Eggplant is one of the crops that novice gardeners grow with caution, believing that this capricious vegetable will require special care. You should not be afraid of difficulties - every year breeders offer new varieties that are distinguished by their endurance, undemandingness, and taste. The main thing is to understand the features of agricultural technology and strictly follow the rules of care.
Growing Black Beauty eggplant is a simple and pleasant process, because this is one of the varieties that will reward you with a generous harvest for minimal attention.
Description of the variety Black Beauty
Black beauty is a variety recommended for planting in beds (for residents of the southern regions) and in greenhouses (in harsh climatic conditions). If you are not late with the planting time, the plants will be pleased with the average ripening time - in 115-120 days you will be able to harvest.
Black Beauty is rarely grown commercially. Eggplant is often found in private small farms. Undemandingness and productivity are considered the best characteristics of the variety.
Bushes
Black Beauty eggplant bushes are low and compact, reaching 80 centimeters, and require pinching. The internodes are short, the stems are powerful, and can support considerable weight of the fruit. The plant has thick fluff along the entire length of the lashes.
The leaves of the plant are dark green. With a lack of nutrients, they lighten. The leaves have hard, dense spines on the bottom.
Fruit
The fruits of the Black Beauty resemble a regular pear. Characteristics of eggplant:
- length – up to 20 centimeters;
- weight – from 120 grams;
- The color is dark purple, almost black when harvested.
The pulp is not bitter, there are few seeds. The peel is dense and thin. There are spines in the calyx, but there are not many of them.
Characteristics of the variety
The peculiarity of the variety is its productivity. Proper care and the use of recommended agricultural technology will allow you to reap a good harvest. Everything depends on the growing conditions - in open ground the fruits are larger, but there are fewer of them; in greenhouses, on the contrary, there are many times more eggplants.
Productivity - up to 2.5 kilograms of fruit per bush. In favorable conditions, up to 3 kilograms are harvested from the plant.The seeds have excellent germination rate - at least 98%.
Advantages and disadvantages
As experienced gardeners note, the plant has much more advantages than disadvantages. The advantages include:
- unpretentiousness;
- good taste without bitterness;
- productivity;
- the ability to grow in beds or in a greenhouse;
- resistance to diseases;
- friendly fruiting.
Of the shortcomings, only one is usually noted - the fruits do not always have a marketable appearance, so the variety is practically not grown for commercial purposes.
Growing rules
There will not be any particular difficulties in growing Black Beauty - care is no different from agricultural techniques for other vegetable crops. Main requirements:
- regular watering;
- adding nutrients;
- weeding, loosening the soil;
- treatment against pests and diseases.
The features of care in garden beds and in greenhouse conditions are the same and do not require special knowledge and experience.
Landing dates
Growing Black Beauty eggplant occurs only through seedlings - planting seeds in open ground will not allow you to harvest, although the bushes will grow powerful and tall. In warm regions, it is recommended to send planting material into containers with substrate at the end of February, in cool regions - at the beginning of March. In Siberia, it is better to start growing seedlings between the 20th and 25th of the first spring month.
Seed preparation
Before sending the planting material into the substrate (it is recommended to purchase a ready-made mixture for seedlings), the seeds must be disinfected. To do this, prepare a solution of potassium permanganate, soak the planting material for half an hour, and dry it on paper.
Choosing a landing site
Experienced gardeners recommend growing seedlings on sunny windowsills.Be sure to ensure that direct sunlight does not harm the delicate leaves - on too hot days, create artificial shade or move containers deeper into the room.
Seedling care
Young eggplant plants do not need to be fed. Caring for Black Beauty seedlings consists of regular watering (it is recommended to do this along the edge of the containers) and loosening the soil surface with a thin stick. Picking should be done 5 weeks after the first leaves appear.
Planting scheme
Plant young eggplant bushes at a distance of at least half a meter from each other. Leave 55-70 centimeters between the rows, this is enough for the development of plants and convenient movement between them when watering or loosening.
Plant care rules
There will not be any particular difficulties in caring for the Black Beauty, especially if you already have experience in growing eggplants. The main thing is to observe regular watering, adding nutrients, and monitor development. The plant is resistant to diseases and pests, so it is often enough to follow preventive measures to prevent the bushes from being damaged by insects or fungal diseases.
Watering
Overdried soil or excess moisture is detrimental to eggplants. It is recommended to water frequently, but with a small amount of liquid. Be sure to monitor the water temperature - it should not be lower than 23 degrees.
Watering has several important requirements:
- Irrigate the soil at a distance from the bushes before fruiting - water can damage or break the ovaries;
- loosen the soil before irrigation;
- After fruit formation, watering should be done from above, above the bushes.
It is recommended to pour water into containers in advance and place it near the garden bed or in the greenhouse for warming.
Loosening
The root system of plants is located near the soil surface. It is recommended to take this into account when loosening the soil - do not penetrate deep into the ground so as not to damage the delicate roots of the plant. An incorrectly carried out process can destroy the bushes.
Fertilizer
It is recommended to add nutrients when planting seedlings. 25 grams of ash are sent to each hole so as not to burn the roots and mix the substance with the soil.
During flowering, the following fertilizing is recommended:
- Mullein (1 liter), 200 grams of ash per bucket of water.
- 20 grams of urea, superphosphate, potassium chloride per 10 liters of water.
- 35 grams of ammophoska per bucket of liquid.
During the fruiting period, preference should be given to potassium and phosphate fertilizers - they promote fruit growth and prevent the ovary from falling off. It is recommended to use the following compositions:
- 40 grams of potassium salt and superphosphate per bucket of water.
- Dissolve 20 grams of potassium sulfate in a bucket of water.
- For a bucket of water, 45 grams of superphosphate and 20 grams of urea.
A prerequisite is to irrigate the soil well before adding nutrients. This will prevent burns to the root system.
When the temperature drops, it is recommended to sprinkle 100 grams of wood ash under each bush. This promotes fruit set and prevents fruit drop.
Bush formation
The black beauty, in the absence of formation, is capable of growing up to a meter in height, which will affect the yield. Timely pinching of shoots will help you get a compact bush.When the plant reaches 25 centimeters in height, pinch the main stem - this stimulates the growth of side branches. Before the first internode, remove all shoots and leaves.
Diseases and pests
Among all existing diseases, Black Beauty is most often affected by blackleg and late blight. The main causes of disease development are excessive moisture. Careful adherence to the rules of agricultural technology will help prevent danger to plants - watering should be carried out only as needed.
Insecticides or home remedies are used against pests. It is better to collect slugs by hand - if you start pest control in a timely manner, there will not be any special difficulties. An important rule is to apply chemicals no later than 3 weeks before harvest.
Harvest and storage
You should not delay picking fruits - this will affect the shelf life and taste. Remove the eggplants along with the cup, leaving part of the stalk - this will extend the shelf life.
It is recommended to start collecting fruits in the technical ripeness phase, after the eggplants acquire an almost black tint. Send immediately to a dark, cool room - the shelf life in this case will last up to 25 days. If the eggplants were collected unripe, a refrigerator is used for this purpose.
Black handsome is one of the blue varieties, which is distinguished by many positive qualities. Growing will certainly bring pleasure to even an inexperienced gardener, and the reward for your efforts will be an excellent harvest of tasty and healthy fruits.
