Pepper California miracle characteristic. Pepper variety "California miracle

Sweet bell pepper is a welcome vegetable in any garden. This vitamin giant has been enjoyed in Europe since the 15th century. Pepper came to us relatively recently and took root well, although it prefers warmer countries.

Its bright coloring adorns any dish, and hardly any other vegetable can boast of such an amount of vitamins. Pepper, the description and care of which will be presented below, is the most popular among gardeners and the most prominent representative of vegetables.

Varieties of sweet pepper

The variety of varieties on store shelves confuses not only beginners, but also experienced gardeners. Grown peppers in a greenhouse, open field or greenhouse can be of different colors and very different shapes.

All varieties, depending on the ripening time, are divided into:

Ultra early, which reach the degree of technical maturity in less than 100 days;

Early, require 100 to 120 days to ripen;

Medium early, ripen in an average of 130 days;

Late, will require at least 140-150 days;

Very late - more than 150 days.

The height of the bush allows you to select the following varieties:

Undersized (up to half a meter high);

Medium height (up to 1 meter);

Tall (1.5 meters or more).

In a garden without a greenhouse and a greenhouse, "sweet", "sazachok", "hercules" grow well. Resistance to temperature extremes was shown by "dawn", "hedgehog", "violet", "accord", "freckle", "dolphin".

For growing in a greenhouse, low-growing, early-ripening varieties or hybrids like “Bianca”, “Eroshka”, “Yungi”, “Turquoise”, “Victoria”, “Hercules”, “Flamingo” and some others are suitable, which will not only grow, but also ripen . Moreover, these varieties are disease-resistant, tolerate low temperatures well.

Tall thick-walled large-fruited varieties of late ripening and, in general, any other peppers in a greenhouse can be grown if it is glazed, polycarbonate, with warm or heated beds.

Pepper "California miracle": description

Growing this variety of pepper is a pleasure. Today it is one of the most popular varieties.

The California Miracle pepper variety is mid-season, requiring 100 to 130 days to reach technical ripeness. Bush size is medium. The height is 0.7 meters. One bush can produce an average of 7-10 fruits. "California miracle" - pepper, reviews of which among gardeners are extremely positive, has cube-shaped fruits, they are smooth, glossy, bright red. The aroma is pronounced, with an unobtrusive peel and a wall thickness of 8 mm. The fruit of few people can leave indifferent. Seeds of this variety have good germination both in open and closed ground. Strong sprawling bushes with strong elastic branches are characteristic of the "California miracle" variety. Pepper (reviews testify) sometimes has bitterness. This may be due to not very suitable growing conditions. In most cases, the pepper is sweet, it can be consumed both fresh, pickled or processed.

Sweet for seedlings

Sweet bell pepper is a thermophilic vegetable. Pepper "California miracle" will not be an exception. Cultivation begins with the preparation of seeds and their sowing to obtain seedlings. The vegetable does not tolerate transplantation well, therefore it is better to choose peat pots with a diameter of 10 cm for sowing. The plant develops slowly, which means that it is not advisable to use large pots for a vegetable such as sweet pepper.

When to sow? This is the main question that needs to be addressed. Seeds are usually sown in February, so that by the time of transplantation they are 60-70 days old.

Pepper seeds "California miracle" require pre-planting treatment. It is advisable to soak them in any stimulating solution. They can be disinfected first. To do this, you can use a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, after which the seeds are washed. They are then left to hatch on a damp cloth for several days. As soon as they hatch, they should immediately be sown in well-moistened soil no deeper than 1 cm.

Seed pots should be covered with foil, plastic bags or glass. The variety of pepper "California miracle" sprouts in 5-7 days, or even earlier. At the same time, the temperature in the room should not be lower than 20 ° C, optimally 25 ° C, any illumination.

Caring for sweet pepper seedlings

When the first shoots appear, the containers should be rearranged to light or seedlings should be provided with additional lighting. Polyethylene or what the containers were covered with is gradually removed, the plants get used to the new conditions for them. It is not worth watering the seedlings excessively, but the substrate should not dry out either. In this case, the water should not be cold, at least 30 ° C, otherwise the plant may become frail, get sick, and then die. The air in the room where the seedlings are located should not be dry. There should be regular ventilation, but without a draft. Pepper responds well to spraying.

Top dressing during this period is optional, especially if the conditions are right.

Soil preparation

It is possible to plant seedlings in the soil of an unheated greenhouse from mid-May. If this is open ground, then it is better to wait until the end of May - mid-June. In any case, landing requires preliminary soil preparation.

It will be useful to disinfect the soil in the greenhouse. This should be done in early spring. For these purposes, you can use special chemical compounds or simply thoroughly wash everything in the greenhouse with water and soapy water. To transplant pepper, you need to:

The soil in the greenhouse was warmed up to +18°C;

The land was fertilized with phosphorus and potash (40 g per m²), nitrogen fertilizers (30 g per m²);

Loamy soil can be mixed with rotted sawdust, manure, peat;

Half-rotted sawdust, coarse sand should be added to clay soil;

Peat, humus, rotted manure should be added to the sandy soil;

A week or a few days before planting, the beds can be watered with a hot aqueous solution of mullein (5 liters of solution for each square meter of soil).

After fertilization, the soil must be dug up.

How to prepare seedlings for transplanting

Seedlings must be hardened off before planting in the ground. To do this, pepper must first be briefly, and then exposed to fresh air and sun for the whole day, and brought back at night.

A week before planting in the greenhouse, pepper seedlings can be fed with a solution of potash fertilizers and sprayed with a solution of Bordeaux liquid, which will prevent the occurrence of various fungal diseases.

Pepper Planting Scheme

The planting scheme for sweet pepper directly depends on the size of the bush of the selected variety. Pepper "California miracle", which is grown in a greenhouse, is planted according to the scheme 40 by 40. And on average, 4-6 bushes per 1 m² are obtained.

When placing seedlings in a permanent place, seedlings should not be buried, they will not have side roots. Otherwise, the plant may rot and die.

You should also be careful about the root system, damage to which can lead to the fact that the pepper will recover for a long time. Therefore, it is advisable to transplant along with the earthy clod in which the seedlings grew.

Further care

Sweet pepper has taken root well in the middle latitudes of Russia, being considered a relatively unpretentious plant. But care still has some features, which allows you to get a good harvest from the California miracle variety.

Pepper, reviews of which indicate the yield of the variety, loves water. The lack of moisture leads to inhibition of the development process and the dropping of ovaries by the plant. Overwatering can lead to illness. It is necessary to water regularly, only under the root, and the water should be separated and warm.

Moistened should be not only the soil, but also the air in the greenhouse. In order for the humidity level to be normal, you can water the paths in the aisle or the glass of the greenhouse.

If the weather is hot and humid, then the lower side shoots should be removed. If the weather is hot and dry, then you should not pinch the plant, as the foliage protects the soil from drying out.

The root system of sweet pepper needs constant air access. The compaction of the top layer leads to a decrease in yield. It is necessary to loosen the soil under the plant carefully, since it has superficial roots, they are easy to damage. To avoid weeding, the soil under the plant must be mulched. For this, sawdust, mowed grass, humus, straw, which has already been overripe, are suitable. The layer of mulch should be at least 4 cm.

Pepper is a fragile plant and requires a garter, as the stem and branches under the weight of the fruit can be damaged. And this is done not only with tall, but also with undersized varieties.

Feeding planted seedlings

During the season, sweet bell pepper requires several top dressings. The first fertilizer can be carried out when a few true leaves appear. The second feeding will be carried out a few weeks after the first. You have to be careful with feeding the "California miracle". From such a recharge, the plant will become more powerful, but the number of ovaries will be sharply reduced.

Harvest sweet bell pepper seeds

In fairness, it should be noted that sweet bell pepper seeds have a maximum germination capacity only in the first year after harvest, and the “California miracle” (pepper) will not be an exception. Reviews confirm the popularity of the variety and say that self-collected seeds are in no way inferior to purchased ones. But a few rules must be followed.

In order for the collected pepper seeds to be purebred and not cross-pollinated with neighboring plantings, it is necessary in advance, even before flowering, to choose a stronger bush. And as the first buds appear, it will need to be covered with a small greenhouse. After setting the first ovaries, which are best suited for collecting seeds, the shelter is removed, the ovaries are marked with strings so as not to be confused with fruits from other pollinated bushes.

and pests

The following diseases are dangerous for pepper:

late blight;

White rot;

macrosporiosis;

Top rot;

Septoria;

Blackleg.

Pepper is very fond of slugs, whitefly butterfly, scoop, aphid, and bear. To protect the plant from the bear, an hour before planting, the holes prepared for seedlings are filled with water. After planting with a sprayer, the plantation is sprayed. The spraying procedure for the season can be carried out 2-3 times. Wood ash is suitable as a remedy, which fights various pests well.

The best way to deal with aphids is with whey. It will take one and a half liters per bucket of water. After treating the plant with whey, it is advisable to sprinkle pepper with wood ash again.

Pepper "California miracle", the description and methods of cultivation of which were presented above, is a truly unique vegetable. Arriving to us from distant warm Mexico, he was able to perfectly adapt to local conditions and at the same time did not lose a drop of his usefulness, taste and aroma.

Sweet (or bell) peppers are native to South America. In Russia, it began to be grown from the end of the 16th century, and by the middle of the 19th century it had become a very common crop.

Sweet pepper is a storehouse of vitamins and nutrients, it is used in the preparation of various dishes, as well as in folk medicine.

There are many varieties of sweet bell peppers. The right variety is the key to a good harvest.

For many years, the leading place among the varieties of bell pepper has been occupied by the California Miracle variety. This variety has received many positive reviews from gardeners and enjoys well-deserved love and popularity.

Variety Description

The California Miracle belongs to mid-early varieties, the time from germination to fruit ripening is about 130 days.

The height of the bush is about 70 cm. At the same time, up to 10 fruits can ripen on a bush. The fruits are large, cube-shaped, as they ripen from green to red or yellow.

The walls of the fruit are fleshy, up to 8 mm thick. The fruits have a bright aroma and sweet taste.

According to their characteristics, peppers of this variety are quite unpretentious, easy to care for, well resist various and tolerate weather changes.

Growing seedlings

When buying seeds for seedlings, you need to pay attention to the expiration date indicated on the package, as well as the packing date, which should be no earlier than two years ago.

Pepper seeds are sown in the second half of February in seedling boxes.

Good to know: it is convenient to plant pepper seeds immediately in separate cups. So the plant is less injured during transplantation and will take root faster when planted in the ground.

At a temperature of 20-25 degrees, shoots will appear in 7-10 days, at a cooler temperature (about 15-17 degrees) - in 20-22 days. In order to form a bush from a plant, it is necessary to remove the growing point. This must be done when the pepper grows to 15-20 cm.

Transplant to the ground

Pepper is a heat-loving plant, so its cultivation requires a temperature of 20-28 degrees. Best of all, pepper will grow in greenhouses or under film cover.

Seedlings of peppers are planted in the ground at the age of 2-2.5 months. That is, in the last days of May - early June. At the same time, the air temperature should not be lower than 17 degrees, since at lower temperatures the pepper stops developing.

For it is better to choose a cloudy day, in hot weather it will be more difficult for plants to take root in a new place. In order for the plant to grow well and bring a rich harvest, it is necessary to choose a sunny, unshaded place for planting.

Lack of light can lead to falling buds and ovaries, yellowing and shedding of leaves. The soil for planting should be light and fertile. Peppers do not tolerate fresh manure well, but adding compost will do them good.

When planting, it is necessary to observe the distance from one plant to another. The distance in a row should be 30-40 cm, between rows - 50 cm. Peppers should not be deeply buried; up to two plants can be planted in one hole.

plant care

Bulgarian pepper is a moisture-loving plant, so you need to water it often, preventing the soil from drying out.

However, at the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the water does not stagnate - excess moisture will have a negative effect. Plants should be watered under the root, preferably in the morning.

A week after planting, the soil near the peppers should be covered with a mixture of peat and humus (i.e., mulched). After the plant grows up to strengthen the root system, it is spudded.

Take note: The reason for the appearance of bitterness in the fruits of pepper, as well as the appearance of cracks in the fruits, may be insufficient or irregular watering.

Periodically, the soil near the plant should be loosened, while not forgetting that the roots are located close to the surface and therefore the loosening depth should be small. Pepper varieties California miracle does not need to cut off stepchildren and tie up.

Fertilize once every ten days. Mineral fertilizers should be applied in small quantities in liquid form.

How California miracle pepper grows, see the following video:

Now sweet peppers are not new to amateur greenhouses. It is planted en masse, like tomatoes. The vegetable is good in salads, preserves, marinades, and can be frozen. Experienced gardeners can easily cope with its cultivation, and beginners are wary of planting peppers. If the pepper variety is chosen correctly, even an inexperienced gardener will receive a crop. We offer you to get acquainted with the popular Bulgarian variety of pepper California miracle, its description, photos, reviews of summer residents.

Variety characteristics

This variety is not new. It came to Russia a long time ago, and was bred in America 100 years ago. When the seeds were planted in our country, each breeding company tried to zone it, to tie it to the climate. Therefore, different names appeared:

• Miracle of California;
• Gift of California;
• California wonder.

In Russia, this variety was registered by the Novosibirsk company Agros in 1999.

Bush features

The original variety has a strong, strong trunk, growing up to a height of 100 cm. Strong shoots are located on the trunk, which can easily withstand pepper brushes of 10-12 pieces. The leaves of the bush are bright green, shiny, elastic.

The bush is powerful - it can withstand the load of fruits without garters, but it happens that the harvest is quite plentiful, then gardeners help the plant, install props.

Pepper of this variety easily withstands temperature fluctuations, some gardeners plant bushes without shelter. It is better to grow bell pepper in regions with a cold climate in a greenhouse way. In this case, the fruits ripen earlier, the bush bears fruit longer. Unfavorable conditions can reduce the number of ovaries. Even the most resistant variety should not be tested, otherwise a bountiful harvest is not guaranteed.

Fruit characteristics

The color of the fruit can be bright red, orange, yellow. To collect fruits with bright colors, it will take 130-150 days from the date of the first shoots. Fruits harvested after 115 days are not so brightly colored, but they will not yield to reddened ones in taste, and the bush can form new ovaries. Therefore, the variety is considered mid-season. For full biological maturation, he needs more time than some other varieties.

Fruit features:

• Fruits with a pronounced ribbing, 4 ribs give the pepper the appearance of a cube.
• The surface of the pepper is elastic, smooth, glossy, brightly colored.
• The walls of fruits are 5-12 mm thick, depending on the stage of maturity.
• The fruit is not inferior in size to many varieties, the weight reaches 140 grams.
• Pepper variety California miracle has a very high taste. Even at the stage of technical maturity, the fruits have amazing juiciness, sweetness, when the fruit reaches full ripeness, the taste improves.

Advantages and disadvantages

The California miracle is not in vain firmly holding leadership positions. It has a number of advantages:

• stress-resistant;
• easily tolerates temperature changes;
• recommended for growing in greenhouses and open ground;
• a powerful bush does not need garters;
• very high productivity;
• if in difficult conditions the plant gives few ovaries, the fruits themselves will be of a delicious sweet taste, fragrant;
• this is not a hybrid, the seeds are able to maintain the best qualities, you can grow peppers from your own seeds;
• fruits retain their presentation for a long time;
• good for private plantings and mass planting - industrial cultivation;
• decorative bush and fruits;
• the fetus has juicy, thick walls;
• disease resistant;
• well preserved during transportation;
• resistant to pests.

There are almost no cons to the variety. It can upset a little, not early ripening of fruits.

Varietal varieties - photo

The main variety has a bright red fruit color. There are also various colors - yellow, orange, black fruits. Do not be afraid, this is not a fake, these are varieties of the variety.

The variety impressed gardeners with its valuable qualities so much that many breeders began to create their own varieties of the variety on a basic basis. So there were peppers of the same variety, but different colors.

Interesting! The subspecies of the yellow California miracle variety appeared before everyone else, and later than all - black and chocolate (Sedek company).

The yellow variety has not only a different color, but also the largest wall width - 12 mm.

Variety California miracle yellow - photo

The red-fruited variety is early ripening, other varieties ripen longer.

The main differences between the varieties are different colors. The main characteristics are the same as the base variety.

Growing seedlings

Sweet bell pepper is grown through seedlings.

Sowing features:

Attention! If the pepper is planted, and weather forecasters promise frosts, you need to cover each plant with a three-liter glass jar or a large plastic bottle.

Care

The California miracle is an undemanding variety, however, if you expect an optimal yield from a plant, you should pay attention to it.

Harvest and storage

In the climate of central Russia, the harvest can be obtained in 115-150 days - depending on the degree of ripeness of the fruit. Pepper begins to ripen no earlier than the beginning of August.

It is better to remove the fruits in the degree of technical maturity, put them in boxes for ripening. At this time, the plant will create new ovaries.

If you need to collect seeds, the fruit is left on the branch until fully ripe.

Seeds obtained from their peppers are no worse than store-bought ones. They do not need to be soaked in growth stimulants, they should not be disinfected, they have almost 100% germination, give strong sprouts.

It is impossible to store such seeds for more than 2 years, they will not germinate. This applies not only to their seeds, but also bought in stores.

Many gardeners would like to grow a variety of California miracle peppers on their plot. It is famous among lovers for its large, beautiful fruits and the ability to get enviable yields. Let us consider in more detail the features of the variety and the rules for its cultivation.

Sweet pepper California miracle today has several varieties intended for cultivation in the backyard. All of them belong to the medium early or medium ripening period. From planting to harvesting the first fruits, 90-150 days pass. You can harvest until the frost.

America is considered the birthplace of the variety. It was there that it was bred about 100 years ago. In its classic version, this plant, depending on growing conditions, is up to 80 cm high, with a powerful stem, well leafy. The color of the leaf blade is dark. When ripe, the fruits are large (from 80 to 250 g), uniform, slightly ribbed, round-square in shape, slightly narrowed towards the bottom. They are held on a strong, thick stem. Harvest peppers that are in the technical phase of ripeness are glossy, dark, green, fully ripe specimens turn red.

Among gardeners, California miracle pepper has become widespread due to its good yield and excellent taste of finished products. This pepper has juicy, fragrant, sweet fruits. With proper cultivation, the wall thickness reaches 5-8 mm. They are well kept fresh, tolerate transportation without any problems, universal purpose. With good care, 10-20 peppers are obtained from one plant, when grown indoors, this figure can be higher. The average yield when cultivated in the garden is 8 - 10 kg per 1 m 2.

The great popularity of California miracle pepper in amateur vegetable growing has enabled breeders to develop new promising varieties based on it. They differ from the original in terms of fruiting, color and weight of the fruit. Today on sale you can find several varieties with the name California miracle, because the description and characteristics of them vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Advantages and disadvantages

When it comes to the California Miracle pepper variety, the gardener must be prepared to make every effort to get the result. The declared high yield of plants is not at all a guarantee that you will get the same on your site. Pepper is a heat-loving crop, as well as demanding care and nutrition. Therefore, before buying seeds and planting seedlings, weigh the pros and cons.

Among the obvious advantages of this large-fruited variety, the following can be noted. Pepper California Miracle:

• grows well both in open ground and in a greenhouse;
• gives stable yields with intensive cultivation;
• responds well to feeding;
• not affected by the mosaic virus;
• forms large fruits, which are distinguished by excellent taste;
• the harvest can be used for food and preparation;
• seeds collected from your garden are suitable for planting next year.

However, the variety also has its "disadvantages". It is on them that you should pay special attention. It should be borne in mind that:

• plants grow poorly, develop and bear fruit on poor, depleted soil;
• in regions with a harsh climate, protective shelter must be used;
• in the absence of good nutrition, the quality and quantity of the crop is sharply reduced;
• due to the large size of the fruit, the variety is not suitable for cooking some dishes, such as stuffed peppers, and canning in general.

If you still decide to grow the California miracle in your area, then get acquainted with the commercially available options for this variety. Maybe you will be interested not only in the classics, but also in samples that are still less common among gardeners?

Variety varieties

Bulgarian pepper California miracle can be not only green or red. There are varieties with yellow, orange and even black fruit. In addition, they differ in the time of entry into fruiting and the size of the bush. To compare and choose the option that suits you, tabular data is presented.

Variety name	Features of development and fruiting	Fruit characteristics	Productivity from 1 m 2
California miracle red	Mid-season variety with a height of bushes up to 40 cm, about 120 days pass before the first harvest.	Large, 80-130 g, pulp thickness 6-8 mm, universal purpose.	Up to 10 kg
California miracle yellow	Mid-season variety with a height of bushes up to 75 cm. 120 days pass from germination to technical ripeness	Large, up to 160 g, fully ripe bright yellow.	Up to 10 kg
California miracle orange	Mid-early variety, the height of the bushes is low, it takes about 150 days for the fruits to fully ripen.	Large, weighing 80-130 g with a wall thickness of at least 5 mm, orange when fully ripe.	Up to 10 kg
California miracle black	An early ripe high-yielding variety, from germination to the first harvest (at the stage of technical ripeness) takes 100 days, the biological ripeness of the fruits reaches 120 days.	Large, up to 250 g, pulp thickness up to 1 cm, sweet in taste.	Up to 10 kg
California miracle chocolate	An early ripe variety, the height of the bushes is up to 80 cm, on the 90th day the fruits reach technical ripeness.	Large, weighing up to 200 g. In technical ripeness, purple, dark red in biological, pulp thickness 6-8 mm.	Up to 7 kg

Agrotechnics of cultivation and care

Regardless of the variety of peppers chosen, the California miracle is grown through seedlings. Use store-bought seeds or your own. In most cases, the seeds from the package are already treated, so there is no point in additional processing. Soaking them before sowing is also not recommended. Seeds collected independently are kept in a solution of potassium permanganate before planting in the soil in order to exclude the appearance of diseases.

For growing seedlings, pots, cassettes, and low boxes are used. The soil is prepared from a mixture of earth, peat, sand and fertilizers, or they buy a ready-made substrate for vegetable crops. Planting begins in February in order to get strong, well-formed plants by the onset of sustainable heat.

Watering is carried out only with warm water so that the root system of plants is not affected. For the entire time of cultivation, 2-3 fertilizing with complex fertilizers and stimulants is carried out. In the room where the seedlings are located, the temperature regime is maintained at 25-28˚C during the day and 16-18˚C at night, and plants are also illuminated with lamps.

Plants are planted in a permanent place when they are 45-60 days old. To grow pepper in protected ground, hardening is not required, but it must be carried out if the crop grows in the garden. To do this, the container with seedlings is taken out for a short time to the balcony or the doors and vents in the greenhouse are opened, gradually accustoming the seedlings to the wind and temperature changes. Hardening begins 1-2 weeks before the start of work in the garden.

Under the pepper on the site, the most fertile areas are selected. The land has been prepared since autumn, all weeds are removed, fertilized and dug up. In the spring, just before planting, the top layer is loosened and leveled. In the greenhouse, the soil is prepared immediately before the planting of the peppers. The best predecessors for peppers are cabbage, beets, carrots, pumpkins and zucchini. Neighborhood with cucumbers is considered undesirable.

Both in open ground and in a greenhouse, plants need proper watering. It is rarely carried out (after 7-10 days) at the rate of 10-12 liters per 1 m 2, in order to prevent root decay, with warm water. The earth after watering is loosened or mulching is used. Mandatory are also constant top dressing, which is carried out with organic and mineral fertilizers, as well as the fight against weeds, pests and diseases.

Tall plants, when grown in a greenhouse or in a garden bed, are tied to pegs or trellises. The formation of the bush is carried out only in closed ground. Peppers are harvested at the technical stage of ripeness, that is, not quite ripe. Only planting material for the next year is left to fully mature on the bushes. All other fruits are removed as soon as they are poured and take on the form corresponding to the variety. Delay in harvesting leads to a partial loss of the crop. A bush overloaded with peppers will not tie new ones.

Fruit use

This large-fruited pepper is great for fresh consumption and sale. Those who like it add it to salads, first and second courses. It is also indispensable in the preparation of vegetable seamings and pickles. Slices of multi-colored peppers are added to jars with pickled tomatoes. The crushed fruits are used as an ingredient for lecho, adjika and other delicious preparations. Many housewives practice the preparation of a frozen California miracle, which they use throughout the winter. The advantage of this method is that the fruits absolutely do not lose their useful qualities, as is partially the case during canning.

Bulgarian, or sweet, pepper grows every gardener, because it is rich in vitamins and minerals, is an integral part of summer salads and many other dishes. Due to the wide variety of colors, tastes and shapes, this vegetable has become very popular for growing - both at home and in industrial scales. And today we will get acquainted with the very popular sweet pepper variety "California Miracle": with its description, characteristics and how to grow it.

Description and characteristics of a large-fruited variety

The height of the bush "California Miracle" is 50-75 cm, and the fruits begin to ripen after 4 months from the moment the seeds are planted. The fruits of such peppers are cube-shaped with a lobular structure. The weight is from 80 to 170 grams, the fruits have a fleshy elastic pulp up to 1 cm thick, which is covered with a smooth skin. Like most varieties of bell pepper, when ripe, the fruits have a bright green color, but when the "California Miracle" sings, it becomes red. It differs from other varieties of pepper in its specific and sweet taste, which allows you to use the fruits not only raw and in salads, but also used for stuffing, preparing various sauces, as well as for canning.

Growing conditions

Sweet pepper "California miracle" is demanding on light and heat: if the daylight hours are less than 12 hours, then early and fruitful fruiting will be stimulated. As for the soil, it should have a neutral acidity. In acidic soil, the plant is more susceptible to various diseases. Similar conditions for growing tomatoes may suit this vegetable.

Growing Sweet Peppers "California Miracle"

This one is grown from seedlings. The quality depends on the correct planting, which in turn determines the amount of the crop and the resistance of the plant to diseases, as well as to adverse environmental conditions.
It is not worth planting seeds in open ground, since it is necessary to sow no earlier than June, when the daily temperature allows. In this case, the pepper will not begin to bear fruit until the end of August or September, and the amount of the crop will be very small and of poor quality.

Planting material preparation

Before planting, the seeds need special treatment. They should be soaked in water with a temperature of about 60 ° C for several hours (until the planting material swells). Then the seeds must be removed, wrapped in gauze or bandage moistened with water and left in this form for a period of 2 to 4 days. This procedure will speed up the germination of seeds. A few days after the seeds are planted, they will begin to sprout.

Capacity and soil for seedlings

To grow strong seedlings, the soil must consist of a substrate with increased fertility. Such a substrate can be purchased at an agricultural store or made by yourself: for this you need to mix sand, leaves and earth in equal parts.
And to protect the "California Miracle" from diseases, it is recommended to add a handful of wood ash. Many varieties of bell pepper cannot be dived, so the seeds are planted in separate pots with a diameter of about 9 cm. Peat pots are the best option for planting. The plant can be planted in the ground with them.

Sowing seeds

The most favorable time for sowing California Miracle pepper seeds is mid-February or its end.

This time is chosen so that by the time the vegetable is planted in the ground, it already has flowering or even fruit ovaries. Seeds should be planted at a depth of about 2 or 3 cm.

Care and conditions for growing seedlings

After sowing pepper seeds, they must be well watered, and then covered with a film, glass may also be suitable. Before the plant sprouts, it must be kept in a warm room at a temperature of at least 21 ° C.

When the plant emerges, the optimum temperature for it will be 27°C during the day and 13°C at night. Seedlings should not be watered frequently, as frequent watering can lead to rotting of the stem and roots. For watering seedlings, you need to use water, the temperature of which will be slightly higher than the ambient temperature. In February and March, seedlings need additional light for 14 hours a day.

Important!Water for irrigation should in no case be cold and running, because the plant can get sick and die.

The air in the room should be slightly humid, and it is important to spray the room itself, and not.

Planting peppers in open ground

Before planting seedlings in open ground, it should be gradually accustomed to environmental conditions. Therefore, it is taken out into the street for several hours every day, increasing the time spent in the open air.

Important!The air temperature outside during hardening should not be less than 14 ° C to avoid hypothermia and death of the plant.

Seedlings should be planted in open ground from late May to mid-June, and if planted in an unheated greenhouse, then this should be done in April. Holes for pepper should be 40 by 40 centimeters in size. The planting depth should be equal to that at which the seedlings grew in a cup or box.

If you are going to plant several varieties of pepper in the garden, they should be planted at a great distance from each other, since this vegetable tends to pollinate. To avoid it, high crops, such as corn, sunflower, should be planted between different varieties.
The place where pepper was planted is also important, or rather, what grew on this place last year. The best predecessors are cucumbers, onions and carrots. You can not plant in those places where nightshade crops grew last season, as they feed on the same elements, and this depletes the soil, which will negatively affect the plant.

Care and growing secrets

Caring for the "California Miracle" is no different from caring for other varieties: it consists in timely and proper watering, and shoots below the main branch, which is carried out every 10 days and after harvesting.

Watering

Pepper "California Miracle" is a very moisture-loving plant, the cultivation of which requires frequent watering. Watering should be after each opening of the flower. During a drought, watering should be increased and carried out only in the morning and evening.

After the appearance of the ovaries, the pepper begins to grow in length, then in breadth, and only then does it begin to increase the amount of pulp. During this period, it is especially necessary to pay attention to watering: if the vegetable does not receive the necessary moisture, then the fruits will grow unsaturated and dryish.
But the plant should not be heavily flooded - this can lead to rotting of the roots or lure slugs that feed on both fruits and pepper leaves.

Feeding features

Top dressing of the plant begins from the time when 2 strong leaves appear on the seedlings. For the first top dressing for 1 liter of water, take 0.5 g of ammonium nitrate, 1 g of potassium-based fertilizer and about 3 g