Growing eggplant: general recommendations and a quick overview of the best varieties
It is necessary to start sowing eggplant already in the first ten days of February, because this culture is distinguished by its long growing season. It is better to sow seeds in three stages, respectively, the second call will be after February 10, and the third - in the last decade of the month.
Sometimes gardeners practice planting eggplant in early March. However, in this case, vegetables, even the earliest varieties, may not have time to give up their entire harvest before the onset of cold weather, so it is better to plant in February.
General advice for growing
Eggplants are one of the most demanding crops in terms of nutrition, so it is important to choose high-quality nutritious soil, and also feed the seedlings several times during growth. Then she will grow strong and strong, which will allow you to get a good harvest. Weakened, "undernourished" plants will produce several fruits at best.
Popular varieties of eggplant
When buying seeds, it is recommended to give preference to themes varieties of eggplantwhich have the shortest ripening period. Of the early and early ripening species, the following varieties have proven themselves well:
- King of the North... An early variety that has good resistance to low temperatures and tolerates cold snaps well in May. The first harvest ripens at the end of June.
- Long purple... Compact bushes up to 55 cm high, on which fruits weighing about 300 g ripen.
- Market king... An early maturing variety, the growing season is 100 days. The fruits are large and long (up to 22 cm).
- Bourgeois... Large-fruited and tall variety, with good care, eggplants weigh up to 800 g with a total bush growth of 70-100 cm. The fruits have an unusual round shape, sometimes slightly elongated, and tasty pulp with a small number of seeds.
- Nutcracker... Early ripening, medium-spine and medium-sized variety with good yield, fruits are not very large, about 250 g, but tasty.
- Clorinda... Hybrid tall variety with high yield and cold resistance, recommended for outdoor cultivation.
- Prince... A large-fruited variety, the length of the eggplant reaches 30 cm, and the flesh is dense and tasty.
- Giselle... Short, stocky bushes tolerate spring temperature drop well, give a high yield, the weight of one fruit is up to 0.5 kg. Suitable for long-term storage up to December.
- Epic... Has increased stress resistance. With a bush height of about 1 m, the weight of the fruit is 250 g.
- Japanese dwarf... One of the low-growing varieties (only 40 cm) gives rather large fruits for it, 18 cm long and weighing 300 g with thin skin and dense sweet pulp, without bitterness.
- Roma... A high-yielding variety in which seeds form slowly, making the pulp very tasty. The crop can be stored for a long time.
- Baby Black... The medium-sized hybrid gives a lot of fruits, with which the bush is literally showered, while the weight of one eggplant is only 80 g. Recommended for container cultivation on balconies.