Non-classical fruits bring sweet pepper Kakadu, many farmers and gardeners like it. Bright and fragrant pods will not only please you, but also provide the whole family with a sweet juicy crop.
History of the Cockatoo Pepper
Cockatoo belongs to the group F1 hybrids. Bred by Gavrish breeders, scientists from the Moscow Research Institute also took part in the development. Pepper is specially designed for growing in greenhouse conditions.
An application for adding the variety to the state register was made in 2003, a year later the peppers were officially recognized, they defined a clear standard and allowed to grow.
The plant can be grown throughout the European part of the Russian Federation. In this area, pepper shows the best qualities, shows the highest productivity. It is less useful in the Urals. But farmers do not really pay attention to this, they are trying to grow it in every corner of the country.
Experienced gardeners manage to grow the plant even on open soil in Siberia. Some farmers are not enthusiastic about the productivity of the variety, but nevertheless, to this day, he remains the leader among his brothers.
2015 is the year of the creation of the new Yellow Cockatoo variety. It differs from its “red brother" in the hue and shape of the pods.
Description and characteristic
Plants grow to a height of 1.5 m, so they need support. The first crop reaches technical maturity at the age of 130 days after germination. This indicator is indicated in the state register, but according to gardeners, the period of technical ripening is earlier.
They love the variety for the unusual shape of the pods, they are curved like a beak. The color during technical ripeness is dark green, biological - bright red. The walls are about 7 mm thick, the taste is delicate, typically pepper.
In length, the pod reaches 0.3 m, the mass is 0.2 kg, some pods can be 0.5 kg. With 1 sq. m you can collect about 9 kg of the crop, and one plant brings 3 kg. About 12-15 pods grow on a bush. In order not to be disappointed in the productive indicators of this hybrid, it is necessary to carry out the rationing of the ovaries in time, otherwise many fruits will grow on the plant, but they will all be miniature.
Kakadu Pepper Seeds
Fruits up to 30 cm long, weighing up to 500 g, wall thickness 6-8 mm
The variety is named for the unusual shape of the pods, they are curved like a beak
Advantages and disadvantages
Sweet pepper Kakadu, like other representatives of the culture, has pros and cons, they must be taken into account when growing the plant.
Advantages of the Cockatoo variety:
- unusual appearance of the fruit;
- excellent taste;
- top-level productivity;
- strong immunity.
The disadvantages of the variety:
- a very tall bush, during planting, consider this fact so that the plantings do not grow too close to each other;
- during close cultivation, the plant begins to lose crop;
- the bush picks up most of the greenhouse soil;
- during planting in open soil, the wind breaks the branches of pepper, so you need to choose the right place for growing;
- the variety is not suitable for lecho.
Features of agricultural cultivation
To grow this hybrid in a greenhouse is not very difficult, but you will have to constantly monitor the development of seedlings, as well as create the necessary conditions for them.
Seed preparation
To obtain high-quality seedlings, carefully select the planting material and prepare the soil for planting. It is necessary to deal with this issue at the end of February. Kakadu pepper grains are tender and sensitive, they quickly lose their germination.
Algorithm for preparing seeds for planting:
- Careful selection of seed. Inspect all grains of pepper, select the best. Next, prepare a saline solution (1 liter of water + 40 g of salt). Dip grains in it and leave for about 10 minutes. Good seed stays at the bottom, and bad seed floats up. Remove the seeds, rinse under water and dry.
- Disinfection. Make a solution of water and a small fraction of potassium permanganate, lower the planting material into the product for 15 minutes. After rinse and dry.
- Enrichment with useful microelements. Hold this event 2 days before sowing directly in pots. Place the grains in a bag of gauze, dip in a special solution with trace elements. Hold in it for about a day, then remove and dry (no need to rinse).
- Germination. The method is very good, grains begin to hatch after 24 hours. Put the seed in gauze and moisten it a little, place in a warm place. Plant seeds only in moist ground.
After performing simple steps, you will immediately receive material suitable for sowing.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
You can use peat tablets, wooden boxes are also suitable. The soil for sowing seeds for seedlings should be as fertile and loose. Sow the seeds 15 mm, cover the containers with film or glass and place in a warm, calm place.
The key to high-quality seedlings is well-prepared seeds and correctly planted seeds; after sowing seeds, watch them, the moment of seedling formation is especially important. The first time, about 2-3 days, hold the box near the heater or battery, then transfer it to the window, closer to sunlight.
For plant growth, keep the temperature at + 24 ... + 26 degrees, at night lower to + 15 ... + 17 degrees. Sprouts love light, so it is advisable to illuminate them with phytolamps. Daylight hours should not be shorter than 13 hours.
In the video below you can clearly see the method of planting seeds of sweet pepper Cockatoo F1:
Growing seedlings
Saplings can be placed not only on the south side of the room, but also the window sills of the eastern and western parts are suitable. Plants must be watered as the soil substrate dries, take only warm and well-kept water, they die from the cold. Water either early in the morning or late in the evening.
Picking seedlings
If you planted the planting material in a large wooden box, then after the appearance of the first 2 true leaves of the plant, you need to dive, that is, transplant into separate containers.
Often a pick is carried out 2-3 weeks after the formation of the first seedlings. Transplant very carefully so that the root system of the pepper is not damaged, otherwise it will be almost impossible to restore the sprout.
At first, protect the seedlings from direct sunlight, then place them in a bright and cool place.
Fertilizing seedlings
Growing Kakadu seedlings needs to be fertilized. Feed for the first time when 2 leaves appear on the sprouts. Use urea, phosphate, potassium salt and water. Reapply fertilizer 2 weeks after the 1st; use the same remedy.
2 days before the sprouts are transplanted into the greenhouse or open soil, they must be hardened. Take out the seedlings for a short time in fresh air, just make sure that the temperature is not below +13 degrees Celsius.
Transplanting seedlings in open ground
The timing of transplanting seedlings depends on the region of cultivation: in the south - at the end of May or early June, in the north - 14 days later. The area should be as light as possible, if the soil in the garden is heavy or poor, then add compost (5 liters per 1.5 square meters) to it, also add wood ash (0.5 liters per 1 square meters).
Dig up the soil and make beds in which to plant the sprouts in a checkerboard pattern. Leave the distance between the seedlings in a row about 0.5 m, between the rows - 1 m. Too tight planting leads to disease and a small crop.
Kakadu Pepper Care
Productivity of a plant depends on the degree of care for it. Without proper care, peppers cannot surprise you with their unusual shape.
Watering and feeding
Fill pepper with complex and organic top dressing. The first fertilizer application is carried out 2 weeks after planting the plant in open soil or a greenhouse. Urea can be used, but litter brings a more reliable result, it is insisted in a proportion of 1:15 with water. With this mixture, water only the near-trunk circle of the fossa.
The second fertilizer application is carried out in the flowering season and the formation of ovaries. In addition to litter, you can use mullein, it is mixed with water (1:10) and poured into grooves dug near the plants.
The benefit comes from processing leaves and buds of pepper with an infusion of ash - 400 ml per 1 bucket. The third fertilizer application is carried out with liquid chicken droppings during the beginning of fruiting of the Kakadu hybrid.
Water the seedlings at least once a week, in the greenhouse - every other day. Use only warm and settled water, otherwise the plants will fall ill and die. After watering, loosen the soil, and the water will become more breathable and moisture permeable.
An important role is played by mulch; use turf soil or humus as a material.
Shoot pruning
Without high-quality bushes, a good crop cannot be obtained. The first pruning is carried out at the stage of seedling nucleation. After the formation of the first 5-6 leaves, pinch the top growth point, thanks to this the plant begins to grow lateral shoots, on which the fruits will form. After transplanting into open soil, cut off the stepsons formed in the internodes, leave a stump of 20 mm in size intact.
Harvesting and storage
Yields on plants will be higher if the fruits are cut off during technical rather than biological maturity. Especially this advice applies to the first fruits, do not let them blush on the bushes, otherwise they will begin to slow down the development of new ovaries.
Pods collected at the stage of technical maturity are stored longer. To taste, they are like red pods, but they are more useful. Kakadu pepper variety has a unique purpose. The fruits are juicy and tasty, designed for the preparation of various dishes and preserves.
Stuffing them is not very convenient because of the curved appearance, and even too large. They are best used for salads, snacks. The best option for storing fruits is freezing.
Diseases and Pests
Even timely care performed never guarantees 100% protection of plants from pests and diseases. The cockatoo has strong immunity, but still one ailment can disable it, and even lead to death - late blight.
Preventive measures:
- do not thicken the landing;
- tear out all diseased sprouts at the stage of the onset of the disease;
- use fungicides.
If the irrigation regime is violated or the temperature changes, the plant may attack vertebral rot. Treat bushes with calcium nitrate.
Of the pests, the most dangerous are: ticks and aphids. As a method of struggle, use folk remedies. For example, the ash solution has proven itself well, also use special chemicals to control insects.
The use of special chemicals is unacceptable at the stage of formation of the pods.
Gardeners reviews about Kakadu pepper
Marina, 33 years old, PR manager, Novosibirsk. Mom planted Kakadu pepper in the country. It grows in a greenhouse, in good weather and decent conditions, reaches a bush 1.2 m high. We always place supports so that the branches do not fall into the ground. There were no pests and diseases, but we spray the plant and air the greenhouse. The fruits are tasty and juicy, great for fresh salads, but not for preservation. The medication is not tasty, the fruits soften and do not hold their shape.
Oleg, 47 years old, baker, Anapa. I tried to grow cockatoo pepper 3 years ago. Before that I had seen enough different photos with him, and thought that the fruits would grow simply gigantic. In fact, it turned out to collect a small number of them, and even miniature ones. The form is generally not clear, it does not look like any beak. After this incident, Kakadu was not grown, but this year I saw it with a friend, so the fruits are really large, and in shape, such as in the descriptions they write. I’ll try and grow this pepper again, I’ll take seeds from a friend, it can work out.
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Hybrid Kakadu - a great pepper with temper, he needs to try to please, otherwise you will not see the crop. Make fertilizers without fail, form a bush, do not grow in those areas that do not suit him. Follow the development of seedlings and transplant it correctly.