cm tall and 6 to 10 strong, well-developed leaves form in plants. This usually happens about 75 days after planting the seeds.

Landing in the soil can be done no earlier than the end of May, since it is important for pepper that the soil warms up to + 14 ° С. But since the weather at this time may still be unstable in some regions, it is recommended to cover the young plants in the garden with a film, warming them.

Pepper needs to be planted according to a 35x50 cm pattern, and this culture does not like deepening in the ground, and therefore the planting should be superficial. She needs soil that is breathable and loose, ideally loamy.

Important! Pepper Big mom is large-fruited, which means that he needs a lot of nutrients to bear fruit. Therefore, you can not plant this culture in the area where solanaceous trees used to grow, since they very poorly soil. Ideal precursors to pepper can be cabbage, legumes, cucumbers.

It is better to prepare the holes in advance by digging them with a depth of about 20–35 cm and spilling them with water. Well, if the ground for pepper since the fall has been fertilized with organic matter, ash and superphosphates. If not, then put a layer of humus on the bottom of the dimples.

In wet holes you need to transfer the sprouts along with a lump of earth by transshipment method. To dig with the earth, to water, then to plow the soil.

Care after planting in the ground

Big mom pepper does not have too burdensome growing requirements. However, for a rich crop it is important to observe several aspects: moderate watering, periodic top dressing, loosening the soil for breathability and garter shrubs.

It is important to plant pepper in a well-lit area, as it needs a lot of light. However, direct sunlight usually does more harm than good, so beds with this vegetable are best arranged where there is an abundance of scattered light, avoiding both shade and sunshine.

Watering

Pepper likes moderate watering. It is necessary to avoid the appearance of a crust around the stem during drought, but also not to flood the plants. Stagnation of water provokes the processes of decay of the stem and roots.

You need to water regularly, as the earth dries. On hot days, during flowering and at the beginning of fruit ovary, watering is more frequent. Usually, about 2-3 liters of water is required per bush.

Important! In the hot season, you can not water the plants during the day in direct sunlight, as they will get burns. In summer, watering is best done either in the evening, after sunset, or early in the morning if the day is expected to be cloudy.

Fertilizer application

The Big Mom variety needs fertilizers, especially during flowering and active fruiting.

Fertilizers are suitable complex mineral for vegetables. You need to make them at least 3 times per season after planting peppers in a permanent place.

Loosening and hilling soil

Loosening the soil after watering is necessary, thus preventing the appearance of a crust on the surface of the earth. Loosening allows you to make the soil light and permeable to oxygen. Weeds are also destroyed in the process, which is important, since the presence of weeds negatively affects the growth of pepper.

But hilling this vegetable crop is not recommended. Additional roots do not form, therefore, under a mound of earth, the stem can simply rot.

Did you know? Sweet pepper and allspice are completely different plant families, despite the common name.

Bushes

Pepper Big mom needs a bush formation.

You need to do this as follows:

1. The first bud that appears is deleted.
2. At the fork of the stem, all the ovaries and flowers must be removed, leaving only the two strongest shoots.
3. All shoots and stepsons in the axils of the leaves are also removed.
4. At the end of summer, you need to pinch all the growth points on the shoots that bear fruit.

In addition to forming, the bushes also need a garter to the trellises. This applies not only to greenhouse peppers growing up to 1 m tall, but also to plants in the open ground, since the fruits are large and heavy - the bush under their weight will slope to the ground.

Diseases and pests

The Big Mom variety is quite resistant to many diseases. However, if you do not follow the rules of care (stagnation of water, excessive humidity), pepper may hurt late blight and rot.

From late blight, plants are sprayed with garlic infusion, which is prepared from 100 g of garlic diluted in a bucket of water.

Peppers can also be attacked by pests such as spider mite, aphids, slugs. To get rid of them, you need to sprinkle the soil under the bushes with ground pepper or dry mustard, and spray the plants themselves with a solution of succinic acid.

Against a tick effectively means from the producer "Malation". And from aphids, you can prepare tobacco infusion (300 g of tobacco chips, infused for three days in 10 liters of water).

However, do not start treating plants prematurely. All medical measures should be carried out after damage is found on the bushes.

As a prophylaxis of diseases and pest attacks, it is recommended not to allow waterlogging of the beds, regularly ventilate the greenhouse, and adhere to all growing rules.

Did you know? Chocolate and sweet pepper have something in common: both provoke the release into the blood of endorphin - the hormone of happiness. The effect of both products is the same, but sweet pepper does not harm the figure.

Harvesting and beneficial use of the crop

Harvesting pepper Big Mom begins in late August - early September. You can start harvesting already during the period of technical maturity, when the fruits have grown, but still retain a green color. If the crop is harvested at this time, a new wave of fruit formation will soon begin. As a result, from each bush you can harvest up to 3 times.

Pepper Big mom can be stored for a long time without losing its commercial quality. It is juicy and sweet, perfectly suitable for fresh consumption (salads), in the first and second courses (borsch, stew), and for conservation.

This vegetable is rich in vitamins (A, E, C, group B) and minerals (potassium, phosphorus, fluorine, iron, zinc), and therefore is very useful for the body.

Sweet pepper Big mom is tasty, beautiful, healthy and easy to care for. Having appeared on farmlands less than 10 years ago, he has already won the love of vegetable growers. The rules for the care of the variety are not much different from the general recommendations for the cultivation of sweet pepper. High yield and large fruit size justify all the efforts spent on growing Big Mom.

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