In a huge amount of eggplant seed production, you can choose a variety for every taste and color. Those wishing to get an early harvest should try the Vera variety. Its advantages and features of cultivation are described below.

Description and characteristics of the variety

Eggplant is a thermophilic culture, therefore it is very important to develop cold-resistant varieties, such as Vera. This is an early ripe variety of universal application.

Selection history

The breeders of Russia, namely the workers of the Barnaul vegetable station, were engaged in the cultivation of the variety. A variety appeared in 1998, entered in the State Register in 2001. Eggplant was intended for cold regions such as the Urals and Siberia.

Did you know? Eggplant, although a vegetable, is considered a berry. The largest grew in the Kuban in 2012, its weight is 1690. Prior to this, the record belonged to the Chinese fetus - 1500 g.

The plant is resistant to low temperatures and to sharp temperature drops. Grown in greenhouses and in open ground. But it is not practiced in industrial vegetable growing because of low productivity (up to 1–1.5 kg / m²), with good agricultural technology - up to 3 kg / m².

Description of the fetus

Compact bushes, up to 70 cm high, have leaves of saturated green color with a violet shade. Cups of flowers are covered with a small number of spikes. Fruit ripening begins 100 days after emergence.

Ripe fruits have the following characteristics:

• thin glossy skin is painted in dark purple;
• fruits are cylindrical, medium-sized;
• dense, without voids, the pulp has a greenish-white color;
• the fruits grow to 14–18 cm and weigh about 130–170 g (rarely 250–300 g);
• the pulp is tasty, without bitterness;
• technical maturity falls at the end of August - beginning of September;
• used for the preservation and preparation of various side dishes.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

• This eggplant has numerous "advantages":
• early ripening;
• good tolerance of temperature extremes and low temperatures;
• stable yield;
• good quality and taste of products;
• resistance to rot;
• good transportability;
• yield exceeds 90%.

• Among the "cons" of the variety:
• low productivity;
• the dependence of the number of fruits on agricultural technology;
• the need for fertilizing.

Features of cultivation and care

In warm regions, eggplant can be grown by sowing seeds in the ground, and in cold regions it is better to give preference to the seedling method. Growing through seedlings will provide an opportunity to get an earlier crop.

Before sowing seeds, it is advisable to prepare:

• to reject poor seed, it is soaked in water for 30 minutes. Drowned seeds are used, and pop-ups are thrown away;
• dried seeds contain for 2-3 days at a temperature of about + 50 ... + 55 ° C (on a heating device);
• hardening is provided by keeping the seeds on the lower shelf of the refrigerator (1-2 days);
• disinfection is carried out by soaking in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate or an infusion of garlic (30 g per 100 ml) for an hour;
• you can use purchased growth stimulants.

Plants prefer fertile loose soil, so a mixture of peat, humus and sand in equal parts is taken for planting.

Important! Eggplants react poorly to transplants, so it is better to sow seeds for seedlings in individual containers (plastic cups or peat pots) so that transplants can be carried out by transplantation with an earthen lump.

Sowing is carried out in mid-late February. Seeds are planted to a depth of 1.5–2 cm and covered with a film. The optimum temperature for germination is about + 25 ° C.

After 2-3 weeks, shoots appear that need to create the appropriate conditions:

• the first 5-7 days - lowering the temperature to + 16 ° C;
• for further growth, the desired temperature during the day is about + 25 ... + 27 ° C, and at night + 15 ... + 17 ° C;
• so that the seedlings do not stretch, you need to conduct additional illumination with LED or conventional lamps;
• watering is done with warm, settled water as the top layer of the earth coma dries up;
• the first top dressing is carried out in the presence of 2 real sheets with fertilizers "Kemira-luxury", "Kemira-universal" or "Epin-extra". 20-30 g of the drug are dissolved in 10 l of water and watered under the root (so that the solutions do not fall on the leaves and cause burns). Ammonium nitrate, superphosphate or potassium sulfate are also suitable for top dressing. On a bucket of water, respectively, 1, 3 and 2 tsp are used. drugs;
• after 2 weeks, top dressing can be repeated with the same drugs;
• before planting in the ground (for 12-14 days), the plants harden, putting them in the shade for several hours.

If there are 8–10 leaves (age 55–75 days), the seedlings are planted in a permanent place. Usually this occurs at the end of May - beginning of June, when stable warm weather is established.

Did you know? Some varieties of eggplant are not quite similar to the usual vegetable for us: Sadko has a striped fruit color, Swan Lake varieties are white, and Grape Bunches have many green fruits in one brush.

Landing is subject to certain rules:

• the best precursors may be onions, legumes, carrots or zucchini;
• from autumn, 1.5 buckets of rotted compost and 20 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate are introduced into the garden per 1 m² each;
• transplantation is carried out in the evening or in cloudy weather;
• the distance between the bushes is about 40 cm, and between the rows - 60–70 cm;
• 1.5–2 L of warm, settled water is poured into wells up to 10 cm deep;
• seedlings with a lump of earth are placed in pits and sprinkled to the leaves with earth, which is pressed a little;
• the plants are mulched with peat and left alone for 8–10 days;
• in the first week it is necessary to shade them from sunlight.

In the future, plants require standard care: watering, loosening, weeding and top dressing.

Watering is necessary so that the soil does not dry out and is not too wet, because plants like moderate humidity. Well-maintained and heated in the sun water is well suited for irrigation. After watering, the soil needs loosening so that a crust does not form.

You also need to regularly remove weeds. Mulching the soil will prevent crusting and weed growth.

The standard feeding scheme assumes up to 3 times per season. But this does not mean that you need to strictly follow this schedule - the eggplant does not like an overabundance of fertilizer. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the plants: the leaves have become pale - should be fed with nitrogen, fruit is not tied up a little - spraying with boric acid will help.

The main feeding is as follows:

• the first is carried out 10-12 days after transplanting the bushes to a permanent place. A mixture of urea (100 g) and nitrofoski (25 g) diluted in 10 liters of water is suitable for it. It should be watered under the root, about 0.5 l for each plant. A yeast solution (100 g per bucket of warm water) stimulates growth well. The mixture is infused for a day, after which 0.5 l is poured under each bush;
• the second time the plants fertilize at the beginning of flowering. Organic matter is needed during this period, therefore mullein or bird droppings are used (1 kg per bucket of water, infused for a week). Consumption - 0.5 l under the bush;
• in the third feeding, potash and phosphorus components predominate. You can apply one of the options: 70 g of urea and superphosphate + 20 g of potassium chloride per 10 l of water, 1 tsp. potassium sulfate to the same volume or 2 tbsp. l nitroammophoski on 10 l. Ash feeding is often practiced (0.5 l. Can per 1 m²).

To optimize flowering and fruiting, spraying with boric acid (1 g per 1 liter of warm water) is used.

There are some features regarding bush formation:

• plants are compact, but high enough, therefore, to improve branching, at a height of 0.4-0.5 m, the top can be pinched;
• there are usually few stepsons, but if the plant is too dense, then the extra stepsons are removed;
• it is advisable to remove the shoots growing inward, as well as all the leaves under the lower fork of the stem.

Diseases and Pests

Eggplants are solanaceous, therefore they are most often affected:

• with excessive moisture - a “black leg” (young plants). The disease is characterized by decay of the base of the stem, as a result of which the bush dies. Affected eggplants are removed and all others are sprayed. To combat the disease, "Fitosporin", "Gamair", "Previkur" or other fungicides are used according to the instructions. Also, the soil is sprinkled with a composition of sand and ash (in equal parts);
• late blight - it first affects the leaves, which are covered with red spots that extend to the stem and fruits. The diseased plants are destroyed, and the remaining ones are treated with “Quadris”, “Antracol” or other fungicide according to the instructions;
• Colorado beetles who love the juicy greens of eggplant. Larvae and adults are collected manually, and they are also treated with the insecticides Intavir, Karate, Sonnet or others according to the instructions.

To prevent diseases, the following preventative measures should be applied:

• soil before planting seedlings calcined in the oven or microwave;
• seeds to harden and disinfect;
• sprinkle soil with ash (both fertilizer and prevention);
• avoid thick planting and waterlogging of the soil;
• do not abuse nitrogen fertilizers;
• provide adequate lighting;
• carefully remove from the site and burn the tops of plants (especially those affected by diseases);
• place pest repellent plants (basil, marigolds, etc.) near the plantings.

Important! When treated with fungicides or insecticides, for 2-3 weeks the fruits can not be eaten. And even subsequently, some of the chemicals remain in the fruit, which is harmful to health. Therefore, it is better to carry out preventive measures in advance.

Harvesting and storage of crops

Fruit harvesting occurs in the second half of August - the first half of September. Vegetables do not need to be overexposed so that the skin is not coarse and the seeds are not too felt. Timely harvesting of fruits also stimulates the growth of the remaining ovaries.

The vegetables are cut with a sharp knife, the stalk should remain up to 4-5 cm. The eggplants are stored in a cool, dry place (shed or cellar) for 1–1.5 months.

Eggplant is used for canning (caviar and other snacks), as well as in various side dishes (stews, salads, ratatouille, casseroles).

Vegetables grown in your garden are much healthier, and cheaper than purchased, so this article will help you in choosing the right variety and proper care for it. This will make it possible to stock up on enough eggplant products.