Until recently, white-skinned eggplants were surprising and were considered rather exotic vegetables. But now they have firmly settled in the beds and even pushed their purple relatives a little, because white eggplants have a softer and more unusual taste โ they lack bitterness, their peel is thinner, and the pulp is practically devoid of seeds.
Description
White eggplants are nothing more than hybrids bred by breeders from ordinary purple eggplants in order to improve their palatability. The fact is that blue vegetables contain special pigment substances anthocyanins โ these are plant glycosides that give plants an intense dark color and a characteristic bitter taste.
In the process of hybridization, biologists simply isolated this pigment and obtained a variety that differs from the base one in the absence of bitterness and dark color. It is fair to say that anthocyanins are very beneficial for human health โ they are a strong antioxidant, protect the body from free radicals and remove radionuclides. Therefore, although white eggplants are tastier, they are inferior in properties to purple vegetables.
When choosing a white variety of eggplant for a garden or greenhouse, you should give preference to early and mid-season vegetables that are able to bring a good harvest, despite difficult climatic conditions. Of course, white eggplants do not differ in such a variety as blue ones, but still there are plenty to choose from:
Ping pong. This variety is a favorite among white vegetables. The original small (5-7 cm in length and weighing 80-90 g) spherical fruits have a dense, without bitterness pulp, are well transported and stored. Early ripe culture โ technical maturity is reached in 115-117 days after sowing.
Iceberg. The fruits are elongated (15-20 cm), expanded towards the bottom, with white, dense, not bitter pulp, reaching a mass of 150-250 g. The variety is mid-ripening (115-125 days), resistant to temperature fluctuations and diseases.
Swan. Early ripe eggplant (98-115 days), suitable for growing in the ground. The fruits are cylindrical, long (18-25 cm), large (180-300 g). The peel of the fruit is yellowish, the flesh is white, very tender. Transportable, high-yielding, can lie for a long time.
Icicle. An early ripe variety with thin and long, really icicle-like fruits 20-30 cm long. The flesh is dense, cream-colored, without bitterness. Suitable for growing in the greenhouse and in the garden.
Pelican. Early ripe hybrid recommended for greenhouses. The fruits are long (16-20 cm), cylindrical, 4-5 cm in diameter. The pulp is slightly creamy, dense. Eggplants are well transported, have an attractive trade dress.
Snow. Early maturing variety (100-106 days) for growing under cover. The fruits are long (18-20 cm), slightly curved, with a glossy surface, weighing 280-350 g. The peel is thin and tender, the flesh is white, dense. Quite fruitful โ from 1 sq. m can collect 4,5-5,8 kg.
White Night. Early maturing hybrid (100-112 days), suitable for growing in the garden. Hardy enough, can set fruit at low temperatures. The fruits are cylindrical, wide, weighing 200-250 g. The pulp is white-cream, dense. Productivity โ 5,5-6 kg per 1 square. m.
Ovoid. An original mid-season variety intended for warm climates. The fruits are small (30-40 g), ovoid, with a white glossy surface. Suitable for stuffing and whole canning.
Of course, these are not all white eggplants. There are several more varieties that differ in unusual taste: champignons, chicken meat, nuts. Several intermediate hybrids of green or light purple color have also been bred, however, they have the same taste as ordinary white vegetables.
Video โEggplant Careโ
This video shows you how to grow and care for eggplant to get a good harvest.
Features of agricultural technology
All eggplants are grown through seedlings, as they have a rather long growing season โ 3 months pass from sowing seeds to ripening of early fruits, and the late variety ripens only after 120 days. Therefore, seedlings should be planted in early spring (end of February). Already grown plants are planted in open ground, which are at least two months old.
Growing white eggplants is no more difficult than regular blue ones. However, it must be remembered that they are more thermophilic. If seedlings of ordinary eggplant require a temperature of 17-20 ยฐ C, then for white vegetables it should be at least 25 ยฐ C. Many vegetable growers resort to growth stimulants during the growing process, since it is not so easy to grow seedlings up to 2 months in a pot.
White eggplants do not tolerate transplanting well, for this reason it is better to plant the seeds immediately in separate cups, so that they can then be transferred to the ground together with the ground. As a last resort, if eggplants were sown in a large box, young sprouts should be dived at the stage of 2-3 true leaves, and then grown in a separate container.
Any white variety of eggplant needs top dressing. They need to be applied even during the growth of seedlings โ this will strengthen the root system and the plants themselves. Eggplants love mineral mixtures containing organic components, for example, humus. To improve growth, the formation of ovaries and increase the resistance of plants to diseases, foliar top dressing is recommended, with special preparations such as โBudโ, โOvaryโ, as well as organic matter (ash).
White vegetables, like blue ones, are very demanding on moisture. Regular watering is the key to abundant flowering, and, accordingly, a plentiful harvest. After planting in the ground, eggplants are watered 1 time / 2-3 days. In case of abnormal heat, it is necessary to monitor the state of soil moisture โ you may have to irrigate daily. Timely watering during the flowering period of plants is especially important, since in its absence the flower stalks will begin to fall off, which will lead to crop loss.
Adult plants growing in the garden, like all nightshades, are very responsive to top dressing. Simultaneously with irrigation, organic solutions can be applied under the root: litter, mullein, ash with a frequency of 1 time / week. If eggplant grows poorly (this is possible on sandy and clay soils), then you can not do without mineral fertilizer containing phosphorus and potassium. However, here you need to be careful โ you can use mineral mixtures no later than three weeks before harvesting.
Video โFeatures of eggplant careโ
All the intricacies of growing eggplant are described in this video.
