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Pepper Big Boy is an early ripe, large-fruited, high-yielding variety. Due to its unpretentiousness in care, it is popular with gardeners. Suitable for cultivation in the open air and under the film.
The story of
Breeders of the Aelita agricultural firm worked on breeding sweet pepper (in some sources it is called the Big Boy). In addition to the red Big Boy, the mini-family includes:
- dark orange Big Mama;
- lilac-lilac Big Papa;
- bright orange Big Girl.
The variety was entered into the State Register of Our Country in 2012. It is recommended for cultivation in open ground and in greenhouses.
Description of Bulgarian pepper Big Boy
The taste qualities of the Big Boy fruits were highly appreciated. The pepper is juicy, not bitter, has a pronounced aroma, is well stored and tolerates transportation well.
Weight, color and shape of fruits
The fruits are cylindrical. The surface is glossy, shiny. At the time of full maturation, it acquires a bright scarlet color.
Fruits on bushes are approximately the same size, the average weight of pepper is from 250 to 300 g
Bush height and size
The bushes of the Big Boy variety cultivated in open ground are low – 60-70 cm, under the film cover the plant stretches a little higher. The crown is slightly spreading, the stem is powerful, so you do not have to put additional supports to maintain the crop. The leaves are medium-sized, dark green in color, peppers grow drooping on the bush.
Characteristics of pepper Big Boy
Big Boy is a versatile, early ripe variety. Pepper fruits are rich in vitamin C. Vegetables are recommended for people with weakened immune systems. Big Boy is frozen, used for making fresh salads, preservation, lecho, ketchups, sauces.
During freezing, heat treatment, during the preservation process, pepper does not lose its beneficial properties.
Big Boy pepper yield
According to the data registered in the State Register, Big Boy, grown in a greenhouse, from 1 m2 gives 7,5-8 kg of crop.
Fruiting terms
Harvesting continues from July to the end of September. Pepper ripening occurs not only on the bushes, but also after removal.
Disease resistance
Of the entire range of diseases that affect plants of the nightshade family, Big Boy is resistant only to the viral tobacco mosaic. There is no information about the resistance of the variety to other ailments.
Growing regions
Variety Big Boy is suitable for widespread cultivation. The growing season of the plant is from 110 to 115 days.
In the Urals, in Siberia and central Our Country, Big Boy sweet pepper is recommended to be cultivated in a greenhouse.
Advantages and disadvantages
Nutritionists include pepper in the diet of people diagnosed with blood diseases, anemia and tuberculosis. The fruits of the Big Boy will be useful for residents of the northern and central regions of Our Country, because due to the harsh climatic conditions they need natural vitamins and microelements.
Big Boy pepper for a long time retains its marketable appearance
Pros:
- high yield;
- excellent taste;
- long-term storage, resistance to transportation;
- precocity;
- immunity to tobacco mosaic virus;
- universal purpose;
- Plants are compact and neat.
The minuses include:
- susceptibility to most diseases.
Peculiarities of growing
Soil preparation for beds begins in the fall. The best predecessors for the Big Fight are onions, cucumbers, legumes, greens. It is not recommended to grow pepper where other nightshade crops were previously planted.
Pepper is a thermophilic and light-loving plant. Shows high watering requirements. If the seedlings have not been irrigated for a long time, the growth of the bushes slows down. Big Boy prefers fertile soils, pH level 6-6,6.
The beds for growing the Big Boy should not be blown through through the winds
When and how to plant seedlings
In order for the pepper to ripen, it has to be sown 60-70 days before it is planted in a permanent place. Different regions have their own terms, sowing seeds is carried out from February 10 to March 10.
Before sowing, seed material is recommended to be disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate or a fungicide. After that, the seeds are laid out between layers of gauze, put in a warm place, make sure that the fabric does not dry out. After 10-14 days, the seeds will hatch. The main thing is not to let the sprouts outgrow, as they are too tender, they can break.
For sowing Big Boy pepper, you can use a store-bought soil mixture, or cook it yourself. To do this, mix peat and well-rotted compost (humus), sand in a ratio of 2:2:1. To protect seedlings from fungal diseases, the prepared mixture is steamed in a double boiler for at least one hour.
Planting pepper seedlings:
- Disinfect the container with a solution of potassium permanganate. Fill with soil mixture, compact.
- Seeds are laid out at a distance of 1,5-2 cm. More dense seedlings will shade each other.
- Fill the spread out planting material with soil mixture, lightly tamp. The layer of soil on top of the seeds is not more than 1,5 cm. During watering, make sure that the seeds do not appear on the surface.
- The temperature in the room where the seedlings will germinate is maintained at + 25ᵒС.
- When shoots appear, the temperature is reduced to + 15 … + 17 ᵒС.
Water the seedlings moderately with warm, settled water.
So that the seedlings do not stretch, the container is periodically turned. In the phase of 2-3 true leaves, pepper seedlings dive, planting in separate pots or glasses.
Transplantation in open ground
The distance between the bushes in a row is 50 cm, the row spacing is 60 cm. The holes for pepper should not be deep; when the stem is immersed, the root collar remains on the surface. After planting, the plants are watered abundantly, then mulched.
Aftercare
Big Boy pepper care includes:
- weekly watering is carried out with warm settled water;
- regular loosening of the soil, removal of weeds. The root system of pepper is close to the surface, manipulations should be carried out carefully;
- in a greenhouse, you may need to tie plants to supports;
- to get a good harvest, it is recommended to remove the stepchildren and leaves to the fork, as well as those fruits that grow inside the bush. On secondary shoots, a weaker ovary is cut off;
- feed the pepper every two weeks. Before the appearance of the ovary, seedlings are fertilized with herbal infusions. During the formation of fruits, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are used. Fertilizers are applied to moist soil;
- when grown in a greenhouse, provide regular ventilation of the room.
If the pepper does not fit well during cultivation under the film, the flowering plants need to be shaken a little, or the pollen should be transferred from flower to flower with a brush.
Disease and Pest Prevention
Pepper diseases that cannot be cured:
- verticillosis is a hard-to-detect disease. Bushes lose their vitality gradually, wither, and completely dry out during the flowering period;
- the black leg is found on seedlings and young plants. Infection occurs through seed and soil. To avoid this, it is recommended to regularly ventilate the greenhouse;
- Phytoplasmosis is a disease caused by microplasmas. The plant grows poorly, the leaves twist, turn yellow. Flowers crumble, if the fruits are tied, then they become unmarketable.
If these diseases are detected, the bushes are removed from the root, burned outside the site. For preventive purposes, it is recommended to disinfect garden tools, seeds and soil in the greenhouse.
The most common ailments that can affect Big Boy pepper bushes are:
- Top rot – manifests itself on the plant in the form of weeping spots on the leaves and tops of the fruits, with an excess of nitrogen and a lack of calcium. To cure a bush, it is necessary to fertilize the beds with calcium nitrate.
- Leaf mold forms when the humidity is high. It appears as brown spots on the leaves on the outside and light ash on the inside. To protect the plants, it is recommended to observe the norms of crop rotation, in the autumn period to disinfect the soil with a solution of copper sulphate. If it was not possible to avoid the disease, the bushes must be treated with fungicides.
- Late blight – begins to appear as brown spots on the leaves, then passes to the fruits. For preventive purposes, it is recommended to carry out treatment with phytosporin or copper-containing agents.
Of the pests for Big Boy peppers, the Colorado potato beetle, aphids and spider mites are dangerous. When growing a crop on an industrial scale, farmers carry out insecticide treatment. If plants are cultivated for personal consumption, the beds are sprayed with an infusion of bitter pepper, garlic or wormwood.
Conclusion
Pepper Big Boy is not only rich in vitamin C. It does not lose commercial qualities for a long time. Fruits taken from the bush in the phase of technical ripeness ripen within a few days.
Reviews of gardeners about pepper Big Boy
