Bell Pepper Sweet Chocolate [Capsicum annuum]

The perennial bell pepper 'Sweet Chocolate' is a special historic and early ripening sweet pepper with numerous chocolate-brown and elongated block-shaped fruits weighing up to 100g. Aromatic, mild-sweet taste with a unique appearance. Ideal for pre-cultivation, pot cultivation possible, sowing in spring, good for mixed culture, harvesting the fruits.

 Description 
The bell pepper 'Sweet Chocolate' is an old, early-ripening, perennial and historical pepper variety with unique, sweet, chocolate-brown fruits and excellent suitability for outdoor cultivation. Through an initiative to preserve free variety, this variety was bred in the 1960s by the breeder Prof. Elwyn M. Meader from New Hampshire and made freely available in order to send a signal against the orientation of agro-industrial variety breeding and against the patenting of cultivated plants.
The eventful and high-yielding variety produces elongated, blocky fruits that are approximately 15cm long, weigh 100g. The chocolate-brown fruits have a unique brick-red inner flesh. The thick-fleshed fruits ripen from dark green to chocolate brown and have a juicy, mildly sweet and aromatic taste. Ideal for fresh consumption, for cooking, roasting, grilling and especially for stuffing. Due to the compact growth of this robust variety, it can also be easily cultivated in pots.

 General information 
Plant family: Solanaceae
Life cycle: Perennial
Days to harvest: 120 days
Plant height approx.: 80 cm
Root type: Deep and shallow rooter
Nutrient requirements: High
Water requirements: High
Winter hardiness: Up to 3°C
Location: Sunny
Soil: Permeable, humus-rich loamy soil

pH value: 6 to 7

 Sowing and planting information 
Germination type: Dark germinator
Sowing depth: 0.5-1 cm
Optimal germination temperature: 23-28 °C
Germination time: 7-14 days
Plant and row spacing: 40x40 cm

Germination ability of seeds: 3-4 years

 Mixed culture 
Optimal mixed culture: Nettle, Cucumber, Bean, Nasturtium, Parsley, Garlic, Onion, Marigold, Mustard, Borage, Lettuce, Basil, Dill, Carrot
Unfavorable mixed culture: Tomato, Eggplant, Physalis, Potato, Pea, Celery, Beetroot, Fennel

 Sowing by climate zone 
Subtropic climate (Mediterranean) (e. g. B. Portugal, Spain, Italy)
Pre-cultivation from January to May is recommended. The ideal location for the plants is sheltered from the wind, warm and sunny to partially shaded.
Moderate climate (e. g. B. Germany, Switzerland, Poland)
Pre-cultivation from January to April is recommended. The plants should ideally be located somewhere sheltered from the wind, warm and sunny.

 General recommendations 
For pre-cultivation, sow the seeds in a small bowl and let the seedlings grow until the first visible pepper leaves appear, then transplant them into the desired containers. After transplanting, let the seedlings grow at moderate temperatures until they are ready to be planted out as seedlings. Plant the seedlings in the bed from the second pair of leaves after the cotyledons.
Bell pepper 'Sweet Chocolate' does not tolerate waterlogging.

 Additional tips 
Peppers need airy temperatures of 24 to 30°C to thrive optimally. Pepper plants are generally cultivated with 2 or 4 shoots. A framework for tying the pepper shoots is recommended. To stimulate root growth and thus plant growth, the seedlings are planted deeper into the soil when pricking out, up to the leaf axis of the cotyledons. Sufficient and even watering has a positive effect on fruit quality. At temperatures below 15°C, the plant reduces its growth. Regular harvesting increases yield. In order to quickly obtain a fine, crumbly and permeable soil with good nutrient and water storage capacity, it is recommended to additionally incorporate biochar and primary rock flour.

 Type of propagation 
Propagation occurs via seeds and cuttings.

 Plant care 
Loosened, nutrient-rich and constantly moist soil is fundamentally important for growth and quality fruit formation. Depending on the condition of the soil, fertilization is recommended after 10 weeks.

 Other names 
Botanical names: Capsicum annuum
English names: Pepper
German names: Paprika
Portuguese names: Páprica
Spanish names: Pimenton
French names: Poivron

 Origin 
Country: Portugal