Pepper Cockatoo

The growing popularity of hybrid peppers Cockatoo f1. How to grow seedlings and provide plant care for a good harvest, we will tell in the article.

Pepper Cockatoo f1: description and characteristics of the variety

Bell pepper Kakadu: photo of a sweet variety

Among the vegetable crops grown by gardeners, sweet peppers occupy a leading position, being present in almost every plot. At the same time, many are trying to grow different varieties and hybrids of this vitamin vegetable in order to choose the one they like best. And breeders only contribute to this desire, constantly surprising us with new and new achievements. These include the Bulgarian pepper Kakadu F1.

Gardeners who have tried the sweet pepper variety Kakadu have been growing it for more than one season, noting that it fully complies with the declared characteristics in terms of high yields and quick ripening of fruits.

Bell pepper Kakadu f1 is a hybrid variety. Fruiting begins 105-110 days after the sowing of the seeds, however, gardeners note cases of the appearance of fruits in a shorter time. The bush is erect, spreading, growing up to one and a half meters in height. Moreover, despite its impressive size, the plant does not need support or a garter.

The fruits of red pepper Kakadu F1 are cylindrical in shape, tapering towards the bottom. For a slight bend, which, in the opinion of breeders, resembles a cockatoo's beak, pepper, and got its name.

Fully ripe fruits have a bright red color, firm and juicy pulp, pleasant sweet taste. The sizes of the peppers are impressive. The weight of one bell pepper Kakadu f1, for example, can be up to half a kilogram, and the length is 20-30 cm. Up to 3 kg of sweet peppers are harvested from one bush. By the way, there is also “Yellow Cockatoo” for lovers of yellow sweet pepper.

Sweet pepper Kakadu belongs to the thermophilic varieties, therefore, in the open field, high yields can be expected only in the southern regions; in other regions, the cultivation of pepper, as well as other vegetable crops, is possible only in a greenhouse.

How to plant bell pepper seedlings Cockatoo F1

Sweet pepper Cockatoo: video about the variety

Recall that the bell pepper Kakadu f1 is a hybrid, which means that pepper is weakly affected by diseases and less susceptible to pest attacks. Easier responds to irregular watering, temperature fluctuations and lowering. Caring for hybrid varieties does not require particularly careful care, and in order for the pepper to grow and give a good harvest, it is enough just to follow some recommendations.

Pepper Cockatoo F1 is grown in seedlings. Sowing seeds of Kakadu pepper is produced in late March - early April. Some gardeners use purchased soil, others sow Kakadu pepper seeds in their garden or greenhouse soil. At the same time, in the latter case, it is important to remember that nightshades deplete the land quite strongly, so you should not use soil from the site where these crops grew for growing seedlings.

The depth of planting of seeds of Kakadu pepper should not exceed 2 cm. Containers with sown seeds are covered with foil or glass and placed in a room with an air temperature of + 24 ... + 27 degrees. After about a little more than a week, the first shoots will appear on the surface of the soil. After that, the shelter is removed. Further, young bell peppers Kakadu must be provided with a sufficient amount of light and a temperature regime of + 25 ... + 26 degrees. At this temperature, it is important to prevent the soil from drying out.However, you do not need to pour Kakadu peppers. Soil moisture should be moderate. I use room temperature water for watering seedlings.

Kakadu red pepper seedlings dive when 2-3 true leaves appear. And if you do not plan to plant the F1 cockatoo pepper in separate containers, then they can be planted in the ground if there are at least 6 real leaves.

Pepper Cockatoo: planting and caring for the variety

Since the sweet pepper Kakadu f1 is a heat-loving plant, planting seedlings in open ground is done when the ground is already warm enough, and fluctuations in day and night temperatures are minimal. Plants are also planted in the greenhouse after positive night temperatures have been established. In most areas, this period falls in mid-May - early June. The only exception is heated greenhouses, where conditions allow planting seedlings and, accordingly, harvesting much earlier.

When planting Kakadu pepper seedlings, it is important to avoid thickening. Otherwise, the plants will interfere with each other, develop more slowly, which ultimately leads to a decrease in yield. Therefore, the distance between the bushes should be at least 40 cm.

Pepper loves fertile soil, so it is necessary to fertilize the land in advance, if possible in autumn, with organic matter. It can also be used as mulch after planting seedlings.

When planting peppers, it should be remembered that the proximity of bitter and sweet peppers can lead to over-pollination, as a result of which, your cockatoo F1 pepper will acquire a bitter taste.

In order for the work on growing seedlings to give the expected result in the form of a good harvest in the future, the plants need to be cared for.

Sweet peppers Cockatoo f1, like all sweet peppers, loves moderate moisture, so plants should be regularly watered whenever possible. At the same time, the temperature of the water used for irrigation should not be lower than +18 degrees. The regularity of watering depends on where the pepper grows, if it is open ground, then the bushes are watered 1-2 times a week, and greenhouse plants need more frequent watering.

Also, it should be remembered that during the period of fruit formation, the pepper needs more moisture, therefore, the number of waterings and their volume are increased.

As a rule, during the growing season, at least three dressings are carried out. The first time after planting seedlings, the second - during the flowering period, and the third - at the beginning of fruiting. For the first feeding, nitrogen-potassium fertilizers are used, and subsequently - potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Fertilization is usually combined with watering. In addition, in addition to applying mineral fertilizers, many gardeners also use organic substances, incl. rotted compost, as well as green infusions prepared, for example, from nettle, containing many useful substances that contribute to the development of plants and increase the yield of Kakadu pepper.

Also, experienced gardeners recommend timely pinching the bushes, which also affects the volume of the future harvest. So, to ensure the growth and ripening of fruits, it is necessary to remove the lateral shoots that form on the bush, which take food, leaving a small stump.

Diseases and pests affecting the culture

Bell pepper Kakadu: photo of the variety

Unfortunately, timely and proper care will not be able to protect plants from possible diseases and pests. Many factors that provoke the appearance of diseases simply do not depend on the actions of gardeners.

For example, a disease such as apical rot, which often affects peppers, can be the result of temperature changes, which are not uncommon in most regions, even in summer.

The causative agents of late blight of the attacking plant are pathogenic fungi that inhabit the soil.

By the way, experts advise starting as early as possible, even at the stage of growing seedlings, to take preventive measures to prevent the appearance of late blight. These measures are not complicated and consist in the regular treatment of soil and plants with biological fungicides. It should be noted that it is impossible to overdo it with such treatments, since the beneficial bacteria that ensure the work of the drug are constantly in the environment familiar to plants.

But when pests appear that attack vegetable crops, such as aphids or spider mites, you need to be prepared for the possible use of insecticides. Although, first of all, of course, you need to try to get rid of pests by treating the leaves and stems of the bushes with a solution of wood ash and liquid soap. It should also be remembered that during the period of fruit formation, treatments with industrial insecticides are excluded.

Sweet pepper Cockatoo f1: reviews of gardeners

Bell pepper Kakadu, judging by the reviews of gardeners, is quite picky when it comes to harvesting. gardeners voiced the rules for harvesting Kakadu pepper, which we will discuss below.

Harvest of red peppers Cockatoo is harvested when the fruit reaches its maximum size. At the same time, it is not recommended to wait for full maturity, so as not to overload the bush and allow the rest of the peppers to grow. The fruits of the pepper are well ripened and, being removed from the bush. Peppers need to be cut along the stalk, you cannot pick the fruits, since you can easily break a branch or the bush itself. Harvested, as a rule, once a week.

Also, reviews of gardeners about the bell pepper Kakadu F1 indicate that the variety can be used not only in its original form. In addition to eating fresh peppers, many people practice freezing sweet peppers, because in winter the vitamins contained in it will be very necessary for the body. By the way, bell pepper contains many times more vitamin C than, for example, lemon, and is also a natural antioxidant, antidepressant and helps to strengthen the vascular and nervous system.

Well, the taste of the f1 Cockatoo pepper makes it an excellent addition to any dish and in any form. In addition, this hybrid variety is quite suitable for canning and various harvesting.

By the way, in the opinion of gardeners and gardeners, powerful, spreading bushes of plants, with fruits peeping through the green leaves, decorate the site no less than a flower bed.

Taking into account the yield of the bell pepper Kakadu F1 and its taste, which many gardeners have given to this pepper, they justify themselves.