Karataya Eggplant F1 was created in France. The manufacturer, Vilmorin, is famous for the quality of its hybrids, their early ripening and excellent yield. Karataya F1 gives a good harvest in open ground. Eggplants can be grown for sale and for family consumption.
| Origin | Landing location | Ripening period | Fruit color | Fruit weight | Fruit shape |
| Hybrid | Greenhouse | Early ripening | Dark purple | 300-350 g. | Cylindrical |
Description and characteristics of the variety
Karataya eggplant F1 was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2008. It is recommended to grow the hybrid in the center, northern Russia and the North Caucasus region. Suitable for planting under film, and in the southern regions - in open ground.
The bushes are medium-sized, semi-spreading. In terms of timing, the variety is early: ripens 122 days after germination.
The fruits are elongated, 24–26 cm long. Their glossy skin is dark purple, almost black. Eggplant weight is 300–350 g (according to other sources, up to 450 g). The pulp is white. The fruits are used for any dishes. High percentage of shelf life.
Diseases and pests
The delicate green color of eggplant plants is loved by many pests, but the greatest danger to the future harvest is spider mites, slugs and the Colorado potato beetle.
Control of the Colorado potato beetle is one of the main problems when growing eggplants. Unfortunately, this wonderful culture is a real pleasure for him. At the beginning of summer, beetles (usually slugs, caterpillars) and insects can be collected by hand. However, when larvae appear on plants en masse, chemical or herbal preparations should be used.
Copper sulfate
Against other pests and diseases, you can use infusions of wormwood, yarrow, onion peel, garlic, as well as Bordeaux mixture (1% solution), copper sulfate with soda ash.
Landing
Sow seeds for seedlings 2 months before transferring them to the ground. They are first disinfected for half an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then washed and soaked for two days in a solution of Epin or Zircon. When the seeds swell, sow them in a nutrient substrate.
It is optimal to sow seedlings in individual pots. Then the roots are not injured during picking and replanting.
The substrate is mixed from turf soil, peat, sand and wood ash. Add mineral fertilizers with potassium and phosphorus. Seedlings require lighting at least 12–14 hours a day. The bushes are germinated at a temperature of +24–25 degrees.
Planted on a plot according to a 40 by 60 cm pattern.
Features of cultivation
Growing eggplants is similar in many ways to caring for tomatoes, although there are a number of differences.
Healthy plant seedlings guarantee the gardener that the harvest will be good. In this article, you can learn how to properly care for tomato sprouts and what methods of growing seedlings are available that can be applied to eggplants.
Eggplants need fertile soil:
- To do this, mineral and organic fertilizers are added during loosening.
- If the soil is so fertile, then mineral fertilizers are added to it after the previous harvest.
- Eggplant grows best in light soil. Heavy soils contribute to the formation of compact bushes, which is not always good.
- Eggplants have a strong root system, which can lead to excessive stem development. In this regard, fertilizers should be of particular importance for potassium.
- If the stems develop poorly, then fertilizers increase the nitrogen content over a period of time.
- The soil should have an acidity of about 6.5-7.2.
- Please note that eggplants suffer from a lack of magnesium, so its presence in the main dressing is mandatory.
Eggplants do not tolerate transplantation well - the root system suffers, and for this reason alone it is recommended to grow sprouts directly in peat pots without immersion. If this is not the case, replanting should be done very carefully, with minimal damage to the root system.
- Seedlings produce seeds in 10-15 days.
- Seedlings without picking should be grown for 40-45 days, but if the harvest is inevitable, then 50-60 days.
- The optimal temperature for good seed germination is +22-26 C.
As soon as young shoots appear, the temperature drops to +13-16 C, so that the roots develop more strongly and the shoots do not stretch. After 5-6 days, the temperature rises again to +20-25 C. At this temperature they grow before planting in the ground. Before planting in the soil, it is necessary to harden the seedlings by the sun; for this, pots of eggplants are placed in the sun for 10-15 minutes 2-3 times a day for 2-3 days.
Do you think it is possible not to harden eggplant seedlings?
Not really
Before planting, the area should be marked and holes or planting grooves made. The planting plan is quite simple:
- There should be 45-50 cm between rows, and 25-30 cm between plants in a row.
- The finished holes (or grooves) are watered generously (from 1 to 3 liters per hole).
- After irrigation, the seedlings are planted in moist soil, and the holes (grooves) are covered with dry soil.
- This method will ensure good rooting and survival of seedlings. Every 2-3 days, seedlings should be well watered.
Growing and care
Water the plantings as needed, with warm, settled water, early in the morning or after sunset. Try not to wet the leaves and stems. During fruit set, water generously every 2–3 days.
Apply at least 3 fertilizers:
- 2 weeks after planting. Use a solution of mullein or bird droppings.
- During the flowering period. Add a solution of 10 g of potassium sulfate, 10 g of ammonium nitrate and 5 g of potassium sulfate to a bucket of water.
- When setting fruit. Apply superphosphate fertilizer (60–100 g), 20 g of urea and 5 g of potassium mineral preparation per bucket of water.
Transplanting seedlings into the ground and further care
The soil for eggplants is prepared in the fall; 1 bucket of manure or bird droppings and 300 g of wood ash are added per 1 hectare for digging. If the soil is heavy, you can add peat, sand and be sure to dig everything up.
In spring, apply per 1 sq. m plot of 1 st. l. superphosphate, urea and potassium sulfate. Fertilizers are dropped into the soil or applied in liquid form.
Preparation for transplantation and hardening
Seedlings are planted in a greenhouse or open ground at the age of 60-70 days, at a height of 20 cm and with 7-8 true leaves. In order for the seedlings to more easily withstand the stress of transplantation and not die, you need to harden them in 15-20 days - take the boxes with seedlings out onto the balcony or into the yard.
The first days the seedlings should be in the fresh air for 2-3 hours. In subsequent days, the seedlings' stay outside should gradually increase to 10-12 hours. If there is no threat of frost, the seedlings can be left on the balcony or street all night, but only by covering them with agrofibre.
Important!
Also, do not forget about protecting the seedlings at the time of hardening from the wind and direct rays of the sun. To do this, it is necessary to build a canopy over the seedlings and shade them from the sun and protect them from drafts.
Transplantation into the ground
You may be interested in: Favorable days for planting eggplants in the Urals and Siberia in 2022 Dates for planting eggplants for seedlings in 2022 according to the lunar calendar of gardeners and gardeners Picking eggplants for seedlings according to the lunar calendar 2022
Karatai F1 seedlings are planted in a checkerboard pattern according to the 50x50 or 40x60 pattern. The holes should be well watered before planting. It is allowed to plant 2 plants in 1 hole. Technology for transplanting seedlings into the ground:
- Water the seedlings well so that the root lump of soil does not fall apart during transplantation;
- carefully remove the seedlings from the container using the transfer method;
- the root system in the hole should be located vertically;
- it is necessary to bury the seedling until the first leaves;
- after replanting, compact the soil around the trunk a little and fill it with water;
- After the water has been absorbed, mulch the bed with straw, peat, and sawdust.
Mulching will retain moisture in the soil and maintain normal temperatures for root growth.
The first days after transplantation, the plants need to be shaded and protected from wind and cold. To do this, arcs are installed over the bed and agrofibre is stretched.
Greenhouses for eggplants
“Blues” are suitable for buildings with any dense coating - film, glass, polycarbonate. Non-woven agrofibre retains heat a little worse and gets more dirty; it can cover not the entire structure, but only part of the frame.
Greenhouses with heating
Greenhouses operate on natural solar heating (plus biofuel in the ground) or with additional artificial heating. For heated structures, there are special varieties - very tall (from 200 cm), with the longest possible fruiting period.
Greenhouses made of polycarbonate
Unheated greenhouses made of cellular polycarbonate also accumulate heat well, if it is of high quality and of sufficient thickness. It’s great when automatic thermostats and moderate ventilation without drafts are provided, because excessive heat is more dangerous than coolness.
- The height of plants for a polycarbonate greenhouse is from 1 to 2 m, the ripening period is from early to medium.
- The highest yields will be provided by hybrids that are tolerant of heat and temperature changes.
Glass and film
Glass structures transmit light perfectly and retain heat well; eggplants feel comfortable in them. Film coating is also an option, especially if modern agricultural polymers are used.
- Early and mid-early varieties and hybrids with a height of 70–150 cm are planted in greenhouses made of film or glass.
- It would be good if they were resistant to sudden cold snaps and temperature contrasts.
Indoor soil is not a guarantee of an excellent harvest. Plants need proper care. Eggplants do not like drafts, unlike tomatoes, and get along well in the same greenhouse with peppers.
Eggplant Vera
Another variety of eggplant that will certainly please gardeners from regions with cold climates.
A medium-sized bush (about 1 m tall), medium-leafed, with medium-sized violet-green leaves. The fruits are pear-shaped, up to 20 cm in length, purple, glossy. The pulp is white-cream, dense, without voids, excellent taste without bitterness.
The variety is very cold-resistant and unpretentious, with stable yield.
| Purpose | Growing | Ripening time (days) | Fruit weight (g) | Productivity (kg/sq.m) |
| 110-118 | 125-200 | 1-3 | ||
Selection of varieties by region
For Siberia
- Bibo F1
- Don Quixote
- Clorinda F1
- Northern Blues F1
- Siberian argument F1
- Scorpio F1
- Purple Wonder F1
- Black Magic F1
For the Urals
- Bard Festival F1
- Boyarin F1
- General's F1
- Northern Blues F1
- Ural Express F1
- Black opal
For the Moscow region
- Bagheera F1
- Behemoth F1
- Don Quixote
- Sperm whale
- Lolita F1
- Romantic
- Philemon
- Purple Wonder F1
- Nutcracker F1
Eggplant varieties for greenhouses and open ground in the Middle Zone:
For the Leningrad region
- Dervish F1
- Cotillion F1
- Mocha
- North
- Scorpio F1
- Purple Wonder F1
- Tsakoniki
Principles of variety selection
Breeders work for years, identifying and combining the valuable properties of cultivated plants. When choosing which variety of eggplant to plant in a greenhouse, an amateur gardener must take into account several factors:
- Focus on gradual, long-term yield of the crop.
- Early or mid-early terms of the first collection.
- Delicate taste.
- Decent yield.
- Resistance to diseases and pests.
- For lovers of the exotic, the unusual shape and color of the fruit is a must.
- The height of the stems is from 70 cm.
There is no point in planting low-growing plants in greenhouses: tall bushes are more productive. This way the greenhouse space is used more efficiently.
The trend in recent years is the transition to hybrids, since they are more powerful and more resistant to contrasting temperatures. It is noteworthy that Russian selection is popular in eggplant culture.
The assortment also depends on the design features of a particular greenhouse (especially its height).
Eggplant Quartet
The bush of this plant reaches a height of 40-60 cm. The leaves are small, green in color, with slight pubescence of a purple hue. The fruits grow relatively small (11-14 cm long) and are shaped like a pear. The color of their skin is quite unusual for eggplants: yellowish-violet, without shine.
The Quartet variety has gained wide popularity due to its resistance to drought and bacterial rot.
| Purpose | Growing | Ripening time (days) | Fruit weight (g) | Productivity (kg/sq.m) |
| 107-122 | 102-123 | 7-9 | ||
