Eggplants for open ground - productive and high-yielding varieties

Growing eggplants in open ground in our country is a difficult task, since the crop is southern and does not tolerate cold. Our climate in many regions is quite unstable; in the summer it can rain and temperatures can drop to record lows. Let's talk about how to grow eggplants in the beds of your garden.

Description of culture

Eggplants are very popular today. A large number of delicious dishes are made from them:

• canned salads;
• vegetable stew;
• soups;
• salads and others.

Many people prefer not to buy vegetables at the market, but to grow them themselves. However, growing eggplants in greenhouse conditions is one thing, but growing them in open ground conditions is completely different.

Eggplant is a southern crop. The optimal temperature for growing crops is +22-30 degrees. If the temperature outside the window is only +15, eggplant stops growing. For most of our compatriots, such a warm summer is either not available at all or is a fairly short period. You can grow a healthy plant from seeds in open ground in two cases:

• if you live in a warm climate in the south, where it is quite warm from May to September;
• if the climate is quite warm, but for a short period, you can choose seeds of early varieties.

It will not be possible to achieve this in the northern regions under any circumstances. Eggplant is also demanding on:

• soil fertility;
• abundant watering;
• to air humidity.

Before you start growing, you need to choose best varieties of eggplant for open ground.

Variety selection

The growing process begins with the purchase of eggplant seeds. When coming to the store, many experienced gardeners are lost in the variety of varieties and hybrids. Which seeds to choose? Here is a list of the most acceptable eggplant varieties for growing in open ground. The list is:

• Joker;
• Diamond;
• Hybrid Agate;
• Hippopotamus;
• Purple miracle;
• Sancho Panza;
• Vakula;
• Dobar;
• White Night;
• Winnie the Pooh.

When choosing seeds, the gardener’s attention is focused not only on the ripening period of eggplant fruits, but also on the amount of harvest. From the table you can easily understand which varieties are the most productive.

Eggplant seeds are quite small, slightly flattened. We will also discuss how to plant in the article.

Table

Characteristic

The most popular variety today is “Almaz”. These seeds sell well; gardeners love them very much for their resistance to viruses and resistance to temperature changes.

"Almaz" grows well in open ground north of the Black Earth Region. It requires the same care as other varieties of eggplant; this needs to be discussed in more detail.

The video below provides a short report on the cultivation of this variety.

When talking about the early maturity of eggplants, the period from the first shoots to technical maturity is taken as a basis. Looking at the table, residents of the northern regions will easily understand why in their regions it is not possible to plant eggplants in open ground. Even early-ripening varieties take a relatively long time to ripen, but as for mid- and late-ripening varieties, they are generally not held in high esteem in Russia.

Productivity is also of great importance. Please note that all varieties presented in the table are high-yielding. The "Behemoth" variety is a real find. With rapid ripening, it produces an excellent harvest, despite the fact that the fruits are medium in size. The photo below shows the fruits of this variety.

Of course, to achieve this result, you need to properly care for the plant. Pay attention to the variety "Balagur". Even though it is not the most productive, you can get fruits from such a plant quite quickly: if the weather is warm enough and the days are sunny, then after 85 days you can harvest the first harvest.

Every summer resident and gardener chooses something different for himself.

Growing

Open ground for eggplants - special conditions. Let's talk about how to get a rich harvest from your garden. You will have to work hard for this. As usual, the soil is prepared in advance. It is customary to dig up the beds in the fall; in the spring this process will be repeated again, because this crop loves loose soil.

As for acidity, eggplants can tolerate it in small amounts. Gardeners often compare the cultivation of this crop and bell pepper. These processes are indeed similar. Small comparison:

• peppers are more moisture-loving, eggplants can survive minor aridity;
• Eggplants are more heat-loving than peppers.

Adding organic matter to the soil will have a good effect on the thermal regime of eggplant. However, it is introduced in advance, before planting the seedlings in the ground to a depth of about 15 centimeters. Without damaging the eggplant rhizome, organic matter will decompose and further affect the growth of the plant.

However, according to most beginners, the biggest difficulty is growing seedlings.

Seedling

Since planting seeds directly into the ground is rarely possible in our country, they prefer to grow seedlings in advance. It is planted after it becomes very warm outside the window.

Strong, healthy seedlings are the key to an excellent harvest. That is why seeds must be selected carefully, giving preference to trusted companies.

Everyone chooses the time for sowing seeds independently, since this is decided individually for each climate. Readiness for planting seedlings in open ground occurs 50-70 days after sowing the seeds.

Sowing

To grow seedlings, you need fertile, loose soil. You can add a little sand or vermiculite to it. If you take ready-made soil for seedlings, be sure to buy a good one. You can plant in peat tablets, however, they will cost a little more.

There are a lot of containers for planting seeds on sale. For those who have their own, it’s okay, the main thing is that you feel comfortable in this regard.

So, the containers are filled with soil, moistened and the seeds are sown. This is done in two ways:

• if the seeds have not yet sprouted, they are deepened by 1-2 centimeters;
• If the seeds have already sprouted (they were soaked in advance), they need to be placed in the ground carefully.

Depending on where you purchased your seeds, you can decide whether to disinfect them before planting or not. If this is a product from a reputable, trusted manufacturer, then you can do without this procedure.

Now you need to moisten the soil again, place it under film and place it in a warm, sunny place. The temperature at which the seedlings will feel good is +26-28 degrees.

It is important for seedlings to withstand the difference between day and night temperatures. This is a hardening process to make the seedlings comfortable in natural conditions. By the time the weather warms up, strong seedlings should emerge from the seeds.

Before watering, let the water sit for a day; it should not be cold. For additional lighting you can use:

• fluorescent lamps;
• special phytolamps.

You will immediately notice that the seedlings do not have enough light: they will stretch upward and begin to weaken before your eyes. If the situation is not corrected, you should not expect a good eggplant harvest.

Phosphorus can be used as mineral fertilizers for eggplants, since seedlings desperately need this element. Make sure that the soil in which the seeds are located is not waterlogged. The same rule applies to adult plants. Eggplant seedlings in open ground often suffer from excess moisture. In this case, it is necessary to maintain a balance. There is no need for excessive dryness.

Eggplants form a fairly large plant, spreading and tall. When transplanting seedlings into open ground, you need to take this into account in advance. For each variety, a sowing scheme is described on the seed package. If it is not there, you need to use the following rule: from four to six plants are planted per square meter.

If you plant eggplants too often, they will become crowded, which will affect the yield. We have listed the best varieties for planting in open ground above. You can also pay attention to seeds of other varieties.

Conclusion

Eggplants are good because they bear fruit abundantly and for a long time. If you have the opportunity to grow this wonderful vegetable crop in open ground, be sure to try it. A rich harvest is always a joy.

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