This vegetable grows wild as a herbaceous perennial in India and the Middle East. Participants in the campaigns of Alexander the Great met him back in the 4th century BC. Eggplants appeared in our area in the 17th century, and since then these heat-loving representatives of the nightshade family have taken root in the southern regions. They are grown as an annual, considered a vegetable, although according to science its fruit is a berry, and is affectionately called “blue”. By the way, the latter definition is not entirely accurate these days, since white, green, red, black, yellow, lilac and even striped varieties of eggplants have now been bred.
Colorful eggplants in the garden
Eggplant, being of southern origin, is a rather demanding crop in terms of agricultural practices and weather conditions. However, today the list of its varieties is so wide that you can always choose the most suitable one that best suits the needs of the gardener. From the ripened fruits of all varietal eggplants, you can collect seeds for sowing next year. The exception is hybrids. Vegetables grown from their seeds produce a split parent rather than replicating the mother plant.
The article mainly selected for description the varieties that the Federal State Budgetary Institution “State Varietation Commission” included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements approved for use in the regions of Russia. Varieties not included in this list are indicated in the text with an asterisk (*), their description is given based on information from available sources. They are included in the article because they have characteristics corresponding to one or another section.
The Almaz variety, a mid-season eggplant that grows in Ukraine, Moldova, and Russia, has been very popular for many years. It has been included in the State Register since 1983. In these regions, 110–150 days pass from the first shoots to the harvesting of ripe fruits. The plant is resistant to diseases such as tobacco and cucumber mosaic, stolbur, and wilt. Diamond has no thorns. Almost black fruits grow on low bushes, just over half a meter. No more than six seedlings are planted per square meter, but up to 8.8 kg of harvest is harvested from them.
The Almaz eggplant variety is one of the most beloved by gardeners.
The fruits of the banana variety are shaped like the tropical fruit that gives them their name. These purple bananas grow on compact and low bushes, up to 40 centimeters. Their strong stems do not require support and perfectly support numerous fruits. There is no bitterness in eggplants; they can be cut raw into salads, fried and used in home canning.
Eggplants of the Banana variety are ultra-early ripening
Important characteristics of the mid-season Albatross variety are:
- rapid germination of its seeds;
- high resistance to most diseases;
- excellent harvest up to 6–8 kg per square meter of bed;
- fruits can be harvested 135 days after the first shoots.
Plants growing up to 70 cm will be comfortable if they are planted no more than four per square meter.
Albatross eggplants are disease resistant
Graffiti eggplant fruits look like they were painted by someone. Hence the name. They have an average ripening period of 115–120 days. During this time, the fruits can weigh up to 400 grams. The bushes grow no more than 65 cm. Graffiti is resistant to diseases. Eggplants have thin skin and medium-sized seeds; the snow-white flesh is not bitter. The vegetable can be used to prepare any dishes.
Graffiti variety eggplant fruits are distinguished by their delicate sweet pulp
Mid-season White Night eggplants grow on spreading bushes up to 70 cm high. The fruits reach ripeness in 105–115 days and weigh up to 220 g, and up to 6 kg of harvest is harvested from a square meter of bed. The pleasant taste of this variety of eggplants has no bitterness and is especially valued by chefs.
White Night eggplants reduce cholesterol and remove excess fluid from the body
Eggplants of the Astrakom variety are characterized by high productivity and mid-season. Dense fruits covered with black skin ripen in 118–125 days, counting from germination. Eggplants have excellent taste and are suitable for preservation. Astracom is not susceptible to such common diseases as late blight and anthracosis.
The eggplant variety Astrakom is high-yielding
Eggplant Lavender Rome* - a variety of Italian Rotonda Bianca - belongs to the mid-early variety. It only differs from its predecessor in the larger size of the fruit (500–600 g, and some up to 1 kg) and more tender, without bitterness, pulp, which also does not darken. Spreading bushes grow up to 70 cm. The variety is characterized by abundance and duration of fruiting.
The Lavender Rome eggplant variety is distinguished by its very large fruits.
Bourgeois is one of the early ripening hybrid varieties of eggplant. The round black-purple fruits of this variety weigh up to 300 grams. It is not recommended to plant bourgeois in greenhouses, because its height can reach 1.6 meters. Such a giant needs a garter to the trellis. In addition, the bushes of this variety are spreading; no more than three plants are planted per 1 m2 of bed.
The eggplant variety Bourgeois is one of the early ripening hybrid varieties
The Japanese dwarf variety is one of a number of frost-resistant varieties approved for cultivation in all regions. Why it is called Japanese is not clear, and its fruits are not at all dwarf - up to 170 g. True, the eggplant bush is compact and low - up to 45 cm. It was bred specifically for growing in open areas. Seven bushes can grow on 1 m2 of bed. The variety has excellent early maturity - from the moment of sowing the seeds for growing seedlings to harvesting the fruits, three and a half to four months pass. The thin skin of the fruit and tender pulp without bitterness are also among the advantages of the variety.
Thin skin of the fruit and delicate taste are the advantages of the Japanese dwarf eggplant variety
There are varieties of the eggplant family that are so unusual and beautiful in appearance that they simply become a decoration for any garden bed. Some of them are grown for consumption and are included in the list of common agricultural plants. Others are planted simply for beauty. After all, eggplants become the most expressive and decorative when fully ripened, but then they begin to taste very bitter and irritate eaters with their large seeds.
Early ripe eggplants
Early ripening varieties include those eggplants in which a little more than three months pass from pecking the seeds and planting them as seedlings to harvesting the first harvest . That is, if blue seedlings are sown, as a rule, in late February - early March, then the first harvest can be harvested by mid-June. Manufacturers are announcing a number of eggplant varieties with these qualities.
Eggplants of domestic selection Taste of mushrooms are really early ripening. The harvest can be cut 3–3.5 months after the first shoots. They can be grown in open beds. The name of the variety of these milky-white vegetables really reflects the taste of their pulp. Although some claim that it resembles chicken. With proper care, you can get more than 6 kg of fruit from 1 m2 of bed.
Eggplant varieties Taste of mushrooms really taste like mushrooms
In total, fifteen days longer than the Taste of Mushrooms harvest, you will have to wait for the first harvest of eggplants of the original Icicle variety. Its snow-white fruits grow on spreading, not very tall bushes (60–70 cm) in 110–116 days. They really look like ice icicles in shape. The fruits weigh up to 150 grams. The taste of eggplant is very pleasant and has no bitterness at all. The Icicle is used to prepare a wide variety of dishes.
Eggplants of the Icicle variety have tender juicy pulp
In the North Caucasus and Lower Volga region, as well as in Ukraine and Moldova, the eggplant variety Alekseevsky is recommended for growing in open beds . They have a pleasant taste, without bitterness, and high yield. The first harvest can be expected already on the 98th–132nd day. Eggplants weighing from 100 to 190 grams grow on slightly spreading bushes that grow up to 70 cm. The yield from 1 m2 is up to 7 kg. It can be transported over long distances without loss of fruit quality.
Alekseevsky variety eggplants have a pleasant taste without bitterness and high yield
Eggplants of the Quartet variety with yellowish and purple stripes on the fruit are popular due to their immunity to drought and bacterial rot. Commercial quality fruits can be harvested 107–122 days after sowing the seedlings. Their weight is up to 125 g. The bushes are low up to 60 cm.
Eggplant variety Quartet is resistant to drought and rot.
The Lilac Fog variety is recommended for cultivation in all regions of Russia. Its low bushes, up to 60 cm, produce fruits weighing up to 200 g. The inner pulp of the eggplant is white. It does not have a bitter aftertaste. Eggplants of this variety are immune to diseases such as blossom end rot.
The eggplant variety Lilac Fog is not afraid of diseases
Useful tips
There is nothing difficult in growing “little blue” seedlings, but gardeners in practice often encounter various difficulties. What problems might exist and how to solve them:
- the seedlings have stopped growing, the leaves are turning yellow - it is necessary to feed the crop with complex fertilizer;
- the stems of the plants turned blue. The main reasons: waterlogging of the soil, too low a temperature, lack of phosphorus. What to do: adjust watering, add ash or superphosphate to the fertilizer;
- If there is an excess amount of sunlight, the leaves wither and dry out; if there is a lack of potassium, they curl and dry out. On hot days, seedlings on the windowsills are slightly shaded and diffused lighting is provided so that burns do not appear on the plates. If there is a potassium deficiency from twisting, feeding with ash infusion will help;
- what to do if eggplants bloom at home, before planting in the ground. It is advisable to maintain the sowing dates (but this is for the future). And to solve the problem: try to lower the temperature (for example, put the pots on the balcony), reduce watering, and eliminate fertilizing. Some pick off flowers and pinch off the ovaries;
- what to do if the seedlings are frozen. It is urgent to keep the plants warm and spray them with Epin or succinic acid;
- if the seedlings stretch, reduce watering and eliminate fertilizing, and slightly lower the temperature. Also, the bushes stretch out and overgrow in dense plantings, with insufficient light or early sowing;
- To prevent fungal diseases, it is recommended to treat the plants with Previkur, watering them with warm water with the addition of potassium permanganate. You can sprinkle ash or calcined river sand on top of the ground.
We hope that the information and recommendations for growing eggplant seedlings will be useful. By following basic agrotechnical rules, you will get strong and healthy plants that will definitely please the “little ones” with a harvest.
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Always with a luxurious harvest - productive varieties
Everyone who works on the land wants to see the fruition of their labors in the form of a bountiful harvest. Therefore, varieties that are known to consistently produce a large number of high-quality fruits are very popular. Some of them are particularly popular among Russian gardeners and have many positive reviews. These include without hesitation the Almaz and Alekseevsky varieties already described here earlier. But there are other varieties of eggplants, practically not inferior to them in terms of productivity, included in the State Register.
Black Beauty - this variety of eggplant has an average ripening period and is not inferior to Almaz in terms of productivity. The plant is unpretentious and has excellent disease resistance. At an average height of the bushes - 60-80 cm - numerous fruits weighing up to 200 grams grow, which ripen in 110-145 days. Their tender yellowish flesh is not bitter and contains very few seeds.
The eggplant variety Black Beauty is not inferior in yield to the Almaz variety
The Robin Hood eggplant variety has gained popularity among vegetable growers for its stable yield and extraordinary resistance to negative growing conditions. Its spreading bushes, 70–100 cm in height, produce quite a lot of fruits, which when ripe weigh up to 300 grams. The Robin Hood variety has lilac-colored fruits that are good when pickled or fermented, which distinguishes them from many of their relatives.
Robin Hood eggplant variety is resistant to weather vagaries and consistently productive
Speaking about productive eggplants, one cannot fail to mention the hybrid variety Epic. This hybrid, classic in both appearance and taste, is grown throughout Russia. Powerful Epika bushes, reaching a height of 100 cm, produce fruit within 65 days after planting in the garden. The weight of each eggplant can be up to 230 grams, and the yield from 1 m2 of beds can be 5.8 kg. Epic is resistant to all the most common diseases of plants of this species.
Epic eggplant variety is powerful and disease resistant
Cold-resistant varieties
In conditions of an unusual climate for eggplants with a short summer, it is recommended to plant varieties with the shortest ripening time in the ground. Almost all of them are hybrids. Among them is the hybrid variety Bourgeois described above. The hybrid variety King of the North F1 tolerates the cold better than other eggplants.
The King of the North eggplant variety tolerates low temperatures well
Its fruit ripening period is very short - up to 100 days from full germination of seedlings. At the same time, up to 12–15 kilograms of eggplants are removed from 1 m2.
The same group of early ripening eggplants includes the Valentina variety. A plant with spreading bushes produces dark fruits weighing up to 220 grams already three months after germination. Up to three kilograms of eggplants are obtained per unit area. The fruits are not bitter, very tasty, suitable for cooking and canning. At the same time, the plant is resistant to many diseases, including the tobacco mosaic virus.
The Valentina eggplant variety has a mild taste
Dense bushes of the Vera eggplant variety are no higher than 80 cm and produce a harvest in 110–115 days. Fruit weight is about 300 g. Eggplants of the Vera variety are resistant to significant changes in temperature and rot, and are suitable for long-term storage. The yield is up to 2.9 kg per unit area.
Eggplant fruits of the Vera variety remain fresh for a long time
Bibo is also a hybrid variety that produces many fruits weighing up to 0.5 kg. The harvest ripens quickly in August-September. Bibo is recommended for growing in open beds in the southern regions. Place no more than 6 bushes per 1 m2, otherwise you may not get a harvest at all. Experienced gardeners do not pick seedlings of this variety to speed up fruiting.
Bibo eggplants have accelerated growth
Features of sowing seeds: step-by-step instructions
Growing eggplant seedlings is similar to sowing peppers and tomatoes. But there are certain subtleties, knowledge of which will help to grow strong seedlings (see video).
Seed selection
In the capricious Russian climate, it is recommended to grow hybrid forms that are unpretentious, resistant to diseases, pests, low temperatures, and high yields. But you cannot take seeds from them for subsequent sowings (like varietal eggplants), so you will have to spend money every year on buying seeds marked F1. The price of hybrids is higher, but the costs are fully recouped by good yields.
It is recommended to buy seeds from trusted manufacturers, pay attention to the description of the variety and features. On bags with hybrids it is often indicated that the seeds are processed, so they do not need soaking and germination.
Containers: which ones are better?
The standard sowing scheme, when common boxes are first used, and then the seedlings are planted in separate cups or pots, is not suitable for the crop. Eggplants do not tolerate transplantation well, they take a long time to get used to and straighten out. Therefore, the best way is to sow directly into separate glasses, pots, or peat tablets. It is convenient to sow in small cassettes, and then pick up the bushes along with a lump of earth into larger containers. If there is not enough space, sowing in paper snails is used, and then the plants are planted in pots.
Good seedlings are obtained when grown in peat tablets. They are “washers” made of pressed peat and humus sealed in a non-woven casing. Growth stimulants and special antibacterial additives are also added to the composition. On one (upper) side there is a small hole where the eggplant seed is placed.
The tablets are placed at a short distance in a low tray and filled with warm water to swell. After some time they swell, increasing 2-3 times. The shell holds the shape of the “washers” and prevents them from falling apart.
On a note! For eggplants, the suitable tablet size is 50 mm in diameter.
Water the seedlings in tablets through a tray and drain off excess water. When the seedlings grow up, carefully remove the tablet shell, place it in cups along with the plant, and sprinkle with prepared soil. The roots are not injured during this picking, and the plant does not experience stress.
Preparing the soil
The culture prefers loose, fertile substrates with neutral acidity (pH 6.0-6.5).
Approximate composition of the soil mixture:
- garden soil (2 parts);
- humus (2 parts);
- peat (1 part);
- calcined river sand of coarse fraction (1 part);
- ash (liter per bucket of mixture).
Sand can be replaced with vermiculite, perlite, ash with crushed coals. Ready-made compositions are also suitable for sowing, but the composition must first be studied. Humus, vermiculite (river sand), ash, and turf soil are added to peat substrates.
Mixtures prepared by yourself are heated and disinfected (pink solution of potassium permanganate). To form beneficial microorganisms, it is advisable to use the addition of biological products (for example, “Baikal EM”).
Pre-sowing seed treatment
Hybrid seeds are sown directly into the ground. Seed material prepared independently, as well as varietal seeds, must be prepared for sowing.
Processing stages:
- warming up (dip the seeds into hot +45ºC water) for 4-5 minutes;
- disinfection in a pink solution of potassium permanganate (15 minutes). After the procedure, the seeds must be washed;
- soaking in any growth stimulant or microfertilizer solution. Epin, Zircon, Microvit are suitable;
- germination in damp tissue.
Some gardeners additionally harden eggplants before germination, keeping them for 4-6 days at night in the refrigerator at a temperature of +3ºC. During the day, the seeds are kept at +20ºC…+22ºC.
Sowing
After germination, the seeds are slightly dried and sown in prepared containers with soil. Sowing depth is up to 2 cm; before this, the substrate is slightly moistened.
For convenience, use tweezers, placing a seed in each hole. Cover the boxes or cups with film and keep them at a temperature of +25ºC…+28ºC. Usually sprouts appear after 5-8 days. As soon as thin shoots are visible, the shelter is removed, the containers with seedlings are placed in a bright place and the temperature is reduced to +18ºC.
The spool is small, but expensive - undersized eggplants
When growing eggplants, gardeners sometimes focus on varieties whose bushes are short in height. This allows you to grow vegetables without additional supports and time spent tying up the branches of the plant. These include the previously mentioned varieties Almaz, Robin Hood, Bourgeois, Albatross, Alekseevsky. To this list should be added the hybrid varieties Black Moon and Bull's Heart.
Eggplants of the Black Moon variety do not like picking seedlings and thick planting
Black Moon is a mid-early ripening variety that is grown in Ukraine, Moldova, and Russia. Its slightly spreading bushes, 65–70 cm high, are not susceptible to cucumber or tobacco mosaic disease and are resistant to other diseases. The fruits reach 280 grams in weight, there are a lot of ovaries, and up to 5 kg of eggplants can be obtained from a unit area of the bed. Black moon has a wonderful taste of fruits, which can be tasted within 135 days after germination.
Eggplants of the Bull's Heart variety grow weighing up to 450 grams
The hybrid Ox's Heart is one of the eggplants with high yields and a relatively short period of fruit ripening. On strong bushes up to 70 cm in height, the fruits grow weighing up to 300 grams. Eggplant pulp has no bitterness at all.
Rules for caring for seedlings
As soon as the first sprouts hatch, you urgently need to remove the bag. 14 days after sowing the seeds, it is necessary to pick. During this time, carefully monitor the room temperature.
It is also necessary to loosen the soil after watering.
When the first two leaves appear, the seedlings need to be fed.
When the plant has already formed 10 leaves, it can be planted in the ground. Before planting, you need to check that the ground is sufficiently warm. The seedlings are approximately 75 days old.
Overview of regional varieties
Russians living in different regions of the country have to grow vegetables in completely different climatic conditions. This is also evidenced by the plant frost resistance map, which highlights zones where minimum temperatures are consistently observed.
Frost resistance zones in Russia
Based on this zoning of the territory, you can select eggplant varieties for a specific region that are successfully grown in open ground.
Eggplants in the heart of Russia
In central Russia, in the Moscow region, eggplants are grown either in greenhouses or in open ground, but in covered beds. In these regions, early ripening varieties are preferred, the harvest from which begins to be harvested 90–120 days after planting the seedlings.
Note. Since plants have to be covered in the beds, eggplant varieties for central Russia should be selected with low bushes.
Based on the recommendations of practicing gardeners, we can recommend the Delicates 163* variety. It is an early ripening plant, and it is not very tall - no more than 40 cm. But this eggplant is not afraid of spider mites, is not subject to wilting, and bears fruit long and abundantly. The fruits are small, the largest among them weigh 100 g, the flesh is white, tasty, without bitterness. Eggplant is ideal for home canning, freezing, and preparing various dishes.
The eggplant variety Delicatessen 163 is an early ripening variety.
Early dwarf is a variety of early ripening eggplants; harvesting begins after planting the seedlings on the 85th day. The bushes of this plant do not grow higher than 45 cm. Small fruits weighing up to 200 g ripen together, so it is possible to reap a decent harvest. The fruits of the early dwarf eggplant are nutritious and pleasant to taste; the variety is considered a table variety.
Eggplant bushes of the Dwarf Early variety are quite compact
The Czech Early variety is one of our gardeners’ favorites. Compact eggplant bushes have a height of up to 60 cm. Black-purple fruits with dense, greenish flesh without bitterness gain weight up to 600 grams. Up to 5 kilograms of crop are harvested from a square meter of bed (4–6 bushes). Czech early is used for home preservation and cooking.
The fruits of eggplants of the Czech Early variety are ovoid in shape and large in size.
Ural eggplants
Since in the Ural region only a short growing season is available to plants, only a few gardeners with extensive practical experience undertake growing eggplants in unprotected soil. In order for eggplants to have time to grow and produce a harvest, in the Urals you have to choose from varieties with early and medium ripening. To the eggplants traditionally loved by all gardeners: Almaz, Alekseevsky, and Robin Hood, Black Beauty, Lilac Fog, and Black Moon, which recently settled in garden beds, you can add several more early and mid-season varieties and hybrids. In general, their list is quite wide, so the choice remains with the gardener.
One of the newest early-ripening varieties, Balagur, after full germination, will have time to produce the first harvest already on the 85th–100th day. Its fruits are small, weighing up to 100 grams, collected in clusters of 3–7 pieces. Eggplants have dense white flesh. Balagur is not susceptible to tobacco mosaic virus and flower abscission.
The eggplant variety Balagur is not susceptible to tobacco mosaic virus and flower drop
Don Quixote is an early ripening variety of eggplant that grows on sparse bushes about 60 cm high. The fruits are solid - reaching a weight of 450 grams. There are few seeds in the pulp. The very good taste of Don Quixote is preserved during cooking.
The fruits of eggplants of the Don Quixote variety are saber-shaped
The mid-early variety Maria can be grown in garden beds and greenhouses. It tolerates temperature changes calmly and has excellent resistance to diseases characteristic of nightshades. The bushes of these eggplants do not exceed 70 cm. The fruits can weigh up to 230 g. The yield per square meter is up to 8 kg.
The eggplant variety Maria is a high-yielding variety
Ukrainian eggplants
In Ukraine, the temperature gap between different winter hardiness zones of plants is not so large.
Frost resistance zones in Ukraine
Individual gardeners grow this vegetable throughout Ukraine, and in the south of the country, eggplant cultivation is widespread both on private farms and on an industrial scale. In recent years, the distribution area of heat-demanding plants has expanded, which makes it possible for more vegetable growers to grow eggplants of the most productive varieties for open ground.
Among the most popular varieties in Ukraine remains the Almaz variety, and newer varieties include Black Beauty, Vera, and Bibo. Of those varieties that have recently appeared in Ukrainian garden beds, you can increasingly find the hybrid variety Clorinda. This is an eggplant of medium ripening with a long fruiting period and high-quality fruits, the largest of which grow up to 1500 g. The plant tolerates significant drops in temperature. On a bush that grows up to a meter, 6–8 dark purple eggplants are tied. The Clorinda variety has white fruit pulp that does not darken when cut, and has virtually no seeds.
Eggplants of the Clorinda variety tolerate significant drops in temperature well.
Premier is another of the high-yielding varieties created by our breeders. These eggplants are grown both indoors and outdoors. It has an early ripening period - from the time of germination to the start of harvesting, 105–112 days. Beautiful purple fruits manage to gain weight up to 400 grams. The Premier eggplant pulp is dense, white, not bitter, and very tasty.
Premier eggplants grow well both indoors and outdoors
Varieties for Belarus
Eggplants in Belarus are grown throughout the country, but not every gardener here will decide to grow blue ones in an open garden bed. After all, the climate of this region is absolutely opposite to the requirements that eggplant needs for normal growth and development. Here the climate is cool, strong winds, sudden temperature changes in summer, and prolonged rains and droughts are not uncommon. Therefore, gardeners prefer growing eggplants in greenhouses, where it is easier to protect them from the negative effects of weather. In this case, a variety of varieties are successfully used. Those vegetable growers who nevertheless undertake to grow blueberries in the garden give preference to the earliest ripening varieties and use film cover.
Salamander
Seeds from Aelita are sown at the end of winter or at the very beginning of March. Planted under film in open ground in the second ten days of May. Branching is friendly and early. Productivity reaches up to 10 kg per 1 m².
The bushes are medium-sized, compact. The fruits are cylindrical, dark purple in color. They grow up to 15-16 cm in length, weight - 200 g. The surface is smooth, glossy. The calyx has sparse spines. The pulp is white, dense, juicy, and not bitter. Used for daily home cooking and winter preparations.
Heat resistance and high adaptation are observed at the beginning of the growing season.
