Content
Not every gardener decides to plant eggplants on his site. These plants are a little capricious and very thermophilic, they need constant care and timely watering, they are prone to many diseases. But science does not stand still, breeders every year bring out new varieties and hybrids that are more resistant to diseases, capable of withstanding frost, and unpretentious in care. And high-yielding at the same time!
When and how to plant eggplants in Russia
The climate of central Russia was previously considered too cold for a thermophilic eggplant. These vegetables could only be grown in the south or in greenhouses and greenhouses. It has recently begun to be planted in open ground in the middle lane - suitable varieties have appeared for this, the best of which give an excellent harvest and are famous for their taste.
Experienced gardeners claim that the most suitable varieties for a temperate climate are early maturing and very early... The short ripening period - from 75 to 100 days - allows the vegetable to mature in such a short summer period. In addition, early maturing eggplants are less likely to get sick, less exposed to rot and insect damage.
So, the best varieties for such conditions are early maturing eggplants, resistant to low temperatures and most diseases, giving a high yield and having good taste.
To grow early eggplant varieties, a number of conditions must be met:
- Buy quality seed material, undergone fungicidal and antiseptic treatment, hardened from low temperatures.
- To cook seedlings, it is the seedling method of growing that is more suitable for early maturing eggplants. Seeds should be planted in disposable cups so that the roots of the plant are not damaged during transplantation, and to avoid picking the seedlings.
- Choose a well-lit, warm area for disembarkation outdoors. The highest yields are given by greenhouse varieties, but they are more difficult to cultivate, they are more capricious.
- Fertilize plants several times: during planting in the ground, on the days of flowering and the appearance of the first fruits. Mineral fertilizers are used for this.
- Water the plants in a timely manner - eggplant does not tolerate drought well.
- Remove infected or rotten seedlings in timeprevent the spread of the disease.
- Harvest regularly, preventing overripening of fruits and damage to the bushes.
How to choose the best eggplant seeds
Every modern eggplant variety or hybrid has its own pros and cons. To choose the right variety suitable for specific growing conditions, you need to familiarize yourself with the classification of this vegetable... So, eggplants are divided according to:
- Growing method - open ground, heated greenhouse, film greenhouse, temporary covering material.
- Ripening rates - early ripening crops bear fruit on the 75-100th day after the first sprouting, mid-ripening crops ripen by the 110-130th day, and late varieties will yield only after 150 days of the vegetative period.
- Resistance to certain diseases and low temperatures.
- Taste qualities - there are vegetables with tender pulp and thin skin, they are more suitable for salads, side dishes.Those eggplants, the flesh of which is denser with a minimum amount of seeds, are best used for canning or cooking with prolonged heat treatment. For example, it is from hard and dense fruits that the most delicious caviar is obtained.
- Outward appearance - today eggplants can be not only the usual purple color, there are a lot of their shades: from yellow to purple. The same applies to the shape of the vegetable - the usual pear-shaped shape is found only occasionally. There are spherical eggplants, egg-shaped fruits, elongated and oblong vegetables.
- Last division of eggplant Are selective hybrids and varietal crops. Hybrids are more productive, protected from external influences, and varieties have better taste - the traditional rich taste of "blue". Most often, a hybrid has a name with F1 at the end.
The combination of all these factors determines the final choice of eggplant seeds. After all, a lot here is a matter of taste and possibilities. Someone can grow vegetables in the country, visiting it only on weekends. And for some, eggplants become a daily job that brings considerable income.
The most productive varieties
Probably, every gardener is most interested in one question - ndash; how many eggplants he can get from his site. Productivity largely depends on the selected variety. Most often, the largest number of fruits is produced by hybrid seeds, but there are several varietal eggplants, which also differ in fertility.
"Nadir"
One of the early maturing and very productive varieties of eggplant is "Nadir". This variety is a "relative" of the famous "Almaz". The bushes of the plant are low (up to 50 cm) and spreading, the ovary is formed below, closer to the ground. The first fruits from this plant can be obtained as early as 70-80 days after germination.
Eggplants grow medium in size - their length is about 15 cm, and the mass is often in the range of 150-200 grams. The color of the fruit is deep purple, the skin is thin with a glossy sheen.
The taste of Nadir eggplants is excellent, without bitterness, with a strong aroma. The pulp is tender and fleshy.
The variety has a very high yield - up to 70 tons per hectare of land, which makes this eggplant one of the best-selling. The fruits tolerate transportation and storage well, remain beautiful and juicy for a long time.
Variety "Nadir" is quite demanding: in order to get a high yield, you need to water vegetables on time and maintain high air and soil temperatures. For this, great attention should be paid to the method of planting and the processing of row spacings. Timely collection of eggplants (every 5-7 days) will increase the growing season and prolong the productive "life" of the plant.
It is necessary to grow the variety with seedlings. To do this, I use the cassette method, which involves planting seedlings without damaging the root system. Seedlings are ready for transplanting when 7 leaves have already appeared on them, and this happens by the 60-70th day after sowing seeds in cassettes.
You can see the fruits of the "Nadir" variety in this photo.
"Diamond"
One of the most famous varieties of eggplant is the Almaz variety. The culture belongs to the early maturing - the first fruits are ready for harvest 70-80 days after planting. The plant is distinguished by small compact bushes, their height rarely reaches 55 cm. Eggplants are tied in bunches at the bottom of the bush.
The color of ripe fruits is intense, dark purple. The skin is shiny, with a shimmer. The eggplant pulp "Almaz" is white and contains absolutely no bitterness. The size of the fruit is small - 15-17 cm, and the shape is cylindrical.
A high yield from this crop can be obtained if the following conditions are met:
- timely irrigation;
- frequent collection of vegetables (every 6-7 days);
- high humidity, maintained until ovaries appear;
- compliance with the planting scheme;
- maintaining a high temperature;
- planting in the ground by seedling method.
All these measures contribute to an increase in yields; if they are observed, up to 50 tons of high-quality vegetables can be obtained per hectare of land, which are excellent for sale.
"Negus"
The early ripe variety "Negus" is also distinguished by good yields and excellent taste of fruits. After planting the seedlings, ripe vegetables appear already on the 55th day.
The bushes of the plant are low - up to 50 cm, differ in the simultaneous appearance of lateral shoots. Eggplants are round in shape and small in size, the weight of one fruit reaches 180 grams. The flesh of the vegetable is very tasty and quite dense, this variety is great for canning.
It is recommended to grow Negus eggplants using seedlings. Seeds are sown in cassettes in the second half of February, seedlings are transplanted into open ground on the 65-70th day after that, the bushes should have 5-7 large leaves.
"Czech early"
Another of the varieties loved by domestic gardeners is the Czech eggplant. The bushes of this plant are compact, reaching a maximum of 60 cm in height. The fruits are egg-shaped and rather large in size, their weight reaches 600 grams.
The flesh of a vegetable is greenish-white in color, without a bitter aftertaste and with an excellent aroma. The structure of the pulp is dense, which makes the Czech eggplant versatile - suitable for cooking and canning. The peel color is standard - dark purple.
This variety can be planted with seeds under a film or seedlings. The plant is suitable for both greenhouses and open ground. The thickening of the plants greatly reduces the yield of the variety, therefore, seedlings are planted no more often than 4-6 bushes per square meter of soil.
The yield of the variety reaches 4-5 kg per square meter. A photo of the fruits is presented below.
"King of the North F1"
One of the most cold-resistant varieties is the F1 King of the North hybrid. Its hardening allows you to plant vegetables in open ground in central Russia, and this can be done in mid-spring.
The first fruits appear on the 95-100th day after planting the seeds. They have an unusual oblong shape and small diameter, the length of the eggplants reaches 30 cm. The color of the peel is dark purple, and the flesh is white, without bitterness.
Due to the large number of ovaries and large fruits, the hybrid "King of the North F1" is one of the most productive - from one meter of soil you can get up to 15 kg of eggplants.
"Violet Miracle"
Another early and fruitful variety is "Violet Miracle". Its first fruits can be obtained on the 100th day after planting the seeds. They have an oblong cylindrical shape, dark purple color and pale green flesh.
The taste of the vegetable is excellent, without bitterness. The pulp is tender, eggplant is suitable for preservation and for cooking various dishes.
The fruits grow small - up to 110-140 grams, but they grow densely. This increases the yield of the variety to 14 kg per meter of land. You can see the "Purple Miracle" in the photo below.
"Behemoth F1"
One of the most famous eggplant hybrids is the F1 Hippopotamus. It is grown in greenhouses or hotbeds, the first fruits appear on the 101-110th day after planting the seeds. The name of the variety is associated with its unusually high growth - the bushes reach two meters in height, so greenhouses and greenhouses must be high enough.
Ripe fruits are also quite large in size - the weight of one often reaches 340 grams. The shape of the eggplant is pear-shaped, the length of the fruit is small - up to 20 cm. The color of the peel is deep purple, and the flesh is pale green.
The main advantages of the Hippopotamus F1 hybrid are: fruit taste, high yield, good presentation. It is quite possible to get up to 14 kg of excellent eggplants from one square meter of the greenhouse.
"Purple Haze"
A very original variety "Lilac Mist" is known not only for its unusual shade, but also for its excellent adaptability to weather conditions. This variety is recommended by breeders for cultivation in any regions of Russia, it tolerates cold well.
Outwardly, the plant is quite easy to recognize - its bushes are low (up to 60 cm), and the stem and shoots are covered with a continuous layer of the edge. The leaves are also peculiar - bright green, large, without jagged edges.
The most remarkable thing about the variety is the eggplant fruit. They have a bright lilac color and tender, white flesh. The size of the eggplants is small, their weight varies between 110-270 grams.
The variety can be grown in a heated greenhouse, greenhouse or outdoors. The first vegetables ripen on the 105th day after planting the seeds. The plant is resistant to top rot and gives high yields - up to 6.5 kgm².
But the main feature of the culture is still the appearance of the fruits that can be seen in the photo.
What seeds to buy
There are a great many varieties of eggplants, only "empirically" can you determine the best of them. Indeed, for this plant, as for all vegetables, the type of soil, the climatic features of the region, the frequency of watering and feeding, and much more are very important.
Each gardener finds his best varieties of "blue" and grows them from year to year. To find a suitable variety, you need to try, experiment and, of course, follow the recommendations indicated on the seed packaging.
I read the article and was surprised: of all the varieties described, I saw only "diamond" on sale, although I have been growing eggplants for several years, I buy the seeds after studying the characteristics according to the catalogs of manufacturers. And the rest of the names were not found in any catalog. If we have already undertaken to give a characteristic of the variety, you can also indicate the manufacturer