Italian classic from the best breeders - Marconi pepper: reviews and description of the variety

Fans of thick-walled sweet peppers will surely enjoy the old Italian Marconi variety. It stands out due to its early ripening period, large fruits of an original shape, and ease of care. You can also collect your own seeds. Marconi pepper is a whole variety group with different colored fruits, but certainly an excellent taste.

Description and characteristics of the variety

The original variety of the series is Marconi Red pepper.
It has not been tested in Russia, is not in the State Register, but is popular among amateurs. Descriptions of the variety from different manufacturers, reviews from gardeners characterize Marconi Red as a pepper of both early and medium ripening. In fact, it is early ripening, the confusion could have occurred for two reasons:

1. Tomatoes in Russian gardens are grown more often and in larger volumes than peppers. Closely related cultures. Marconi ripens 100-115 days after germination, which exactly coincides with the start of fruiting of mid-ripening tomatoes.
2. Early pepper takes 90-110 days to color, average pepper needs 110-130. Marconi occupies an intermediate position, but still closer to precocity. And the variety is imported, and is positioned by foreign sources as early.

Marconi pepper forms a medium-sized bush, the height of which reaches:

• in open ground – 50-60 cm;
• when grown in greenhouses 70 cm, with intensive fertilizing and abuse of nitrogen - up to 1 m.

The leaves are medium sized, not too dense. The shoots cannot withstand the load of fruit, they break, and require pinching and tying to a strong support.

Peppers are large, up to 20 cm in size with a diameter of 5-7 cm, a wall thickness of 4-6 mm, weight - 150-200 g, individual fruits reach a weight of 300 g. They should ideally be long and narrow, with a sharp nose, similar for bitter varieties, only big ones. In practice, the pods often grow flattened, sometimes curved, making them appear wider. But, as you can see in the photo, they don’t look ugly, but exotic.

At technical ripeness, Marconi fruits are green. They can already be eaten, which is rare for thick-walled peppers, which are usually inedible before coloring. When fully ripe, the skin is deep red and shiny, the taste becomes very sweet, and the flesh is juicy.

From one square meter per season, 7-8 kg of fruits are collected in open beds and under film, in greenhouses - about 10 kg of fruits.

The harvest can be harvested as soon as the first strokes of the main color appear on the pods. But gourmets claim that when the peppers are fully ripe on the bush, they become especially tasty - a smoky aroma appears and the sugar content increases. The pods are eaten fresh, stuffed, grilled and baked in the oven. They can be stewed, fried, boiled, used for winter preparations, or frozen.

As Marconi pods mature, they become tastier but become increasingly flattened. For stuffing, it is recommended to use peppers at the stage of technical maturity (green).

Description of the Italian variety

Marconi sweet pepper is not zoned on the territory of Russia and is not included in the domestic breeding State Register. The history of the origin of the variety is long. Several small seed farms and farmer-collectors from the Russian Federation and neighboring countries are engaged in the supply and production of its seeds. The originator allows pepper to be planted in open ground or under film covers. Judging by the reviews, domestic farmers grow the variety in different climatic zones.

Attention! Marconi red seeds are also available for sale. According to the characteristics, this is the same plant.

Pepper has a spreading structure. The stem is powerful. The height in a greenhouse can reach 70 cm, in open beds - less. Long peppers have a smooth surface. When technically ripe they have a pleasant green color. Later they turn bright red, as in the photo.

Varieties of Marconi pepper

Among the several varieties of Marconi pepper, red rightfully takes first place in popularity. But there are other varieties, also good, with high yields and excellent taste:

• purple – with the most intense aroma;
• red is the sweetest;
• yellow – with a soft, refined taste.

Marconi Rosso and Red varieties

The trade in Marconi pepper seeds is carried out by small seed companies or individuals. Sometimes planting material comes from abroad and is packaged locally or sold individually. This is probably why the names of Marconi peppers are not always easy to understand.

Marconi pepper

During the summer, 2-3 feedings are usually done.

Other interesting varieties of sweet peppers with photos, descriptions and reviews from gardeners in our Pepper Catalog. Enjoy watching.

If you have grown Marconi sweet peppers, please write whether you liked them or not. What was the yield under your climatic conditions? How do you rate the disease resistance of this variety? If possible, attach a photo of the entire bush or individual fruits you grew to your comment. Thank you!

Your reviews of Marconia pepper and additions to the description will help you evaluate this variety more objectively and decide whether to plant it or not.

General characteristics of the variety

High-yielding early ripening,

The growing season averages 105–120 days, with fruits reaching biological ripeness at approximately 130–140 days. The plant is semi-determinate, tall, relatively compact, medium spreading, height 150 – 185 cm. It is recommended to grow in greenhouses and shelters; in open ground it can only grow on a trellis. The fruits of "Mastodon" are drooping, powerful, cubic in shape - up to 300 - 400 grams, wall thickness reaches 7 mm, fruit length 12 - 15 cm, width - 10 - 13 cm. At technical ripeness - green, at biological maturity. ripeness - red. The fruits are distinguished by their excellent taste and versatility of consumption - they make excellent canned food and fresh salads.

• The ripening and yield of the crop is abundant, but gradual.
• The fruits can be grown for commercial sale; the fruits are stored for about a month.
• The variety is resistant to TMV.

Growing sweet pepper “Mastodon” and caring for this plant:

The best predecessors for sweet peppers are pumpkin, vetch, peas, beans, cabbage and lettuce. Sowing of seedlings begins in late February - early March. The soil for sweet pepper seedlings should be nutritious and loose; it is best to use a mixture of forest soil, sand and peat.

Planting dates and care features

Peppers sprout for a long time and unevenly. Seeds can hatch in 2 weeks or a month. And another 60 days must pass before transplantation to a permanent place. So sowing for open ground is done:

• in the middle zone - from late February to early March;
• in the south - early or mid-February.

Unlike tomatoes, pepper seeds swell poorly and are not sown dry. They are pre-treated against pests and diseases, soaked, and planted to a depth of about 3 cm.

Sprouting peppers usually doesn't end well. The roots that appear before the sprouts are very fragile and break off easily. And then gardeners complain about poor seed germination.

The Marconi variety, like other peppers, does not form roots on its shoots. Burying seedlings when picking or transplanting into the ground will lead to stem rotting and other problems. This must be remembered at all stages of growing crops.

In the phase of 2 true leaves, the seedlings are dived to the same depth as before. You can plant 2 seedlings in one container. But since the seeds of the Marconi variety are expensive and are often sold individually, this is rarely done.

The seedlings are watered moderately, fed, and, if necessary, provided with additional lighting for up to 6-8 hours a day. When the soil warms up to 10°C, it is moved to a greenhouse; at a temperature of 15°C after hardening, it is moved to open beds.

By this time, the seedlings should have 8-10 leaves. But sometimes pepper goes into the ground already with flowers or ovaries. If the earthen lump is not destroyed, there is nothing particularly terrible about it. The crop just needs to be given additional feeding. Under no circumstances should you cut off the top.

Description of the variety, reviews, photos

Mid-season, medium-sized, productive ancient Italian variety of long-fruited sweet pepper.
It is recommended for growing in open ground and film shelters. The period from germination to the beginning of ripening is 100-115 days. The plant is bushy, powerful, 50-60 cm high, in a greenhouse it can be slightly higher. On average, from 12 to 15 fruits are formed on one bush. Its formation consists of removing side shoots up to the first fork.

Fruit characteristics

The fruits are elongated cone-shaped, glossy, green at the stage of technical ripeness, red at the biological stage, weighing 150-200 grams, up to 25 cm long, sweet, aromatic, very tasty. The wall thickness is 3-5 mm, depending on watering and fertilizing. This pepper is ideal for fresh consumption, grilling and pickling.

Productivity : up to 10 kg of fruits per 1 sq. meters of landings.

Advantages of the variety : high taste, long-term fruiting.

Features of growing sweet pepper Marconi red

Sowing pepper seeds for seedlings is carried out 60-70 days before the intended planting of plants in a permanent place. The optimal temperature for seed germination is 26-28°C.

When a pair of true leaves appear on the plants, they are transplanted into separate cups with a capacity of 0.3-0.5 liters.

Pepper does not like transplanting, so do not be surprised if after you have transplanted the seedlings into separate containers, they stop growing for a while. You can “smooth out” the stressful state a little by spraying the plants with Epin.

Time to plant peppers in the ground

After the threat of return frosts has passed, pepper seedlings can be planted in a permanent place. Some people plant in open ground in May, while others only plant under covering material or under film; it all depends on the climatic conditions of your region.

When planting pepper seedlings in the ground, 1 sq. It is recommended to place up to 6 plants per meter of land, no more. Peppers are planted in the ground without being buried, but in exactly the same way as they grew in cups. Pepper plants, unlike tomatoes, very rarely produce lateral roots, so there is no point in deepening the bush.

Sweet peppers respond well to watering and fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers.

Advantages and disadvantages

Marconi is not without reason called a family heirloom. Although the variety is old, it has many advantages:

• productivity;
• excellent, very sweet “smoky” taste;
• large pods;
• original form;
• universal use;
• early ripeness;
• long fruiting - almost the entire season;
• resistance to adverse factors and diseases;
• high marketability;
• ease of care;
• the bush does not grow too large;
• Possibility of growing in protected and open ground.

There are few disadvantages, and they are all relative:

• pods are usually curved, often flattened;
• the bush needs to be formed;
• shoots often break under the weight of the crop.

Sweet peppers of the Italian Marconi type, despite the abundance of new cultivars, have remained among the best in the group for many decades.

The popularity and demand of the variety series is due to its high yield, large sweet pods with an original smoky taste and bizarre shape, and versatility of use.

Description of the Marconi variety, reviews, photos

Mid-season, medium-sized, productive ancient Italian variety of long-fruited sweet pepper. It is recommended for growing in open ground and film shelters. The period from germination to the beginning of ripening is 100-115 days.

The plant is bushy, powerful, 50-60 cm high, in a greenhouse it can be slightly higher. On average, from 12 to 15 fruits are formed on one bush. Its formation consists of removing side shoots up to the first fork.

Fruit characteristics

The fruits are elongated cone-shaped, glossy, green at the stage of technical ripeness, red at the biological stage, weighing 150-200 grams, up to 25 cm long, sweet, aromatic, very tasty. The wall thickness is 3-5 mm, depending on watering and fertilizing. This pepper is ideal for fresh consumption, grilling and pickling.

Productivity : up to 10 kg of fruits per 1 sq. meters of landings.

Advantages of the variety : high taste, long-term fruiting.