History of variety selection
The originators of the eggplant variety are breeding employees in Russia. The main direction in breeding the variety was the goal of obtaining a high-yielding crop, available for cultivation throughout the Russian Federation, and unpretentious in care. The eggplant has been fully tested and entered into the State Register in 2016. Recommended (depending on weather conditions) for growing in open areas and in greenhouse conditions.
Description of eggplant Ilya Muromets
Eggplant bushes are medium-sized, reaching a height of no more than 80 cm. The variety is spreading in width and takes up a lot of space on the planting site; this factor must be taken into account when planting. Eggplant stems are upright, dense, with fine pubescence. The color of the branches varies from dark green to purple. The main shoots of the Ilya Muromets variety are thick, tough, and stable under the weight of the fruit. Eggplant leaves are large in the form of an elongated oval, bright green in color with slight hairiness. The edges are uneven and corrugated. There are no thorns on the flower box.
Eggplant blooms with white flowers at the base and purple flowers around the edges. The high yield of the Ilya Muromets variety is achieved due to the absence of barren flowers. Each flower produces an ovary. The growing season from the moment of first shoots to technical ripeness is 120 days. The terms are conditional and depend on the region of cultivation. "Ilya Muromets" is suitable for growing on a personal plot and farms. The variety is well preserved after harvest and tolerates transportation well. Eggplant is widespread in the Southern regions and Central regions of Siberia.
Description of fruits
Due to the size of the fruit, the “Ilya Muromets” eggplant is included in the “Russian Bogatyr” series of varieties:
- the length of the eggplant, subject to correct agricultural technology, can reach 45 cm;
- diameter 9 cm and above;
- weight 550–750 g;
- the fruits of the “Ilya Muromets” variety are cylindrical;
- the skin is thin, hard with a glossy sheen, purple in color with a black tint;
- The light beige pulp is dense, with no seed nest; the variety has few seeds, they are scattered.
Eggplant "Ilya Muromets" has a good taste. The bitterness inherent in the culture is absent.
Reviews from those who grew
The Ilya Muromets variety attracts gardeners with its simple agricultural technology, excellent fruit quality, and rich harvest.
Stepan Sviridov, Syzran: “I love eggplants, not only to eat them, but also to grow them. They are always on my site. I tried all sorts of varieties, but I liked Ilya Muromets for the size of the fruits and their excellent taste. I want to tell you about my experience. To prevent the variety from growing too much, before planting the seedlings, I drive 70 cm high stakes next to the holes. When the bushes grow, I tie them up along with all the shoots. They turn out more compact, and more heat and light reach the fruits. My grandmother taught me this, I recommend you try it.”
Olga Orlova, Sertolovo: “I have been growing eggplants on my plot for a long time, and Ilya Muromets has been growing them for the second year. The variety is young, so I had my doubts. The first year I grew it with purchased seedlings; came out 4 kg per bush. This harvest pleasantly surprised me. I collected the seeds and planted the seedlings myself this year. I remove the lower leaves and all weak leaves so that the fruits are large. The eggplant blooms profusely, as in the photo on the Internet, so I pick all the small flowers and leave the strongest ones - then the fruits will be larger and heavier.”
Galina Kalyuzhina, Ivanovo: “I first bought Ilya Muromets seeds in 2016. Every seed has sprouted! If cared for well, the plants grow up to one and a half meters tall and are as strong as mini-trees. The fruits themselves are very large, long, even; There are a lot of them and they are all very tasty. Germination - 100%."
Characteristics of the variety
This vegetable comes from India; despite selective modifications, eggplant has retained its dependence on heat and light.
Productivity and fruiting
According to the ripening period, the variety is classified as mid-season. Four months pass from the time of sowing to the start of harvesting; the first vegetables become ripe by the second half of August.
The quantity and quality of the eggplant harvest is influenced by:
- sudden change in temperature (heat during the day, cold at night);
- dry atmosphere and elevated temperatures, the plant can shed its ovaries;
- Eggplant is negatively affected by a lack of moisture, but too much moisture leads to rotting of the root system;
- in a shaded area, the plant will not produce the desired harvest; when cultivating eggplant in a greenhouse, it is recommended to equip it with artificial lighting.
If the cultivation technique is followed, plants from 1 m2 in a greenhouse can be harvested up to 10 kg or more, in open beds 1.7-2 kg less.
Application area
This eggplant is recognized as a versatile species. It is cultivated for commercial purposes, for the production of sautes and caviar, and is used in restaurants, where it is a component of vegetable and meat dishes. Suitable for grilling, stewing and marinating.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The plant is noted to have immunity to fungal and viral diseases, as well as to parasites. The main harmful insects are the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle. The risk of damage by harmful insects to plants growing in open ridges increases. In a greenhouse with excessive humidity and low temperature, aphid damage is possible.
This variety of eggplant is not affected by late blight and powdery mildew. Diseases such as black rot and black leg are a consequence of improper plant care. To eliminate the problem, you need to reduce watering, wait for the root ball to dry out, and remove damaged plants.
Peculiarities
High eggplant yields are ensured by the complete absence of barren flowers. All ovaries give results. Vegetables are perfectly stored after harvesting and tolerate transportation well.
Planting seedlings in open ground
Planting is carried out when the soil is sufficiently warmed. You need to choose the right place. It should be well lit, not in a low place and without drafts.
Loosen the soil, remove weeds, and fertilize with organic matter. Plant seedlings in peat containers along with it. Cut the plastic containers and remove the sprouts along with the root ball. The recommended distance between plants is 0.5 m, between rows - 0.6 m.
Proper and proper care affects the quality and quantity of the harvest.
Watering and soil care
After planting, the plants are watered once a week, then as needed. An important component is soil care: loosening, removing weeds.
Top dressing
Apply the first food at the root on the 21st day after planting; it is recommended to use organic matter. The next feeding is carried out after 14 days with preparations containing phosphorus. It is better to feed in damp weather when it is rainy. In dry weather, the soil should first be moistened.
Spraying against pests and diseases
During the growing season, the plant suffers from some diseases. The main ones are root and basal rot, tracheomycosis (fusarium, late blight, verticillium), leaf mosaic. The fight against diseases is carried out by a number of measures in which the soil and the ground part of the bush are treated. Are used:
- biochemical preparations do not harm beneficial insects (bees), animals and humans;
- chemicals that can quickly destroy the disease, but have a negative effect on the human body, since the chemicals accumulate in the fruits;
- traditional methods using infusions of plants that have fungicidal and insecticidal properties.
Dangerous pests for eggplants are the Colorado potato leaf beetle and aphids, which can destroy the plant in a few days. For destruction, “Confidor Extra”, “Aktara”, “Decis-Profi”, “Inta-Vir” are used. All treatment procedures are stopped before the onset of mass flowering of the plant.
Some gardeners use traditional methods of combating harmful insects: a decoction of wormwood, yarrow, pollination and irrigation with ash. Beetle larvae are eliminated with a mixture of onions, garlic cloves, dandelion and soap.
Bush formation
At the beginning of the flowering period, carry out the formation of a bush:
- cut off the leaf blades located up to the first fork on the plant trunk;
- Remove small flower stalks from the lower branches.
Landing
Seeds are disinfected in potassium permanganate (a 1% solution is prepared). You can use Fitosporin, Fundazol. Suitable stimulants include Epin, Bioglobin, and Agate. Exposure time up to 3-5 hours.
The soil mixture is made up of turf and compost substrate with the addition of peat, vermiculite, and vermicompost. The soil is spilled with warm water, grooves are formed in increments of 5 cm. The seeds are laid out at a distance of 3 cm. The optimal seeding depth is up to 2 cm.
Picking is necessary 2.5-3 weeks after germination (phase of appearance of 2 leaves). After 5-7 days, the bushes are fed with Kemira and Fertika. Before planting in stationary beds, plants are hardened off for 10-12 days. The temperature is gradually reduced to 14-15 degrees.
Features of planting and care
To reduce the growing season, it is recommended to plant seedlings. The material can be collected independently; “Ilya Muromets” is not a hybrid crop, so the seeds retain all the characteristic features of the variety, are stored for about 5 years, giving good seedlings.
Attention! To obtain a good harvest, it is recommended to update planting material approximately once every 3 years.
Seedlings can be grown in a greenhouse. In the second half of February, a place for eggplants is prepared. It is necessary to loosen the soil, add organic fertilizers and wood ash. Make 2 cm depressions in the soil, plant seeds, and moisten the soil. After two weeks, young shoots appear; it is necessary to monitor the temperature in the greenhouse; it should not fall below +15o C. If necessary, the soil is watered no more than once every 10 days. By mid-May, the “Ilya Muromets” eggplants will be ready for planting in the designated area.
You can grow seedlings indoors. Seeds are planted in containers with peat or soil half mixed with compost at the end of March. Algorithm of actions:
- The planting material is treated with manganese (light pink solution), then placed in a growth-stimulating preparation for 2 hours (can be purchased in a store).
- Furrows 1.5 cm deep are made at a distance of five centimeters from each other, seeds are planted in them, and watered with warm water (+25o C).
- The container is placed in a warm, well-lit place and covered with film on top.
After germination, the film is removed and the container is blocked from direct sunlight. After 21 days, the seedlings are ready for picking. Carefully, so as not to damage the root, each eggplant sprout is removed from the container and placed in a separate container. Peat pots are optimally suited for these purposes; if they are not available, you can plant them in plastic cups.
In this state, the “Ilya Muromets” eggplants grow for a week; they are watered as the top layer dries. The planting material is ready for planting in the greenhouse. Eggplants are planted in open ground, provided that the ground has warmed up well. If spring is late, the seedlings feel comfortable in glasses and will happily wait their time.
Before planting in open ground, a site is determined. It should not be in the shade or lowland with high humidity. In a place exposed to the sun, eggplants will also be uncomfortable. The south side behind the wall of the building is best suited. The soils selected are fertile with a neutral acid-base composition.
At the planting site, as in greenhouses, the soil is loosened, weeds are removed, and organic matter is added (2.5 kg/1m2). Seedlings in peat containers are planted along with them, plastic cups are cut, and the eggplants are removed along with the root ball.
The distance between rows is 60 cm, between bushes - 50 cm. Planting work in the greenhouse is carried out in mid-April; seedlings are planted in open ground as the soil warms up, approximately in early May.
Attention! The “Ilya Muromets” eggplant does not tolerate nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers) near it, but it feels comfortable near the cabbage bed and next to cucumbers.
After planting, care for the variety is standard, watering until flowering once a week, then as needed. Weeds are removed, and when a crust forms, the soil is loosened. The first fertilizing is applied at the root 21 days after planting, organic fertilizers are used. The second is done after 2 weeks with preparations containing phosphorus. After flowering, a bush is formed, all leaves are removed up to the first stem fork. Small flowers are removed from the lower branches.
Growing seedlings
To shorten the growing season, it is recommended to plant seedlings. You can prepare the seeds yourself; eggplant is not a hybrid; therefore, the seed material retains all varietal characteristics and has a shelf life of up to 5 years.
Timing
At the end of February, it is necessary to prepare a place in the greenhouse or container for sowing eggplant seeds.
Soil preparation
If the seedlings are grown in a greenhouse, the soil is loosened, organic matter and ash are added. The soil must be moist. When grown indoors, sowing is done in containers filled with peat or soil mixed with compost.
Seed sowing scheme
Treat the seed material with a manganese solution for disinfection. Make furrows in the soil, going 2 cm deep, and place the seeds.
When sowing in containers, furrows are made at a distance of 5 cm with a recess of 1.5-2 cm. Plant the seeds at a distance of 4-5 cm. Irrigate with warm water.
14 days after sowing, shoots appear. With proper care, by mid-May, eggplant seedlings will be ready for planting in the prepared area.
Temperature
Particular attention is paid to the temperature in the greenhouse; it is not allowed to go below +15 o C.
Daylight hours
Eggplant is a light-loving plant. The container must be placed in a warm place, the place must be sufficiently illuminated, and covered with film. When sprouts appear, remove the cover and protect the seedlings from direct sunlight.
Irrigation
Before germination, the soil is watered regularly once a week. After the sprouts appear, irrigation occurs as needed, but not more than once every 10 days.
Top dressing
Seedlings need nutrition. If the growth is weak, the sprouts need to be fed with organic matter; it is recommended to use an infusion of bird droppings diluted 1 to 15.
Picking
After 21 days, the seedlings are ready for picking. To avoid damaging the root part, carefully remove the sprout from the container and place it in a prepared container. Peat pots are ideal; in the absence of such, they can be planted in plastic glasses. After a week, the seedlings are ready for planting in open beds or in a greenhouse.
Additional feeding
Additionally, foliar feeding is carried out 6 days before planting in a permanent place. Necessary to increase resistance to external aggressive factors and improve survival rate. For this purpose, humates and mineral fertilizers are used. Agricola is excellent.
Additional root feeding is carried out if the seedlings are weak. Complex products are used - nitrophoska, Kristalon, Kemira.
Diseases and pests
As a rule, the development of diseases in eggplant Ilya Muromets is affected by improper care.
If you limit plants with light, timely watering and fertilizers, they begin to suffer from diseases such as:
- leaf curling;
- blackleg;
- yellowness of leaves;
- black spot;
- powdery mildew.
It is possible to cope with these diseases only in the first stages of their development. Therefore, it is worthwhile to inspect the plants in a timely manner and take appropriate measures.
One of the most dangerous pests that can cause damage to eggplants is the Colorado potato beetle. A more effective method to combat them is to collect insects and their larvae by hand. If gardeners have little free time, it is recommended to use insecticides.
