Balu eggplant is a variety that is adapted to growing in harsh climatic conditions. It grows well and bears fruit even outdoors in the Siberian region, as evidenced by the reviews of local gardeners.
Characteristics of the Balu eggplant variety
Baloo belongs to the medium early varieties. Three months after the emergence of seedlings, it is already possible to harvest a full harvest.
Fruit
The Balu variety is easy to recognize due to its fruit. They are not quite usual for eggplant, pear-shaped and bright purple color, with a raspberry tint. Baloo is ideal for cooking caviar - the flesh is almost seedless, white in color, the rind is thin and tender. For these qualities, this variety is deservedly popular with housewives. By the time of ripening, a vegetable gains up to 160-200 g of weight. At the same time, the peel does not coarse, like in other varieties, which relieves culinary specialists from the need to peel it. The pulp is devoid of bitterness and does not require pre-soaking.
Plant
With proper care, a strong, sprawling plant grows up to 60 cm high. It is recommended to plant the variety in long beds, at a distance of 50-70 cm, since it is absolutely impossible to thin out the eggplants during growth by cutting off the lateral shoots. The best predecessors for this culture are legumes, herbs, beets, carrots. Some secrets of growing eggplant in the open field can be found in more detail from the video:
Growing and care
Baloo is a strong and hardy eggplant variety. Stably withstands low temperatures, lack of direct sunlight, which is typical for northern regions.
Soil and planting site
The Balu variety does not tolerate drought, therefore it is necessary to constantly monitor the moisture in the soil. The soil should be loose and fertile. Before planting and before fruiting of this type of eggplant, it is necessary to apply organic and mineral fertilizers. Fertilizer-rich soil promotes abundant growth weedsthat you need to get rid of regularly. Eggplant is a crop that needs room to grow properly. This applies to both the plants themselves and the roots.
The Balu variety is intended for outdoor cultivation. The plant is resistant to cold weather. Reviews of some gardeners say that when grown in greenhouses, the percentage of yield slightly decreases, although this does not affect the appearance of the plants.
Disease prevention
The Balu variety is resistant to diseases, but for prevention it is recommended to periodically carry out treatment for late blight. This is a fungal disease. Initially, brown spots form on the leaves, and if measures are not taken in time, the disease will spread to the stem and fruits, as a result of which the plant dies. Treatment consists in spraying plants with solutions containing copper (Bordeaux liquid, copper sulfate). The first treatment of plants is carried out with the formation of 4-6 leaves, then the procedures are repeated every 8-10 days. Spraying is stopped 18-20 days before harvesting.
Important! In the process of growth, it is necessary to inspect the plants, remove yellowed and fallen leaves in a timely manner. The bed where the eggplants grow should be kept clean without leaves and weeds. When insect pests appear, you can spray the plants with soap or tobacco solution.
Testimonials
Antonina, 37 years old Barnaul
I always plant eggplants on my site. This year I decided to try a new variety for myself - Balu. I asked neighbors, listened to their feedback, and bought seeds. On the package there is a photo of a very beautiful variety of eggplant.The vegetable in the picture is plump, fleshy. I sowed seeds in a box under a film, they sprouted quickly and amicably - in three days there was already a green meadow of small plants. Before sowing the eggplant, I added peat soil from the store to the ground. After 20 days, the stalks of the plants were already strong, stable, each with 4-5 round leaves. I prepared a bed for this variety in advance, chose the sunniest place. In the new place, Baloo took root well - out of 30 planted eggplant sprouts, only 5. I really liked the taste of the eggplant - a thin peel, there are almost no seeds inside. Perfect for caviar. The next year I decided that I would definitely plant another bed. I am preparing a place for plants now - I cleaned the garden bed where the carrots grew (they say that eggplants grow well after it), poured compost and covered it with foil until spring.
Victor, 42 years old, Mezhdurechensk
The Balu variety somehow immediately became a favorite of our family. Salads from this eggplant are very tasty, and for caviar we pass the pulp through a meat grinder - there are almost no seeds, and the pulp is dense, in my opinion. As for the cultivation of Balu, we did not have much trouble with this variety. We monitor moisture, remove weeds, periodically fertilize. On average, 1.5-2 kg of fruit came out from one bush last year. The plant itself looks very picturesque - bright leaves, purple large flowers mixed with the same fruits.
Peter, 46 years old, Ulan-Ude
A neighbor at the dacha treated me to eggplants from her garden. The variety is called Balu. The beautiful fleshy fruits immediately appealed to me in appearance and taste. I decided to grow it myself. I begged a neighbor for seeds in the fall and immediately prepared a garden bed. I decided in advance to prepare the soil for seedlings. Leaf compost, peat, humus - all mixed with earth and covered with foil. The seedlings are strong, the germination of the seeds pleased me. When transplanted into the ground, the plants "hurt" a little, but this is not critical. Eggplant itself is a capricious culture. I read reviews about growing eggplants, someone advised me to plant a bed of tobacco next to it. They say it repels pests well. I planted the tobacco at a distance of about a couple of meters from the eggplant garden. There were no aphids, but the Colorado potato beetle was harvested several times. I weeded almost every day - my soil is rich, moist, weeds often climbed. Almost 2 kg of eggplant were harvested from each bush during the season. They closed the caviar, made salads for the winter - all from their own garden.
