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Hot pepper is grown at home as a spice and as an ornamental plant. The multi-colored fruits give a special beauty to the bush. In the process of ripening, they change color from green to yellow, dark purple and red. Plant seeds at any time of the year. Plants need a lot of sunlight, moisture in moderation. The following are the main varieties of hot peppers for indoor cultivation.
Choosing a variety for home cultivation
Varieties with small fruits are best suited for growing indoors. They develop a compact root system that will only need a flower pot to grow. Shade-tolerant peppers are especially suitable for planting on a windowsill.
Although the fruits seem quite small, the plant from which they were harvested could reach a height of two meters. Also, these varieties are demanding on lighting and top dressing. It is simply not possible to grow such varieties on the windowsill.
For indoor breeding, it is better to purchase a package of seeds in a specialized store. Further, an overview of the most interesting varieties of hot peppers with fruits of various shapes is presented.
Indoor varieties of oblong shape
Varieties and hybrids of indoor pepper amaze with a variety of forms. Still, elongated pods remain the most familiar. Below are some of the varieties with photos.
Medusa
Early maturing variety with edible fruits. The height of the bush is small, up to 20 cm. The fruits grow up to 5 cm in length, oblong in shape, slightly curved. Upon reaching biological ripeness, the color of the peppers changes from yellow to red. The plant is demanding on environmental conditions: it develops well in fertile soil, with sufficiently intense lighting and moist air.
Aladdin
An ultra-early variety, characterized by abundant fruiting. Under room conditions, the height of the bush reaches an average of 40 cm. The fruits grow in an elongated conical shape. They have a pronounced sharpness, have a pleasant aroma. As the peppers mature, they first turn purple or cream and then turn red.
Twinkle
The variety is well suited for growing at home. It belongs to the middle-early ones, the first peppers ripen 115-120 days after the shoots have appeared. The fruits have a bright red color, the shape is elongated, the skin is smooth. Traditional pepper taste. The bush grows medium, the fruits are relatively large – up to 45 g.
Poinsettia
This variety also produces oblong fruits that turn red as they ripen. They are located at the ends of the branches in the form of a bouquet, so they look decorative. The height of the bush is about 30-35 cm. The length of the fruit reaches 7,5 cm. They have a very pungent taste.
Garda Firewox
The bush bears abundant fruit, peppers grow 5,5 cm long and stick up on the branches. The plant is low, 25-30 cm. As it ripens, the fruits change their color. But since new peppers appear regularly, red, purple, yellow and green pods may be present on the bush at the same time. Differ in the expressed sharpness.
Explosive Ember
This variety has an original bush. It reaches a size of only 20-30 cm. But it is unlikely to be noticed on the windowsill, as it has dark purple leaves. The first fruits can be expected in 115-120 days after the shoots were found. Peppers have a pronounced sharpness, as they ripen, they change color. Ripe fruits are red, oblong, small in size – 2,5 cm long.
variegated fish
The next variety for indoor cultivation is demanding for care: it needs abundant watering and top dressing. Bushes grow up to 30 cm in height, have dense foliage. The fruits are oblong in shape with a rounded tip. At first, the pepper grows striped, with alternating green and light green stripes. At the stage of biological ripeness, it turns red.
Confetti
This variety is characterized by a beautiful bush of small size – up to 40 cm. It belongs to late-ripening peppers, loves heat and light, abundant watering is required for the plant. Fruits of different colors grow simultaneously on the bush, they reach a length of 7 cm. The yield is high.
Firework
This variety forms a perennial stem bush. The plant needs warmth, sufficient watering and regular fertilizing with mineral and organic compounds. However, the bush tolerates shading well, it does not need to be cut. It bears cone-shaped fruits, the skin is smooth or slightly ribbed. The weight of one pepper is about 6 g, the wall thickness is 1 mm. Ripe fruits turn orange.
hungarian yellow
Refers to early ripening varieties. It forms a compact shrub up to 50 cm high. It produces elongated cone-shaped fruits, thin, with a smooth skin and a pleasant aroma. The weight of one pepper reaches 60 g, has rather thick walls – 4 mm. It is temperature resistant. In technical ripeness, the fruits are saturated yellow, when ripe they turn red.
Varieties with unusual fruits
Not all varieties of indoor peppers bear oblong fruits. There are many varieties with peppers of a rounded or other shape. The following are some of the more common varieties.
Babie summer
The plant grows well in the shade and does not require special care. Forms a compact, voluminous bush with small leaves. Flowers white or ink shades. Peppers grow in different shapes and colors, there is a pronounced sharpness.
habanero red
This variety bears very burning fruits, has a high yield. Peppers are shaped like physalis. They reach a size of 4 cm, skin with a ribbed surface, have a pleasant fruity aroma. The weight of one fruit is 15 g. The bush needs abundant watering.
Rainbow
The variety brings small fruits of a rounded shape, looks decorative. The tip is slightly elongated. The fruits change color as they ripen, so there are multi-colored peppers on the bush at the same time.
Bell
These fruits have the original shape of a bell flower. Upon reaching biological ripeness, they acquire a scarlet color. They differ in a combined taste: the “petals” are sweetish, sharpness is felt closer to the core. Spicy seasoning for meat dishes.
Nosegay
Belongs to the most compact varieties. The bush grows up to 15 cm high, round pepper also has a miniature size. As it matures, the color changes several times: first green, then cream, yellow and finally red. For this plant with round fruits, a small liter pot is enough. The taste of peppers is moderately spicy.
Rowan
One of the most decorative varieties. The leaves have an unusual shape, resembling a boat, with the edges twisted inward. Peppers are round, small, reminiscent of rowan berries. The fruits are placed inside the leaves.
How to plant peppers at home
It is practical to plant decorative indoor peppers on the windowsill; the fruits are used as a seasoning and even a medicine. In order for the plant to be strong and develop properly, you need to follow some recommendations.
- For planting, it is worth taking seeds from ripe fruits.
- Loose, fertilized soil is preferable for indoor peppers; more humus should be added to it.
- Seeds will germinate better if they are soaked first.
- It is necessary to monitor the moderate soil moisture: you can not overdry the soil, but excessive watering is not useful.
- If hot pepper is planted in winter, the plant is not additionally fertilized.
You can plant pepper on the windowsill at any time of the year. You don’t have to wait until spring. However, planting in autumn or winter has its own characteristics. With a short light day, seedlings do not stretch. Their growth stops, the root system continues to develop. When there is more sunlight, the home bush begins to grow.
Caring for houseplants
In order for the plant to develop properly and bear fruit well, it needs a separate container. If the seeds were previously sown in a common pot, it is recommended to plant the sprouts when they reach 5 cm in height.
Intense lighting is important for pepper. It is exposed to the sun daily for several hours in the morning. The temperature for growing is within 10-21 degrees.
When the bush goes to growth, it needs sufficient moisture. The specific amount of water per plant depends on the conditions in the apartment. If the room is hot, it will not be superfluous to water the pepper every day. The soil must not be allowed to remain dry. At least once a week, the bush is sprayed with water from a spray bottle. This will maintain the optimum level of humidity and help set the peppers.
During the growing season, the plant is fertilized. Once a week, it is watered with a liquid composition for feeding. During the period of fruit set, watering is carried out more often, but fertilizer should not be added anymore.
When the fruiting season is over, the branches are cut by a third. Water the plant is not so intensive, but still make sure that the soil does not dry out.
If indoor conditions are created suitable for pepper, the growth and development of the plant will continue in the winter. There is information that the fruiting of a bush in one place may not stop for five years. Such a plant will become an unusual decoration of the room. It is used as a seasoning and even a remedy for neuralgia and some other diseases.
