All about Vera eggplants
The representative of the early ripening varieties is the Vera eggplant. The yield of the species is average. The fruits are of high taste and marketability. Suitable for growing lovers of early production.
All about Vera eggplants
Characteristics of the variety
The variety was bred in 1998 at the West Siberian Vegetable Experimental Station in Barnaul. Included in the State Register of Russia in 2001. Zoned across the Ural, West Siberian and Far Eastern regions. Designed for outdoor cultivation. Fruits ripen 100-118 days after full shoots appear. One plant produces an average of 1 kg of vegetables. With good care - up to a maximum of 3 kg.
The characteristic of the eggplant Vera is positive due to the following qualities:
- early maturity;
- resistance to low temperatures and their drops;
- rot resistance;
- presentable view;
- the output of marketable products is more than 90%.
Description of the tree
Small bush. Height 60-80 cm. Leafiness is average. The leaves are small, dark green with a subtle purple tinge, with a notch at the edge. The plant has almost no thorns. Those that are found are very rare. The stems are strong. The flowers are blue.
Description of fruits
Cylindrical vegetables, small. The color at the stage of technical ripeness is bright purple, with time it becomes dark purple. There is a light stripe under the calyx. The surface is glossy. Weight 125-180 g, in some specimens - 300 g. Length 15-20 cm. The pulp is dense, greenish-white in color. There are no voids. The skin is thin. The taste is good, without bitterness. Keeping quality is excellent. They are used for cooking various dishes, making preservation.
Growing
Eggplants are very thermophilic
Vera eggplants are cultivated both in seedling and non-seedling methods, depending on the conditions of the region. If the summer is long in the area, then the seeds can be planted directly into the soil in May. And then cover them with foil. This sowing method is also chosen when a greenhouse is available. But if the hot period is only 1.5-2 months, you should start growing seedlings.
Planting seeds
The high germination capacity of the seed will be ensured by its preparation. First, quality grains are selected. To do this, they are soaked in water for half an hour. Hollow ones will float up, and full-bodied ones will sink to the bottom. Those that are drowned are removed and dried.
Then they are subjected to heat treatment: they are placed for several days in an environment with a temperature of 50-55˚С. For this purpose, you can use a heater. Then the seeds are pickled by soaking them in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, which will prevent the development of fungal diseases in the future.
Some gardeners treat the seed with growth stimulants. Saturate the grains with nutrients, such as aloe juice. To do this, take plants that have reached the age of three. The seeds are placed on a plate so that they do not touch, and poured over with juice. Leave for a day. Do not rinse and dry slightly.
For sowing, prepare soil based on vermicompost or soil mixture, which should have the following composition:
- 1 part peat;
- 1 part of humus;
- 1 part sand.
The earth is poured into prepared containers: cassettes, boxes, plastic cups, peat pots. The best option is separate vessels. They will allow you to avoid the picking process, since eggplants are very sensitive to it and often do not take root after the procedure. Abundant watering is carried out. Seeds are planted in February - early March. They are closed up to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. They are covered with peat on top and covered with plastic wrap.
Sprout care
First, the vessels with the planted seeds are left warm (24-26 ° C) until sprouts appear (from 5 to 21 days, depending on the degree of seed preparation). Then the indicators are lowered to 16˚C during the day and 13-14˚C at night. This temperature is maintained for 5 days so that the seedlings do not stretch out. Further, containers with seedlings are placed in conditions similar to the microclimate of open ground. Daytime indicators should be 26-28˚С, nighttime - 15-17˚С. Plants begin to harden 2 weeks before planting. For this purpose, the vessels with sprouts are taken out into the street. First for 1-2 hours, then the time is gradually increased.
In March, the daylight hours are not long enough for the full development of sprouts, so they are supplemented with the help of various devices: daylight lamps, LED lamps, phytolamps.
Eggplant seedlings require constant soil moisture. For this, warm settled water is used. It must be applied under the root very carefully so that the liquid does not wash out the ground and harm the delicate leaves.
Seedlings are fed with substances that contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Therefore, solutions prepared on the basis of superphosphate, potassium sulfate and urea will be useful. Fertilizers are applied in 2 stages:
- in the phase of 2 true leaves;
- two weeks after the previous one.
If the seeds are sown in a common box, then in the phase of 1-2 true leaves, the plants dive. To do this, the day before the procedure, they are watered abundantly. Take containers with a volume of 200-250 ml, cover with soil mixture for seedlings. Make a hole. The seedlings are removed from the vessels with a spatula along with a lump of earth. If the central root is long, you need to pinch it. The plant is placed in a hole, watered, covered with earth and compacted.
Transplanting
Excellent results from good seedlings
Plants are planted in open ground when the threat of repeated frosts has passed, and the air and soil are well warmed up. The optimum temperature for the proper development of eggplants is 22-24 ° C, with rates below 13-14 ° C, they stop growing. Disembarkation takes place in mid-May - early June. Seedlings should have 5-6 true leaves and be 9-10 cm tall.
The soil is prepared in the fall. Eggplant Vera prefers light soils, the pH level of which should be neutral. If the acidity is too high, it is neutralized by adding lime or dolomite flour to the ground. You also need to saturate the soil with nutrients. For this purpose, organic fertilizers are embedded in it. For 1 sq. m. make 1.5-2 buckets of rotted manure or compost, 20 g of potassium sulfate, 20 g of superphosphate.
In spring, nitrogen-containing agents are also added (potassium nitrate - 20 g per 1 sq. M). The planting is carried out on a cloudy day according to the 40 * 60 cm scheme. A few days before that, the soil is loosened. Then the holes are prepared. Their depth should be 10 cm. 300-400 ml of warm settled water are added to each. Plants are placed in them along with an earthen clod or peat cups. They are covered with soil, slightly compacted. Lay a layer of mulch, which is taken as peat. Planting does not bother for about 10 days. If the weather is sunny, eggplants will shade.
Fertilizer
To increase the quantity and quality of the crop, the crop needs to be fed. It is necessary to strictly adhere to the recommendations for the dosage of drugs, since an excess of minerals can lead to the opposite result: the plants will increase the green mass to the detriment of the formation of fruits. Fertilizers should be applied according to a certain scheme 3-4 times per season.
The first time feeding is done 2-3 weeks after planting in a permanent place. For this, eggplants are watered with a solution of substances that contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Add 10 g of each product to 10 liters of water. The following fertilizers are applied at intervals of 2-2.5 weeks, doubling the rates.The culture responds positively to complex preparations, which are used according to the attached instructions.
Watering
Water should be applied in moderation, as plants do not tolerate its lack or excess. Water the crop as the topsoil dries out. To do this, use a warm, settled liquid, which is introduced only at the root.
After each moistening, the soil is loosened. In row spacings, the soil is sealed to a depth of 10-12 cm, near bushes - by 4-5 cm. At the same time, it is worth removing the weeds so that they do not consume moisture and nutrients.
Diseases and pests
According to the description, Vera eggplants are exposed to fungal diseases, as well as the invasion of the Colorado potato beetle. Other pests are very rarely affected.
Fight disease
- Black leg - can be cured if the disease is in the initial stages of development. Affected plants are removed, the soil is treated with fungicides: in the form of a powder - Glyocladin, in the form of a solution - Fitosporin, Alirin, Gamair, Planriz, HOM, Previkur. If it is not possible to use such preparations, you need to sprinkle the soil with a mixture of ash, coal and river sand.
- Late blight - Bordeaux liquid or 0.2% copper sulfate solution is used to fight. The following drugs are effective: Quadris, Antracol, Consento. They also produce dusting with wood ash.
Pest control
Colorado potato beetle larvae and adults are harvested by hand. To scare away insects, marigolds or basil are planted in the garden.
Prophylaxis
Diseases and pests will not infect eggplants if you follow these recommendations:
- disinfect the soil before planting seeds, since pathogens live in it;
- do not allow abundant moisture in the earth;
- do not plant a crop on acidic soils;
- avoid thickening of plantings;
- provide eggplants with good lighting;
- do not oversaturate plants with nitrogen fertilizers;
- remove the tops of nightshade crops after harvest.
To prevent the development of diseases, spraying with garlic tincture is performed. To do this, take 200 g of chopped garlic, pour 3 liters of water, insist for several days. Before use, dilute with water in equal amounts. You can also treat the plants with a solution of whey (1: 1 ratio with water). For preventive purposes, they are also sprayed with fungicides.
Conclusion
The Vera eggplant variety is gaining more and more popularity due to its high taste. Dishes made from these vegetables are very healthy and should be included in every family's menu.