Content
As a result of the work of breeders, many new interesting varieties of vegetable crops appear, surprising with their appearance and taste. One of them is the Snow Eggplant, which has a pure white skin. This is surprising, since the vegetable is usually called “blue” - for the characteristic color of the fruit. The new variety completely refutes this popular definition, while retaining all the characteristics of the eggplant so beloved by gardeners and gardeners.
Description of eggplant Snow
The Snezhny eggplant variety was bred as a hybrid of purple eggplant at the All-Russian Research Institute of Selection and Seed Production of Vegetable Crops. In 2000, it was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation. Recommended for growing under film shelters in garden plots and farms.
Eggplant of the Snezhny variety is an annual herbaceous plant of a semi-spreading type, the height of which reaches 1 m, and is classified as indeterminate (having unlimited growth). The stem first has a herbaceous structure, and at the age of two months it becomes woody.The leaves are alternate, medium-sized, rough and slightly prickly, with small notches along the edges, the plates are thick and soft. Foliage color is light green. At first, the root system develops weakly, later it begins to grow quickly and reaches a depth of up to 0.5 m. Its main part is located no deeper than 30 cm. The roots are extremely sensitive to dry soil and lack of nutrients in it.
Eggplant flowers of the Snezhny variety are of both sexes, white, large, diameter – 3 cm, located in inflorescences. Their anthers are yellow, two-chambered, and located on the same level as the stigma, so self-pollination is almost always complete. The calyx of the fruit does not have spines. The eggplant variety Snezhny is an early ripening variety. The fruits ripen 106 days after sowing. The seeds are small, flat, creamy. Ripen in August.
Growing in most of the Russian Federation is possible only under film cover, in the southern regions - in open ground.
Description of fruits
White eggplant was bred by scientists to improve the taste of conventional varieties that contain anthocyanin. It is thanks to him that the fruits of the plant have the usual purple color, and the bitter taste is due to the presence of corned beef. As a result of breeding work, white eggplants of the Snezhny variety are deprived of these two substances. It became possible to consume them fresh.
Ripe fruits have an elongated (up to 25 cm) curved cylindrical shape. The weight of one fruit is about 300 g. The skin is smooth, glossy, snow-white, very thin. The flesh of the Snowy eggplant is dense and has a creamy tint. There is no bitterness.
Characteristics of the variety
From the photo and description of the Snezhny eggplant, you can evaluate the characteristics of the variety, which has its own characteristics and properties:
- ripening terms – early;
- purpose – universal;
- productivity – high;
- product quality and taste are excellent;
- growing place - open and closed ground.
Productivity, fruiting
Sowing of Snezhny eggplants is carried out in late February - early March. In the two-leaf phase, the plants dive. In mid-May, the seedlings are planted in the greenhouse. The Snezhny variety begins to bear fruit 100 - 105 days after germination. The weight of one fruit of technical ripeness reaches 300 g. The yield of eggplant is about 5 kg/sq. m.
The Snezhny variety is very demanding in terms of conditions and care. Several factors influence yield:
- temperature;
- lighting;
- transplant quality;
- planting density;
- soil composition.
With sharp fluctuations in temperature, the ovaries may fall off. When the temperature drops for a long time, the plants die and the seeds do not germinate. The optimal air temperature for growing conditions is –25 ⁰С.
Both strong sunlight, which can cause leaf burns, and prolonged cloudy weather are harmful to seedlings.
Eggplant of the Snezhny variety does not tolerate picking and transplanting. If the root system is damaged, its survival rate decreases.
Thickening during planting is unacceptable, as this will negatively affect the yield and size of the fruit.
Growing Snowy eggplant is most successful in light, well-fertilized soils.
Application area
Eggplant of the Snezhny variety has a mild taste without bitterness. When cooked correctly, the vegetable takes on a mushroom or chicken flavor. It can be fried, stewed, grilled, marinated, cooked in caviar and salads, and eaten raw.
White eggplants do not lose their beneficial properties when frozen.After defrosting, you can prepare casseroles, rolls, and snacks from them. The vegetable contains a lot of fiber, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Powder and juice from the fruit are used in medicine, since their consumption makes it possible to reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol. They help with gout, atherosclerosis, liver and kidney diseases.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Snow eggplant is a hybrid, so it is more resistant to diseases than the main varieties. But fungal and viral diseases affect the fruits and leaves of the plant. Among them:
- mosaic;
- stolbur;
- gray rot;
- bacterial spot;
- blackleg;
- late blight;
- white rot;
- fusarium;
- cercospora;
- anthracnose
To combat blackleg, soil disinfection with a bleach solution and treatment with ash is used. Using a solution of hydrochloric acid, you can treat equipment and eggplant seeds to remove mosaics. Stolbur is carried by cicadas, so disease control involves killing the insects.
You can grow healthy plants by following agricultural practices:
- treating seeds before sowing;
- isolating plants that can attract pests;
- disinfecting or replacing the soil before planting seedlings;
- controlling the microclimate in the greenhouse;
- regularly inspecting plants;
- promptly and thoroughly removing weeds;
- periodically applying fertilizing;
- observing the regime of ventilation of the greenhouse and watering of plants.
Among the parasites that affect Eggplant varieties Snezhny:
- aphid;
- slugs;
- spider mite;
- mole cricket;
- Colorado beetle;
- whitefly
Methods to combat them are reduced to the use of traps, manual collection and the use of insecticides.Gardeners and gardeners, leaving reviews with photos about the Snezhny eggplant, note the effectiveness of folk methods in the fight against pests and diseases.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Despite the fact that white eggplants of the Snezhny variety were bred on the basis of purple ones, they have their pros and cons. Among the advantages:
- pleasant taste without bitterness;
- delicate structure;
- thin skin;
- small number or complete absence of seeds;
- versatility of application;
- low calorie content of the product;
- benefits for the body due to the large amount of fiber in the fruits;
- high content of micro- and macroelements.
The disadvantages of the Snezhny variety include:
- short shelf life of vegetables;
- difficulties of transportation;
- the need for soil with high quality indicators for growing crops;
- poor plant resistance to temperature changes;
- impossibility of collecting seed material;
- poor tolerance to high temperatures (more than 25 ⁰C).
Features of planting and care
To get the eggplant harvest as early as possible, use the seedling method. Seeds are sown in late February-early March. After 50 days, the seedlings are planted in closed ground.
Growing proceeds according to plan:
- Sorting - immerse the seeds in a saline solution (1.3%) for 5 minutes. Wash and dry the grains that have settled to the bottom.
- Disinfection - place the seeds in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes.
- Hardening - place it in the fruit drawer of the refrigerator for 48 hours a week before sowing.
- Soaking - dip in a growth stimulator solution according to the instructions.
- Prepare a soil mixture - peat, humus and sand.
- Sowing - plant three seeds in separate glasses to a depth of 1 cm.
- Place the container in a warm place (25 ⁰C).
- Watering - periodically, with warm water, using a spray bottle.
- Backlight – provide additional lighting for 12 hours.
- Feeding - every two weeks.
Technology for planting the Snezhny variety:
- Make beds 1 meter wide.
- Mark the holes in two rows according to a 60 x 40 cm pattern.
- Fill the holes with warm water.
- Plant the plants, deepening the neck 2 cm.
- Water.
In the future, when caring for eggplant of the Snezhny variety, you need to perform the following steps:
- Mulch the soil under the plants with hay, straw, pine needles or other materials.
- Organize regular watering of plants.
- Feed them twice a month.
- Remove some of the ovaries to obtain larger fruits.
Conclusion
Snowy eggplant is a healthy vegetable with an interesting mild taste without bitterness. It is suitable for use both raw and after heat treatment. Growing requires painstaking work, but caring for white Snowy eggplant is no more difficult than caring for purple varieties. The remarkable appearance, excellent taste, and productivity of the Snezhny variety are good reasons to grow the crop on your own plot.
