Everything about eggplant: is it a berry or vegetable, what it looks like, what varieties it has, are other nuances useful?

Eggplant, Badrijan (Solarium melongena L.) is a popular vegetable crop, belongs to the species of perennial herbaceous plants of the Solanum genus.

In East India, eggplant grew wild but was domesticated over 1,500 years ago. It was first grown in Central Asia and China, and then the Arabs brought this plant to the European Mediterranean and Africa.

In Russia, this plant first appeared in the 17-18 centuries. Gradually, the "blue", "Pakistani", "demyanka" as they were called, gained great popularity.

Botanists consider eggplant to be a relative of potatoes and tomatoes. This vegetable is not recommended to be eaten raw.

The color of the fruit depends on the degree of ripeness and variety. The most delicious are unripe blue-black oblong fruits.

Eggplant has a stable stem, whose height reaches 100 cm and even higher. The flowers are purple, traditionally either in clusters or single; leaves of large size, at a young age with the presence of purple blotches. Fruits from 0.4-1 kg, green, white, yellow with brown stripes. The shape of the berries is cylindrical, round, pear-shaped.

What is it, what family does it belong to?

Eggplant or Armenian cucumber (or even badrijan) is an annual herb that belongs to the nightshade family. Only the fruit is edible, which in our country is considered to be a vegetable, but in the botanical sense it is a berry. And in general, if you figure out what it is, from the point of view of the concepts of “berry”, “fruit”, “vegetable”, eggplant can be safely attributed to all categories at once.
Fruit translated from Latin means "fruit", it is appropriate to call an eggplant a fruit, however, modern dictionaries emphasize that sweet fruits are called fruits... Let's agree. But the concept of "vegetable" is very multifaceted, it is also a fruit that can be eaten without heat treatment (like a tomato, carrot and others).

And here we immediately remember the potato, it is also considered a vegetable, however, no one will eat the root vegetable in its raw form. Eggplant is not a root vegetable, but it is also not edible without heat treatment. Maybe he is a berry? This concept includes fruits with juicy pulp, developed from a flower ovary and covered with a shell on the outside.

Armenian cucumber fits this terminology perfectly, but neither raspberries nor strawberries fit here, and we have always considered them berries. It turns out that scientific concepts do not always coincide with the ubiquitous perception of some names and terms. We will continue to call potatoes and eggplant vegetables, but keep in mind that botanists classify badrijan as a “berry”.

Fertilizer for eggplant

For a rich harvest, eggplants require abundant and regular fertilization, especially if they grow in a closed ground (pot).

When growing vegetables in a pot, I recommend that you refrain from using organic fertilizers (especially manure), it is better to give preference to mineral or organo-mineral fertilizers. When using pure organic matter in an apartment, you will have a not very pleasant smell and with a high degree of probability livestock (midges, worms, insects) will start in the pot.

When using a simple mineral fertilizer, it is enough to apply it 1 - 2 times a month together with watering, in the doses indicated in the instructions. The ideal fertilizer, in my opinion, is a prolonged release fertilizer. Such fertilization gradually releases the necessary microelements in equal doses, as a result of which the plant gets what the emu needs, the soil does not become salinized and the eggplant does not accumulate harmful nitrates (it turns out Eko eggplant grown at home on the balcony).

A prolonged-release fertilizer for eggplants is used by the following method: when transplanting seedlings into a large pot, fertilizer granules are added to the soil with an effect of 3-4 months, and for the next 4 months the plant is usually watered with water. After 4 months, the effect of the fertilizer granules ceases, and the eggplant should be in the final ripening phase, and in order to avoid the accumulation of nitrates in the vegetable, no fertilizers (even the most natural / organic ones) need to be applied.

What does it look like in the photo?

The following are photos showing what the plants look like, when they bloom and develop, what color the leaves are.

Eggplant care

In caring for an eggplant, as you probably already understood, there is nothing difficult. The last point worth mentioning is pruning the plant as it grows. Pruning eggplant should be done only if it grows in a closed ground (pot, greenhouse, hydroponics), and it is done in order to optimize the plant, so as not to let it put all its energy into violent, excessive growth to the detriment of fruiting.

I recommend pruning the eggplant when it reaches a height of 40 centimeters. As soon as your eggplant has grown to about 45 cm, the top is cut off with a garden pruner by 5 cm.This pruning will give a strong impetus to the growth of lateral shoots and increase the number of future flower stalks. We recommend using the brace and apical trim when they have reached 40 cm in height. Further lateral circulations will increase the preparation and production of fruit flowers.

Plant structure

Root system

Consider the roots of the plant. Eggplant seedlings have a weak, not pivotal, but fibrous root system, but as the plant grows, the roots grow and branch significantly, reaching a depth of 40 centimeters on average. Water, air and nutrients in the soil are indispensable for growing eggplant, its root system is very sensitive to the absence of these components.

Fruit type

The eggplant itself is a multi-chamber berry of various (depending on the variety) forms. The length of the fruit varies in a radius of 15 to 19 centimeters, and the weight can reach 2 kilograms. The color of a ripe fruit has many faces.
Each variety has its own:

• purple;
• purple with and without glitter;
• white;
• gold;
• striped green and other shades.

Bush

The eggplant bush consists of a strong stem, which after 50-60 days grows from a young herbaceous into a mature woody one, as well as branches and leaves. The height of the bush can be low (from 25 centimeters) and reach its maximum, stretching up to 150 centimeters.

Leaves

The leaves of the plant are quite large, the varietal difference in length is great - from 7 to 35 centimeters. The shape is oval or oblong-oval, with massive petioles. The leaf plate is soft, thick, some types are with thorns. The color can be not only green, but also various shades of purple.

Eggplant parasites and diseases

The most common parasites are Colorado beetles, thrips, whiteflies, aphids and weevils, in a word, almost all known parasites of which can be found in our region.When grown in an apartment, eggplant can additionally attack a red spider mite, but a Colorado potato beetle or caterpillar is unlikely to attack in an apartment.

Any pesticide can be used to control pests, I usually use a broad-spectrum pesticide "Aktara", it kills almost all pests and does not harm humans.

The most common diseases of eggplant are late blight and gray rot. When the first signs of eggplant disease appear, you need to remove the affected leaves and treat with a fungicidal preparation. But it is best to periodically treat the plant for prevention with special means of protection against diseases. For these purposes, the drug Fitosporin or Valagro Kendal is well suited.

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Varieties: what are the names and descriptions

Diamond

The best-selling eggplant variety for many years. Designed for indoor use. Has a classic appearance: medium-long, elongated dark purple fruits. Mid-season (about 130 days from germination to maturity). Stored for a long time, resistant to viruses. Bush up to 55 centimeters high, fruit weight up to 170 grams. Productivity up to 8 kilograms per 1 square meter.

We offer you to watch a video about the Almaz eggplant variety:

Black handsome

Can be grown indoors and outdoors. Average ripening period (120 - 140 days). The bush reaches a height (60 - 80 centimeters), leaves with thorns. Fruit weighing from 110 to 200 grams, 18 - 20 centimeters in length, dark purple color. The harvest often reaches 6-7 kilograms per square meter. The variety is resistant to diseases and is recommended for conservation.

We offer you to watch a video about the Black handsome eggplant variety:

King of the north

This is a hybrid, developed for the northern regions of Russia, an early, cold-resistant, high-yielding variety. The fruits ripen within 100 days after germination. Plant height - 1 meter, cylindrical berries, 25 to 40 centimeters in length. 12-15 kilograms of vegetables can be collected from 1 square meter.

We offer you to watch a video about the King of the North eggplant variety:

Nutcracker

An early ripe hybrid, very productive, up to 20 kg from 1 sq. M. You can find out about other early yielding eggplant varieties here.

Bibo

White hybrid, early maturing (85-90 days), suitable for greenhouses and open ground. The bush is undersized, the cups of the fruit have thorns, the shape is oval, the weight is 190 - 210 grams. Average yield - 5 kilograms per 1 square meter, resistant to adverse weather conditions, protected from tobacco mosaic virus and fusarium. Excellent taste. Cannot use seeds for seedlings.

Read more about the characteristics and rules of growing Bibo eggplant here.

Valentine

Young Dutch early maturing hybrid. Grown in greenhouses (what other varieties are suitable for greenhouses?). It tolerates temperature fluctuations well. You can harvest in 90 days, there are 3.5 - 4 kilograms of vegetables per 1 square meter. Stored for about a month. The bush is 80 - 90 centimeters high, the berries are elongated 20 - 26 centimeters, dark purple, weight 200 - 250 grams. Taste without bitterness.

You will find a description, photo and secrets of growing a hybrid of the first generation Valentine in this article.

Vera

A variety was developed specifically for the climatic conditions of the Far East, early maturing, resistant to temperature extremes.The bush can reach a height of up to 1 meter, the fruits are 12 - 20 centimeters, excellent taste, but the yield is weak - up to 1 kg per 1 square meter.

We offer you to watch a video about Vera eggplant:

King of the market

Hybrid, early maturing, high-yielding, has excellent taste, fruit weight 120 - 150 g, elongated shape, 18 - 20 cm.

We offer you to watch a video about the King of the Market eggplant variety:

Touring 6

Recommended for open ground in southern regions. Length 18 - 20 cm, weight - 180 g, up to 6 - 7 kg of vegetables are harvested from 1 square meter. Suitable for conservation.

We offer you to watch a video about the variety of eggplant Universal 6:

Japanese dwarf

Despite the name, the fruits are quite large, the bushes have a dwarf size, their height does not exceed 40-45 cm, an early ripening variety, for closed ground. We discussed the features of this variety in more detail here.

White

White eggplants are represented by such varieties as:

• Fluff;
• Pelican;
• White Night;
• Ping pong;
• Swan and others.

They differ from their dark counterparts in their delicate taste and short shelf life.

Of particular note is the white eggplant variety Mushroom Taste. It is resistant to major diseases and low temperatures. Possesses mushroom taste, which is unique for a vegetable.

Fruits with the aroma and taste of mushrooms can also be found among eggplants of traditional color. For example, the variety "Mushroom Pleasure" has purple fruits and is not bitter.

Round

Among the round varieties of eggplant, the following can be distinguished:

• Bourgeois;
• Helios;
• Viola di firerenzi;
• The globe;
• Leader.

Planting seeds and transplanting seedlings

We decided on the variety, allocated a place for cultivation and acquired land. Now is the time to sow eggplant seeds. The most suitable time for sowing eggplant seeds is spring, or rather March - April. Personally, I do not buy special containers for planting seedlings, but use an ordinary plastic bottle cut in half.

The soil is poured into the container for planting seedlings almost to the edges (1.5 - 2 cm from the edge). And from above they evenly sow eggplant seeds, not very thickly, so that the seeds are at a distance of 1 cm from each other. Then the seeds are covered with a thin ball of soil and gently watered. The first shoots should appear in 10 -14 days.

In this form, seedlings must be grown for at least one month. If you are going to grow eggplant on an open balcony, you need to focus on the night temperature, as soon as the night temperature stops dropping below + 15 ° C, you can transplant.

When transplanting seedlings into a large pot, you need to choose one (maximum two) the largest and “strongest” plant, which will actually become our pet. We do not need all the rest, they can be thrown away, donated, planted in a flower bed, etc.

In the early stages of growing, eggplant requires regular irrigation. When watering, it is necessary to avoid getting water on the leaves and the neck of the stem in order to avoid the appearance of rot and fungal diseases. On hot days, root watering can be used, with such watering, water is poured into a saucer from where it is absorbed directly by the roots.

How to grow blue ones?

Little blue, as gardeners often call eggplant, is a very capricious vegetable. India and South Asia are considered his homeland. The climate of these places is very different from the Russian one, so our plant is uncomfortable, eggplant requires constant heat, calmness and uniform humidity.

Experts recommend paying attention to the following features when growing a vegetable:

1. It does not tolerate transplantation, the seeds must be immediately planted in separate peat pots.
2. Plant seedlings only in well-heated soil, the root system will not survive in the cold.
3. Mulching is required. A high yield will not be possible without evenly moist soil.
4. Watering plentifully, but don't overdo it. Watered in the evenings with heated water at the root.
5. There should be a lot of sun rays, but overheating of plants is unacceptable.
6. You need to ventilate, avoiding drafts.
7. Favorite "dish" eggplant - top dressing: manure, ash and other potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.

It is not recommended to plant eggplants next to potatoes, vegetables have common pests, the Colorado potato beetle!

Eggplant variety for growing at home

What kind of eggplant to choose for growing in an apartment? Preference should be given to undersized and medium-sized varieties. On my own I can recommend such varieties as: Slim Jim (Slim Jim) the fruit grows thin and long, Red Ruffled, Mixed Patio and Ophelia F1.

Any type of eggplant is best planted in a pot from seedlings. With this method, you will have the opportunity to choose the “strongest” plant, and besides, after transplanting the seedling will be less susceptible to various diseases.

Storage

Since the vegetable has a high moisture content in the pulp, it is advised to store it while maintaining a moisture balance. Direct sunlight is not allowed. For long-term storage, choose firm, undamaged berries, preferably late-ripening varieties. The container will be an open plastic bag placed in a cool, dark place.

How to store in the refrigerator?

In the refrigerator, eggplant should be stored separately from other vegetables and fruits to avoid accelerating decay. If you want to use the freezer, pre-blanch the vegetables in water for two to three minutes. We talked in detail about the methods of freezing fresh and processed eggplants here.

Lists of varieties according to various characteristics

Below we have compiled lists of the best varieties of eggplant for open ground by different parameters.

The most productive

The most productive varieties and hybrids are distinguished by powerful bushes and stable growth of large ovaries, even in bad weather. Fruiting is extended.

• Anet F1
• Dessert Goliath
• Overseas minke
• E Star F1
• Clorinda F1
• Milkman
• Mulatto F1
• Robin the Hood
• Salamander
• Snowball
• Black giant F1
• Popsicle F1

New varieties

The world selection of eggplants is moving in several directions, achieving a piquant taste without bitterness, stable yield, resistance to bad weather and diseases. The most successful novelties have a full range of such advantages. Some have an original look.

• Anet F1 (long-term fruiting)
• White Knight F1
• Eastern prince (yellow-fruited)
• Finger (carpal)
• Tufted family F1 (carpal)
• Royal caviar
• Black Russian F1
• Popsicle F1

White

Eggplants were called "blue" until the white-fruited varieties came into fashion. Modern varieties of white eggplant have a delicate, delicate taste and mushroom aroma.

• White Night
• White Knight F1
• Mushroom taste
• Swan
• Milkman
• Snowball
• Icicle

Large

Incredible, but true: there are large varieties of eggplant not only for greenhouses, but also for street beds. "Giants" are poured up to half a kilogram or more even in the northern regions. Such plants require good feeding and constant moisture in the root zone.

• Anet F1 (400 g)
• Big hulk (400 g)
• Galine F1 (500 g)
• Overseas minke whale (500-900 g)
• Emerald F1 (400 g)
• Sailor (up to 500 g)
• Migrant (0.5 - 1 kg)
• Snowball (400 g)
• Tirrenia F1 (450 g)
• Purple ball (400 g)
• Black giant F1 (300 g)
• Spherical (700 g)

Mother-in-law eggplant tongue

Ingredients:

• tomato - 3 pcs.,
• eggplant - 3 pcs.,
• garlic - 6 cloves,
• mayonnaise,
• vegetable oil,
• flour,
• soy sauce,
• salt.

Preparation:

Garlic sauce: take grated garlic, mayonnaise - 4 tbsp. spoons, soy sauce - 2 tbsp. spoons and stir.

Cut the eggplant with the peel into slices and salt for 20 minutes. Dip the slices in flour and fry until golden brown. Divide the tomatoes in half. The halves must be cut into slices.

Spread the eggplant slices and brush with garlic sauce. Sprinkle with herbs and spread the tomatoes on top.Roll the eggplants in half, decorate the dish with sprigs of herbs.

hippopotamus

The Solanum Melongena eggplant variety is a hybrid with a classic oblong shape and dark blue color. The fruit ripens early, and the first crop can be harvested just three months after sowing the seeds. The average fruit length is 18 centimeters and weighs 400 grams. The Behemoth gained great popularity due to its early maturity and productivity. Experienced farmers note that up to 7 kilograms of blue ones can be harvested from one bush. Besides, the vegetable has excellent nutritional value. The pulp has a firm texture and a slightly sweet taste.

Growing problems

When dealing with eggplants, all gardeners are faced with many problems in the care and cultivation.

Yellowing of seedlings

This plant needs a balanced diet throughout the entire growth stage. With a lack of nutrients, young shoots begin to feed on the juice of their own leaves located below.

If the lower leaves turn yellow and massively crumble, the plants urgently need to be fed. Leaves and petioles at the stem turn yellow - eggplant lacks phosphorus. Pale and withering leaves with darkened edges are signs of a lack of potash fertilizers.

A light, then yellowed leaf can be found in plants that suffer from drying out or waterlogging. As a result, the leaves dry up and the plants may die altogether.

Rotting plantings

In conditions of high air humidity, the risk of developing a very dangerous disease - black leg increases. This disease can destroy all plantings. First, black dots appear on the stems of plants, which merge over time. The stem completely blackens and rots, as a result the plant dies. Sick specimens must be destroyed, and healthy ones should be transplanted into new soil treated with Trichodermin.

The development of top rot on plants is possible with a lack of potassium. Plants can be reanimated if potash fertilizers are applied in a timely manner.

If unripe vegetables are withered, then the root system of the plants is rotting due to frequent overflows.

Ovaries are not formed

Eggplant-barren flowers are not uncommon. False flowers that crumble and do not form an ovary are formed due to overfeeding of seedlings with nitrogenous fertilizers, from a lack, an excess of moisture or non-observance of the temperature regime.

Also, empty flowering in seedlings is possible if the soil for planting is incorrectly selected. In poor, heavy and acidic soil, blue do not bloom at all.

Diseases and pests

Ground eggplants are ill not only with a black leg, but also with other diseases:

1. Wilt (verticillosis). In the process of picking, loosening the soil, the lower leaves of the plant are first yellow, then brown, and then dry out altogether. Severely infected specimens are removed. To remove the sore, the rest of the plants are treated with Fundazol, Vitaros or Previkur.
2. Tobacco mosaic. This type of blue disease can be identified by yellow and pale spots on the leaf surface. At the sites of lightening, necrosis is formed, which lead to deformation of the leaves. The main vectors of the disease are aphids, spider mites. Seedlings struck by the mosaic cannot be saved, they are simply burned.
3. Fusarium is a fungal infection that penetrates deep into the tissues and blood vessels of eggplant stems and leaves. Severely affected plants are removed, healthy ones are treated with Fundazol.

Spider mites and aphids are the main parasites that infest this vegetable. The first insect appears on shoots that suffer from a lack of moisture. The second pest spreads at high humidity levels.

You can get rid of aphids and spider mites with the help of acaricide preparations - Karbofos, Aktellik or Aktara.

Useful materials

Read other articles on growing and caring for eggplant seedlings:

• Different growing methods: in peat tablets, in a snail and even on toilet paper.
• All the features of sowing according to the lunar calendar.
• The golden rules for growing from seeds.

Properly grown seedlings are the key to a good harvest and successful plant development. Healthy seedlings can be moved into a greenhouse or under a film, they have strong immunity and do not slow down their development even in adverse weather conditions.

King of the north

It is a hybrid variety that has been bred specifically for regions with cold climates. It is able to withstand low temperatures, so the blue ones can be selected even in Siberia. The duration of fertility is only 3 months, but during this time a farmer can harvest up to 15 kilograms of crops from one square meter of land. The fruits resemble cylinders in appearance, the length of which is about 30 centimeters. The skin is not too thick and has a deep purple color. Due to its high characteristics, eggplants of the King of the North variety are used not only for suburban cultivation, but also for growing on an industrial scale. The pulp has a white color and excellent taste, without bitterness. The weight of a ripe blue is 300 grams. The growing season lasts all summer.

Can decorative eggplants be eaten?

Rain drop

If it really is an eggplant, regardless of size (dwarf or regular), then of course edible. It is believed that decorative eggplants are tasteless, however, on one of the Internet resources (now I don't remember where) I read that they are quite good in salting. Eggplant fruits can be black, purple, green, white, striped and, even, red and orange. Their shape and size are also very diverse. Some eggplants resemble a large pear in shape, such fruits are somewhat bitter, their skin is rather thick and elastic. Oriental eggplant varieties are more oblong, more delicate on the palate, with a soft delicate skin. White eggplants are harder and drier than other varieties, but they have a delicate taste and less bitterness, however, the skin is very thick and must be removed during cooking. There are a lot of eggplant varieties now, some of them don't even look like eggplant, they can be round and have an orange-red color. Others are simply different species, such as Solanum aethiopicum, Solanum macrocarpon and some other African varieties, they are flat or ribbed. They are the most bitter of all eggplants. By the way, the substance contained in them - solanine - makes eggplants bitter. Its content can be reduced by simple soaking in a 3% salt solution. In addition, after such an operation, the eggplants will not absorb oil as much during frying.

Elena Orlova

so red? no, just look at them

Victoria Tchaikovskaya

rd fermented - funky taste.

Moussaka in Greek with eggplant

Ingredients:

• eggplant - 2 pcs.,
• potatoes - 4 pcs.,
• tomato - 2 pcs.,
• onion 2 pcs.,
• minced meat - 400 gr,
• wheat flour - 50 gr,
• butter - 50 gr,
• vegetable oil,
• cheese - 100 gr,
• milk - 500 ml,
• salt,
• ground black pepper.

Preparation:

Prepare a rectangular baking dish.

Cut eggplants (with or without skin) and potatoes (without skin) into slices and fry in a skillet. Also fry the minced meat with onions, salt and pepper.

Prepare the béchamel sauce: melt the butter, fry the flour a little, add warm milk. Cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, add salt at the end.

Layer the ingredients in a baking dish on top of each other in the following order: potatoes, eggplant, minced meat with onions, raw tomato rings, béchamel sauce, grated cheese.

Place the mold in the oven. The temperature should be 200 ° C, and the baking time should be 30 minutes. You do not need to cover the form.

Content

• Eggplant varieties
• Planting eggplants for seedlings
• Growing eggplant outdoors
• Watering eggplants in the garden
• Fertilizers for eggplant
• Eggplant pruning
• Blooming eggplant
• Eggplant in winter
• Reproduction of eggplant
• Diseases of eggplant
• Eggplant pests
• Eggplant benefits and harms
• Moussaka in Greek with eggplant
• Eggplant peacock tail appetizer
• Eggplant rolls with walnuts
• Mother-in-law eggplant tongue
• Eggplant caviar

Eggplant peacock tail appetizer

Ingredients:

• eggplant - 3 pcs.,
• parsley - 4 sprigs,
• olives - 7 pcs.,
• tomato - 3 pcs.,
• garlic - 3 cloves,
• cucumbers - 3 pcs.,
• sunflower oil,
• mayonnaise,
• salt.

Preparation:

Cut the eggplants with the skin into rings and salt for 20-30 minutes. Place the rings on a baking sheet, brush them with oil. Place the eggplants in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for 20 minutes. While the eggplants are baking, cut the cucumbers and tomatoes into rings.

Spread the ingredients on a large plate in the shape of a peacock's tail: eggplant, brush the surface with mayonnaise, sprinkle with grated garlic, put tomatoes on top, brush with mayonnaise again, then put cucumbers, on top of halves of olives. Decorate all this with greens.

Popular varieties

Among the gardeners of Russia, the following varieties of eggplant are in special demand:

1. Purple miracle. Its vegetables are shaped like a cylinder. The mass of one vegetable is 135 g.
2. Vikar. It has a shortened pear-shaped fruit, weighing one 300 g. The flesh is white, tender and tasty.
3. Black Beauty. Fruits are black-purple in color, with a glossy surface. Their shape is slightly curved. The harvested crop can be used for long-term storage.
4. Fat gentleman. Its fruits are round, fleshy. The pulp is snow-white, tender and incredibly tasty.
5. Black Moon... This variety has spherical, lumpy fruits. The pulp is tender and soft in taste.

Black Moon

Sowing rules in the ground

Most gardeners know that plants planted close to each other begin to shade each other in the future, and this affects the yield and quality of the fruit.

At the first shoots, the film is removed from the seedlings and the plant is exposed to light. To prevent the seedlings from stretching, the temperature should be about 19 degrees. in the daytime and about 17 degrees. at night.

After a week, when the first leaves hatch, the temperature should be increased during the day to 23 or 25 degrees, at night to 18 degrees. At temperatures over 25 degrees. ventilation of plants is required.

The optimum temperature regime of the soil is 18-20 degrees, thermometer readings below +17 degrees are considered unfavorable for the plant.

To prevent the plants from getting thermal stress, they need to be hardened. For this, the plants are gradually accustomed to lowering the temperature.

Watering eggplants in the garden

The first watering of the seedlings should be done on the third day after transplanting. The water should always be warm and settled. In hot weather, water the eggplant in the evening before sunset. On cloudy days, pour water when the plants need it. They will prompt the watering time with their foliage, which will begin to wilt slightly.

You can water the eggplants with a watering can or a hose, but before the flowers form. During flowering, water the plant gently and under the root so as not to knock down the flowers. When the fruits grow, the eggplants can be watered from above.

Eggplant rolls with walnuts

Ingredients:

• cheese - 150 gr,
• peeled walnuts - 100 gr,
• eggplant - 3 pcs.,
• garlic - 1 head,
• dill and parsley,
• mayonnaise,
• sunflower oil,
• salt,
• seasonings.

Preparation:

Filling: fry and chop the nuts. Add chopped herbs, grated cheese and garlic, mayonnaise to them. Mix all ingredients well.

Cut the eggplants into slices and salt for 30 minutes. Then fry in a pan. Spread out the plates and brush them with the filling. Roll into a roll and fix the shape with toothpicks.

Growing and harvesting

The duration of eggplant ripening depends on favorable summer weather conditions.As a rule, the first fruits are harvested in mid-August and finished before the onset of the first frost. With good care, the "blue" ones begin to bear fruit 25-30 days after the beginning of flowering.

The harvest

In order for the eggplants to ripen evenly, they must be picked regularly at intervals of no more than 5 days. It is impossible to delay harvesting, otherwise the berries will lose their quality and turn white. It is recommended to remove them while still firm. After lying down for about a week, they will become softer. It is better not to tear off the eggplants, but to cut them with a secateurs or a knife.

It is not easy to grow eggplants, but if a gardener manages to reap a rich harvest, he will be able to be proud of himself and pamper his family with exquisite dishes!

Harmful properties of eggplant fruits

Eggplant Valentine

Eggplant contains oxalates. It has been found that too much of this substance in human blood is capable of crystallization, which causes health problems. For this reason, this vegetable berry is contraindicated for people with pre-existing kidney and gallbladder problems.

In addition, numerous laboratory studies have shown that oxalates interfere with the absorption of calcium. However, the ability to reduce digestibility is small if a person has healthy digestive organs, and eggplant fruits are not capable of harming health.

Robin the Hood

This representative of the blue belongs to the early ripening hybrids that allow you to get high yields. The variety is considered one of the best and is appreciated by farmers for its unique taste and excellent adaptability to any climatic conditions, which allows it to be grown in almost all regions of the country. The first crop ripens in the fourth month after sowing the seeds. The fruits reach a length of up to 20 centimeters, and they weigh only 300 grams. From one bush, you can collect about 18 kilograms of blue ones. The skin is very thin, and the flesh is incredibly tender, practically without seeds and bitterness. Despite the fact that there are few shoots, the ovary is very abundant on them. Unlike many other types of eggplant, Robin Hood is easy to care for, so it is ideal for beginner gardeners.

Watering and feeding

Water as required, do not let the soil become waterlogged or dry out. Eggplants almost always have a bright green color, they seem to be healthy and develop well, but feeding must be done, since its shortage can subsequently affect how the plants will bloom and bear fruit (flowers may fall off due to the fact that they do not missing items). Start feeding after the real leaves appear, every ten to fourteen days. You can use a solution of mineral fertilizers, applying half of the fertilizer dosage, which is indicated on the package. Feed under the root system or spray on the leaves. When feeding seedlings, use Macrovit.

Watering the eggplant. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license.

You can organize a bed for eggplant in a greenhouse, enclose it with a box of wood, put manure on the bottom. Collect the remaining vegetation (carrot tops, beets, cabbage leaves, etc.) and place in a basket. In the spring season, spill all this with phytospirin, an EM preparation, if necessary, put manure. And on top - a little land from under the birches. If you took garden soil, then spill it with phytospirin. Before planting, add sand, humus, ash, super phosphate to the soil. You can add Urgas, but in advance and in the moistened soil, then the bacteria will "work" and improve the quality of the soil, process the roots of weeds. Next, you can plant eggplants and peppers in the prepared bed. Build arcs and cover with lutrasil to keep out frost. When it gets warmer, the arcs and cover can be removed.

After about two weeks after planting, feed the mullein solution for the first time, and then, with an interval of ten days, carry out several fertilizing with mineral fertilizer. When crops begin to bear fruit, feed with potassium monophosphate. Together with root feeds, carry out foliar, foliage, spraying. Spend all feeding at the same time: peppers, eggplants, tomatoes. When the crops are blooming, so that the fruits are better set, spray the plants along the flowers and foliage with a solution of boric acid. For prophylactic purposes against various fungal diseases, spray with a solution of baker's yeast (one hundred grams per ten liters of water). When the crops have already formed fruits, spray with a solution of calcium chloride as a preventive measure against top rot (ten milliliters per ten liters of water). Always spray in the morning or when it is cloudy. Perform foliar feeding after the crops have experienced a stressful situation. In this case, use urea (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water). During the summer period, carry out such spraying with a weekly interval more than once.

Top dressing eggplant. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license. <как выглядит="">

Diamond

Eggplants of the Almaz variety have almost the same characteristics as the Baikal variety. They are not susceptible to diseases and pests, but they are smaller, weighing only 150 grams, and also less productive. One bush per season allows you to collect only 7 kg of vegetables. Since the fruits are very small, they are used mainly for conservation. Nevertheless, blue diamond is widely used throughout the country for its excellent taste.