Eggplant “Long Purple”: variety description, characteristics and reviews

The highlight of the Long Purple eggplant variety is its attractive elongated shape. The fruits of this variety, as culinary specialists note, are convenient to stuff, bake in boats, and roll into rolls. The harvest is stored for a long time without loss of taste and marketability.

Origin	Landing location	Ripening period	Fruit color	Fruit weight	Fruit shape
Hybrid	Greenhouse	Early	Dark purple	190-230 g.	Cylindrical

Detailed description

Eggplant “Long Purple” is considered an early ripening and very productive variety. From sowing to harvest it takes about 3 months. This crop is suitable for growing in greenhouses and open ground. Eggplants are also called blue eggplants because of the characteristic color of the fruit.

The bushes of the plant can grow about half a meter high. The flowers are beautiful, somewhat reminiscent of potato flowers. The fruits are elongated, can be up to 25 cm long and weigh up to 300 grams. The pulp is blue, medium density, greenish-white in color, without bitterness. Vegetables are used for preparing preserves, side dishes and first courses.

The “Long Violet” variety is distinguished by its piquant taste and presentable presentation. Such vegetables do not spoil during long-term transportation.

Bright and tasty: all possible colors of eggplants and their names

Eggplants come in different colors - lilac, purple, green, red, white, yellow, orange with white, green and lilac stripes. The shape of the fruit is varied: elongated, like a cucumber, round, like a tomato. The taste is also different for each variety, some are bitter, others are sweet, in some there are a lot of seeds, and in others there are no seeds at all.

Varieties of purple blue ones

The dark varieties contain a substance called solanine, which imparts bitterness to vegetables.
But this does not spoil their taste after cooking. Early hybrids are grown in the northern regions of the country; they manage to ripen in 3 months of summer. Late species are planted in the south of the country; they are better stored and transported. Early varieties of eggplant with a growing season from 80 to 100 days:

Purple miracle;

Diamond;

Nutcracker;

Robin Hood;

Valentina;

Long purple;

Cavalier;

Benezia;

Naughty;

Topaz.

Banana;

Monty;

Hippopotamus.

Mid-season varieties, growing season 100-130 days:

Station wagon;
Alekseevsky;
Karataya;
bottlenose dolphin;
Roma;
Odysseus;
Bagheera;
Kolobok.

Late-ripening eggplants, ripening period more than 135 days:

To prevent purple eggplants from becoming bitter, cut them, salt them and leave them for an hour until the bitterness drains away.

Striped hybrids

Eggplants with striped skin are grown indoors and outdoors. The varieties are resistant to diseases and produce good yields - up to 2 kg per bush. Basically they have ovoid elongated fruits without bitterness and excellent taste. Many hybrids are grown in the north of the country, as they easily tolerate temperature changes.

“Matrosik” is a productive variety of 8 kg per square plot. The fruits are pear-shaped, up to 16 cm long, weighing 300-400 g. The bush needs tying up, its height is 80 cm.
“Striped flight” is a high hybrid with a yield of up to 4.5 kg per 1 sq. m. Eggplant weighs 100-200 grams and is grown in greenhouses.
"Overseas minke whale" has high yields - up to 9 kg per 1 sq. m. Large fruits from 500 gr. up to 900 gr. mass. The height of the bush is up to 1.2 m, it needs a garter. The color of the blue ones is purple with white stripes.
“Polundra” has a pear shape, the weight of vegetables is 200-250 g. Vegetation period 115 days, yield 5 kg.
"Adamant" has a round fruit shape. Powerful stems up to 60 cm tall. Vegetables ripen quickly - 70-78 days from germination. One copy weighs 200-300 grams.
“Graffiti” is a hybrid of purple color with white stripes, the weight of one vegetable is 450 g.
“Sailor” – growing season is 110 days. The fruits are thin and long, each weighing up to 350 grams. Productivity is about 3.5 kg per meter.

Characteristics of Long Purple Eggplant

In recent years, many varieties of eggplant have been developed, of different sizes and colors. But more often in gardens there are blue ones that have a beautiful, glossy, purple color. Summer residents are attracted by the characteristics of this culture.

Blueberry bushes are compact, they do not grow into all available space. The plant grows about half a meter tall.
Precocity. With the correct timing of planting, diving and planting in open ground, the first harvest can actually be obtained within 3 months. If the seeds are sown in March, the harvest is planned for the end of June.
Productivity. Up to 10 fruits are collected from one bush, each weighing about 300 grams. With proper care, one bush can produce up to 3 kg of vegetables.
Tasty and aromatic pulp, with tender seeds.

The “Long Purple” variety can be used not only for preparing first courses, side dishes and snacks. This crop can also be preserved for the winter.

Delicious salted eggplants with fried carrots, parsley and garlic.

Eggplant 'Long Purple' amazed me

Everyone loves to grow early and super-early varieties of vegetables, and I am no exception, but usually in my practice early ripening is not confirmed. I used to grow different varieties of eggplants. And not just for the sake of the harvest, the shiny purple fruits (I don’t grow other colors) look very elegant and are a decoration for the greenhouse.

Eggplant variety 'Long purple'

The situation that has developed this year is not typical and is described in detail in my post Catching up with lost time. Eggplant seedlings: vegetatively or by seeds. What's faster?

The 'Long Purple' eggplant variety was unfamiliar. I simply didn’t believe in the early ripeness of 90-95 days. All three seeds planted at the end of April sprouted and began to grow quickly. Probably we were lucky with the weather: it was warm and sunny. The seedlings turned out to be low, about 25 cm, with unusual carved leaves and a strange thorn on each leaf.

The seedlings turned out to be low, with unusual carved leaves and a strange thorn on each leaf

I planted it in the greenhouse late, at the end of June, already with buds, at the age of about 60 days... The weather was hot, and the seedlings bloomed almost immediately. I saw the formation of the first fetus by accident and did not believe my eyes. The fruit is very unusual - elongated and very small in diameter.

I saw the formation of the first fruit by chance and did not believe my eyes. At that moment, the eggplant seedlings were about 80 days old. In terms of timing, the formation of the fetus was even ahead of the manufacturers’ promises. Over the course of a week, the fruit grew and changed color to a lighter color. Over the course of a week, the fruit grew and changed color to a lighter color.

Now it has once again become colder, night temperatures reach +2ºC, but the plants in the greenhouse continue to bloom. I’m not sure that the fruits will reach the weight of 200-300 g promised by the manufacturer; the conditions this year are very unfavorable. The variety was very interesting. I don’t yet know what the fruits will be like or how they taste, but I know for sure that next year I will grow this variety of eggplant.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like every vegetable crop, this variety has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include:

Round varieties

If you are interested in round fruits, then the following varieties are suitable for you.

This variety allows you to grow large fruits of white-lilac color, without bitterness. Suitable for cultivation in open and closed ground. It is better to plant 4-5 plants per 1 m2. Harvesting can be done 120-130 days after germination. From 1 m2 you can get 7 kg of ripe eggplants. They can easily withstand long-distance transportation without losing their appearance or taste.

Bourgeois

Eggplants are dark purple in color and round in shape. The hybrid is capable of bearing fruit for a long time and producing tasty vegetables without bitterness. Bourgeois is cultivated in open ground. The bushes are not too tall, medium in size. The variety is suitable for cultivation in central Russia, subject to stable warm weather.

Helios

These round eggplants are the most popular in Russia. The variety is suitable for cultivation in open and closed ground. It is high-yielding, since 1 m2 can produce 5 kg of fruit. They weigh about 300 g and are dark purple in color.

Viola di Firenzi

This hybrid produces a high yield in the form of round and large fruits. They have a purple color and characteristic veins. The variety can be grown both in open and closed ground. It resists temperature changes as well as other negative weather conditions.

globe

This variety produces round and small eggplants. The harvest is high - from 1 m2 there are 3 kg of ripe vegetables. In open ground, Globus is grown in the southern regions. The bush is medium-sized and spreading, so this needs to be taken into account. The color of eggplants is unusual, so gardeners often choose it to grow a bright crop. The fruits are purple with white stripes. The pulp is white and there is no bitterness.

Growing seedlings from seeds

You can grow seedlings in different ways. If there is no greenhouse, then you can use flower pots or special containers. According to the observation of many summer residents, seedlings from a greenhouse are stronger and more resistant to disease.

In the greenhouse

You can plant seedlings in the greenhouse at the end of February. An important condition for good seed germination is sufficiently warm and fertilized soil. The soil is first fertilized with mineral fertilizers and manure. They wait a couple of weeks and start planting the blue ones.

In landing containers

The soil is collected in containers in the fall, but it is first fertilized. If the idea to plant eggplants came spontaneously, and there is no collected land, it doesn’t matter. Special soil for planting fruits and vegetables can be purchased at a specialty store.

To plant seeds, use plastic containers and peat pots. In the latter case, the seedlings are planted in the ground directly in pots.

You cannot use the same soil for planting seedlings for 2 years in a row. The soil is renewed every year.

Varieties for the greenhouse

The area of greenhouses, as a rule, is small, so compact and very productive eggplants are chosen for growing in them. For example, such as:

Sancho Panza;
Northern Blues;
Pink flamingo;
Robin Hood;
Joker;
Bonus;
Vakula.

To have a bountiful harvest, the plant should be planted in a greenhouse, in closed ground.

There is a constantly stable temperature and humidity. In order for eggplants to grow, you should make every effort, more than when planting in the garden.

Black Prince
Vakula
Fabina F1
Joker

The following varieties will also be good for the greenhouse.

Bull's heart

Black Moon

Nutcracker

Transplanting

Before you start planting seeds, they should be prepared. This is done in several stages.

Dissolve a full teaspoon of table salt in a liter of warm tap water. Pour the seeds prepared for planting into the solution, mix and leave for 5 minutes. The seeds that float to the top are drained, and those that fall to the bottom are washed well with clean water.
Dilute potassium permanganate and dip the seeds into the composition for 20 minutes. The color of the solution should be red, but not saturated. Next, the seeds are dipped into a solution of a growth stimulator and left for 10 hours.
Place moistened cotton pads in a tray, prepared seeds on them, and cover them with wet cotton on top. The planting material is left in this state for 3 days at room temperature.

After three days, the seeds are evaluated. By this time they should have hatched, so you can remove weak specimens without sprouts or with weak shoots.

Transplanting seedlings into the ground and further care

When choosing eggplants for their plot, experienced gardeners must take into account the following varietal characteristics:

Adaptation to the climate of a particular region. For gardeners growing eggplants in the south, the plant's resistance to heat and drought is important. In the north, such qualities as the ability to grow and bear fruit at low temperatures and high humidity come to the fore.
Presence of immunity to nightshade diseases. Eggplants often suffer from fungal, bacterial and viral diseases, which can significantly reduce the quantity and quality of the fruit, and sometimes lead to the death of the entire plant. High plant immunity is especially important in regions with a cool and humid climate, which contributes to the rapid development of diseases.
Productivity. Depending on the variety, you can grow from 2 to 20 kg of eggplant per 1 m2. But high-yielding varieties are quite demanding on growing conditions and fully reveal their potential only in regions with a very hot climate and fertile soil or in closed ground.
Terms of ripening. Based on this feature, eggplants are divided into early (75–120 days before fruiting) and late (more than 120 days). In most regions of our country, the short summer does not allow the cultivation of late varieties.
Bush dimensions. There are low-growing (from 50 to 110 cm) and tall (from 120 to 200 cm) varieties. Low-growing eggplants, which require less care and attention, are often grown in open ground and under temporary film covers. All tall varieties require mandatory tying to a support, without which their fragile trunk may break. In addition, they need more moisture and nutrients.

Tall eggplant bushes must be tied to a support
Taste of fruits. Particularly prized are varieties with pulp that does not have a characteristic bitterness and thin skin that does not require removal before cooking.

Cultivation care

After the first shoots appear, the temperature in the room is reduced. This will avoid over-stretching the sprouts. For 5 days, keep the temperature no more than 16 degrees during the day, and no more than 13 at night.

Next, the regime is changed, at night the temperature should be about 18 degrees, and during the day - 26. At the same time, weak shoots are removed from the pots.

Watering rules

Eggplant seedlings should be watered as the soil dries out. It is optimal to do this after 2 days on the third. Water for irrigation is taken at room temperature. Do not pour water directly under the root.

Top dressing

The first feeding is carried out after the third true leaves appear on the shoots. For feeding, use mineral fertilizer purchased in the store. Dilute it according to the instructions.

Bush formation

The bush is formed by removing side shoots and leaves up to the first fork. After the plant has flowered, 6-7 of the largest ovaries are left on it, the rest are recommended to be removed.

Care instructions

Easy to care for the plant

During the growing process, Long Purple eggplant requires minimal care. Water at intervals of 10 days. Use a drip irrigation system to water the entire area evenly.

Fertilizing should be applied 3 times during the entire process of formation of the bush and fruit. The first feeding is 5 days before transplanting the seedlings into open ground, at a rate of 2 kg/m². The second time, saltpeter is applied at the root, at the moment of flower formation (1.5 kg/m²). The third feeding is at the time of fruiting, at the rate of 3 kg/m².

Eggplant Long purple does not need support or garter. The formation of the bush should be carried out regularly. To do this, remove all side shoots and form a long, uniform main stem.

Diseases and pests

Eggplants are susceptible to diseases, but most often these are the consequences of improper care.

Blackleg. A fungal infection attacks the plant stem due to overwatering.
Late blight. In this case, the lower leaves become covered with dark spots. This disease is also of a fungal nature and develops due to excessive humidity.
Mosaic. This disease manifests itself even during the period of growing seedlings. It is characterized by uneven coloring of the leaves, which dry out over time. Plants affected by this virus have small, irregularly shaped fruits.

Of the pests, plants are most often affected by Colorado potato beetles and slugs. If there are few pests, they are collected, otherwise the plants are treated with pesticides.