Purple sweet pepper Oda BIO - Capsicum annuum

Sweet pepper in an unusual purple color. Oda is an unusual sweet pepper variety whose fruits turn an intense, deep purple before becoming red when fully ripe. The flesh is sweet and distinctly crisp, with no heat. The plant grows to 60–80 cm tall and does well in a greenhouse or polytunnel. In a warm, sheltered spot, it can also be grown in a large pot.

At a glance

• Growth habit: bushy, 60–80 cm
• Fruits: purple, red when fully ripe, sweet and crisp
• Sowing under cover: February–March
• Transplanting: after May 15–20, preferably under cover
• Harvest: July–October
• Position: full sun, warm, fertile, well-drained soil
• Difficulty: moderate
• Seeds per packet: 25

What makes this variety stand out

The variety’s greatest asset is its color. The purple fruits look striking both on the plant and on the plate. As they turn red over time, both colors are often visible on the same plant at once. This is a great choice for gardeners who want to add more color to their vegetable patch.

Oda is also a full-fledged sweet pepper: its flesh is juicy and crisp, with a mild flavor, so you can harvest the fruits while they are still purple or wait until they are fully colored. This is an open-pollinated variety, so you can save seeds from your own fruits for the next season.

Growing step by step

Sowing (February–March, under cover): Sow the seeds shallowly, at a depth equal to their size, in light, moist growing medium. Keep the container at a steady temperature of 22–25 °C; germination usually takes 7–10 days. After the seedlings emerge, give them plenty of light and slightly cooler temperatures so they grow sturdy.

Pricking out: When the seedlings have 3–4 true leaves, transplant them individually into 8–10 cm pots and keep them warm. Harden off the seedlings outdoors for about a week before transplanting them.

Transplanting (after May 15–20): A greenhouse or polytunnel will give the most reliable yields. If growing outdoors, choose a sunny, sheltered spot, such as beside a south-facing wall. Plant about 50 × 50 cm apart in fertile, well-drained soil enriched with compost. For container growing, use pots of at least 10 l.

Care: Water regularly and moderately, avoiding wetting the leaves, and do not let the soil dry out while the fruits are setting. Feed the plants with organic fertilizer, and tie fruit-laden stems to stakes. At the end of August, it is worth pinching out the shoot tips so the plant can focus on ripening the fruits that have already set.

Uses

Oda fruits taste best raw—sliced into strips, they look great in salads, on vegetable platters, and in sandwiches. They can also be briefly grilled or stewed. Bear in mind that the purple color may darken during longer cooking, so serve them raw when appearance matters.

Gardener’s tip

About the producer

The seeds come from Semailles, a small-scale Belgian producer of organic seeds based in the province of Namur in Wallonia. Semailles offers only open-pollinated varieties (no F1 hybrids), including many traditional and collector’s varieties. Some seeds are grown on its own fields, while others are produced in partnership with organic growers in Belgium and France. All batches are certified organic (BE-BIO-01 inspection).

Specifications