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While snowstorms are still raging outside the window and fierce frosts are trying to freeze the soul, the soul is already singing in anticipation of spring, and for gardeners and gardeners, the hottest time is slowly coming – to select and sow seeds for seedlings of the most important vegetable crops, without which the site will be lonely and lonely – tomatoes and peppers. If we are talking about February, then the time has not yet come for sowing the seeds of most tomatoes, but it is already time to sow many peppers. But first you need to choose the variety that is most suitable for your site and for your growing conditions.
But this is a very difficult task, because in any seed store, colorful pictures on bags start to make you dizzy and it is unimaginably difficult to make a choice. Just 30-40 years ago, in the 70-80s, the choice of sweet pepper seeds for planting was reduced to only three or four names: Gift of Moldova, Swallow, California miracle and Tenderness. And after all, these old varieties, having survived all the most difficult times, are still popular with gardeners and are successfully grown throughout our vast country. Probably, this is no accident, and something valuable and reliable should be in them. Therefore, in this article we will talk about a rather old, but nevertheless not forgotten variety of sweet or bell pepper – Tenderness, the description and characteristics of which will be presented to your attention. And as a result, you will be able to conclude whether this variety of pepper is suitable for your conditions or not.
Variety description
Back in 1982, breeders of the Institute of Plant Genetic Resources named after. Vavilov, located in St. Petersburg, brought out a new variety of sweet pepper and called it Tenderness. Perhaps because in those years at the peak of popularity was the song of the same name by A. Pakhmutova, and perhaps because of the delicate properties of the skin and pulp of pepper fruits. One way or another, but in 1986, Tenderness pepper was officially entered into the State Register of Our Country and began to spread throughout the country. Currently, pepper seeds of this variety are mainly supplied by the production and trading company “Euro-seeds”, which is also one of the originators.
In those days, the cultivation of sweet peppers in the open field was common only in the southern regions of the country. There were no polycarbonate greenhouses yet, and glass ones were too expensive. In the conditions of the middle lane, and even more so in the north or in Siberia, some single enthusiasts tried to grow sweet bell peppers in film tunnels or makeshift greenhouses, which, judging by the reviews, they succeeded quite well. Indeed, Tenderness pepper was recommended for indoor cultivation even in the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions, as well as on Sakhalin, Kamchatka and Primorsky Krai. And in those days, words were not thrown into the wind. It turns out that this variety can tolerate some shading, and grows well under the condition of a long daylight hours. Also, the Tenderness pepper variety is quite adapted to short-term temperature drops, as well as to rather strong temperature changes.
All these properties still allow it to be widely used in the so-called zones of risky agriculture.
It is interesting that the southern regions of modern Our Country were not indicated in the recommendations for growing, since at that time there were their own interesting varieties for them: Gift of Moldova, California miracle. And Tenderness pepper was bred specifically to satisfy the needs of northern gardeners to grow bell peppers on their plots.
The bushes of the Tenderness variety, although they are standard and limited in growth, can reach a height of 120-140 cm. These powerful plants with a thick central stem have strong, well-branching stems with medium-sized leaves spread out to the sides.
Due to the nature of their growth, they require special pruning and shaping, which will be discussed in more detail later.
Variety Tenderness is usually attributed to mid-early peppers, that is, on average, the period from germination to technical maturity of the fruit is 105-115 days, but under especially favorable conditions, ripening can begin even after 90-95 days from the moment of full germination.
The yield of the Tenderness variety is highly dependent on how conscientiously you can treat the bush formation procedure. If you do not find the time or energy to carry out this care procedure, then from one bush you can get only about 1-1,5 kg of peppers. With proper formation, the yield can be increased several times and the pepper will ripen much faster than without pruning.
Pepper resistance to diseases and pests Tenderness is medium, but again, proper pruning will help improve the ventilation of the bushes and prevent the entry and spread of infection and pest villains.
But, as already discussed above, the Tenderness variety has increased endurance and resistance to weather conditions that are unfavorable for the development of peppers.
Characteristics of fruits
The following characteristics are characteristic of the fruits of Tenderness pepper:
- The shape of the peppers is standard – conical, but often takes the form of a truncated cone. Although by the standard of sweet peppers they should droop downwards, peppers of this variety often grow and hold their tops up for quite a long time before bowing under their weight. This form of growth is a bit like how hot peppers usually grow.
- The fruits are medium in size, reach a length of 15 cm, the weight of one pepper is from 100 to 150 grams.
- At the stage of technical maturity, the color of the peppers is light green, as it ripens, it first becomes orange, and then bright red.
- The skin is tender and thin, and the flesh is also quite juicy.
- The wall thickness is average – 6-7 mm. For an old variety, these numbers are quite significant.
- Taste characteristics of fruits are excellent. The peppers are sweet, with a subtle mustard aftertaste, and fragrant.
- According to the application, the fruits of this variety can be called universal. According to the hostesses, they are most often used for stuffing.
Peculiarities of growing
Tenderness pepper seeds can be sown on seedlings at home from the second half of February to mid-March. Usually pepper seeds germinate for quite a long time – 2-3 weeks.
The fastest shoots of pepper appear at a temperature of +25°+27°C. But after the emergence of seedlings, it is advisable to place the sprouts in a well-lit and cooler place with normal room temperature so that the seedlings do not stretch and develop harmoniously. A pick or transplant in separate cups is carried out when two true leaves are formed in plants.
A couple of weeks after transplanting, pepper seedlings can be fed for the first time with a solution of humate (10-20 ml of humate per 25 liters of water). As soon as young pepper plants reach 15-20 cm and begin to branch, the formation of bushes can begin.
Forming and trimming
For tall varieties of pepper, which include Tenderness, shaping and pruning are necessary, since they allow you to solve several problems at once:
- Removing excess vegetative mass that takes away nutrients from fruits allows peppers to reduce ripening time, increase yield and grow larger fruits.
- Thinning the above-ground mass improves the illumination of the remaining parts of the bush and allows air flows to circulate freely inside the bushes, preventing pests and infections from breeding.
Proper formation is usually carried out in several stages and begins at the stage of growing seedlings.
After the first branching is formed on the seedlings, the first bud usually begins to form in its fork. Sometimes there are several of them. Botanists call this crown bud and it is customary to remove it (or them) so that in the future the branching of peppers and the laying of buds occur in an optimal way.
When planting seedlings of Tenderness pepper in the ground for a permanent place per square meter, no more than 3-4 plants are left.
The first branches that grow from branching are called skeletal, or first-order shoots – they will form the main skeleton of the pepper bush in the future. They, in turn, will also begin to branch. Each time in the process of formation of two new shoots, only one of them is left for growth – the strongest. The other is carefully removed, leaving the leaf and ovary below.
This method of formation is called double-stem leading, and it is the most optimal for growing tall peppers in greenhouses of northern latitudes.
Every week it is also necessary to gradually remove one or two leaves from the lower part of the trunk, so that, in the end, only one bare trunk remains below the first fork of the stems.
During development, additional leaves and shoots will begin to form on the stems below the branches. They also need to be removed very gradually, especially those that obscure the resulting fruits.
The formation procedure also includes tying tall bushes to supports or a trellis and removing yellow and dry leaves.
To form decent yields, Tenderness pepper will also require regular watering and top dressing.
Testimonials from truck drivers
Many gardeners grow Tenderness pepper, because their mothers and grandmothers also grew it, for others, this particular variety can not only survive, but also bear fruit in difficult northern conditions. The reviews of everyone who has come across this variety of pepper are mostly positive.
Conclusion
Pepper Tenderness, being a really old proven variety, is unlikely to let you down even in the most difficult growing conditions. Its external and taste qualities are not much inferior to modern varieties, therefore, for growing in greenhouses in the northern regions, it is the most suitable option.
