Eggplant – cultivation and varieties

It turns out that eggplant is a perennial, and we grow it as an annual. The fruit of an eggplant can be a berry of various colors and shapes. And not just a blue cylinder: pear-shaped, spherical, serpentine with white or greenish dense flesh, without bitterness. The color of the skin of the fruit varies from dark brown with a reddish tint, brown with a grayish tint to yellow or grayish green.

EggplantEggplant. © Anne Underwood

The exoticism of the vegetable is explained by the fact that it comes from India. In Latin, its name literally means “nightshade with an apple.” Nightshade among the ancient Romans was considered a gift from the god of the Sun – Salt – (salted, sunflower). The ancient Greeks considered the eggplant a poisonous plant and called it the “apple of madness”, believing that the one who ate it would lose his mind … And now we know that eggplants … are insanely delicious!

Eggplant (Solanum melongena) – a species of perennial herbaceous plants of the genus Nightshade, a vegetable crop. It is also known as badridjan (rarely bubrijan), and in the southern regions of Russia eggplants are called blue ones.

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Growing eggplant

We place eggplants after the best predecessors, they are gourds, cabbage, onions, root crops. We return eggplants to their original place no earlier than in 2-3 years. If you keep them in the same place all the time, the plants suffer from fungal and viral diseases. We plant in an open, well-lit place.

After harvesting the previous crop, we immediately clean the soil from plant residues, fill it with humus at the rate of 80-100 kg, superphosphate – 400-450 g, potassium salt – 100-150 g per 10 m².

We dig the site to a depth of 25-28 cm from autumn. In early spring, as soon as the soil dries up, we carry out harrowing. Already in April, we apply nitrogen fertilizer (urea) at a dose of 300 g per 10 m² with embedding to a depth of 6-8 cm.

Practice shows that sowing with large sorted seeds increases the yield. How to sort seeds? To do this, pour 5 liters of water into a bucket, put 60 g of table salt there. When the salt dissolves, we fall asleep the seeds, then stir them for 1-2 minutes, after which we stand for 3-5 minutes. Then we drain the floating seeds with the solution, wash the remaining seeds with clean water five to six times. After washing, large full-weight seeds are laid out on a canvas and dried.

Before sowing, it is desirable to determine the germination of seeds. For this purpose, on a small plate covered with filter paper, lay out 50 or 100 seeds, slightly moisten the paper and put on the windowsill in a heated room. When the seeds hatch (after 5-7 days), we calculate the germination rate in percent. This helps to avoid sparse shoots.

Gardeners grow eggplant mainly through seedlings. It is obtained in greenhouses with a manure layer of 50-60 cm. Sowing seeds in greenhouses is carried out in early March, that is, 55-60 days before planting seedlings in a permanent place. Before sowing, the wooden parts of the greenhouse are treated with a 10% solution of bleach or a thick solution of freshly slaked lime.

Soil composition: sod land mixed with humus in a ratio of 2:1. Greenhouse soil is poured over manure with a layer of 15-16 cm. Before sowing, the soil is flavored with superphosphate at the rate of 250 g per one greenhouse frame (1,5 m²). 8-10 g of seeds are sown under the frame with embedding to a depth of 1-2 cm. For a plot of 10 m², it is enough to grow 100 seedlings. The temperature regime during seed germination is maintained within 25-30 °C. With the emergence of seedlings, the temperature during the first 6 days is reduced to 14-16 ° C. Then the temperature is regulated: during the day they maintain 16-26 ° C at night 10-14 ° C.

Gardeners know that the eggplant root system is difficult to recover and, torn during transplantation, lags behind in growth. Therefore, it is better to grow seedlings in humus-earthen pots. For pots, a nutrient mixture is prepared from 8 parts of humus, 2 parts of soddy soil, 1 part of mullein with the addition of about 10 g of urea, 40-50 g of superphosphate and 4-5 g of potassium salt per bucket of the mixture. The size of the pots is 6×6 cm.

8-4 days before sowing, the pots are tightly installed in a warm greenhouse with a soil thickness of 5-6 cm. If the pots are dry, then they are moistened and 8-4 seeds are placed in each. From above, the seeds are sprinkled with earth with a layer of 1-2 cm.

Seedlings are watered in greenhouses as needed, usually this is done in the morning and at the same time they ventilate the greenhouse. In cloudy cold weather it is impossible to water.

Seedlings need feeding. To do this, take 50 g of superphosphate, 20 ammonium sulfate and 16 g of potassium salt in a bucket of water. From organic dressings, mullein, bird droppings or slurry are used. Bird droppings and mullein are pre-fermented in a tub (6-8 days). The fermented liquid is diluted with water: a solution of bird droppings is 15-20 times (for young plants in the phase of the first true leaf) or 10-15 times (for seedlings with 4-5 leaves). A solution of mullein is diluted with water 3-5 times, and slurry 2-3 times.

Organic and mineral supplements alternate. The first top dressing (organic fertilizers) is carried out 10-15 days after germination, the second – 10 days after the first top dressing with mineral fertilizers. After feeding, the seedlings are lightly watered with clean water to wash off droplets of the solution from it.

10-15 days before planting, the seedlings are hardened off: watering is reduced, the frame is removed (at first only for a day, and then, depending on the air temperature, for the whole day). 5-10 days before planting in a permanent place, the plants are sprayed with a 0,5% solution of copper sulfate (50 g per 10 l of water) to protect the plants from fungal diseases.

Eggplant seedlings by the time of planting in a permanent place should have 5-6 true leaves, a thick stem and a well-developed root system.

On the eve of planting, seedlings in a greenhouse are plentifully watered. Planting seedlings is started when the probability of frost disappears, that is, at the end of the first or at the beginning of the second decade of May (for the Crimea). Delay in planting seedlings even for 7-10 days leads to a decrease in yield.

Seedlings grown without pots are chosen, keeping a clod of earth. Planted to a depth of 7-8 cm, 1,5 cm deeper than the root neck. Row spacings are 60-70 cm, the intervals between plants in a row are 20-25 cm. If the earth on the roots is fragile, then when picking seedlings, the roots are dipped into a mash of mullein with clay. We note again: potted seedlings take root faster, give a higher yield, and they remove it 20-25 days earlier.

Eggplant seedlingsEggplant seedling. © Jen & Josh

Planting eggplant care

We plant eggplant seedlings in moist soil in cloudy weather or in the afternoon. So the plants take root better. We compress the earth near the roots well and water immediately. After 3-4 days, we plant a new one in place of the fallen seedlings and carry out the second watering (200 l, watering and fertilizing rates are given per 10 m²).

The total number of waterings for the summer is 9-10, after 7-9 days. After each watering, we loosen the soil to a depth of 8-10 cm, at the same time we remove weeds. We carry out the first top dressing 15-20 days after planting seedlings (urea 100-150 g). We give the second top dressing three weeks after the first (solution of superphosphate 150 g and urea 100 g). Fertilizers are planted with a hoe to a depth of 8-10 cm and watered immediately. At the beginning of fruiting, top dressing with fresh mullein (6-8 kg) is effective along with irrigation water. After 15-20 days, feeding with fresh mullein can be repeated.

Eggplant plants can be attacked by the Colorado potato beetle. Against this malicious pest, we use a solution of chlorophos 0,3% concentration (30 g of the drug per 10 liters of water). The signal for application is the hatching of beetle larvae.

eggplant seedlingEggplant seedling. © Vitalii

Eggplant varieties

The best varieties of eggplant: Delicacy, Gribovsky-752, Early Dwarf-921, Donskoy, Long Purple, Bulgarian. The dark purple color of the skin is present in the eastern group of early varieties (variety types: Delicacy, Dwarf early, Vostochny).

In the western group of varieties, the shape of the fruit is flattened, spherical, oval, ovoid, shortened pear-shaped, cylindrical (variety types: Krymsky, Donskoy).

For growing under film in the middle lane, early ripening early varieties are used: Delicacy 163, Dwarf early 6, etc. Of the mid-ripening and productive ones, Universal 6, Simferopolsky 105, etc. are suitable.

The best time for harvesting is dry, cool weather until the first frost. Even mild frost damage renders the eggplant unfit for consumption.

Albatross

  • High-yielding mid-season. The period from germination to harvest is 115-130 days. The plant is compact, 40-60 cm high. Fruits are shortened pear-shaped, weighing 300-450 g, with dense white pulp without bitterness. Coloring in technical ripeness is blue-violet, in biological – brown-brown. Lightness and portability are excellent. Universal use.

Arap

  • Attractive purple fruits. The period from germination to the first harvest is 120-130 days. The bush is semi-spreading, 85-90 cm high in open ground. The fruits are cylindrical, 20-25 cm long. The fruit retains marketable qualities for a long time.

Eggplant "Long Purple"Eggplant “Long Purple”
Eggplant "Bagheera"Eggplant “Bagheera”
Eggplant "Black Beauty"Eggplant “Black Beauty”

Bagheera

  • An early maturing eggplant hybrid of the Gavrish selection. Plants are vigorous. Flowers solitary, about 5 cm in diameter. Fruit weighing 250-300 g, oval, dark purple. The pulp of medium density is white with a green tint, without bitterness. The hybrid is well adapted for cultivation in the protected ground.

Barbentane

  • A very early variety of eggplant for growing in film greenhouses and open ground. Plants 1,8 m high. A large number of fruits.

vicar

  • Early ripe (110-115 days) eggplant variety of the VNIISSOK selection. Productivity in a film greenhouse is 5-7 kg/m. Plant of semi-determinate type, stems with anthocyanin coloration. The fruit is pear-shaped or shortened pear-shaped, purple in color, weighing 200 g. The thorns are weak.

long purple

  • A very early variety of eggplant. The plant is fast growing, compact with short internodes, 40-55 cm high. The fruits are long, glossy, weighing 200-300 g.

Don Quixote

  • Early ripe (100-120 days) eggplant variety of Manul selection for glazed and film greenhouses. Plants are medium. The fruits are dark purple, 35-45×5-6 cm in size, weighing 300-400 g

Lolita

  • Eggplant hybrid of the “Gavrish” selection with a ripening period of 110-115 days. For all types of protected ground structures. The plant is medium-sized, in glass greenhouses 270-330 cm, in film greenhouses 70-80 cm. The fruits are dark purple, elongated (18-25 cm), weighing 250-309 g, without voids. The pulp is white, dense, without bitterness, with a small amount of seeds and high palatability. It was zoned in 1998 for the Central, Central Black Earth and Ural regions. Yield 14,7 kg/m

Maria

  • An ultra-early eggplant variety with fruits of an elongated cylindrical shape, inky-purple color and a weight of 200-225 g.

Nautilus

  • Mid-early (120-130 days) eggplant hybrid for glazed and heated film greenhouses of Manul selection. Plants are vigorous. Fruits of deep purple color, saber-shaped, 21-28 x7-10 cm in size and weighing 300-500 g.

Black handsome man

  • Early ripe (78 days) eggplant variety of Danish selection. The plant is 50-60 cm high. The fruits are beautiful, firm, regular cylindrical shape, weighing 200-250 g.

Black Moon

  • Medium-early fruitful, unpretentious eggplant variety. The fruits are round in shape, 15-20 cm in diameter. It sets fruits well at low temperatures.

Diamond

  • Mid-season (109-149 days) eggplant variety of the Donetsk OBS breeding, compact plant, 46-56 cm high. The fruits are cylindrical, dark purple, 14-18 cm long, weighing 100-165 g. The flesh is green, dense, without bitterness. Productivity up to 8 kg. The variety is valued for friendly ripening and compact arrangement of fruits in the lower part of the plant.

Amethyst

  • Early ripe, technical ripeness occurs on the 95-115th day after full shoots. The plant is closed, of medium height. The leaf is medium in size, green, notched, smooth, without thorns. The calyx is weakly spiky. Fruit of medium length, pear-shaped, glossy, dark purple in technical ripeness. The flesh is white without bitterness. Fruit weight 240-280 g.

Black beauty

  • Early high-yielding variety of eggplant. The fruits are purple-black, weighing 700-900 g with tender and tasty pulp. The variety sets fruits well in unfavorable conditions. Gives an excellent harvest in film shelters even in an area with a short summer season.

Veratic

  • An early eggplant variety of the Pridnestrovian Research Institute of Agriculture breeding. The period from germination to the first collection is 115-119 days. The plant is sprawling, 45-70 cm high. The fruits are dark purple, shiny, pear-shaped and straight in shape, weighing 165-185 g. The flesh is whitish-green, dense without bitterness. Resistant to verticillium and spider mites. Designed for canning and cooking. Zoned in Moldova.

Delphi

  • Mid-early (120-130 days) eggplant variety for all types of greenhouses of Manul selection. Plants are vigorous. The fruits are lilac-white in color with a pointed end, 40-45 x 6-6,5 cm in size and weighing 300-450 g.

Giselle

  • The plant is 170-190 cm high, semi-spreading, medium leafy, slightly prickly. The leaf is large, green, the edge of the leaf is even, without thorns. The fruit is 25-30 cm long, cylindrical, glossy, purple in technical ripeness. The pulp is white, dense without bitterness.

Madonna

  • Hybrid eggplant Dutch selection. It was zoned in 1998 for the Central, Central Black Earth and Ural regions for winter-spring and extended turnover of winter greenhouses. Technical ripeness occurs 91 days after full emergence. The plant is compact, 1,6-1,8 m high. The fruit is elongated, pear-shaped, slightly curved, dark purple, weighing 300-400 g.

Prince

  • Early maturing, high-yielding, unpretentious eggplant variety. The fruit is black-violet, 20-30 cm, 5-8 cm in diameter, weighing 150-200 g. The pulp is tender, without bitterness.

Sancho Panso

  • Mid-season (130-140 days) eggplant variety of Manul selection for all types of greenhouses. Plants are medium. The fruits are rounded, 12×14 cm in size, weighing 600-700 g of deep purple color.

precocious

  • An early maturing eggplant variety of the West Siberian Vegetable Experimental Station. The period from germination to technical maturity is 112-139 days. The bush is low, compact, standard. The fruit is elongated pear-shaped, weighing 130 g, without bitterness. The pulp is white. Productivity is 4-6 kg/sq.m.

Solara

  • Very early eggplant hybrid of the Dutch selection. The plant is powerful, fruitful. The fruit is dark purple, weighing up to 1 kg, 15-20 cm long. It is distinguished by early set at low temperatures.

Solaris

  • Early ripe (112-118 days) variety. Productivity in film greenhouses is 5,5-8,5 kg/m. Plant of indeterminate type. The fruits are cylindrical and elongated pear-shaped, dark purple in color, glossy, weighing 215 g, thorns are weak.

Czech early

  • High yielding eggplant variety. The plant is compact, medium-sized. The fruits are ovoid, dark purple in color, shiny, smooth. The pulp is dense, greenish-white, without bitterness. Productivity is 4-5 kg/m.

Nutcracker

  • The plant is 150-180 cm high, semi spreading, medium leafy, with regular and uniform fruit formation. The leaf is large, green prickly, with smooth edges. Fruit weight 238-350 g oval, 12-14 cm long. Productivity is 12,8-19,7 kg/m. The value of the hybrid: early ripeness, high yield and marketability, excellent taste of products.

Leaf lettuce eggplant

  • Heat loving plant. The leaves are large, hairless, edible. White fruits weighing about 150 g, it is recommended to soak in salt water before use.

Anna Evans

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