Pepper is an uncommon guest of vegetable gardens and horticultural plots in Russia. The low popularity of this vegetable is due to its whimsical nature: the plant grows poorly in temperate zones and often dies during cold spells at night. It is almost impossible to achieve a large, good-tasting harvest without using a greenhouse.
However, for lovers of vegetable growing, the “Bison Yellow” variety was bred through selection. This type of pepper gets along well in the southern regions of Russia in the summer, and in other regions it can be grown in a greenhouse without complex care measures. This plant is worth considering for home cooks and restaurant owners.
General characteristics of the variety: color, height, fruit weight
The stems of "Bison" are tall, with parameters from 90 to 100 cm. This is the highest figure among other varieties of pepper.
Note! Due to the large height of the stems, the bushes need to be tied up. For gartering, you can use homemade supports from branches or special trellises. Rope tensions attached to a common crossbar are also suitable.
The leaves grow along the entire height of the stem and are attached using branches with several leaves at once. At the base of the trunk, leaves can grow independently. Such leaves need to be cut off right up to the bud so that nutrients do not go to providing unnecessary parts. With proper pruning, the fruits will be more juicy and crunchy.
“Bison Yellow” has bright yellow fruits. They acquire color even during the ripening period. The weight of one fruit is 150-200 grams. The fruits are oblong, reaching a length of more than 10 cm when properly fertilized and grown in good temperature conditions.
Pepper "Bison Yellow": early, universal purpose
Bison Yellow Pepper is one of the first to ripen in gardens; the characteristics of the variety allow us to please us with the first fruits already in June. Its description and productivity, according to reviews, make the variety one of the early varieties worthy of attention.
This early ripening variety is recommended for cultivation in open ground (for southern regions) and in greenhouses. The variety is super-yielding; it is characterized by long-term regular fruiting almost until frost.
The main thing about the variety
Pepper bushes are powerful - up to 100 cm high, the fruits are located along the entire length of the stem.
The leaves are dark green, slightly wrinkled. The plant definitely needs a garter to a support or trellis, since the stems are often not able to support the weight of the crop. Bright large fruits have the following characteristics:
- Average weight 150g. The first, largest fruits reach 200g.
- The length of pepper in some specimens is up to 25 cm.
- The fruits have an elongated cone-shaped shape.
- The color is bright yellow when ripe, the skin is glossy.
- The wall thickness is 4-5mm, the flesh is juicy, sweet, aromatic, very tender.
- Used for making salads, stuffing, frying, stewing. Used for preservation and freezing.
The variety is an early variety - technical ripeness occurs within 95-100 days after germination. Ripening is gradual, regular and abundant. Productivity reaches 10 kg per sq.m.
Diseases and pests
The plant is relatively resistant to most diseases if preventive measures are taken and under favorable weather conditions. But, like most varieties of pepper, it suffers from viral and fungal diseases. The most dangerous of them:
- Blackleg is a fungal disease that most often affects seedlings. A plant can become infected through seeds or soil. To prevent the disease, plants are watered with a solution of potassium permanganate and planted so that there is good lighting and ventilation.
- Late blight is a fungal disease that affects most nightshades. The disease manifests itself in the form of brown spots on the leaves and then on the fruits. Preventive spraying with a solution of copper-containing drugs or phytosporin can reduce the threat of this disease.
- Phytoplasmosis is a disease in which microorganisms (microplasmas) infect the upper parts of the shoots, spreading to the rest of the plant. Since the disease cannot be treated, diseased plants are destroyed, and the soil and tools are treated with disinfectant solutions.
- Blossom rot is a disease caused by a calcium deficiency in a plant with an excess of nitrogen. Most often occurs in overfed plants. Brown spots appear on the stems and leaves, and then on the tips of the fruit. The spread of the disease can be avoided by feeding it with calcium nitrate.
Most diseases of peppers cannot be treated, so pre-sowing treatment of planting material, soil and equipment in greenhouses, as well as preventive spraying of plants with copper-containing preparations and phytosporin, becomes relevant.
The most dangerous enemies of pepper are leaf-eating insects - aphids, spider mites, slugs. In small areas, they are usually fought with folk remedies, using repellent decoctions of garlic, wormwood, and tobacco. Spraying is carried out twice at weekly intervals.
In case of significant infestation, bazudin is used to repel wireworms.
Advantages and disadvantages
Reviews from fans of the Bison yellow pepper note its main advantages:
- High yield.
- Excellent taste and aroma of delicate fruits.
- Early ripeness and duration of fruiting.
- Versatility of use, especially in cooking - the thin, delicate skin allows you to make excellent fried and stuffed dishes.
The disadvantage of this variety is considered by many gardeners to be an insufficiently strong stem, which definitely needs to be shaped and tied to a support.
Features of cultivation
To get healthy plants, most gardeners prefer to grow seedlings on their own. Sowing begins 65-70 days before the plants are supposed to be planted in the ground or in a greenhouse.
Growing seedlings
According to reviews, yellow bison pepper seeds from the Gavrish company have good germination, however, to avoid the risk of disease, they require pre-sowing treatment. Processing includes:
- To disinfect seeds, soak them in a solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, followed by rinsing in water.
- Treatment with a solution of microelements and growth stimulants for 6 hours.
Prepared seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth, placed in a container with a loose-fitting lid and left until germination at a temperature of 24-25 degrees.
Pepper seeds germinate within a few days, after which you can begin sowing.
The resulting mixture, as well as boxes for growing seedlings, are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or other disinfectants.
The hatched seeds are planted in seedling boxes at intervals of 2-3cm, covered with soil (7-8mm) and covered with a lid or film (not hermetically sealed). Since peppers do not like transplanting, some gardeners plant them immediately in individual pots or glasses so as not to have to pick them later.
Seedling boxes and pots are placed at a temperature of 23-24 degrees until germination.
After germination, the seedlings are hardened off for a week, for which the temperature is reduced during the day to 15-16 degrees, and at night to 13-15 degrees. Watering is carried out very moderately, only with warm water. After hardening is completed, the plants are placed in comfortable conditions -22-23 degrees.
Features of growing in Russian conditions
"Bison" is suitable for free planting in the southern regions, where night temperatures in summer do not fall below minus 12-15 degrees. The minimum daily temperature is 20 degrees. At lower rates, productivity decreases. Gardeners from other regions, more northern, must provide the plant with a greenhouse or other heated area.
In Russian conditions, bushes need to be periodically moistened to avoid overheating and sunburn. Humidification can be done using special devices or a hose with a small dispenser.
Tip: In regions with a small percentage of sunny days, the plant requires special feeding.
Landing
Pepper seeds are sown from mid to late February. They are transferred to permanent sites from the 2nd-3rd decade of May. Transplantation into greenhouses is possible when the air temperature is at least 15 degrees.
Before transplanting, the bushes are hardened off on a loggia or balcony for 10-12 days.
On the plot, peppers are placed maintaining a distance of 50-60 cm. No more than 3-4 bushes are planted per 1 m2. Compost and phosphorus-potassium supplements are first added to the holes for better growth of young bushes.
Dates for sowing and planting seedlings
Peppers can be sown in fertilizer-rich soil at the end of February. You cannot pour seeds directly into the ground where they will grow in the summer. First you need to prepare several cassettes for growing seedlings at home or in greenhouse conditions.
Plants should be kept in cassettes until warmer weather sets in. Planting usually occurs at the end of May. At this time, the vegetable is already beginning to set. It is self-pollinating, so no additional pollination measures are needed.
If weather conditions are unfavorable, planting seedlings can be delayed for 5-10 days. It is not recommended to delay planting in regular soil any longer.
Before planting, you need to prepare not only special recesses sprinkled with fertilizers for the plants, but also supporting elements. For small bushes, twigs up to 70 cm high are suitable. Next, the tops can be tied to a common trellis system.
Productivity and ripening time
"Bison" is an early ripening pepper. The first fruits appear 85-100 days after planting the seeds. Moreover, the fruiting period is very long, lasting under favorable conditions until late autumn.
The vegetable yield is high. The entire stem from the first fork is strewn with peppercorns. The weight of one fruit reaches up to 200 grams - an excellent indicator for pepper. The wall thickness of the pepper is 0.5 cm. The fruits contain a lot of water, but have a rich taste. The fruits are crisp and reach maximum edibility by July. In the southern regions of Russia, the first peppercorns can ripen in mid-to-late May, and in the temperate zone, even when kept in greenhouses, fruit ripening begins at the end of June.
Protecting peppers from diseases
In some cases, the cause of crop loss may be a disease of seedlings or already mature bushes. Here are some common problems that peppers can suffer from:
- Black leg in seedlings can be a result of poor-quality soil, excess moisture or drafts. If the problem is contaminated soil, it must be disposed of. If the soil in a greenhouse is contaminated, a layer up to 7 cm deep is removed for this purpose, and then disinfected with a sulfur bomb or bleach. Prevention of the disease is moderate watering with warm water and protection from drafts.
- Late blight can develop in the second half of summer, manifesting itself in blackening of fruits. Disinfecting seeds in potassium permanganate will help protect the crop from this disease. During the period of intensification of the disease, it is recommended to cover the beds with pepper with film or other moisture-proof material. Spraying is widely used. An infusion of onion peels can be used as a natural remedy, but chemical analogues can also be used.
- Black bacterial spot can develop in plant debris that has not been removed since last season. Therefore, the best prevention would be to clean and burn dried vegetable bushes. For reference: tomatoes and peppers have common diseases. Therefore, these crops are planted as far apart as possible.
General rules of care
To maintain the health and high speed of plant development, it is enough to follow standard care procedures. This mainly involves watering and trimming excess leaves. Watering is carried out regularly; the frequency of watering should be determined depending on the rate of drying of the soil.
Important! If the gardener’s goal is to grow fruits for sale, you need to regularly add fertilizers with calcium and other useful elements to the soil. Not only special fertilizers are suitable, but also home remedies - ash, droppings.
As the plant grows, it is necessary to re-tie the bush so that it does not break under its own weight or due to exposure to air currents.
Hilling is necessary to protect the roots. It is advisable to eliminate weeds near the plant and not plant the vegetable close to other useful crops. Close proximity to other plants will cause the pepper to lack nutrients.
The greenhouse must have a proper drainage system so that the roots of the bushes do not rot due to stagnant moisture.
Advantages and disadvantages of "Bison"
The plant differs from other varieties of pepper in its high resistance to cold climates. The ancestor of the variety is a heat-loving variety from Mexico. However, "Bison" does not require the same warm climatic conditions as its predecessor. And this is just one of the many advantages of the variety.
Other advantages:
- in the southern zone of Russia does not require a greenhouse and additional moisture;
- plant care includes standard procedures; no expensive fertilizers or complex techniques are required;
- purchasing and maintaining seedlings is inexpensive;
- when sold, the product pays off well;
- the fruits are large and heavy, so they are suitable for any dish;
- The variety has high taste qualities.
But “Bison” also has negative sides. The main disadvantage is the need to use a greenhouse in the northern parts of Russia and even in the temperate zone. Peppers cannot develop properly at temperatures below 20 degrees, and these areas are cool even in the summer.
Other disadvantages:
- the plant has large bushes that need to be constantly tied up;
- Due to the height of the stems, there is a high risk of them breaking in the wind, which will result in lost harvest.
It is better to buy the plant from breeders and gardeners with extensive experience, who can provide it with the necessary conditions - periodic moisture and the correct temperature regime. If you grow peppers outside a greenhouse, the fruits will be undeveloped and will leave an unpleasant, bitter aftertaste when eaten.
Resistance to diseases and adverse conditions
This variety is absolutely resistant to the following diseases:
- Dry spotting;
- Black spotting of the trunk;
- Stolbur;
- Infectious wilt;
- Cucumber mosaic;
- Black leg.
IMPORTANT
, but if one of these diseases appears, the bush must be removed from the garden bed and destroyed outside the site so as not to contaminate the soil. Treat the place where the diseased plant grew with any foundation.
The number of pests in the garden is regulated by treatment, both with chemicals and with the help of folk remedies.
Use of the plant
"Bison" is suitable for home and commercial cultivation. The fruits, which gradually ripen from late spring to late autumn, can be sold in batches. The pepper has an attractive appearance for the buyer - it is colored bright yellow, large, and juicy. At the same time, the cost of seeds is minimal, so growing “Bison” for sale pays off several times over.
The fruits can be used for cooking. The list of dishes that are prepared from pepper is extensive:
- stuffed pepper;
- vegetable salad;
- baked pepper;
- roast;
- roasted peppers;
- grilled pepper.
Pieces of pepper that have undergone the necessary processing (grill is suitable to achieve the best taste) can be used as part of sandwiches, sandwiches, and burgers. Yellow "Bison" is popular in the restaurant business and modern American cuisine chains.
Interesting: the plant can be used for decorative purposes during the period of fruit ripening: from the moment the fruits are set, they acquire a bright yellow color and retain it until removed from the stem. But it would be more advisable to purchase special decorative varieties to decorate the site.
