The best varieties of eggplant for Belarus

Eggplants gradually gained popularity among summer residents and gardeners for their taste, good yield, germination of selection varieties, and the ability to withstand the not too warm climate of Belarus. Despite the fact that the homeland of eggplants is India, where a very warm and mild climate is noted, if certain conditions are created, you can get a good harvest in countries with moderate summer temperatures. In Southeast Asia, eggplants are perennials and are widely found in the wild. In Belarus, it is difficult to grow perennial eggplant because of the harsh winters, therefore, annual representatives of the nightshade culture are most often planted in vegetable gardens.

Growing eggplants in Belarus

Description of culture

Eggplant is a herbaceous plant, the height of the bush in which, depending on the variety, can vary from 45 to 155 cm. The leaves on the bush are rather large, green, with a prickly "bristle". In some crops, the leaves have purple streaks. The plant is self-pollinating, as bisexual flowers appear on one bush. Inflorescences are single or in the form of umbrellas, the color is purple. The flowering period is from early summer to September.

Blooming eggplant

The fruits of an eggplant in the biological sense are usually called a berry, but the people refer to it as a vegetable. Fruits from different varieties can vary in size, shape, color. The pulp also differs in taste, color and firmness. The classic eggplant skin color is dark purple, but there are varieties whose fruit color can be green, golden, white.If purple eggplants become overripe, their skin becomes brown and the flesh is unusable due to its taste and texture. It is also worth knowing that overripe fruits accumulate the poisonous substance solanine.

Eggplant pulp

The main nuances when growing eggplant in Belarus

Despite the selection and a large number of bred cold-resistant hybrids, eggplant remains a very warm and moisture-loving plant, which is difficult to grow in middle climatic latitudes without a film.

Late-ripening eggplant varieties are not suitable for Belarus, since autumn is not always warm and the plants very quickly stop bearing fruit when the temperature drops. The optimal varieties for obtaining a good harvest in the republic are early and mid-season, the growing season and fruiting of which does not exceed 80-100 days.

Eggplant harvest in the greenhouse

Growing purple vegetables in open ground from seeds is useless. In spring, the ground warms up late, and ground frosts are also very often predicted. Therefore, the best way to get a good eggplant harvest is to grow seedlings at home and then transplant the seedlings into a greenhouse.

Seedling eggplant

The most fruitful varieties of eggplant for all regions of Belarus. table

Baikal F1	Mid-season variety: the growing season and fruiting period is 100-110 days. The shrub is tall and branched - 1-1.2 m. The berries are shaped like a large pear, located at the bottom of the bush, the weight of the fruit is 300-375 grams, the length is up to 18 cm. The flesh of the fruit is dense, light green, not bitter. The yield of one bush can exceed 15 kg per season.
Giselle F1	The bush is compact, due to which the plant can be planted both in greenhouses and under film arches. Differs in high yield and storage duration. The mass of one cylindrical fruit can vary from 300 to 500 grams, the pulp is white, the consistency is dense, without bitterness. One plant per season can produce up to 30 kg of fruit. Eggplants are covered with an almost dark purple dense skin.
King of the North F1	This variety is cold-resistant, so that the seedlings can be planted in open ground. The height of the bushes varies from 50 to 150 cm, the fruits are large: up to 32 cm. The skin of the fruits is dense, very dark, the flesh is white, without a large number of seeds, and has no bitterness. The hybrid is distinguished by excellent fertility.
Truffle F1	An early ripe variety, the height of the culture reaches 80 cm, the shoots branch well. Differs in good productivity, the berries are rounded. Ripe eggplants weigh 320-350 grams. The skin is dark purple, shiny, dense. The pulp is white, does not darken on the cut, has a sweetish taste. The variety is very demanding on heat and moisture, therefore it is recommended for planting in greenhouses. The optimum temperature for growing and fruiting is 25-28 degrees.
Touring 6	It is a mid-season variety that bears fruit well both in greenhouses and outdoors. The growing season and fruiting period is no more than 130 days. The bushes are tall, with spreading branches. The fruits are not too large - from 125 to 170 grams, elongated pear-shaped. The skin is dark, glossy, the pulp is yellow, sweet. The plant is resistant to most diseases and pests, well suited for the middle climatic zone.
Chernomor	This is an early ripening variety that shows the best yield results when grown in greenhouse. The bushes are high - up to 1.2 m, the fruits are similar to elongated cylinders, rather long and large - up to 300 grams. The skin is dense, very dark, the flesh is light, without bitterness. The fruits are well stored and can be transported over long distances. The main difference of this variety is practically the same shape and weight of fruits and high yield.
Nutcracker F1	This hybrid is characterized by early maturity: from transplanting seedlings into a greenhouse to fruiting in 45-50 days. Plant height is average, suitable for growing seedlings in greenhouses and planting in open ground.The fruits are round in shape, the skin is glossy, rather dense. The pulp is light in color and tastes without bitterness. Average fruit weight is 250-350 grams.
Marzipan F1	An early ripe variety with good yields. The berries are large, round, weighing 350-400 grams. The skin is firm, the flesh is white. No bitterness. This is a thermophilic variety, the optimum temperature for growing and fruiting is 25-30 degrees. It is resistant to drought and most diseases.

Seed preparation and planting

Strong and healthy seedlings are the best way to grow eggplants in Belarus. It is best to grow seedlings on your own, then you can definitely be sure that the plants and soil in which the seedlings sprout are not contaminated with anything. Seeds should be disinfected beforehand. Disinfection can be carried out using ordinary potassium permanganate. For these purposes, 1 gram of the substance should be diluted in 100 grams of usually water. The processing time should not exceed half an hour. Then the seed should be rinsed in clean water.

Seed treatment with potassium permanganate

Interesting to know! Some experienced vegetable growers use the usual "Whiteness" for disinfecting seeds. This household chemical perfectly removes various viruses and bacteria from the seed material and does not affect germination. The optimal concentration of the solution is a cap of concentrated bleach for 25 caps of water. The processing time is 20-25 minutes. It is imperative to rinse the seeds with water after disinfection.

Medium Whiteness

After disinfection, the seed is soaked in water for a day to improve the germination of seedlings. Another way to stimulate plant growth is to place the seeds in a soft, wet cloth and hide them in a warm place. Since seed preparation is most often carried out in February, a heating radiator can become a warm place. It is important that the temperature near the battery is not higher than 25-27 degrees.

Example of seed soaking

Sowing seeds in the ground in Belarus is best done in mid-February. This is due to the fact that the optimal date for transplanting grown seedlings into greenhouses is May 5-10.

Soil and methods of planting seeds

Since plants have a very strong root system, experienced gardeners most often use separate cassettes or peat cups for sowing eggplant seeds. If the seedlings are sown in boxes, you need to know that the soil must be nutritious, turf, peat, humus, sand must be included in its composition. To lighten the soil, you can add small sawdust to it, be sure to fertilize with superphosphate and ash.

Sowing eggplant seeds for seedlings

In the photo, seedlings that grew in separate glasses. The root system is clearly visible

Seeds should be immersed in the ground no more than 2 cm, otherwise germination will slow down. The distance between the seeds should be at least 4-5 cm, so there is no need to be afraid that the roots of the seedlings will touch and be damaged during the pick.

It's important to know!!! Quite a convenient way of planting eggplant seeds is considered to be "snail". The seeds are planted in a roll, which later unwinds very easily without damaging the roots and stems of the shoots.

Eggplant. We sow in a snail

Temperature regime during seed germination

Seedlings in a snail

After planting, the seed containers should be thoroughly watered and covered with foil, creating a greenhouse effect. At an air temperature of at least 26 degrees, the seed material will sprout quickly. If there is a low temperature under the film, the germination of plants will slow down significantly. It is worth considering this when placing boxes with seedlings on the windowsills.

Seedlings under the film

After the first eggplant sprouts appear, you need to change the temperature regime. In the daytime, the temperature should be 22 degrees, at night - 16-18. This is necessary so that the plants do not grow sharply and the seedlings do not stretch out.Also, temperature drops spur metabolic processes in plants, which contributes to a faster assimilation of nutrients from the soil.

Recommendations for sowing eggplant seeds for seedlings

Optimal lighting for seedlings

Since in March in Belarus real winter weather is still often present and daylight hours are short, young plants need additional lighting. For these purposes, you can use table or aquarium lamps. Artificial lighting helps to extend the daylight hours, which affects the growth of plants. The optimum length of daylight hours is 12-13 hours.

Lighting and hardening of seedlings

Watering and feeding seedlings

You need to water the seedlings in 3-4 days. It is important not to create a swamp, as young shoots can get sick with a black leg. The water should be warm, kept indoors for several days.

The first feeding can be done one week after seed germination. Eggplants respond well to complex mineral fertilizers, which include nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus in equal amounts. To prepare a fertilizing solution, dilute a tablespoon of mineral fertilizer in 10 liters of water and apply it under the roots.

The second feeding is carried out 20-25 days after the first. You can use the same method.

The third feeding is needed only if it is visually noticeable that the plants lack nutrients. If the young shoots look healthy and strong, the next subcortex should only be carried out after transplanting into the greenhouse.

Dive eggplant seedlings

Transplanting seedlings into a greenhouse

Before transplanting seedlings, young plants should be lightly hardened 15-10 days before. To do this, you need to take the seedlings outside so that they gradually adapt to new temperature and weather conditions.

Before transplanting the crop, the soil in the greenhouse should be well dug up and fertilized. You can use organic or mineral fertilizers, in which potassium and nitrogen are mandatory in the composition. It is not necessary to add phosphorus, since with the help of the expanded root system, the plants themselves extract this mineral from the soil in sufficient quantities.

It is important that the transplant is carried out in good weather and the probability of frost on the soil is minimal. When transplanting seedlings, you need to carefully handle the root system of plants, which is characterized by increased fragility.

Planting holes must be 15 cm deep

The distance between the plants should depend on the type of eggplant being planted. Some hybrids have compact bushes, some are distinguished by enviable branching. But most often the distance between seedlings varies from 30 to 60 cm.

It is not necessary to deepen the seedlings, since the plants react very badly to this. Water the plants immediately after planting.

It's important to know! It is not recommended to plant eggplants with other plants in a greenhouse, since this culture does not need a long day of light during the fruiting period. To obtain a rich harvest, covering structures made of opaque films are very often used, which makes it possible to reduce daylight hours to 12-14 hours.

Eggplant care in the greenhouse

Eggplant care in the greenhouse

High humidity is the best way to get a good harvest. With a lack of moisture, the plants wither, the fruits are deformed and become slightly edible. You need to water the plants in 10-12 days. The depth of soil impregnation with water should be at least 40 cm. Water should be poured only under the roots, moisture should not get on the leaves. Before each watering, you need to carefully loosen the ground. But you should not overmoisten the soil too much, as standing water can cause mold and mildew to appear on plants.

During the growing season, budding and fruiting, the nightshade crop should be fed several times. You can use bird droppings, mullein, slurry, urea, mineral fertilizers.

To get a harvest of large fruits, you should keep the branching process under control. It is recommended to leave 4-5 of the strongest stems, and remove the rest, so that the plant directs all nutrients to the ovaries and emerging fruits.

Also, in the process of growth and fruiting, one should carefully monitor so that the eggplants do not become prey for pests. The Colorado potato beetle and aphids are the main enemies of nightshade crops that should be dealt with immediately.

Aphids on eggplant, how to fight

You need to pick ripe fruits with a knife, scissors or pruning shears. Eggplants ripen very quickly and unevenly, so the harvest can be harvested in 3-4 days.

Harvesting and storage

Ripe eggplants are used for cooking and preserving many dishes; you can even make a real shish kebab from them.

Video - Features of growing eggplant

Eggplant is a heat-loving vegetable, and it is not always possible to grow it outdoors. In the south and in the Chernozem region, it is not difficult without a greenhouse, but in the Moscow region or the Siberian region it is a very risky business. Nevertheless, since, in addition to being thermophilic, eggplant is not much different from other gardeners, summer residents are trying to grow it outdoors in different regions of our country.

Eggplant varieties for open ground

The correct choice of variety (or hybrid) is also important. Shop counters are full of colorful bags, and it does its job: we often buy what they have imposed on us, and first we should take a leisurely reading of how different varieties differ, because in winter there is enough time for this.

Many greenhouse crop varieties are not very suitable for outdoor use and vice versa. Sometimes this is due to the peculiarities of pollination (bees do not fly in the greenhouse), but more often - only with resistance to the vagaries of the weather. For planting eggplants in the open field, it is especially important to choose a variety that has good yields and a short growing season: summer in most parts of our country is short... Fortunately, now there are varieties and hybrids that meet several requirements at once:

• early ripe,
• fruitful,
• withstanding cold snaps,
• little susceptible to disease.

  Early maturing and cold-tolerant eggplant varieties are suitable for outdoor cultivation.

The best outdoor eggplant hybrids

For capricious crops, planting hybrids (marked with the F1 icon) is more reliable... True, you cannot collect seeds from them (and if you collect them, they will not inherit the characteristics of the mother plant), but hybrid varieties are usually more productive and most resistant to adverse conditions. After all, we are not chasing hybrids, for example, beets or parsley - these are unpretentious vegetables. But we are increasingly using hybrid seeds when sowing cucumbers and even tomatoes. This applies even more to thermophilic eggplants. It is difficult to choose the best among the many dozens of varieties (and in fact the taste and color ...), so here are some examples of wonderful hybrids intended for planting in the open field:

• Bull Heart F1 - begins to bear fruit 4 months after sowing, that is, it is considered medium early. The bush is large, branched. Requires tying: very large oval-shaped fruits grow (weighing about 300 g, sometimes up to 500 g). Their color is dark purple, shiny. Inside, the fruits are dense, almost white, without bitterness. The hybrid bears fruit for a long time, disease resistance is high;
• Galina F1 - early ripening, the bush is quite tall, spreading, the leaves are very large. Fruits are almost regular cylindrical in shape, large, reach a length of 15 cm with a weight of 200-220 g. Colored in a dark purple color, with a gloss. The pulp is loose, tender, almost white, does not taste bitter, gourmets characterize their taste as exquisite. The total yield reaches 6.5–7 kg per 1 m2;
• Esaul F1 - medium ripening period, the harvest can be started 4.5 months after sowing the seeds.The bush is of medium height and medium branching, the leaves are also of normal size. The fruits are cylindrical, thin: with a length of about 15 cm, their diameter is only 3 cm. For this reason, the maximum weight of one fruit is 200 g, and the yield is not higher than 6 kg / m2. The color is usual for eggplants, shiny. The pulp is greenish, without bitterness. Esaul F1 is considered one of the tastiest eggplants grown without shelter;
• Emerald F1 - characterized by a mushroom flavor and aroma of fruits, the plant is very hardy: it has increased cold and disease resistance. A hybrid of a medium early ripening period: only 105 days pass from sowing to the state of technical ripeness of the fruit. The plant is tall, but not spreading, the leaves are large. Fruits are green, oval, up to 13 cm long, with gloss. Eggplant weight - up to 400 g, but the yield is decent: up to 7.3 kg / m2. The pulp is not bitter, almost white. It is one of the most capricious eggplants, fruits are formed even in cold and rainy weather;
• Lava F1 - characterized by generous and long fruiting, excellent taste and market properties of the fruit. Medium early ripening, sprawling bush, rather tall. Fruits in the form of a cylinder, up to 15 cm long, medium-sized: weight up to 150 g. They have a dark purple, glossy color, and the flesh is greenish-white, not bitter. The yield is good. The variety needs additional shaping or tying.

Photo gallery: popular varieties of eggplant for open ground

Tall eggplant for open field

Gardeners try to plant tall eggplants, believing that they will get a larger harvest. There is some truth in this, although the yield is not always proportional to the size of the bush. In the greenhouse, of course, they try to save all available space and plant bushes up to the ceiling. In the open field, it is more convenient to care for compact bushes that do not even require tying, but for those who like taller there are also tall eggplants, designed for beds without shelter... For example:

• Balagur - a very early ripening period, allows you to harvest as early as three months after sowing the seeds. Tall bushes up to a meter in height during fruiting look like a Christmas tree with lilac toys. On each branch of fruits there can be up to seven pieces, as a result, almost a hundred eggplants with a total weight of up to 8 kg are harvested from only one bush: each pulls only 90-130 g, but there are so many of them ... Fruit length - no more than 15 cm , the peel is thin, the flesh is dense, white. The taste is rated "excellent". Balagur is famous for its increased resistance to cold and major diseases. Since it is not a hybrid, you can stock up on seeds from your harvest as well. However, to get the maximum benefit from the variety, you need to work hard on it, strictly follow all the rules for growing and forming a bush.

  Balagur - a carpal type of eggplant, up to 7 fruits are formed in each cluster

• Bourgeois F1 - a tall hybrid of early ripening. The bush is high, up to one and a half meters, requires formation, but is distinguished by its extraordinary resistance to diseases and prolonged fruiting. Due to the fact that the fruits do not ripen at the same time, many do not tie up the bushes at all, believing that they are not too overloaded. The fruits are large, purple, weighing up to 300 g, but outwardly they bear little resemblance to eggplants, rather resemble tomatoes. The pulp is greenish-white, dense, not bitter. The crop is capable of long-term storage and transportation, the purpose is universal: both for preparing delicious dishes in season, and for canning.

  Bourgeois is an eggplant similar in shape to a tomato

Early open field eggplants

Among the varieties and hybrids of eggplants, the earliest are those that ripen 3–3.5 months after germination. There is also a concept of "super early hybrids", they have a shorter season to the technical maturity of fruits: up to 80 days.For the coldest regions with short summers, they are required, and in the middle lane, early varieties can be planted. Let's look at a few examples.

• Negus is considered a very early variety. It grows in very low bushes (maximum 60 cm) that do not require a garter and are characterized by increased cold resistance. The fruits are barrel-shaped, medium-sized, weighing from 150 to 300 g, almost black in color. Since the number of fruits on the bushes is large, the overall yield is decent. The taste is recognized as very good. If you pick fruits at the stage of technical ripeness, fruiting continues until the onset of cold weather. If you select several fruits for seeds (and this is not a hybrid, they can be harvested), they have enough time to ripen to readiness, but the formation of the next stops. Eggplants of the Negus variety are well stored and do not deteriorate during transportation, their purpose is universal.
• The Alekseevsky variety has an early ripening period of 95–105 days. The bush is undersized. Fruits are cylindrical, dark purple, 15–18 cm long, reaching a weight of 190 g. The flesh is white, without bitterness. Eggplants are well kept and are suitable for transportation. It can be planted in the ground at the beginning of June.
• King of the North F1 is a hybrid, it can be grown outdoors even in the suburbs and a little further north, popular in Siberia. When the temperature drops, the yield does not lose. Speaking about eggplants, we usually note that 0 ° C is destructive for them, but this hybrid tolerates even weak frosts, and, on the contrary, does not like heat. Productivity (up to 14 kg per 1 m2) is one of the highest for early eggplants, the first fruits are ready for consumption three months after germination. It grows as a squat bush, not reaching in height and up to half a meter, there are no thorns. The fruits are large, very long and thin, the color usual for most eggplants, with white flesh, not bitter.

Photo gallery: early varieties of eggplant for open ground

Features of planting eggplants in the open field

The growing season for eggplants is long, so I would like to plant them in the garden as early as possible, but biological characteristics do not allow this to be done: most varieties of eggplants do not tolerate even the slightest frost at all, and at low positive temperatures they do not grow and get sick. Therefore, sowing with seeds directly into the garden is possible only in the southernmost regions of Russia, and even there, planting is not done until April, which means that it is impossible to get vegetables without seedlings.

Seeds for seedlings are sown earlier than most other crops - back in February... By the time of planting in the garden, the seedlings should already be quite viable bushes.

Eggplants for seedlings are sown in February

When to plant eggplants outdoors

The timing of planting eggplants in the garden depends on the climatic characteristics of the region and the weather of a particular year. It is best that by the time of landing the average daily temperature is at least 20 ° C. In most places, it is unrealistic to wait for this, and therefore, the seedlings are initially planted under temporary shelters until the soil warms up to 15 ° C at a depth of 10-12 cm.

• in the south of the country - April 25 - May 5;
• in the central regions of Russia and in Belarus - May 25 - June 5;
• in the Urals and Siberia - June 10-15.

The time of day also matters, although this applies to seedlings of most crops. Almost always they try to plant it in the evening, when the sun is no longer baking, and it is even better if the next 2-3 days are expected to be cloudy.

A good, high-quality seedling of eggplants cannot be less than 20 cm in height (or better than 25), must have at least 5 juicy healthy leaves (optimally 6–8)... At the same time, it is undesirable to grow it in a common box, each copy should be in a separate pot. 10-15 days before disembarkation, the seedlings are accustomed to outdoor weather, taking them to the balcony for an increasingly long time.

Seedlings should be strong and healthy, with large green leaves.

At what distance to plant eggplants

The eggplant planting scheme can be different and is determined by both the preferences of the gardener and the variety of the plant, and therefore, the size of the future adult bush:

• two-row (tape) scheme - between the bushes 35–40 cm are left, and the row spacing is from 50 to 70 cm; the gap between the ribbons is 90–100 cm. For compact bushes, these figures can be slightly reduced;

  With a tape (two-row) scheme for planting eggplants, the distance between the tapes is up to 1 m

• square-nested scheme - the holes are prepared according to the 60 × 60 cm scheme, but in a checkerboard pattern. If these distances are slightly increased, two copies can be planted in each hole: when there are a lot of seedlings, and space is limited, this is one of the good options.

  With a square-nesting scheme for planting eggplants, 2 copies can be planted in each hole

Planting technique for eggplant seedlings

And so you and I know when to plant seedlings and at what distance, but we did not talk about the beds at all. Actually, there is nothing unusual in the arrangement of eggplant beds: their size can be whatever is convenient for the gardener, but the soil must be fertile. As with any crops, gardeners are trying to dig up the garden in the fall. For eggplants, you need to add large doses of fertilizers (but not fresh manure!) During digging. It can be rotted manure or compost.

Fresh manure for eggplant cannot be applied

The choice of place is according to the properties of the plant: the garden must be well lit. "Little blue" are afraid of northern winds, so a fence or a wall of a garden house can serve as an excellent protection. In the middle lane for eggplant, warm beds are often prepared:

1. In a pit about 50 cm deep, in the fall, they throw any garbage, cut branches, foliage, sawdust in the following sequence:
   • large rubbish (boards) first,
   • then branches,
   • after - paper or cardboard,
   • the next layer is dry grass, foliage, sawdust.
2. Water it all with infusions of manure or bird droppings.
3. And only then they fall asleep with clean fertile soil, building a high ridge.
4. Fencing it with bumpers made of boards, slate, metal, etc.

In the central regions it is not a problem to get good peat; he is one of the best fillers for warm beds. And do not forget about wood ash: this fertilizer in the garden is never superfluous.

Warm beds contain a lot of organic matter, which creates heat when rotting.

Planting is carried out in spring, when the soil at a depth of 10–12 cm warms up to 15 ° C.

1. The bed is loosened.
2. A few days before planting, spill with warm water with the addition of mullein infusion.
3. In the morning of the day of planting, seedlings are well watered.
4. The eggplants are planted a little deeper than they were in the pots.
5. The planted plants are well watered, and the soil around them is slightly mulched.

The seedlings of this vegetable are very tender, they do not tolerate a transplant, so everything must be done very carefully.

It is advisable to immediately provide for pegs when planting, if the variety requires a subsequent garter. Newly planted plants, most likely, will not have to be tied up, but after they take root in a new place, they will continue their growth at a high rate.

Even in the south, in the evenings, the garden bed should first be covered with non-woven materials.

Video: planting eggplants in the garden

With what to plant eggplants in the open field

There are detailed tables describing the best and worst neighbors for a particular culture. Sometimes they are contradictory, but on the whole they are quite understandable. It is clear that eggplants cannot be planted after any nightshade (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes). But is it possible to plant them next to these crops?

In a greenhouse, where every meter is precious, eggplants are often planted next to peppers: after all, they have very similar growing conditions. Many do this without shelter, sometimes even alternating rows of peppers and eggplants.This is a completely normal neighborhood, but it is advisable to focus on the height of the bushes: pepper also loves the sun, and one and a half meter bushes of "blue" in the neighborhood will oppress him.

But planting eggplants next to tomatoes and potatoes is no longer desirable. Not because they will interfere with each other, but because all three have one terrible enemy - the Colorado potato beetle, and, having settled on potato leaves, he will also eat eggplant at the same time.

Various legumes (peas, beans, beans) are good neighbors for the crop, but only bushy plants: plants that are too tall will create shade. Eggplant and cabbage normally coexist. And some flowers (nasturtium, marigolds, petunias) are good defenders, driving away many pests with their smells.

Marigolds will help eggplants - scare away pests

How to properly grow eggplants outdoors

At first after planting, until they take root, eggplants grow very slowly. It is important not to interfere with them: you only need to keep the soil slightly moist and loose. And after the resumption of growth, the gardener's worries will increase: watering, feeding, loosening, pinching.

How often to water

If you break the rules of watering, the eggplant will tell you about it, but it may be too late: with a lack of moisture, the leaves begin to fall, then the buds, and the stem becomes as if wooden. This should not be allowed. Eggplants require a lot of water, but waterlogging is also unacceptable. The frequency of watering depends on the phase of plant development:

1. The first week or one and a half, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the soil. Depending on the weather, daily watering may also be required at this time. It should be carried out only with water heated in the sun. Gently, under the root, possibly followed by mulch restoration.
2. As soon as the seedlings take root and resume growth, watering can be reduced. Until the first flowers appear, weekly watering is usually sufficient (in the morning or in the evening from a watering can, under the roots, with warm water at the rate of about a bucket per 1 m2). In the event of very hot and dry weather, the frequency of watering will need to be increased.
3. Starting from the blooming of flowers and until the end of the growing season, one watering per week is not enough for eggplants, unless, of course, there are frequent rains. If it is impossible to get to the site in the middle of the week, you should try to give a double dose of moisture at the weekend. This is not very good, but better than nothing. Water temperature - not lower than 25 ° C.

The soil under the eggplants should never dry out.

Water for watering the eggplant must be taken so much that it takes several minutes to be absorbed into the soil.

After each watering or rain, loosening is mandatory (as long as the condition of the bushes allows it). At first, a small hilling of plants will also be useful, which stimulates the appearance of additional roots and, as a result, increases productivity. If hilling does not work, you can add fertile soil to the roots. It is clear that these actions are accompanied by the removal of weeds.

What and how often to feed

If the bed was well filled with fertilizers, then the eggplants should be enough until the fruit sets. But for the harvest to be really decent, these vegetables are fed often, almost every two weeks. The minimum amount of dressings over the summer is three:

1. The first top dressing should stimulate good growth of the bush, therefore, it is carried out soon after the seedlings take root in the garden, that is, 15–20 days after planting - with a solution of complex fertilizer (for example, nitroammofoska) strictly according to the instructions for the preparation. If growth is too slow, you can add a little more nitrogen to this fertilizer, preferably urea.
2. The second mandatory feeding is in the bud opening phase. The composition of the nutrient solution is the same. You can use mullein infusion.
3. In the third feeding, during the period of mass growth of fruits, organic matter should not be introduced and the plant does not need nitrogen. From mineral fertilizers, only superphosphate and potassium sulfate are required.Lovers of natural fertilizers can replace this mixture with wood ash infusion.

"Waste" fertilizer - ash - can be poured under the bushes a lot

The need for additional feeding will be demonstrated by the plants themselves: if the leaves change color, the fruits grow poorly or take an ugly shape, then we must look for the reason: the eggplant lacks some element. Sometimes they need a minimal amount of boron or molybdenum, but this problem is just well solved by ash. If growth is slowed down to the formation of fruits, urea must be added, and with poor growth of fruits, even in favorable weather, you can safely pour ash directly under the roots. Foliar dressing for eggplant is rarely used.

Eggplant grazing

Most varieties and hybrids of eggplant require proper bush formation in order to obtain a good harvest. There are various schemes (in one, two or several stems), in different cases one of them is suitable. When choosing a pruning method, you must take into account the recommendations for growing a particular variety. This is especially important in the case of greenhouse cultivation. In the open ground, where the areas allow the plant to turn around properly, and the sun is enough, gardeners rarely think about the careful formation of the bush, but a number of operations to remove stepchildren must be carried out:

1. The first relatively painless operation on an eggplant bush is carried out when it grows up to 30 cm. The top is pinched on the main stem, which stimulates the formation of lateral shoots and the formation of a real bush.
2. The second time they stepchild is when there are too many side shoots and their number has to be normalized. You cannot leave more than five pieces - the plant will not have enough strength for them.

When pinching by hand (with fingers or pruning shears, as it is more convenient), excess lateral processes or stepsons (stems growing from the leaf axils) are removed. This operation allows the plant to save energy and direct them to the formation and growth of fruits. If pinching is not carried out at all, abundant green mass can grow, and the fruits remain small and unripe. Usually, the bushes are "walked" once a week, breaking out the stepchildren, while they have not yet grown more than 5 cm.

If the shoots are clearly striving to grow in length, and the fruits on them have already formed in sufficient quantities, they pinch the tops of the shoots, stopping their growth. In this case, the bush will redirect nutrients to the development of ovaries.

If fruits have already formed on the eggplant bush, pinch the tops of the shoots, stopping their growth

All "green" operations on eggplants are terminated a month before the end of the season: further pinching is pointless, because healing the wounds also requires strength, and they should be directed towards the ripening of the crop closer to autumn.

Video: pinching eggplants

Features of growing eggplants in the open field in the regions

In different regions, the possibility of growing eggplants depends mainly on the number of warm summer days. Therefore, the variety and place for planting (garden bed or greenhouse) are chosen according to the weather.

Moscow region

In the Moscow region, climatic conditions cannot be considered optimal for eggplants: the duration of the climatic summer here does not exceed 90 days. There is also little solar radiation: up to 2/3 of the light is absorbed by clouds. The humus layer in the soils is also insufficient, although this, of course, is corrected by additional application of organic fertilizers. Only the soils of the very south of the Moscow Region are fertile enough.

Among the varieties and hybrids that are promising for the region are the following:

• Giselle F1,
• Agate F1,
• Alyonka.

Photo gallery: the best varieties of eggplant for the Moscow region

The varieties that are zoned for the North-West of Russia are also quite successful. Difficulties arise when growing tall eggplants, therefore, the correct formation of plants is of great importance. The warmest areas are allocated for the beds, but eggplants are still initially grown under light film shelters.The shelter is periodically placed on the beds in the summer, if the temperature drops below 15 ° C.

Eggplant in Siberia

Summer in many regions of Siberia, although warm, is short, so you can try to grow the earliest eggplants in the open field, but first, of course, the seedlings are planted under temporary shelters. The selection of varieties must be taken very seriously, the most suitable are:

• Purple miracle
• Nutcracker,
• Robin the Hood,
• Siberian early maturing.

They have time to mature and easily endure temporary cold snaps. There are also varieties developed directly at the Siberian research institutes, for example, Globus. And although it gives only 3-4 fruits per bush, the fruits are very large and tasty.

Photo gallery: the best varieties of eggplant for Siberia

Recently, the film in shelters has been replaced with acrylic materials: they are easier to handle, they allow air and moisture to pass through and better regulate heat. Eggplants can be left completely uncovered for only the warmest two months.

Video: Siberian Eggplant Harvest

Ukraine

Growing eggplants does not cause problems in almost the entire territory of Ukraine. Only the very north of the country is somewhat similar in climate to the Moscow region, and even there it is a little warmer. In Ukraine, most varieties and hybrids of eggplant work well in the open field.

In the southern regions, special attention has to be paid to irrigation; in solving this problem, the yields are obtained as high as possible. In addition, the plants are fed every 2-3 weeks, each time increasing the dose of fertilizer. In the southernmost regions, it is possible to grow eggplants even without seedlings, by directly sowing seeds in the garden in mid-April. In the north of the country, there is not always enough light and warmth, therefore, they are limited to varieties of early ripening.

Suitable varieties of eggplant for Ukraine:

• Epic F1,
• Albatross,
• Globular.

Photo gallery: the best varieties of eggplants for Ukraine

Sowing with seeds in the ground is unacceptable here, and seedlings are planted on ridges with introduced biofuel (manure, grass, straw). In some cases, light shelters are used for a while.

Belarus

The Belarusian climate is very similar to that of the Moscow region, although it is somewhat milder. It is impossible to grow late varieties of eggplants here without a greenhouse, and a culture cannot stay in the open field for more than 100 days. Eggplants are planted with seedlings, the seeds for which are sown at home or in a greenhouse at the very beginning of spring. Popular varieties:

• Baikal F1,
• Black handsome
• Swan.

Photo gallery: the best varieties of eggplant for Belarus

Next to the eggplant plantings, corn, sunflowers, peas are sown, acting as curtains for protection from the winds.

It is known that Belarus is a republic specializing in potatoes. In this regard, the problem of the Colorado potato beetle, which is very fond of eggplants, is an acute problem - we constantly have to conduct an intensified fight against these pests. As a preventive measure, ordinary wood ash is used, which is brought under the eggplant in increased quantities.

Reviews

Video: eggplant in the open field - an overview of varieties and cultivation features

Growing eggplants outdoors is not difficult at all, as long as there are enough warm days in the region. The vegetable is very similar in agricultural technology to the tomatoes we are used to, but much more thermophilic. The emergence of new varieties and hybrids helps to solve the problem of moving eggplants to the north, but so far this progress is slow, and in the middle lane it is easier to grow eggplants in a greenhouse than outdoors.

Graduated from the Chemistry Department of Moscow State University in 1981. Candidate of Chemical Sciences, Associate Professor. Rate the article:

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Choosing the best for your garden, you automatically choose not only the quality of vegetables, excellent characteristics and taste, but also give yourself the opportunity to use a minimum of labor costs.Eggplant is a vegetable among the varieties of which any gourmet can find to his liking, and no matter what size, color, yield you prefer, there is plenty to choose from. Let's take a look at the best ones.

Early varieties of eggplant

Early eggplants are good not only for the quick ripening of the long-awaited vegetables, but also for the opportunity to get a full harvest in the northern regions. If in May you do not have the opportunity to plant eggplants in the ground, and in June night frosts are possible, you should choose early varieties for your garden. Choose hybrids for your garden that have proven themselves among farmers and gardeners.

King of the north

Hybrid with high resistance to frost, subject to hardening of young shoots. Ripeness occurs at 90 - 100 days, but many note that in 70 - 80 days, the fruits can already be fully formed.

It is possible to remove from 3 to 4 kg of even purple cylinders from one plant.

The taste is quite delicate, a small amount of voids even at maximum maturation. Stored at a temperature of 12 - 15 degrees for up to two months, ideal for preparing blanks.

Bibo

This is a white-skinned eggplant with super early ripening. After 60 - 70 days, you will remove up to 15 even and smooth snow-white vegetables weighing up to 500 g from one bush. It is unpretentious, and perfectly pollinates and matures both in the greenhouse and in the ground.

Black handsome

The black handsome variety has an ideal dark shade, the fruits are small, up to 200g, but up to 3 kg can be removed from one root. After 70 - 80 days, it gives a friendly harvest, but it is worth protecting from the first frosts, it requires additional shelter.

Mid-season varieties

These eggplants are best used in regions where there are no unexpected frosts, or grown in a greenhouse. Due to the longer ripening period than in early ripening ones, you should carefully monitor the temperature in the greenhouse. The more stable the temperature and humidity, the richer the crop will be.

Albatross

If you like teardrop-shaped eggplants, round, fleshy, without voids, then this is your option. A variety for fresh consumption, conservation and long-term storage. Easy to transport, has a high keeping quality, this has become the main reason for choosing among farmers.

Diamond

One of the most favorite eggplant of gardeners in the middle lane. It is considered a dwarf bush, but very branchy, formed in the form of a ball. Decorative. Aging period up to 80 days. You can get up to 8 kg from one bush. Fruit weight up to 180g. The formation of flowers occurs from June to August, and the fruiting in this regard is long.

Marzipan

Connoisseurs of the delicate and tasty pulp of this eggplant prefer it not only for this reason. Ripens in 110 - 120 days, has a beautiful pear-shaped shape, deep purple hue.

Eggplant varieties for greenhouses

High-yielding varieties grow well in greenhouses, they require care, but respond to it with amicable and good fruiting. Stable temperature and humidity allow you to choose tall plants - from each such bush, you can remove from 5 to 12 kg of vegetables.

Robin the Hood

A mid-season hybrid, requires the formation of a bush, but has a low growth of up to 60 cm. The plant has thorns. Pear-shaped, rounded fruits with low bitterness, ripening at 90 days. Medium keeping quality, for all types of canning and cooking.

Description of the variety Robin Hood

Policeman

Tall, up to 240 - 260 cm, ripens up to 120 days from the time of planting. Fruits ranging in size from 20 to 35 cm, yield - up to 9 kg. Requires the formation of a bush, it is enough to leave 2 stems, on which up to 15 fruits ripen at the same time.
Excellent taste for both fresh and salted consumption.

It can be stored fresh for up to 2.5 months, loses its presentation a little, dries out, but the taste remains.

Sophia

A late-ripening variety with large fruits. Ripe fruits reach 30 cm and weigh up to 900g. The bush is up to 150 cm high, forms itself, but pinching is required. Up to 17 kg can be removed from one plant.very dense purple fruits. Perfectly stored and transported, the shelf life is the highest among all varieties with such a productivity - up to 3 months.

Eggplant Sophia

Open ground varieties

If you plan to grow your eggplant outdoors, suitable frost-resistant varieties are essential. In the middle lane, even the most patient vegetable for temperature changes requires shelter for the period of night frosts. Only zoned hybrids are ideal for a greenhouse.

Vakula

Patient enough to temperature changes, you can plant seedlings at the end of May. Height up to 120 cm, has a strong and dense stem. Pinching is not required, the bush forms itself. Up to 8 kg of eggplant can be removed from one bush.

Bull heart

Does not tolerate spring frosts, therefore, plant in open ground after their end. Rounded fruits weighing up to 300 g., Bush up to 80 cm., Yield about 8 - 12 kg. Unpretentious in agricultural technology, but does not tolerate overflow.

Alekseevsky

One of the best outdoors. The height of the bush is up to 70 cm, very branchy, fruits up to 150g, but in one season it is possible to collect up to 9-10 kg. A garter is required, as the bush is very fragile.

The best multi-colored varieties

The white-skinned varieties were bred in order to get rid of the bitterness, which is contained precisely in the coloring enzyme. Eggplants of other colors were obtained by crossing.

Swan

One of the best white eggplants. It has not only white skin, but also flesh. Can be grown both in soil and in a greenhouse. The height of the bush is up to 70 cm., The weight of the fruit is up to 250 g. The yield of one plant is up to 6 kg.

Icicle

Unusual due to its shape, which is why it is attractive. Bush up to 80cm. Fruits up to 300g. Up to 5 kg can be removed from one bush.

Flamingo

The name speaks for itself - beautiful pink, curved fruits weighing up to 40hg. They are in time for 130 days. Shrub up to 180cm, spreading and high-yielding. Up to 16 kg can be harvested from one plant.

Purple Haze

Dark pink fruits weighing up to 180 g, ripen, on average, in 120 - 130 days. Bush up to 150cm, branched. It is afraid of frost; in a greenhouse, up to 5 kg can be removed from one plant.

Yoga

Unusually - green fruits, reminiscent of curled corn. Each weighing up to 250g., Up to 20cm long. The bush is up to 80 cm, semi-spreading, does not require formation. The pulp and rind have no bitterness.

Emerald

Bright green fruits weighing up to 300 g., Ripen on average up to 100 days. The plant tolerates temperature extremes and mild drought. From one root in 120 days, you can get up to 5 kg of vegetables.

Chinese lantern

In 80 - 110 days after sowing, at 70 cm, unusual eggplants begin to turn red in the bush. Unusual bright color and shape makes them look like decoration. Weight up to 180g, yield - up to 3 kg per plant.

The best purple varieties

Even the fact that new bright colors of the vegetable with low bitterness appeared did not distract from the standard purple favorites. Among them, the leading varieties are:

King of the north

Resistant to frost, technical ripeness for 90 - 100 days, but can be removed for 70 - 80 days. Up to 4 kg of even purple, very beautiful fruits are removed from the bush.

Purple miracle

Hybrid. It tolerates drought patiently, but it is necessary to use a lot of water one time. The bush is up to 90 cm high. Beautiful elongated fruits, weighing up to 250g. Maturation at 90 - 115 days. From one plant, you can get up to 8 kg of eggplant.

Purple miracle

Diamond

Dwarf variety. Height up to 50 cm, but the bush is very branched. Looks very decorative, in the form of a ball, does not require shaping. Ripeness for 80 days. Fruits up to 180 - 200g.

During the season, you can get up to 8 kg of beautiful bright purple fruits.

The best varieties for the Moscow region

The middle lane is a rather mild climatic zone, but late summer and early autumn do not allow late-ripening varieties to fully ripen. Greenhouses help with this, but it is still worth choosing early and mid-season varieties.

These varieties will give an excellent harvest and bring a minimum of hassle:

• King of the north. Will give an excellent harvest in the absence of frost in early summer. It proved to be excellent both in greenhouses and in the ground;
• Black Prince. It is worth choosing it not only because of its decorative effect. The rich purple color hides the tender pulp without bitterness, and from one bush it is possible to get fruits up to 8 kg.;
• Sophia. Even when planting in the ground, and covering in the first week, you will receive up to 15 - 17 kg of large, up to 900g per season. Eggplant.
• Albatross. Mid-season, but ripening early enough. On day 90, the first fruits can be removed. Beautiful cylindrical shape and delicate taste. Patient about drought;

If you dream of a friendly and high harvest, minimal labor costs and pleasing to the eye vegetables, you should choose seeds zoned for your area, provide proper care, and do what you love with pleasure.

Eggplant is a demanding, even capricious culture. Plants are very thermophilic and need plenty of moisture. Therefore, it is not easy to grow them in the climate of Belarus. But, knowing the basic nuances, it is possible.

Peculiarities

Eggplants came to us from India and quickly gained popularity. Now they are grown in almost every vegetable garden in the post-Soviet space. Moreover, this vegetable is grown not only in warm areas, but also in areas with a very cool climate. This is no coincidence, it turns out that eggplant belongs to the same family as our favorite tomatoes and potatoes.

Eggplant bushes grow upward and push their greens to the sides. Their height sometimes reaches one and a half meters. Leaves, depending on the variety, can have a green or purple color of different shades.

The flowers of plants are also different, in some varieties they are collected in tassels, while in others they grow one at a time. They are characterized by self-pollination.

The fruits are also striking in their variety: there are spherical, flattened or cylindrical in shape. The color ranges from white to dark purple, close to black. Up to 15 eggplants can be harvested from one bush. Moreover, their mass can be any, but the maximum is 500 grams.

Growing seedlings

To grow eggplants in Belarus, you need to approach with all responsibility not only to caring for the plantings, but also to all the stages preceding planting. If you plan on growing outdoors, it is important to prepare healthy, sturdy seedlings. This usually takes a little over two months.

You must first germinate the seeds, and this also takes time, about 10 days. In order for eggplants planted in the open ground to mature in the climate of Belarus, planting should be planned in early March.

The most successful in this regard are early maturing varieties. Technically, they ripen in 85-100 days, but they are fully ripe, ready to harvest they can be considered only after 130 days. Late-ripening varieties mature much longer.

The seeds are placed in soil, which is a mixture of peat, turf, ash and superphosphate. Since eggplants are very demanding on the quality of the soil and its aeration, sawdust is often mixed into the ground. You need to immerse the seeds to a depth of about a centimeter with an interval of 2-3 cm. You can use separate cups for seedlings, so the plants will feel more comfortable. After the sowing procedure, containers with seedlings should be covered with foil and placed in a warm place. For seeds to germinate, a temperature of 25-29 ° C is needed. When it drops below 13 ° C, growth stops.

To grow good seedlings, you need to maintain optimal soil moisture. Watering is done with warm water. When the eggplants have risen, the container must be moved closer to the window so that the plants receive enough light. However, it is worth protecting the eggplant seedlings from direct sunlight.

Throughout the first week of growing, the indoor air temperature should be kept at around 14-16 ° C, then it is raised to 18-25 ° C during the day and 16-17 ° C at night. Water as needed, usually a couple of times a week.Waterlogging causes eggplant diseases such as blackleg, so it is important not to over-water and loosen the soil regularly.

Experienced farmers recommend supplementing seedlings. It is necessary to calculate the time of the procedure so that the daylight hours of the plant are 12 hours long.

If the seedlings grow in boxes, then after the appearance of two leaves, it must be dived before carefully watering. It is necessary to leave 4-5 cm between the plants.

For adaptation in the open field, the seedlings must be hardened before planting. The temperature is kept at 15 ° C. Hardening should begin with a duration of two hours, gradually bringing it up to a day. The temperature is also lowered until it equals the temperature in the open field.
Seat selection

Eggplant cultivation should be carried out taking into account crop rotation. You should not plant this culture in the place of nightshades, if after them three more years have not passed. It is best to choose a place where legumes, onions, cabbage or cucumbers used to grow. Also good predecessors are carrots and melons. For eggplant growing outdoors, fertile sandy loam and light sandy soils are best suited. They warm up well in the spring. But it is almost impossible to grow this crop on damp soils in Belarus.

Fertilizers

Humus

Growing eggplants is impossible without fertilization. Humus is introduced into the soil, and in the fall, before digging, superphosphate and potassium sulfate are added. In the spring, you can add urea.

Planting and leaving

When the weather in the yard is warm, all the frosts have passed and are not going to return, you can plant seedlings. In order to take root in the open field, the plants must already be strong enough, have a height of at least 10 cm. Each must have 7 leaves.

There are several successful planting schemes. The most popular is 70x30 (40). They also often use ribbon cultivation: 50 cm is left between the rows, 80 cm between the ribbons, and 25-30 cm between the bushes.
Before planting the plants, about 2 liters of water is poured into each hole, and after planting, the plants themselves are watered every few days.

To provide better conditions for planting outdoors, it is advisable to plant a row of corn every 10-15 rows. Sowing is best done 3 weeks before planting eggplants. The corn will protect them from the wind.

If you grow eggplants in a greenhouse, then corn is not needed. Further care of the crop in greenhouse and outdoor conditions practically does not differ.

It is also important to pay special attention to soil moisture. Dry soil prevents eggplants from growing and developing normally. The fruits, instead of filling and ripening, fall off, the ovaries deteriorate, the growth of plants stops. The fruits are ugly and unripe. Therefore, watering should be carried out regularly - every 7-12 days. At the same time, it should thoroughly moisten the soil layer of about 35 cm. And during the fruiting period - and all half a meter.

Do not forget to loosen and weed the beds in time. You also need to feed the eggplant three times per season. Urea is used as a fertilizer.

It is useful to carry out mulching with peat

If you want to get large fruits, then it is worth leaving up to four stalks, the most developed. Eggplants do not need to be pinned, but you must immediately remove the yellow shoots and leaves.

Also monitor the health of the plantings. Eggplant pests and diseases can cause serious damage to the vegetable garden. If you see the first signs of infection, try to determine what kind of disease is in front of you and immediately start fighting it. Stores currently offer a wide range of various drugs to combat viral and fungal plant diseases, as well as pest control products. But with the Colorado potato beetle it is advised to cope manually, mechanically.

Harvesting

When the fruits have acquired the color characteristic of their variety and have grown to the desired size, they can be harvested. At the same time, the pulp becomes of a certain density, it is elastic to the touch.

Eggplants are collected very carefully so as not to damage the fruits. They are cut with a knife or pruning shears so that part of the stalk is preserved. Fruit collection is not carried out in one go, it can be carried out every week.

The most productive varieties yield up to 4 kg of eggplant per square meter.

Conclusion

For the cool Belarusian climate and short summer, it is better to choose the greenhouse method of growing eggplants. However, if you are still determined to get a good harvest outdoors, please be patient and try to follow all the growing recommendations exactly. After all, eggplant is a very capricious culture. Monitor carefully the quality of the soil, watering and protect the plantings from the wind. Then all efforts will pay off in full!