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Eggplants came to Europe with the Arab colonizers of Spain. The first description of culture was made 1000 years ago. Due to the complexities of agricultural technology, culture spread only in the 19th century. The plant is demanding on moisture and quality soil composition. In the open field, eggplant gives stable yields in regions with hot summers: southern Russia, southern regions of Western Siberia.
Characteristics of the Black Beauty variety
Ripening terms | Early ripe (110 days from germination to ripeness)
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Growing areas | Ukraine, Moldova, southern Russia |
Appointment | Canning, salting, home cooking |
Taste qualities | Excellent |
Commodity qualities | High |
Disease resistance | To viruses of tobacco, cucumber mosaic, to spider mites |
Features of the fruit | High yield, long period of preservation of marketable qualities |
Color | Dark purple |
The form | Pear-shaped |
Pulp | Dense, light, with a pleasant taste, without bitterness |
Weight | 200-300 g, up to 1 kg |
Vegetation period | First leaf - ripening - 100-110 days |
Growing | Open ground, greenhouse |
Sowing seedlings | Early March |
Landing in the ground | The first decade of May (under the film, greenhouse) |
Planting density | 70 cm between rows and 30 cm between plants |
Sowing depth | 1.5 cm |
Siderata | melons, legumes, roots |
Bush | Weekly watering, deep loosening, top dressing |
Agrotechnics | Weekly watering, deep loosening, top dressing |
Yield | 5-7 kg / m2 |
Features of cultivation of eggplant culture
The plant's exactingness to the composition of the soil, climate, growing conditions frighten novice gardeners, disappoint in the ability to get a high yield, corresponding to the investment of effort and care. Sharp contrasting daily fluctuations in air temperature cause the plant to lose color and ovaries.
The optimum temperature for the development of an eggplant bush is 25-30 degrees during the day and at least 20 at night with a soil moisture content of 80%. The culture is thermophilic: the temperature threshold for seed germination is 18–20 degrees. When the temperature drops to 15 degrees, the seeds will not start growing. A prolonged decrease in temperature (with a positive value) leads to the death of the plant.
The plant needs good lighting. Shading inhibits the development of culture, fruiting becomes incomplete: the fruits become smaller, the amount on the bush decreases. The lack of sunlight during prolonged bad weather is compensated by artificial lighting. Thickened planting of eggplants is not justified, drastically reduce the yield of the crop.
Like cucumber and pepper, eggplant for an active growing season requires an air-permeable fertilized soil with abundant fertilization, primarily organic matter, at the stage of soil preparation and during plant development. Eggplants are planted on one ridge with a break of 3 years. Legumes, onions, root crops, cucumbers, cabbage, melons and grains are suitable as precursors. The exception is nightshade.
Eggplant roots are tender, damage when loosening the soil is restored slowly, which adversely affects the development of the plant and fruiting. The culture tolerates transplants painfully. In the seedling method of growing, it is advisable to grow plants in peat pots or large-diameter tablets so that the bulk of the roots is inside a clod of soil.
Soil preparation for eggplant
The soil for planting eggplants is prepared in the fall. Humus is abundantly applied, the ripened compost of the spring bookmark.The norm is 1.5–2 buckets per 1 m2... Phosphate and potash fertilizers are applied directly for digging at the recommended average rate. The soil is dug to a depth of 25–30 cm without destroying the clod of soil.
On the dried soil in April, in order to activate growth, urea is introduced. For even distribution of fertilizer on soil horizons accessible to the roots, harrowing is carried out. During the time preceding planting, fertilizers will acquire a form accessible for assimilation by the roots, and will be evenly distributed in the soil.
We suggest taking Black Beauty as the first variety for a test of strength in mastering the eggplant cultivation technique. Do not confuse with Black Beauty, the names are close, but the varieties are different. Black Beauty, with careful care, will prove that novice gardeners also get a significant eggplant harvest. Abundance of fruits in 200-300 g, among which giants peep out up to 1 kg, on a ridge 6-8 m2 will provide winter preparations for more than one family.
Seed preparation
Seeds are preferably purchased varietal or taken from a familiar gardener who has been successfully growing Black Beauty for several years. We get seeds with a stock: double rejection will reduce the amount. The quality of the seed will determine the strength and vitality of the seedlings.
- We sort and remove small seeds - they won't produce strong plants;
- In a saline solution, by shaking, check the density and weight of the seeds. We reject the floating ones. We wash Black Beauty seeds suitable for planting with running water and dry.
Long before sowing eggplant seedlings, we test seeds for germination. Germinate a dozen seeds in a damp cloth or paper towel. The seeds will hatch within 5-7 days. The test accuracy reaches 100%. We know for sure what percentage of seeds will not sprout. We will not be left without seedlings with a reserve for unforeseen cases.
Sowing chores with soil and eggplant seedlings
The seeds are etched with potassium permanganate at the rate of 1 g per 10 ml of water in order to destroy completely pathogenic microflora that survived after salt treatment.
The soil for Black Beauty eggplant seedlings consists of equal parts of compost and manure soil for forcing vegetable seedlings. Plants should not fatten, the roots must create comfortable conditions for development. A day before planting dry or germinated seeds, the mixed substrate is spilled with boiling water. This is how the pathogenic microflora, larvae and ovipositor of insects capable of eating up roots are destroyed.
In order not to damage the roots when picking and replanting to a permanent place, the seeds of Black Beauty eggplant are planted in peat pots (as in the photo) or peat tablets of the maximum size. Nothing should restrict root growth. And they must breathe freely. Seed germination occurs at a temperature of 25-30 degrees, and the growth of seedlings at 20-25. Night temperature is not less than 16-18 degrees.
A couple of weeks before planting, seedlings with 5 true leaves are limited to watering, hardened. To prevent the stem from stretching, during the forcing period, the pots with Black Beauty seedlings are turned 180 degrees daily. The development of seedling roots in the soil can be seen when removed from the pot. They should look like the photo.
It's time to plant eggplants at the dacha
It is advisable to plant plants without delay - this leads to a decrease in yield.
Returning cold is unlikely, but plants are covered with reinforced plastic wrap at night until stable heat.
The depth of the planting hole for seedlings of Black Beauty eggplants is 8–10 cm, the root collar is deepened by 1–1.5 cm. The distance between plants is 25 cm, between rows - 70. Prepared seedlings give a gain in the time of obtaining the first fruits in 3 weeks, the yield of the variety at the same time higher.
Transplanting Black Beauty eggplant seedlings into open ground is carried out on a cloudy day or in the evening. The root soil is compacted, moisture-charging irrigation is abundant - 2-3 buckets per m2... After 3 days, plants that have not taken root are replaced with spare ones, a second watering of the soil is carried out, equal in displacement.
Planting eggplants:
Planting care
Watering is carried out once a week with the obligatory deep loosening of dried soil up to 10 cm in order to improve aeration of the roots. The responsiveness of Black Beauty eggplants for feeding is well known. Regular watering with a weekly infusion of mullein every 3-4 weeks is more effective than applying mineral fertilizers to the soil.
The first pear-shaped fruits of Black Beauty eggplants ripen 3.5 months after germination. The plant is branchy, strong, 45–60 cm high. Fruits are harvested at a weight of 200–300 g. Fruiting continues until the daytime temperature drops under a film or in a greenhouse to 15 degrees. Estimate the size of the fruit in the photo in comparison with the palm.
