Eggplant variety King of the North F1 is the earliest. This crop is resistant to light frosts, is characterized by increased yield and excellent taste. No more than 100 days pass from the appearance of the first shoots to harvest. This crop was bred to grow in northern regions, but it also grows well in temperate climates.
Description and characteristics of the variety
King of the North F1 is an unpretentious plant that tolerates light frosts well.The hybrid bushes are quite powerful and strong; when planted on the ground, the height of the bushes does not exceed 70 cm, so they do not need to be tied up. If a crop is planted in a greenhouse, the bushes can grow over 1 meter in height. In this case, a garter is necessary.
The stems are greenish-violet, brightly colored. The leaves have purple veins. The flowers are numerous, delicate lilac in color. The fruits are round and elongated. Many summer residents compare this variety to sausages. The length of the fruit can reach 30 cm, the diameter is 7 cm. But there are fruits reaching a length of 45 cm.
Peel on pronounced purple eggplants colors, thin and glossy. The pulp is white, medium density, without coarse streaks and bitterness. The plant bears fruit on average for 2 months. When grown in greenhouse conditions, the fruiting period is even longer.
Eggplants of this variety contain a lot of calcium, iron and phosphorus. They help normalize metabolism and remove harmful cholesterol from the body.
The blue variety King of the North F1 has no bitterness; the fruits do not need to be soaked in salted water before cooking.
Advantages and disadvantages
The hybrid has many advantages, thanks to which summer residents love to plant this variety.
- Frost resistance. The variety is resistant to temperature fluctuations and light frosts, which are frequent in early summer. Low temperature does not affect the yield of eggplants.
- Excellent germination. Even when planting seeds without preliminary preparation, up to 70% of the planting material is included.
- Unpretentiousness. There is no need to waste time tying up plants and forming a bush.The hybrid tolerates transplanting into the ground well and quickly gets used to unusual conditions.
- Resistance to fungal diseases that often affect eggplants.
- Wonderful taste. Eggplants of this variety have tender flesh, completely without bitterness. This vegetable is suitable for preparing snacks and canning.
- Attractive appearance and long shelf life.
- High yield. Even in bad weather, up to 15 kg of blueberries are collected from 1 m².
The King in the North also has some minor flaws. Some housewives do not like the elongated shape of the fruit, which is inconvenient to cut. The disadvantages include the fact that the fruits often get dirty on the ground, which is due to their length.
It is worth considering that the King in the North is a hybrid. It will not be possible to grow seedlings from seeds collected by yourself, so planting material must be purchased every year.
Growing seedlings
The king of the north is characterized by good germination, but preliminary seed preparation will not hurt. It is performed in several stages.
- Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a liter of warm water, pour in the planting material and mix well. Those seeds that float to the surface are poured out.
- The remaining seeds are immersed in hot water for 3 minutes. The temperature should not be higher than 45 degrees.
- After hot water, the planting material is dipped for 20 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Place a moistened cotton napkin on a saucer and seeds on top. Place the saucer in a warm place and cover the top with another damp cloth.
After 3-4 days, when the sprouts hatch, the eggplants are planted in the soil, at a distance of 5 cm from each other. 1-3 seeds are planted in a hole, weak shoots are then removed.Use special containers, pressed peat pots or just flower pots. The soil must be roasted in the oven before planting.
When the sprouts have 3 leaves, they are picked. They do this carefully, since the root system of the plants is weak.
To prevent fungal diseases, crushed tablets of activated carbon or chalk are added to the planting substrate.
Planting in the ground and preparation for it
Seedlings are hardened off before planting in the ground. To do this, the pots are first taken outside for 2-3 hours, then this time is gradually increased to 10 hours. Pots should not be placed in a draft.
The place for planting eggplants should be open, sunny and protected from the wind. You can’t plant blue ones in places where nightshades grew before.
Planting in the ground is carried out when the average daily temperature is at least 20 degrees. This usually occurs in mid-June. By this time, each sprout should have 7-8 leaves. If the seedlings have buds or flowers, this is not an obstacle to planting in open ground.
The bushes are planted at a distance of 50 cm from each other, the distance between the rows should be about 60 cm. The depth of the holes is 15 cm.
If the seedlings were planted in peat pots, then the eggplants are dropped into the holes along with the container.
Eggplant care
The King of the North is an unpretentious hybrid, but if a summer resident wants to get a big harvest, the plants need minimal care.
Watering
All eggplants love water, but it is important not to overwater them. If the summer is not hot, then the plants are watered once every three days. At temperatures above 30 degrees, the beds need to be watered every day. The best time for watering is morning.Pour some water under the root; it is undesirable if the liquid gets on the leaves.
The first week after planting in the ground, the little blue ones are not watered. Abundant watering at this time leads to a decrease in plant immunity.
Mulching
Mulch is necessary for this variety of eggplant to protect the fruit from contamination. In addition, due to mulching, moisture is retained in the soil for a long time. Mulch helps the summer resident and save time on weeding the beds.
Feeding
The hybrid needs to be fed every two weeks. After this, the beds are watered abundantly so as not to burn the roots. For feeding, a solution of urea and superphosphate is used, 10 grams per 10 liters of water. Supplement the solution with 5 grams of potassium sulfate.
You can fertilize the plants with a solution of fresh chicken droppings or dandelions.
Disease and pest control
King of the North is resistant to diseases and pests. But if the summer turns out to be damp, then the bushes are periodically sprinkled with wood ash or crushed chalk. Eggplant bushes can be attacked by aphids or spider mites. In this case, the plants are treated 2 times a day, for a week, with an infusion of onion peels and garlic arrows.
Store-bought pesticides are used to control slugs. The drugs Meta and Thunderstorm are suitable.
Harvesting and storage
The blue ones are collected when the skin becomes glossy and bright. It is important not to overcook the fruits, as the pulp will turn brownish. In addition, untimely harvesting interferes with the formation of new ovaries.
You can store fresh eggplants for no more than one and a half months. Store vegetables in a cool place, at a temperature no higher than 4 degrees. First, each eggplant is wrapped in a napkin.
