Eggplants are affectionately called “blue” among the people, which generally reflects their color and helps to navigate the variety of vegetables. However, eggplant varieties abound in colors, halftones, shades, and intricate patterns. That is, the definition of “little blue” no longer corresponds to reality. Topic of the article: the best eggplant varieties suitable for growing in Russia, their types and description.
Purple
The greatest variety of varieties falls on the purple color of eggplant. Moreover, not only the shades of purple differ, but also the shape, the rate of ripening, and climatic conditions. Basically, eggplants, which have a purple color of the fruit, feel great in the climate of central Russia.
In the forefront is “Albatross”, which is distinguished by a high yield of vegetables, 350-400 g each. It is a mid-season vegetable with short, pear-shaped fruits. Bitterness is not characteristic of it, and the flesh is pale white in color. It is characterized by high keeping quality and easy transportation.
Late-ripening “Arap” grows up to 90 cm in height. Its fruits often reach 25 cm in length, they are cylindrical, without an admixture of bitterness.
Among the early ripening eggplants “Bagheera” should be distinguished. This is a hybrid vigorous vegetable with oval fruits weighing up to 300 g. It is famous not only for its productivity and resistance to most fungal diseases, but also for its soft snow-white filling without bitterness.
Among the early species, it is also worth paying attention to the Long Purple eggplant variety. Firstly, it is a very compact variety – it rarely grows above 50 cm. Secondly, it has beautiful inflorescences and ovaries with a glossy skin, weighing up to 300 g.
The early ripe species suitable for the middle lane also includes Don Quixote. It is a hybrid medium-sized vegetable that grows well in greenhouses. In length, the fruits reach 45 cm, and the weight fluctuates between 300-400 g.
The hybrid mid-season subspecies “Lolita” will give a rich harvest when grown in a greenhouse. The bush is tall, often reaches 2,5 m. The shape of the vegetables is elongated, their maximum length is 25 cm, and their weight is 300 g. The flesh is snow-white, compacted, practically does not contain eggplant seeds.
By planting vegetables of the “Maria” variety, you will be among the first to receive a crop of elongated cylindrical eggplants.
Another mid-season variety “Nautilus” refers to hybrids for greenhouses. Bushes tend to grow, saber-shaped fruits up to 30 cm in length, weighing up to 500 g.
A galaxy of purple eggplants is complemented by “Diamond”. It is a mid-season, compact vegetable with cylindrical fruits. The size of the fruit rarely exceeds 20 cm, and the weight is 170 g. Its flesh is green, compacted, without characteristic bitterness.
Video “The best varietal eggplants”
A detailed overview of eggplant varieties is given in this video.
White
The best varieties of white eggplant are few in number, but at the same time, their seedlings will undoubtedly decorate any garden bed or greenhouse, causing many questions: “What kind of vegetable is this?”. It often happens that white eggplant seeds turn yellow at the end of the season – these are selection errors that scientists are trying to level out.
One of the most famous types, of course, is “Ping-Pong”. Its ovaries are small, light, their weight rarely exceeds 70 g. The bush is medium high, during fruiting it really seems that it was hung with ping-pong balls. Feels great both in greenhouses and in the open field.
Varieties of white eggplants also include mid-season “Swan”. It grows well both in greenhouses and outdoors, growing up to 70 cm in height. The fruits are cylindrical, up to 22 cm long, the weight rarely exceeds 255 g. Most of the ovaries are white, but sometimes yellow ones also come across. The main attraction is the white, soft flesh and high yield density per square meter of plantings.
Another hybrid subspecies worth paying attention to is the Pelican. Its bushes are tall, up to 1 meter high, vegetables grow up to 18-20 cm, but at the same time they cannot boast of high weight – the mass fluctuates within 200-250 g. The mid-season Pelican variety is mainly grown in greenhouses.
“White Night” will please you with oval snow-white fruits that ripen by the middle of the season. The bush grows small, up to 70 cm, decorated with many fruits, weighing up to 300 g each.
“Baby White F1” has funny spherical fruits, which are among the first to ripen. Bushes “Baby White F1” are low, abundantly covered with greenery, rarely reach 50 cm, numerous small fruits rarely weigh more than 300 g. The flesh is white, without characteristic bitterness.
The hybrid subspecies “Tenderest F1” will surprise you and your guests with oblong, cylindrical ovaries weighing 300-400 g. The bushes are medium-sized, sprawling, and the fruits with white pulp without a hint of bitterness. They survive dry periods very well, without requiring special care.
Lilac
Types of lilac eggplant are also numerous. It is quite possible to call them “blue ones”, since they did not go far from their purple counterparts. Having absorbed the best of white and purple varieties, lilac varieties, even while green (no matter how strange it may sound), please with a wealth of patterns and shapes.
One of the leaders in popularity, the Lilac variety, has an average ripening period. Its bush rarely grows above 60-65 cm, the seedlings are often elongated, cylindrical, weighing up to 200 g. The flesh is white, compacted, without bitterness in taste.
Round eggplants of the “Balagur” variety will delight you with bunches of vegetables that are located on the brushes. This is an early maturing variety, with bushes of medium height, the leaves of which are rich green. The weight of one eggplant fluctuates around 150-180 g.
Varieties with an average duration of ripening also include “Pink Flamingo”. The height of the Pink Flamingo bushes reaches 180-190 cm, the fruits grow in clusters of 4-6 pieces, their average weight is 300-400 g. Eggplant pulp is without bitterness, pure white.
If you choose lilac eggplants, then you can’t get around the Bumbo variety. Rounded fruits weigh 600-700 g, white-lilac color. The bushes grow spreading, powerful, so they will serve as an excellent decoration for both the greenhouse and the open ground.
One of the most resistant varieties to unstable conditions and fungal diseases is Robin Hood. The average height of the bush reaches 90-100 cm, it is spreading, it bears fruit well with small ovaries weighing about 300-320 g. The pulp is without bitterness, white, elastic.
Another bright representative of the lilac variety of eggplant – “Rotonda Bianca” will delight not only with mid-ripening and an abundance of ovaries. Its leaves are rich green, wonderfully fitting into any landscape. Fruits are oval, with white pulp without bitterness.
If you are chasing not only productivity, but also the original appearance of vegetables in the beds, then pay attention to the Matrosik eggplant. Vegetables of this species are oval, have a striped color with a bizarre pattern, weighing up to 200 g.
It should be noted that the above types of eggplant are mostly hybrids. This means that already at the stage of selection, their immunity, protective characteristics and taste are much higher than those of ordinary plants. Thus, they are less likely to be exposed to fungal diseases (powdery mildew, anthracnose, brown spot, copperhead), which greatly facilitates their cultivation.
A nice bonus of such vegetables is that most of them grow easily both in greenhouses and greenhouses, and in the open air, pleasing the eye with a bizarre shape and color.
Video “Varieties of eggplant”
About which eggplants give 100% yield is described in the video.
