Pepper mother-in-law tongue

Mother-in-law's tongue is one of the popular varieties of hot peppers that can be successfully grown both in the garden and on the windowsill. An important quality of culture can be considered fruit setting, even with significant temperature fluctuations.

The variety was approved for use in 2012. Designed for growing in almost all regions of the country. Created on the basis of the agrofirm "Aelita" by breeders Nastenko N. V., Kachainik V. G., Gulkin M. N.

The culture is grown both outdoors and indoors. The variety has the following advantages:

• unusual piquant taste;

• beautiful appearance;

• amicable maturation;

• easy care;

• high productivity;

• good transportability and keeping quality;

• drought resistance;

• tolerates temperature fluctuations.

There is only one drawback - the need for a lot of light.

The plant is undersized. Pepper rarely exceeds 50 cm. The bushes look compact and quite decorative. The arrangement of the fruits is drooping. Leaves are slightly wrinkled, small in size, dark green in color.

Medium-sized fruits grow to a length of 10-12 cm. Their shape is elongated-conical, slightly curved. On average, the mass of one peppercorn can be 50 g. High glossy skin is slightly wrinkled. The wall thickness of the fruit pulp is about 2 mm. Ripe vegetables have a rich, bright red color. Number of seed chambers inside 2.

Mother-in-law's tongue has a sharp, piquant taste, with a strong bright aroma. The pepper is not very hot, excellently suitable for fresh consumption, is able to give a spicy taste and aroma to salads, pizza, sandwiches. The taste of pepper is especially pronounced in the preparation of hot dishes. The vegetable can be dried and added to sauces.

Early ripening variety. From emergence to the first harvest, 115 days pass. Fruiting is amicable and long-lasting. Harvested in July, August, September.

The plant is high-yielding. On average, from 1 sq. m you can get 2.5-3.2 kg of vegetables.

Despite the fact that the bushes are formed compact, the planting should not be thickened. Plants need to be planted according to the 50x35 cm scheme. The culture prefers space and fresh air.

Peppers are grown in seedlings. Seeds begin to germinate approximately 50-75 days before transferring them to a permanent place. The approximate time is the beginning of March. Planting dates largely depend on the climatic conditions of the region.

Before planting seeds in a nutritious substrate, they are pre-soaked for disinfection in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for several hours. After they are thoroughly washed with clean water and left for a day in a preparation that stimulates development. The soil should be loose, with a neutral pH level.The composition must necessarily contain peat, compost, sand.

Prepared seeds are sealed to a shallow depth, maximum 1-2 cm, and covered with foil. It is impossible to deepen them strongly, this lengthens the germination time of seedlings. The soil must be constantly moist. Pepper germinates well at high temperatures (+ 26 ... 28 degrees). After the emergence of shoots, the greenhouse is opened for airing for a short time.

Seedlings dive into separate cups when full-fledged 2 leaves appear on it. This method makes it possible to get stronger seedlings, and it will also experience less stress when transferred to a permanent place.

The place for pepper is prepared in the fall. The site is dug up, mineral and organic fertilizers are applied. For better plant development, choose the most illuminated place, protected from drafts.

Ready seedlings are planted in open ground in May, when the threat of recurrent frosts has passed. The first few weeks, until the seedlings have taken root, they should be covered with agrofibre.

Hot peppers are moisture-loving plants, even more so than their sweet cousins. Therefore, irrigation should be carried out regularly and abundantly, at intervals of 2-3 days. If dry and hot weather is established, watering is increased several times. However, you cannot fill the beds. This can lead to the development of fungal infections, especially black root rot. Do not forget about loosening and weeding the beds after each procedure.

Culture responds favorably to complementary nutrition. Top dressing is applied several times per season. The first is produced before flowering. At this time, Mother-in-law's tongue needs nitrogen. With the beginning of the formation of buds, it is necessary to enrich the soil with phosphorus and potassium. When fruits begin to form on the bushes, they are fed once every 3 weeks with potassium sulfate and wood ash.