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Eggplant is probably the most heat-loving vegetable crop, because their homeland is hot India. Ten years ago, gardeners in most of Our Country did not even dream of growing eggplants in their own gardens and dachas. Thanks to breeding, many varieties and hybrids of this vegetable have appeared today, adapted to domestic weather conditions. Residents of the south and central part of Our Country now have access to the cultivation of “blue ones” in the open field, but it’s better for the northerners not to risk it. To obtain consistently high yields, eggplants are best grown in greenhouses. And this article will help determine the best eggplant varieties for greenhouses.
Which greenhouses are better
If earlier polyethylene film and glass were used as a material for the construction of greenhouses and greenhouses, today a more worthy analogue has appeared – polycarbonate. Now most greenhouses and conservatories are built from this lightweight and inexpensive material.
Polycarbonate greenhouses have a number of advantages:
- They are very light, they can be built and repaired without much difficulty, even by yourself.
- Polycarbonate has a low thermal conductivity, so it retains warm air well inside the greenhouse, while at the same time not letting cold inside.
- The material has sufficient transparency to penetrate and scatter sunlight.
- Polycarbonate is more durable than glass and film, they cannot be hurt.
- It has a long service life, the greenhouse does not need to be dismantled for the winter.
All this speaks in favor of polycarbonate greenhouses, which is why they are so widespread.
What varieties of eggplant are suitable for growing in greenhouses
So that temperature fluctuations do not harm fragile and capricious eggplants, it is most reliable to plant seeds in greenhouses made of polycarbonate or other material.
Planting in closed ground contributes to an increase in yield, since eggplant varieties for polycarbonate greenhouses are the most productive.
Indeed, most often, hybrids are used – they do not need pollination, they tolerate transplantation better, and are resistant to diseases. Of course, such plants need more careful care, they require regular watering at least once a week, fertilizer (three times during the entire growing season), pinching, pinching, tying and other things.
In principle, any variety of eggplant is suitable for growing in a greenhouse. Experienced gardeners say that it is better to use seeds of early-ripening and mid-ripening varieties for greenhouses – this way vegetables will appear much earlier and ripen faster.
“Nutcracker”
One of the mid-early varieties with a fairly high yield – up to 6 kg of eggplant can be obtained from one square meter of land. Such a yield is ensured by a large number of ovaries, because even buds appear on the tops of the bushes of this variety.
The plant is spreading with rather high bushes – up to 90 cm. Mature fruits have a very dark color, their shape is oval, the diameter is large, and the average length is up to 15 cm. The weight of one Nutcracker eggplant often reaches 0,5 kg. Taste is also at its best – the vegetable has white and tender flesh. The fruits tolerate transportation well and are distinguished by their “keeping quality”, without losing their elasticity and presentation over time.
This hybrid is intended for seedling cultivation, the plants are transferred to a polycarbonate greenhouse in late spring or early summer. The first fruits can be obtained already on the 40th day after planting the seedlings.
The Nutcracker does not require any complicated care, all it needs is warmth and humidity. Mineral fertilizers can greatly increase the yield of eggplants of this variety.
“Bagira”
Another mid-early hybrid that gives high yields. From sowing seeds to the appearance of the first eggplants, it usually takes about 110 days. Variety “Bagheera” is not affected by dangerous diseases, but requires comfortable conditions – constant temperature and humidity.
With such a microclimate in a greenhouse, you can get up to 14 kg of eggplant from each square meter of area.
The hybrid was bred specifically for small greenhouses and greenhouses, the bushes and the root system of plants are compact, which allows them to be grown in shallow containers with a substrate.
Eggplants grow small, their weight is about 240 grams. Their shape is oval, slightly elongated, and the shade is dark purple. The flesh of this variety is tender, light green in color. Young eggplants have absolutely no bitterness, but untimely harvesting leads to this unpleasant aftertaste.
The fruits are used for cooking, marinating and preserving.
“Baikal”
Mid-season greenhouse variety of eggplant. Against the background of other varieties, it stands out for its high growth – the bushes reach 1200 cm in height. For maximum yield (8 kg per meter), it is necessary to maintain constant humidity in a greenhouse with this eggplant. Otherwise, it is very unpretentious, resistant to disease.
The fruits usually appear on the 110th day after sowing the seeds. Their shape is pear-shaped, with a slight curvature. The mass of one eggplant of the Baikal variety reaches 400 grams. The skin is dark purple. The pulp has a light green hue, does not contain bitterness. Vegetables tolerate transportation well, can be used for canning.
“Balagur”
Growing this ultra-early variety brings very bountiful harvests. The fact is that on the bushes “Joker” the ovary is formed in the form of brushes, each of them contains 5-7 fruits. The first vegetables appear already on the 85th day after planting the seeds.
Eggplants grow small (80-100 grams) and are distinguished by an interesting spherical shape and a bright purple hue. If crops of other varieties are planted nearby, a color change to dark purple is possible.
The taste of eggplant varieties “Balagur” is characteristic, pronounced, and the flesh is white and tender, the skin is smooth and shiny.
Plants are quite high – up to 1500 cm, so they need to be tied up. Proper tying in this case is necessary, otherwise the bushes may break off. After all, about 100 eggplants ripen on each of them. The plant is resistant to most diseases.
“Fabina”
The fruits of the Fabina hybrid appear very quickly and early, the first vegetables can be picked as early as 70 days after sowing the seeds. The cultivation of this hybrid is possible both in greenhouses and in open ground. The plant is quite unpretentious, the bushes are compact, small in height (45-50 cm).
The ovary appears at the same time, 7-9 eggplants can be removed from each bush at a time. The total yield of the variety reaches 8 kg per square meter.
The plant is resistant to most diseases, including the most dangerous – spider mites and verticillium. Vegetables can be stored for a long time and tolerate transportation well.
The fruits have a very dark, sometimes even black, shade. Their peel is glossy, elongated shape. The average weight of eggplants is up to 220 grams, and the length is about 20 cm. In timely picked vegetables, the flesh is dense, without seeds, and has a pale green tint. The taste of the eggplant variety “Fabina” is unusual, slightly mushroomy. Therefore, the fruits are often used to prepare various snacks and salads, but they can be successfully preserved and marinated.
“Black handsome”
Another variety for growing in greenhouse conditions is the mid-season Black Handsome. The plant gives one of the highest yields – up to 13 kg per meter. You can also grow this variety in open ground, but only in the southern regions with a stable temperature.
Eggplants are immune to dangerous diseases and thrive best in rich, fertile soil. This vegetable does not need sunlight, unlike other varieties, the “Black Handsome” feels great in partial shade, and even in the shade. The main thing that a plant needs is moisture.
Bushes grow low – up to 60 cm, differ in leaves and stems covered with thorns. The fruits are pear-shaped and light in weight – up to 250 grams.
The hue of the skin is deep purple. The pulp has a slightly greenish color (sometimes yellow) and a delicate taste without bitterness. Vegetables of the “Black Handsome” variety are excellent for sale, they retain their marketable appearance and freshness for a long time.
“Alenka”
The hybrid belongs to early ripening and is intended for cultivation in closed ground. This eggplant has an unusual green skin. The fruits appear on the 104th day after sowing the seeds. They have a cylindrical shape and large sizes, the mass of one eggplant reaches 350 grams.
The bushes are low, distinguished by dense foliage and the absence of thorns on the stems and calyxes. The fruits are great for cooking various dishes and canning, they have absolutely no bitterness. The yield of the hybrid is quite high – up to 7,5 kg of fresh vegetables are obtained from one meter of land.
“City F1”
The representative of mid-season hybrids for growing in a greenhouse is the “City F1” eggplant. This variety is a real giant. The height of the bushes can reach three meters, so the size of the greenhouse must be appropriate. The bushes are sprawling, have many fruits.
The fruits themselves are also quite “powerful”, their weight reaches 0,5 kg, and their length is 30 cm. The shape of the “City” eggplant variety is cylindrical, and the color is dark purple. The pulp is tasty with a greenish tint. Eggplants are suitable for canning and cooking side dishes, salads.
The plant is resistant to tobacco mosaic virus. The yield of the variety reaches 7,7 kg per square meter.
How to prepare a greenhouse for planting eggplant
The polycarbonate greenhouse is not dismantled for the winter, so preparations for the new season can be done from the fall. Eggplant is very picky about the composition of the soil, so preparation should be given due attention. The following steps must be followed:
- remove the layer of old soil and replace it with a new one;
- disinfect the earth by watering it with a solution of copper sulfate;
- perform soil deoxidation using one of the methods (wood ash, dolomite flour, lime or crushed chalk);
- fertilize the soil abundantly with cow dung or compost fertilizer.
In late winter or early spring, when the supports are removed from the greenhouse, you can dig up the soil and prepare beds for eggplant.
Holes are made at a distance of about half a meter from each other, half a glass of wood ash can be poured into each of them.
Seedlings or eggplant seeds can be planted in the ground watered with a solution of manganese. This plant does not like transplanting very much, so you need to make sure that a clod of earth is held between the roots of the seedlings.
Young eggplant seedlings are very fragile, they are carefully transferred to the ground and deepened a couple of centimeters more than they grew before. Growing seedlings is possible only at a constant air temperature of at least 18-20 degrees – the cold is detrimental to eggplants.
Seedlings are ready for planting in the greenhouse when there are 5-7 large leaves on the stem, and the height of the seedling is at least 20 cm.
The process of growing eggplant is quite complex and time-consuming. Even early varieties sing for about three months, all this time the plant requires some care, watering and maintaining constant heat. But with a competent approach, and even having a polycarbonate greenhouse, it is quite possible to grow early vegetables for sale.
Experienced farmers advise planting seeds of varieties of different ripening dates, so the harvest will be stable, and fresh vegetables will be able to please the owner until the first frost.
