Elephant fruits with a unique aroma and taste - Tusk pepper: reviews and description of the variety

What type of pepper is this?

The Tusk variety was bred in the 70s of the twentieth century by Russian breeders. Pepper is suitable for growing in regions with cool summers and unstable climates - in the Urals and Siberia.

Characteristics and description of the variety

The crop ripens in 90-100 days from the moment the first shoots appear. The bushes are tall, reaching 150-180 cm in height. The shoots are long and the root system is powerful. The leaves are light green and medium in size. The variety is resistant to common diseases and insect pests.

Fruit characteristics and yield

The fruits are cone-shaped, elongated. The color is bright red, the peel is smooth and glossy. The weight of pepper varies from 100 to 130 g. The thickness of the walls is 1 cm, the flesh is fleshy and juicy. The taste is sweet, not watery. From 1 sq. m gardeners harvest up to 4 kg of vegetables.

Interesting! Pepper contains organic acids, beta-carotene, ascorbic acid, and niacin. Regular consumption of bell pepper supports the immune system, has antioxidant properties, improves the health and beauty of skin, hair and nails.

Description of sweet pepper Tusk, reviews, photos

An early, large-fruited, productive variety of pepper from Siberian breeders.
Recommended for open ground and film greenhouses. The bush is spreading, up to 0.5 meters high, the leaves are medium-sized, green, slightly wrinkled. The formation of Tusk pepper involves removing leaves and side shoots up to the first fork.

Sweet pepper Tusk is included in the State Register of the Russian Federation.

Fruit characteristics

photo author Anastasia Sedova

The fruits are drooping, narrowly cone-shaped, slightly glossy, thick-walled (wall thickness up to 8 mm), greenish-white at the stage of technical ripeness, red at the biological stage, weighing up to 300 grams, juicy, excellent taste. Number of nests - 2. Recommended for fresh consumption and all types of processing.

The yield of marketable fruits of the Tusk variety in open ground is 2.6 kg/sq.m. (with proper agricultural technology).

Preparation for cultivation

Preparation for cultivation begins with seed disinfection. They are washed with warm clean water, dried and placed in a fabric bag. For disinfection, use succinic acid, a solution of potassium permanganate or aloe juice.

The bag is placed in the liquid for 50 minutes, the seed is taken out and laid out on a clean napkin. Disinfection is also carried out by heating in the oven - the seeds are poured onto a baking sheet and placed in the oven for half an hour at a temperature of +180°C.

Important! To increase the germination of seeds after disinfection, they are germinated - placed in a damp cloth and put in a warm place for 5-7 days. To strengthen the root system, the growth stimulator “Kornevin” is added.

The next stage of preparation is digging the beds. Pepper is a heat-loving crop; it is planted on clean and fertile lands.

Prepare the soil in two stages. The first is carried out at the end of October: the beds are cleared of leaves and debris, shovels are dug into the cuttings, and manure or droppings are added. The second is carried out in March, after the snow melts. The beds are dug up again, leaves are removed, and large frozen clods are broken up.

Growing seedlings

The ground is prepared for seedlings. This can be purchased biosoil or soil from the garden. The soil is disinfected using potassium permanganate or heating and poured into a container. Pots, boxes or cassettes are used as containers. Afterwards, holes are made in the ground 1 cm deep at a distance of 5-7 cm from each other. Place 2-3 seeds in each, sprinkle soil on top and water with warm water. The next watering is in a week.

Caring for pepper seedlings requires maintaining a temperature of at least +20°C. Otherwise, the seedlings will develop slowly and will not have enough strength. It is recommended to store peppers on a warm and sunny windowsill.

Two weeks after planting, organize the first organic feeding - use manure, droppings, and nettle infusion. After another 15 days, mineral fertilizers are added: superphosphate, ash, ammonium nitrate.

Three weeks after planting, a pick is made - the seedlings are transplanted into a larger container . This is done to provide the roots with free space to develop. It is recommended to be careful and attentive when picking so as not to damage the still weak and fragile roots of the pepper.

Important! Some gardeners prefer to immediately plant seeds (2 pieces each) in separate containers - peppers do not like picking. The ideal option is peat pots.

Planting peppers in open ground and further care

The seedlings are transplanted into the garden after spring frosts, around mid-May. The recommended planting pattern is 70x70. The seedlings are placed in prepared holes with water, sprinkled with soil and mulched. Mulch consists of sand, sawdust, leaves, and herbs. It retains moisture and nourishes the roots.

Care is hidden from timely watering and fertilizing. Water the beds once every five days, as the soil dries out. One bush consumes about 2 liters of water at room temperature.

Watering with cold water can provoke the development of viruses and bacteria . For convenience, a drip irrigation system is installed on the site. It saves water consumption, directs moisture to the roots, which helps avoid the appearance of diseases and pests.

To provide adequate nutrition for peppers, gardeners alternate organic and mineral fertilizers. Plants are fertilized 10 days after planting in the ground, the interval between fertilizing is 15 days. They use infusions of herbs, whey, wood ash, coal, yeast, and potassium salt. Two weeks before harvest, watering and fertilizing are stopped.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

It is important to regularly loosen the beds and remove weeds - bindweed, purslane, dandelions. The procedure is carried out once a week before watering. Loosening improves the quality of the soil, making it lighter and airier. Removing weeds protects against diseases and pests and maintains healthy microflora in the beds.

Tall bushes require staking to a support. They are tied with gauze strips or thick wire. Wooden or metal stakes driven into the ground are used as support. If you do not tie up the pepper, the tall bushes will break under the weight of the fruit. Timely staking increases productivity.

Selection and description of the variety

This early-ripening variety, beloved by many gardeners, was bred in the mid-70s by Soviet breeders from Siberia. For the special Siberian conditions of early and short summer, as well as the lack of sunlight, this hybrid developed a tendency towards early ripening. From the appearance of the first shoots to the technical maturity of the fruit, only 3–3.5 months pass.

The plant forms very tall bushes with shoots up to 160 cm long, its fruits have a cylindrical or slightly conical shape, a smooth glossy peel. The weight of one fruit ranges from 110–120 g, the thickness of the fruit walls is on average 1 cm, the taste is sweet, the pulp is juicy and non-fibrous.

Typical diseases and pests

Despite the resistance of the Tusk variety to insect pests, during rainy summers and improper care the following can be found in the garden bed:

1. Whiteflies. Small white midges appear in swarms and settle on the inside of the leaf. They suck juices and nutrients from the plant, causing the pepper to wither and lose its elasticity. Spraying with whey is used as a preventative measure. The procedure is carried out 2-3 times per season. For treatment, treatment with Bordeaux mixture is used.
2. Spider mites pierce the plant with a thin proboscis and take nutrients from it. Around the puncture, the leaf becomes yellow and dry. To prevent the appearance, spraying with a solution of potassium permanganate is used; for treatment, the biological product “Fitoverm” is used.
3. Colorado potato beetles can destroy an entire pepper bed. Both larvae and adults are dangerous. They eat leaves and stems and reproduce at a high rate. If there are few beetles, they are removed by hand. When a pest appears en masse, the professional product “Barrier” is used.

Among the diseases, late blight is a fungal disease that occurs due to high humidity and thickened planting. Brown spots appear on the plant and the fruits wither. Late blight is treated with Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate.

Another disease is tobacco mosaic. The virus appears as a yellow pattern on the leaves. “HOM” or the drug “Maxim” helps to cope with tobacco mosaic.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

One of the disadvantages is the need for a garter; some beginners have difficulties with this procedure. Otherwise, Tusk has no disadvantages and is endowed with many advantages:

• high and stable yield;
• thick walls and long-term storage;
• juicy and sweet taste;
• universal application;
• resistance to diseases and pests.

Interesting! Harvest in August, when the fruits acquire a red glossy color, become elastic and fragrant. Tusk pepper is used for preparing salads, soups, side dishes, and winter preparations. Pepper dishes are suitable for both family dinners and holiday feasts. They differ in their vitamin composition, appetizing and colorful appearance.

Advantages and disadvantages

Taking into account the characteristics of this hybrid, we can highlight both positive and negative aspects of its cultivation.

• The advantages outweigh the possible disadvantages:
• resistance to common diseases;
• frost resistance and resistance to temperature changes;
• good response to abundant watering and fertilizing;
• high planting density (up to 5 bushes per 1 sq. m);
• excellent taste;
• early ripeness;
• large fruit size.

Important! During storage, the Tusk hybrid performs well - it does not lose moisture and does not spoil, but during transportation it is easily damaged due to the fact that it has a thin skin and juicy pulp.

• This hybrid has much fewer disadvantages:
• need for frequent watering;
• possible setting of irregularly shaped (twisted) fruits.

Reviews

Universal in use and easy to care for, Tusk pepper is loved by gardeners all over the country. However, there are also disappointed farmers. Let's look at the different comments:

Alina, Ufa: “Tusk has been planted in the garden for four years now. I like the variety; it doesn’t require much attention. I plant seedlings and fertilize them mainly with organic matter. I use the fruits to prepare winter pickled salads.”

Polina, Moscow: “I planted the bell pepper Tusk in the greenhouse. A month later I noticed brown bugs on the leaves - they were spider mites. It took a lot of time and effort to destroy them. Next year I will plant a more pest-resistant variety.”

Mikhail, Novosibirsk: “The cold-resistant Tusk is excellent for growing in our Siberian summer. Does not get sick, the bushes are large and powerful. I collect 5-7 kg from each bed.”

Description of the variety: type of plant and fruit, contradictions in characteristics

Bell pepper Tusk is the result of selection by specialists from the Novosibirsk company Siberian Garden. She solely owns the rights to produce varietal seeds. Tusk is not a hybrid. Included in the State Register in 2011, it is allowed to be planted in all climatic and light zones of the Russian Federation suitable for farming. It can be grown both in an unheated greenhouse and in open ground. The choice depends on the specific weather conditions in the region.

The originator calls the variety large-fruited. The catalog of TM SibSad indicates the weight of pepper up to 300 g. In the certificate for entry in the State Register - 62-100 g. In reviews, practicing gardeners are inclined to the second option. The fruits of the crop are really small, neither in size nor in weight.

Varietal peppers have narrow, sometimes curved cones (see photo). They are ribbed and low gloss. Before the onset of biological ripeness they have a pale green color. The thickness of the pericarp varies from 5 to 8 mm. The skin is thin, underneath there is juicy pulp, there are 2 nests in the fruit. The peppers are growing drooping.

Attention! There is also a variety on sale called Mammoth Tusks. It has the same manufacturer and similar characteristics.