The best early eggplant varieties

Not every gardener decides to plant eggplant in his area. These plants are a little capricious and very thermophilic, they need constant care and timely watering, they are prone to many diseases. But science does not stand still, breeders every year bring out new varieties and hybrids that are more resistant to diseases, able to withstand frost, unpretentious in care. And at the same time high-yielding!

When and how to plant eggplant in Our Country

The climate of central Our Country used to be considered too cold for the heat-loving eggplant. These vegetables could only be grown in the south or in greenhouses and greenhouses. Eggplants have recently been planted in open ground in the middle lane – suitable varieties have appeared for this, the best of which give an excellent harvest and are famous for their taste.

Experienced gardeners claim that the most suitable varieties for a temperate climate are early ripening and extra early. Short ripening periods – from 75 to 100 days – allow the vegetable to ripen in such a short summer period. In addition, early ripe eggplants are less likely to get sick, less susceptible to rot and insect damage.

So, the best varieties for such conditions are early ripe eggplants, resistant to low temperatures and most diseases, giving a high yield and having good taste.

In order to properly grow early varieties of eggplant, a number of conditions must be observed:

1. Buy quality seeds past fungicidal and antiseptic treatment, hardened from low temperatures.
2. prepare seedlings, it is the seedling method of growing that is more suitable for early ripe eggplants. Seeds should be planted in disposable cups so that the roots of the plant do not suffer during transplantation, and to avoid picking seedlings.
3. Choose a well-lit, warm area for landing on open ground. Greenhouse varieties give the highest yields, but they are more difficult to cultivate, they are more capricious.
4. fertilize plants several times: during planting in the ground, on the days of flowering and the appearance of the first fruits. Mineral fertilizers are used for this.
5. Timely water the plants Eggplant does not tolerate drought well.
6. Remove infected or rotten seedlings in timeto prevent the spread of the disease.
7. Harvest regularly, preventing overripe fruits and damage to the bushes.

How to choose the best eggplant seeds

Each modern eggplant variety or hybrid has its pros and cons. To choose the right variety for specific growing conditions, you need to familiarize yourself with classification of this vegetable. So, eggplants are divided by:

• Growing method – open ground, heated greenhouse, film greenhouse, temporary covering material.
• Ripening rates – early ripening crops bear fruit on the 75-100th day after the first seedlings hatch, mid-ripening crops ripen by the 110-130th day, and late varieties will yield only after 150 days of the vegetative period.
• resistance to certain diseases and lower temperatures.
• Taste qualities – there are vegetables with tender pulp and thin skin, they are more suitable for salads, side dishes. Those eggplants, the flesh of which is denser with a minimum number of seeds, are best used for canning or cooking with long-term heat treatment. For example, it is from hard and dense fruits that the most delicious caviar is obtained.
• Appearance – today, eggplants can be not only the usual purple color, there are a lot of their shades: from yellow to purple. The same applies to the shape of a vegetable – the usual pear-shaped form is found only occasionally. There are spherical eggplants, egg-shaped fruits, vegetables that have an elongated and oblong shape.
• The last division of eggplant – These are breeding hybrids and varietal crops. Hybrids are more productive, protected from external influences, and varieties have better taste qualities – the traditional rich taste of “blue ones”. Most often, the hybrid has a name with the symbols F1 at the end.

The combination of all these factors determines the final choice of eggplant seeds. After all, a lot here is a matter of taste and possibilities. Someone can grow vegetables in the country, visiting it only on weekends. And for some, eggplants become a daily job that brings considerable income.

The most productive varieties

Probably, every gardener is most interested in one question – how many eggplants can he get from his plot. The yield largely depends on the variety chosen. Most often, hybrid seeds give the largest number of fruits, but there are several varietal eggplants that are also distinguished by fertility.

“Nadir”

One of the early ripe and very productive eggplant varieties is Nadir. This variety is a “relative” of the famous “Diamond”. The bushes of the plant are low (up to 50 cm) and sprawling, the ovary is formed below, closer to the ground. The first fruits from this plant can be obtained already on the 70-80th day after emergence.

Eggplants grow in medium size – their length is about 15 cm, and the mass often lies in the range of 150-200 grams. The color of the fruit is deep purple, the skin is thin with a glossy sheen.

The taste of eggplant varieties “Nadir” is excellent, without bitterness, with a strongly pronounced aroma. The pulp is tender and fleshy.

The variety has a very high yield – up to 70 tons per hectare of land, which makes this eggplant one of the best-selling. Fruits tolerate transportation and storage well, remain beautiful and juicy for a long time.

Variety “Nadir” is quite demanding: in order to get a high yield, you need to water the vegetables on time and maintain high air and soil temperatures. For this, great attention should be paid to the method of planting and processing of row spacing. Timely collection of eggplants (every 5-7 days) will increase the growing season and prolong the productive “life” of the plant.

It is necessary to grow a variety of seedlings. To do this, I use the cassette method, which involves planting seedlings without damaging the root system. The seedlings are ready for transplantation when 7 leaves have already appeared on them, and this happens by the 60-70th day after sowing the seeds in cassettes.

You can see the fruits of the Nadir variety in this photo.

“Diamond”

One of the most famous eggplant varieties is the Almaz variety. The culture belongs to early ripening – the first fruits are ready for harvest on the 70-80th day after planting. The plant is distinguished by small compact bushes, their height rarely reaches 55 cm. Eggplants are tied in bunches at the bottom of the bush.

The color of ripe fruits is rich, dark purple. The peel is shiny, with a tint. The pulp of an eggplant “Diamond” has white color, absolutely does not contain bitterness. The size of the fruit is small – 15-17 cm, and the shape is cylindrical.

A high yield from this crop can be obtained under the following conditions:

• timely irrigation;
• frequent picking of vegetables (every 6-7 days);
• high humidity maintained until ovaries appear;
• compliance with the planting scheme;
• maintaining a high temperature;
• planting in the ground by seedling method.

All these measures contribute to the increase in productivity, if they are observed, up to 50 tons of high-quality vegetables, excellent for sale, can be obtained from a hectare of land.

“Negus”

The bushes of the plant are low – up to 50 cm, they are distinguished by the simultaneous appearance of lateral shoots. Eggplants are round in shape and small in size, the weight of one fruit reaches 180 grams. The pulp of the vegetable is very tasty and quite dense, this variety is great for canning. 

It is recommended to grow eggplant “Negus” in seedlings. Seeds are sown in cassettes in the second half of February, seedlings are transplanted into open ground on the 65th-70th day after that, bushes should have 5-7 large leaves.

“Czech Early”

Another favorite variety of domestic gardeners is the Czech eggplant. The bushes of this plant are compact, reaching a maximum height of 60 cm. The fruits are ovoid and rather large in size, their weight reaches 600 grams.

The pulp of the vegetable is greenish-white in color, without a bitter aftertaste and with excellent aroma. The structure of the pulp is dense, which makes the Czech eggplant universal – suitable for cooking second courses and canning. The standard skin color is dark purple.

You can plant this variety with seeds under a film or seedlings. The plant is suitable for both greenhouses and open ground. The thickening of plants greatly reduces the yield of the variety, so seedlings are planted no more than 4-6 bushes per square meter of soil.

The yield of the variety reaches 4-5 kg ​​per square meter. A photo of the fruit is shown below.

“King of the North F1”

The first fruits appear on the 95-100th day after planting the seeds. They have an unusual oblong shape and small diameter, the length of the eggplant reaches 30 cm. The skin color is dark purple, and the flesh is white, without bitterness.

Due to the large number of ovaries and large fruits, the King of the North F1 hybrid is one of the most productive – up to 15 kg of eggplant can be obtained from one meter of soil.

“Purple Miracle”

Another early and productive variety is the Purple Miracle. Its first fruits can be obtained on the 100th day after planting the seeds. They have an oblong cylindrical shape, dark purple color and pale green flesh.

The taste of the vegetable is excellent, without bitterness. The pulp is tender, eggplant is suitable for preservation and for cooking various dishes.

The fruits grow small – up to 110-140 grams, but they grow densely. This increases the yield of the variety up to 14 kg per meter of land. You can see the “Purple Miracle” in the photo below.

“Behemoth F1”

One of the most famous eggplant hybrids is Behemoth F1. It is grown in greenhouses or greenhouses, the first fruits appear on the 101-110th day after planting the seeds. The name of the variety is associated with its unusually high growth – the bushes reach two meters in height, so greenhouses and greenhouses should be quite high.

The main advantages of the hybrid “Begemot F1”: the taste of the fruit, high yield, good presentation. From one square meter of a greenhouse, it is quite possible to get up to 14 kg of excellent eggplants.

“Purple Haze”

The very original Lilac Fog variety is known not only for its unusual shade, but also for its excellent adaptability to weather conditions. This variety is recommended by breeders for cultivation in any region of Our Country, it tolerates cold very well.

Outwardly, the plant is quite easy to recognize – its bushes are low (up to 60 cm), and the stem and shoots are covered with a continuous layer of the edge. The leaves are also peculiar – bright green, large, without notches along the edges.

The most remarkable in the variety is the eggplant fruit. They have a bright lilac color and tender, white flesh. The size of eggplants is small, their weight varies between 110-270 grams.

The variety can be grown in a heated greenhouse, greenhouse or outdoors. The first vegetables ripen on the 105th day after planting the seeds. The plant is resistant to blossom end rot and gives high yields – up to 6,5 kgm².

But the main feature of the culture is, after all, the appearance of the fruits that can be seen in the photo.

What seeds to buy

There are a great many varieties of eggplant, only “experimentally” can determine the best of them. After all, for this plant, as for all vegetables, the type of soil, the climatic features of the region, the frequency of watering and feeding, and much more are very important.

Each gardener finds his best “blue” varieties and grows them year after year. To find a suitable variety, you need to try, experiment and, of course, follow the recommendations indicated on the seed packaging.