Description of the Almaz eggplant variety, features of cultivation and care
Eggplant is a vegetable plant that is grown in summer cottages. The Almaz eggplant variety is an unpretentious and non-capricious culture. Providing proper care, gardeners get a rich harvest. The vegetable has an exotic color and is used in the preparation of the first and main courses. Excellent taste, content of macronutrients and vitamins, low calorie content have made eggplant one of the most favorite vegetables.
Description and characteristics
Diamond is a proven eggplant variety. It is considered reliable and versatile compared to other species. Residents of warm regions grow vegetables in the open field. If it is a city with a cold climate, greenhouses or hotbeds are used. It is characterized by mid-ripening.
It can reach a height of 65 cm. Eggplant fruit formation occurs in the lower part of the stem. The calyx of the vegetable has a light green tint. Not covered with thorns, which makes harvesting easier.
The diamond bears fruit in a classic oblong shape. The length of the eggplant ranges from 13 to 18 cm, with a diameter of 6 cm. It has a pleasant taste of pulp, which is covered with a dense skin on top. The flesh is beige with a green tint and is devoid of bitterness. The variety is suitable for preparing hot meals, snacks and preserves.
Advantages and disadvantages
Among the advantages are:
- unpretentious care;
- excellent taste;
- excellent technological properties;
- long distance transportability;
- high productivity.
Against the background of the advantages, the disadvantages of eggplant do not seem so serious. The lower fruits touch the ground. As a result, a light spot is formed, under which there is a hard pulp. Each vegetable has a large amount of seeds, which some people sense in their food.
Plant growing rules
The vegetable can be grown in two ways - seedlings and sowing in the ground. The first option is considered the most effective for eggplant. If you sow seeds in open soil, the harvest may not be expected due to weather conditions. The period of fruit ripening is also taken into account.
Landing dates
Work with planting material usually begins in the second half of winter. Planting in open ground is carried out after the age of the eggplant reaches 65-70 days. They start growing outdoors after late frosts. In addition, the soil must warm up well so that the eggplant seeds sprout vigorously.
Preparing the soil for planting
Land for vegetables can be purchased at a specialized kiosk.She has already passed the disinfection procedure and does not need preparation. The soil is saturated with nutrients and loosening substances. If it's not difficult for a person, you can start preparing the land yourself.
Soil for eggplant is collected from the land on which vegetables and fruits grow. Forest soil collected near the village is also suitable. The collected amount is mixed with peat or sawdust and humus. The last component is wood ash. You will need a glass for a bucket of mixture.
The earth is the habitat of insects and their larvae. Before sowing eggplant seeds it needs to be disinfected. This is done in any available way:
- heating in an oven or microwave;
- steaming in a water bath;
- pouring boiling water;
- processing in the oven or on the grill.
Using the warming up procedure, you can destroy harmful insects, fungi and the remains of parasitic plants. After heat treatment, wait for the soil to cool completely. After that, the earth is left alone for 7-10 days. During this time, the soil rests, and the beneficial microflora is restored.
Seed preparation
One drawback should be mentioned here - a large number of seeds in the fruit. On the other hand, this feature of Almaz makes it possible to collect seed material for sowing next season on your own. To improve the germination of eggplants, it is recommended to prepare them.
Soak
For the procedure, ordinary potassium permanganate is suitable. The solution should be light pink in color. Eggplant seeds are immersed in warm liquid for 20-25 minutes. After that, the solution is drained and the seeds are washed with running water.
Top dressing
The method has a positive effect on germination. It is necessary to prepare a nutrient medium. As a rule, it can be a special preparation or wood ash. For 1 liter of water, you will need 1 tsp. fertilizers. The seeds are soaked in it and left for 24 hours.
Seed hardening
Hardening has a positive effect on the further growth of young plants. After processing the planting material, it is put on gauze, allowing it to dry a little. Eggplant seeds are placed in the lower sections of the refrigerator for a day. Then the hardening procedure is repeated and the seeds are placed in the refrigerator again. Once the stage is completed, the seeds are immediately planted in the ground.
Sowing
Sowing seeds is recommended to be done in separate cups. The Almaz eggplant variety does not tolerate picking well, and this approach will save it from unnecessary stress. The fragile root system of the eggplant can be damaged during the pick, as it is necessary to separate the seedlings from each other. Growth in separate containers has a positive effect on the seedlings themselves, they turn out to be strong and healthy.
2 or 3 grains are planted in each cup. This is a kind of reassurance, since not everyone sprouts. If 2 or 3 sprouts appear, the strongest one is chosen for further transplantation. Eggplant seeds can be planted in large containers. At the same time, a distance of 6-7 cm between the landing sites is maintained.
Seed material is immersed in the soil to a depth of 2 cm. In order for seedlings to appear as early as possible, certain conditions are created. In the room where the future seedlings are located, set the temperature to 22 ° C. Cover with foil on top to create a greenhouse effect.
How to care for your culture
Greenhouse conditions are discarded when shoots appear. For the normal development of shoots, the temperature is reduced to 15 ° C. A low value will slow down the pulling of the eggplant stems and help the root system to form. After 1-2 weeks, the temperature is increased to continue the development of the aerial part of the plant.
Watering
Seedlings, like an adult plant, need regular watering. It is better to take water settled, but not too cold. The watering procedure is carried out as the earthen coma dries out.As practice shows, once every 3 days is enough.
Top dressing
In addition to watering, young eggplant sprouts need fertilization. Top dressing is carried out every 2 weeks. Urea is used for organic growth. Potassium is shown when the green part is pulled sharply. Organic fertilizers can be used as top dressing: mullein, bird droppings, slurry.
Hardening
Diamond is an eggplant variety that does not stand out for being exacting. But before planting in the ground, preliminary hardening of young seedlings is necessary. The procedure is simple and does not involve the use of any tools. The gardener needs to take the pots of greenery out into the open air.
The first eggplant hardening procedure takes 15 minutes. Every day the interval is increased by 2-3 minutes. Outdoor weather conditions should be favorable so as not to freeze the culture. Warm air and sun rays are another requirement.
Transfer
The plant will better tolerate the transplant and take root in a new place if it has at least 5 leaves. With the appearance of this number of leaves, the eggplant root system develops sufficiently. After the emergence of shoots, 70 days are counted and the culture is transplanted into open soil. Disembarkation time falls in late May and lasts until early June.
This period is favorable for disembarkation, since the earth has time to warm up and there is no frost. Before planting seedlings, the soil is watered with water, loosening it. The root is deepened by 7 cm, planting the shoots in rows. A distance of 30 cm must be maintained between plants, and 65 cm between rows. For 1 sq. m of soil is enough to plant 6 eggplants.
Protection against diseases and pests
Eggplant Diamond is rarely affected by plant diseases. The most dangerous pest for a vegetable is the Colorado potato beetle. Being in the larval stage, it quickly infects the green mass of the culture. Rows with young seedlings from time to time suffer from the parasitic spider mite.
The pest actively reproduces in regions with a humid climate and high air temperatures.
Slugs cause massive damage to the culture, gnawing not only leaves, but also shoots. The least affected by aphids, bear and whitefly. Periodic treatment of eggplant with insecticidal preparations protects the bushes from pests. The soil also needs disinfection. The aisles are sprinkled with slaked lime or wood ash.
To reduce the number of treatments of the plant with chemical preparations, competent preventive measures are taken and the stages of agricultural technology are followed.
Harvesting and storage rules
The fruits are ready to harvest when they turn deep purple. It is necessary to remove eggplants from the garden constantly, since the crop ripens partially. Garden shears or pruners are suitable for cutting a Diamond. This will allow you to carefully remove the fruit without damaging the bush.
Eggplants should not be left on the branches if they have already ripened. In overripe fruits, the skin color changes from purple to brown. After this, the eggplant becomes poisonous. The use of such fruits in food causes digestive problems and negatively affects the ENT organs.
