The Claudio pepper is a hybrid variety produced by Dutch breeders. It is grown in summer cottages and on farms. The variety stands out for its early ripening and disease resistance. Its presentation and taste of the vegetable are highly valued.
Below are a photo, a description of Claudio pepper, as well as the features of its cultivation and care.
Description and characteristics of the variety
The hybrid was bred by Dutch breeders from (Nunhems) in the late 1990s. Refers to early maturing, since the ripening period is 80–85 days after planting seedlings in open ground. Seedlings form sprawling bushes 80–90 cm high. Broad dense leaves are formed on the bushes, so the fruits ripening under them are protected from the negative effects of sunlight.
Important! When ripe, the fruits do not turn red for a long time, and at the stage of technical maturity they are covered with red spots, therefore they must be collected green or absolutely ripe.
Ripe fruits acquire a rounded-cuboid shape, and the skin has a glossy surface. Peppers that are at the stage of technical maturity are green in color, and as they ripen, they acquire a red skin and flesh. The average weight of one fruit ranges from 210–250 g, and if the recommended growing conditions are observed, the wall thickness reaches 1.5 cm. The taste of the pulp is sweet, juicy, with a pronounced piquant aroma, and does not have the bitterness characteristic of hybrids. The fruits are used raw and cooked.
Main conclusions
You can enjoy the fragrant, juicy pepper even in winter, if you follow all the nuances of growing Claudio. It is easy enough to remember that:
- pepper loves moisture very much. Therefore, it must be watered more often;
- do not forget to feed;
- remove weeds;
- carry out mulching.
The hero of today's mini review is the famous highly productive hybrid of bell pepper for polycarbonate film and glass greenhouses "Claudio F1" (Dutch series).
Read on Dacha6.ru:
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The variety is marked with the combination F1, which indicates hybridity.
- Popular for a number of benefits:
- significant yield (up to 5 kg / m²);
- decorative appearance and excellent taste;
- friendly germination (up to 100%) and simultaneous crop formation;
- the possibility of growing seedlings both in the open field and in greenhouses;
- unpretentiousness, simple adaptation to various environmental conditions;
- high preservation of appearance and nutritional characteristics during transportation;
- the ability to use both for cooking and for eating raw.
- Disadvantages of a hybrid:
- the need for frequent watering and feeding;
- a relatively long transition from the phase of technical ripeness to the final ripeness of the fruit.
The virtues of culture
Typical qualities that distinguish Claudio pepper (reviews of vegetable growers confirm) from other varieties and hybrids are:
- Quite high (and predictable!) Productivity - depending on the growing area, from 300 to 450 centners are harvested from 1 hectare.
- The output of high-quality marketable products is 95-97%.
- Heat resistance.
- Stress tolerance of culture.
- Opposition to traditional nightshade diseases - pepper mottling, potato virus, tobacco mosaic.
- Marketability of the hybrid, manifested in an almost ideal form of the fruit.
- A good balance of taste of the fruit with yield and shape.
- Unpretentious care - the indifference of the culture to the increased density of planting, the regularity of fertilizing and watering.
Features of the variety
The hybrid was bred for cultivation in conditions of high light and warm climate, therefore, it has features of ripening time and yield.
Did you know? The first written records of sweet peppers date back to the middle of the 15th century.
- the personal physician of Christopher Columbus speaks of them extremely positively, who appreciated the medicinal properties of peppers in the fight against scurvy.
Ripening terms
On average, the growing season for Claudio pepper lasts from 70 to 80 days, but in the middle lane this period is extended to 90 and even 105 days. The acquisition of the desired color by the fruit directly depends on the number of sunny days - the more there are, the sooner the pepper becomes suitable for harvest.
Yield
Initially, the hybrid was supposed to bear up to 12 fruits weighing 210–250 g per bush, and also have a yield of 5 kg per 1 m². Plants grown in the middle and northern latitudes form 6–8 fruits per shoot, so their yield decreases to 3–3.5 kg per 1 m², respectively. Greenhouse cultivation allows for higher planting productivity.
Pepper Claudio F1: reviews on agricultural technology
As for the quality of planting material, it is consistently high: seed germination rate is 100%. This fact is noted by the overwhelming majority of vegetable growers. An interesting fact is that the collected seeds (although this is a hybrid, but some have experimented), also gave excellent results both in germination, and later in yield and appearance. The second generation can be sown calmly, but then there is no guarantee.
Sometimes, Claudio, like other hybrids, has some genetic failures. Most often, they appear as an ugly leaf shape, two leaves fused together or double stems. Such sprouts at first noticeably lag behind in growth, but then they are corrected. As a rule, by the time the seedlings are planted, they are no different from the rest except for the foliage. Such genetic failures are not reflected in the fruits and their quantity.
Seedling period and disembarkation
To increase the quality of seedlings, additional supplementary lighting is organized for the sprouts. Immediately after friendly shoots, the plants are placed under phytolamps, which are turned on in the morning and turned off only at night. This lighting schedule is valid for several weeks (2 - 4), until the seedlings grow up, and the daylight hours will not lengthen. Then the pots are placed on a windowsill or other bright place. It is imperative to temper the plants before planting under the open sky.
When planting grown bushes, their final size must be taken into account. In Claudio peppers, they grow very sprawling, especially if fed and grown in a greenhouse. Therefore, there should be a sufficient distance between the landings so that they do not interfere with each other.
Garden care
Summer residents growing Claudio F1 under agrotex are satisfied with the yield. It is noted that in less favorable climatic conditions, for example, in the Moscow region, there is a decrease in the number of fruits tied on the bushes: instead of the expected 8 - 10, only 3 - 4 pieces. To be fair, let's say that climatic zones do not affect the size of peppers. Large peppers, 200 - 250 g, sometimes more than 300 - 350 g.
To increase the yield, vegetable growers recommend watering the plantings abundantly with warm water, since this variety is very sensitive to a lack of moisture.It is also noticed that in those summer seasons, when the weather is sunny and warm, the yield of the variety increases even in northern latitudes.
Claudio F1 variety in soil: video
Where to buy seeds
Firstly, you can buy Claudio F1 seeds in original professional packaging from the manufacturer. This method is suitable for large farmers, since the amount of material is large (1000, 500 seeds), and, accordingly, the cost is quite high. You can also find a smaller package, for example, 250 seeds each, which can be bought together with neighbors in a summer cottage, or through a joint purchase at specialized forums. The seeds have a long shelf life, so you can buy them for several years in advance.
Secondly, reputable agrofirms pack seeds in small bags. Usually, the number of seeds in each is from 5 to 10 pieces. The cost of such a package is quite affordable, usually it does not exceed 80 rubles. Summer residents from the Russian Federation can buy Claudio F1 seeds from such agricultural firms: Prestige, Biotechnics, Urozhai Udachi, AgroElita, Akvarel, etc.
If the variety is not on sale in online stores today, do not despair. It is necessary to observe the information, he can come at any time. When looking for planting material (we are talking about Dutch selection), sometimes you need to be patient. Year after year is not necessary. If not available online, you may be lucky to find seeds in hypermarkets or small local specialty stores.
Growing varieties
Before planting this vegetable crop, you need to take into account the nuances of growing. Cultivation of Claudio pepper seedlings takes place in several stages, has features of soil preparation and care.
Selection and treatment of seeds
If you do not harvest your own seeds from previously grown fruits, then when choosing seeds in a store, be guided by the manufacturer. Purchase planting material exclusively from trusted companies, when buying, check the release date of seeds - they remain viable for no longer than one year. Do not hesitate to ask the seller for a product certificate, as its availability guarantees the quality of the seeds. Avoid buying seed from private individuals - you risk getting the wrong variety that you expect.
Did you know? Sweet peppers came to the European continent from South America. IN
the era of the discoveries of H. Columbus, the conquistadors brought this amazing vegetable to Portugal, Spain, and from there it spread to other European countries.
In order for the seeds to sprout together and be resistant to diseases, they are treated in this way:
- Place the seeds on a clean sheet of paper and select from among them those that seem too small or hollow.
- Disinfect to prevent possible contamination of the plant by harmful bacteria or fungi. Prepare a 3% potassium permanganate solution, wrap the seeds in a gauze or cotton cloth and dip them in the solution for 20-25 minutes.
- Transfer the seeds to a shallow container along with a cloth and place them under running water to rinse them from potassium permanganate.
Instead of potassium permanganate as a disinfectant, you can use the drug "Fitosporin" - the seeds treated with it must be planted within 24 hours after disinfection, as their sowing characteristics will deteriorate in the future. After disinfection, it is also possible to soak pepper seeds in growth stimulants and nutrient solutions.
It is believed that seed soaked in nutrient solution has:
- high resistance to disease;
- resistance to adverse conditions;
- better productivity.
As a nutritional base, you can use both store-bought mineral mixtures and a solution of wood ash (20 g per 1 liter of water) - it is necessary to soak the seeds for 5-6 hours.
Did you know? Sweet peppers are known as Bulgarian peppers, since it was in Bulgaria at the beginning of the 19th century that large-scale breeding work was carried out to breed large-fruited sweet peppers.
Preparing the land for seedlings
The future crop of pepper depends not only on the quality of the seedlings, but also on the soil in which the seeds were sown. This can be either a primer purchased in a specialized store, or a self-prepared mixture. If you bought ready-made soil for peppers, add clean river sand to it at the rate of 1 kg of sand per 5 kg of mixture, since store-bought formulations often have increased acidity.
To keep the quality of the soil high, be guided by the following characteristics:
- Looseness. The porous structure of the soil allows moisture and air to flow freely to the root system of the plant.
- Balanced mineral composition. In addition to organic substances, the soil must contain micro- and macroelements that contribute to the development of seedlings.
- Acidity. Since peppers are extremely sensitive to pH, it should be in the 6.5-7 range.
The composition of high-quality soil should include the following components:
- peat - retains the moisture necessary for plants, at the same time preventing its accumulation;
- humus - increases the nutritional value of the soil due to the high content of minerals;
- leavening agents - this category includes river sand, sawdust, which provide a loose breathing structure of the soil;
- leaf land Is another structural component that improves the drainage properties of the mixture.
Mix the components by hand on spread plastic wrap.
Recipes suitable for seedling mixtures of peppers are as follows:
- River sand, sod land, peat are mixed in equal proportions, then 30 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate, 10 g of carbamide are added to them. The resulting mixture is poured with 10 liters of warm water and set aside to dry in a warm place.
- Humus, peat, turf soil are mixed in equal proportions with 0.5 liters of ash, 35 g of superphosphate.
Please note that the soil must be decontaminated before using it for seedlings.
Ways to get rid of soil from foreign seeds and microflora:
- steaming - long-term (at least 3 hours) holding of the container with soil in a steam bath;
- freezing - keeping the prepared potting mix outdoors in winter;
- calcination - roasting the soil on a baking sheet at a temperature of + 80 ° C for 30-40 minutes;
- disinfection - watering the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or a fungicide such as "Fundazol".
Important! It is allowed to use leafy soil only after disinfection, since it can contain strains of microorganisms that negatively affect the root system of sweet pepper.
Seedling care
From the moment of sowing to pecking of the first shoots, the box with seedlings must be kept in a warm, well-lit room, and the soil must be covered with plastic wrap to prevent moisture loss. The temperature of the soil before the emergence of shoots should be at least + 25 ° C, 4 days after sowing it is moistened with a spray bottle. As soon as the first shoots appear on the surface of the earth, the film is removed and the container with the seedlings is transferred to the southern or eastern windowsill.
After the formation of friendly shoots, the soil temperature is reduced to + 20 ... + 22 ° С for 2-3 days, so that the young shoots are hardened. Place the seed box in a well-lit area. To prevent the plants from tilting in different directions, the box is turned 2-3 times daily and it is supplemented with fluorescent lamps.
Please note that sweet pepper seedlings react negatively to drafts, so they must be placed on the most comfortable windowsill, and not be ventilated.To keep the plants strong and healthy, they are watered with warm, settled water as the soil dries out. You can determine whether the seedlings need moisture by rolling a ball out of the soil: if it is fragile and crumbles, abundant watering is needed, if the soil keeps its shape, there is enough moisture.
Top dressing of pepper seedlings is practiced to stimulate their growth and improve the composition of the soil. It is carried out twice during the period of growing seedlings - the first time two weeks after the formation of 2-3 leaves, and the second - 3-4 days before planting the plants in open ground.
As a top dressing they use:
- 0.5 kg of ash per 10 liters of water;
- 35 g of superphosphate and 5 g of urea per 10 liters of water.
Important! If the maximum yield is not your goal, you can remove the bushes from the ground along with the rhizomes and hang them with the fruits down in the storage
- this method extends the shelf life of sweet peppers by another month.
In the early stages of plant development, it is not recommended to fertilize them, since the amount of nutrients sufficient for 1.5–2 weeks of development is contained in the cotyledons of the pepper and soil. The air temperature during cultivation should be + 22 ... + 25 ° С during the day and + 14 ... + 16 ° С at night. If the day turned out to be cloudy, the air temperature is reduced to + 20 ... + 22 ° С.
Remember the recommended hardening procedure, which will strengthen the plants and increase their yield. Hardening begins with a short-term (up to 30 minutes) exposing boxes with seedlings to the balcony at a temperature of about + 15 ° C. Then this period is gradually (15 minutes daily) increased to 5–6 hours until the day the seedlings are planted in open soil.
Transplanting seedlings into the ground
Since the root system of peppers is fragile and weak, they are difficult to transplant - it will be better if you transplant them into open soil together with peat pots or tablets in which they grew. By the time of planting, each stem should have within 8–12 true leaves and the rudiments of the first flower buds. Since the optimum air temperature for peppers is + 17 ° C, planting is recommended in late May or early June, when the risk of night frosts is excluded.
Please note that pepper will yield a low yield when planted in an area where these crops grew:
- potatoes;
- tomatoes;
- eggplant;
- physalis;
- tobacco;
- Bell pepper.
Good predecessors and neighbors for sweet peppers are:
- roots;
- legumes;
- pumpkin;
- greens;
- White cabbage;
- cucumbers.
The selected area should be well lit, protected from drafts and free of foreign plants. The requirements for the soil are also quite serious - it must be warm, loose and well-drained. On clay and loamy soils, sweet pepper does not grow, such a substrate can be corrected by adding peat, humus and river sand at the rate of 1 bucket of each component per 1 m² of land.
Important! If the bushes have grown small, it is allowed to plant two plants at once in one hole - this way they will be more resistant to the negative effects of environmental factors and better keep the fruits on the stems.
If the soil is excessively peaty, an additional 1 bucket of sod soil and humus must be added per 1 m². It is difficult to enrich sandy soil - it is necessary to add 2 buckets of clay soil, peat, humus and steamed sawdust (1 bucket) per 1 m² to it. To minimize stress on plants, it is necessary to transfer them to open ground in the first half of a cloudy cool day or on a sunny evening.
The Claudio pepper planting scheme provides for a distance of 60 cm between the beds and 40-50 cm between the bushes. It is also possible to plant in a square-nesting way, in which plants are planted at the tops of a square with a side of 50 cm.
Pepper care after planting in the ground
After planting seedlings in the ground, it takes time to adapt to new conditions. Typically this period takes 10-12 days, during which the plants look sluggish and grow slowly.
Watering and feeding
Watering in the first pores after planting is recommended to be reduced to a portion of 0.2 liters for each plant, and water them as the soil dries out. The first real sprinkling irrigation is allowed no earlier than a week after planting. Before flowering, plants are watered once a week with 10 liters of water for every 1 m² of soil.
During flowering and fruiting, sprinkling should be changed to root watering and the portion should be increased to 14 liters per 1 m². The water temperature should be within + 23 ... + 25 ° С, since the influx of cold water to the roots slows down fruiting and delays ripening.
Learn more about how to properly water peppers in a greenhouse.
Fertilizing plants increases the expected yield by stimulating photosynthesis and strengthening the root system. It is necessary to carry out top dressing every two weeks, and a few days before it - water the bushes so that the nutrients are evenly distributed in the moist soil.
Alternate solutions of organic fertilizers such as manure, manure, and store mix solutions. At the beginning of the formation of ovaries and in the last stages of fruit ripening, it is recommended to spray the bushes with sodium humate. They also use ash sprinkling of the beds at the rate of 1 tbsp. ash per 1 m² of soil.
Hilling, loosening and mulching the soil
To speed up engraftment, you should loosen the soil around the root collar of the bushes by 3-5 cm and spud them - this will improve the flow of air to the root system. After each watering and heavy rain, the soil must also be loosened so that it does not crust over. Loosen as soon as the soil is dry enough not to stick to the tools.
We recommend that you learn about such varieties of sweet peppers as: Golden Miracle, Gypsy, Winnie the Pooh, Tusk, White Gold, Kubyshka and Flight.
Simultaneously with loosening, remove weeds from the soil that interfere with the development of crops. As the pepper grows, increase the hilling depth from the initial 5 cm to 10 cm during flowering and 12-15 cm during fruit ripening.
Mulching with peat, sawdust, grass chaff reduces the loss of moisture and prevents the germination of weeds between the pepper bushes. It is not recommended to use synthetic materials for mulching, such as polyethylene film and non-woven materials such as "Lutrasil", since they do not allow the sun's rays to reach the soil and can provoke root rot.
Bush formation
The bushes of the Claudio F1 hybrid practically do not need to form and tie up. If the area is small and you want to form compact bushes, wait until the plant is 25-30 cm long and pinch off the top of the central stem. The bush will begin to branch out and form stepchildren. Leave 5-6 of the strongest shoots on which fruits will tie. Please note that the first pepper from the bush must be removed in the form of an ovary - this will significantly increase the yield.
You will be interested to know if you need to pinch the bell peppers.
Seedling peppers
Pepper Claudio F1 is grown by seedling method. First, prepare the soil and containers in which the seeds are placed. After germination, the seedlings are looked after and transferred to a permanent place.
Preparing for landing
Peppers are planted in February - March. Before carrying out work, the seeds of the Claudio variety are immersed in water heated to 50 degrees. When the seed swells, it is wrapped in a damp cloth and left warm for 3 days. This stimulates the emergence of sprouts.
If the seeds are covered with a colored shell, then they do not need additional processing. The manufacturer has coated the material with a nutrient mixture that promotes plant development.
For planting the Claudio variety, a soil is prepared, which includes:
- humus - 1 glass;
- sand - 1 glass;
- garden soil - 1 glass;
- wood ash - 1 spoon.
The components are mixed and disinfected in a heated oven or microwave. After cooling, the soil is laid out in separate cups. The seeds of the variety are buried in the ground by 2 cm. You can plant 2-3 seeds in one container, then choose the strongest plants.
Advice! Instead of a soil mixture, peat pots are used to plant peppers.
When using boxes of grown seedlings of the Claudio variety, a pick will be required. Pepper does not respond well to transplanting, so it is recommended to immediately plant the seeds in separate containers.
After planting, the soil is watered, and the containers are covered with glass or polyethylene. For several days, planting is kept in a warm place until the seeds germinate.
Seedling conditions
When shoots appear, Claudio peppers need special care:
- daytime temperature is about 26 degrees;
- night temperature - 12 degrees;
- moderate soil moisture;
- watering with settled water.
Seedlings are provided with high humidity. Sprinkle the peppers with warm water. When exposed to cold water, plants are stressed, develop slowly and become susceptible to disease.
The room with Claudio seedlings is regularly ventilated. For 12 hours, the plants are provided with access to light.
When the peppers have a second leaf, they are fed with liquid fertilizer Agricola or Fertik. The second feeding is performed after 14 days.
Diseases and pests
When growing sweet peppers, special attention should be paid to preventive measures aimed at combating pests and extraneous soil microflora.
Common "enemies" of the peppers grower are:
- Blackleg. This fungal disease occurs at the stage of formation of true shoots, the reason for its appearance is the infection of the soil, seed material. A bush infected with a black leg begins to dry out, its stems darken in the lower part. To get rid of this disease, the affected beds must be thoroughly shed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- Gray rot. Appears in the form of moist brown spots covered with a gray coating. Severely affected plants must be destroyed, and the rest of the bed must be treated with preparations such as Fundazol, Previkur.
- Late blight. It is represented by dry brown spots that spread over foliage and fruits. The higher the air humidity, the faster the pathogen spreads, so it is recommended to spray the plants with Gamair or Fitosporin-M substances.
- Spider mite. It is not immediately detected by gardeners, as it settles on the lower part of the leaves. To remove this type of pest, you must mix 1 tbsp. chopped onions, 1 tbsp. dandelion leaves and 1 tbsp. l. soap, and then add the resulting mixture to 10 liters of warm water, insist them for 5 hours and process the garden.
- Naked slugs. They feed on both leafy greens and fruits, so they must be collected from the garden, and then the plants and the soil must be treated with Strela.
Harvesting and storage
The time for harvesting Claudio peppers comes about 80 days after planting in open ground. By this time, the peppers not only reach the required size, but also acquire a rich red hue. If you plan to store the fruits for a long time, then you will need to harvest them at the stage of technical ripeness, when the size of a full-fledged vegetable has already been reached, and the color is still dark green.
The yield of the bush will be maximum if the peppers are removed as they ripen - at least once a week. Remember that benefits can only be obtained from biologically ripe fruit, however, its shelf life is minimal.In order not to damage the fruits and plants, remove the peppers with a secateurs, carefully cutting them from the stem along with the stalk.
We advise you to find out about such varieties of pepper as: Big Boy, Pinocchio, Big Papa, Golden Calf, Bugai and Gogoshary.
To keep the removed fruits well, follow these tips:
- Sort out the harvested fruits. Remove from the total mass those on which there are traces of flowering or rot.
- If the crop is unripe, place it in a shaded area. At a temperature of + 10 ... + 12 ° C, it will ripen in about 1.5 months, and will be stored for up to 5 months.
- Biologically ripe fruits are stored at a temperature of 0 ... + 2 ° C for two months, while the humidity should be within 80%.
- It is necessary to store the peppers in small boxes lined with parchment paper. The safety of the fruits will be higher if each of them is wrapped in paper separately.
Sweet peppers of the Claudio variety have been recognized by many amateur vegetable growers for their high taste and fruitful qualities. To get the most out of your plants, stick to planting and caring rules, then the plants will reward you with a bountiful harvest.
