Description of the Robin Hood eggplant variety, its characteristics and yield

The culture is not widespread among summer residents. Her fans and admirers choose varieties that suit them in all respects. One of the representatives of this vegetable, Robin Hood, is an eggplant that breaks records for taste among its own kind.

Description and characteristics of eggplant Robin Hood

In order to correctly place the plant on the site and avoid mistakes when growing it, it is necessary to study the characteristic properties of the variety.

Bush:

• height: 70-90 cm;
• there are few side shoots;
• there are a lot of ovaries;
• ripens in 90 days.

Vegetable:

• shape: pear-shaped;
• color: purple;
• weight: 300 g;
• length 20 cm;
• diameter: 9 cm;
• pulp: without seeds, tender and without bitterness;
• the skin is thin.

Thanks to these characteristics, the Robin Hood eggplant variety is gaining recognition among summer residents and gaining popularity.

What are the disadvantages of the variety?

The Robin Hood type of eggplant has many positive properties. The variety has practically no downsides. Bushes with a small number of branches bear a lot of fruit, so it is necessary to tie the bushes to supports. This is the only drawback of this type of eggplant. Preventative treatment against diseases and pests is also required.

How to grow eggplant

A large percentage of the future harvest depends on how correctly agricultural technology is carried out. To do this, you need to study information about when and how to properly grow vegetables. If you follow all the recommendations exactly, it is possible to obtain the declared volume of fruit.

Landing dates

It is impossible to give a specific date for sowing eggplant seeds. The timing depends not only on the variety chosen by the summer resident, but also on the climate of the growing region. Another criterion taken into account is the method of cultivation, in open or closed ground, by direct sowing in the ground or by seedlings.

When grown in a greenhouse by seedlings, the seeds are sown in the last ten days of February. Provided that the finished seedlings will be planted in the greenhouse in early May.

If the crop is grown in open ground, in seedlings, then the seeds are sown in mid-March, and planted in a permanent place in early June.

If the greenhouse is well heated, then sowing begins at the end of January in order to get an earlier harvest. It is impossible to name a specific date; it all depends on the choice of the summer resident.

Planting seeds

At planting eggplant seeds You just need to follow simple recommendations, and the plant will be pleased with the results.

Planting material for sowing is taken 2 years old, no less. And the germination of such seeds is excellent, and the yield is high.

Prepare fertile soil, water it and make furrows. Planting material is immersed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes. Afterwards, it is washed with running water and allowed to dry, then sown. The seeds are planted to a depth of 2 cm. Then they are covered with polyethylene and placed in a warm, dark place until shoots appear. This takes from 10 to 14 days.

The optimal temperature for germination is +22…+25 ⁰С, after emergence of seedlings, reduce it to +13…+15 ⁰С. In 3-5 days, the root system will form, and the temperature is again raised to +25 ⁰C.

Eggplant seedlings do not tolerate picking. Therefore, it is advisable to place it in separate pots. And transplant immediately to a permanent place.

Soil preparation

In order for plants to develop and grow well, you need to make fertile soil for them. A suitable site is chosen, on the sunny side and sheltered from the wind.

There is no need to rush to plant in open ground; the crop is susceptible to night frosts. If there is a drop in temperature, it is better to play it safe and cover the sprouts with covering material.

The soil for the beds must be fertile and loose. If there is a lack of nutritional components, humus is added at the rate of 3-4 kg per 1 m². If necessary, add complex mineral supplements.

To ensure the looseness of the bed, river sand, peat or humus are added to it. The soil is mixed and holes are prepared for planting.

Sprout care

After the seedlings begin to rise, they must be watered, avoiding drying out and waterlogging. Water moderately, several times a week.

Feed with complex fertilizers to support plants. The most necessary elements are:

• nitrogen;
• phosphorus;
• minerals.

When yellow leaves appear, remove them.

Transplanting

Before planting plants in a permanent place, you need to make sure that the plants have 5-6 leaves.

7 in advance-10 days of hardening. Seedlings must get used to the sun and cold air and wind.

The containers are well watered and begin to be transferred to the beds.

Rules for caring for crops

After the transplantation process is completed, further care of the plants is carried out. They should be watered, fed and shaped in a timely manner. In gratitude, the plant will repay the declared volume of the harvest.

How to water

The rates and timing of watering depend on where the eggplant is grown, in a greenhouse or open ground, and weather conditions.

Water generously 1-2 times a week until flowering. Then increase to 3 waterings over 7 days. You can water less often, but more abundantly. If the weather is rainy, then watering is reduced to 1-2 times every 10-15 days.

When growing in a greenhouse, you should strictly observe the temperature regime.

How to feed correctly

To improve the conditions for growth and development of the crop, fertilizing is carried out. Use organic fertilizers or store-bought complex mineral compounds.

Experienced summer residents recommend using a natural mixture. You will need:

• straw;
• nettle stems and roots;
• legumes;
• compost soil;
• wood ash.

All this is chopped and placed in a container, filled with water at the rate of 1 part chopped mixture to 3 parts water and infused under polyethylene or a lid. The mixture must be stirred several times. Water the ground around the eggplants, but do not pour under the roots.

After transplantation, Robin Hood eggplant plants stop growing, do not be alarmed. This is a normal reaction to stress.

Bush formation

To increase the yield, it is recommended to shape eggplants. When the height of the bush reaches 25 cm, their growth point is removed. This stimulates the growth of side shoots. Of the stepsons, you should also choose the strongest ones in the amount of 6 pieces, and remove the rest.

After carrying out the main work, all that remains is to monitor the plant, promptly removing yellow leaves, fruits with obvious signs of deformation and shoots that do not bear fruit.

The peculiarity of the variety is that it is not able to hold heavy branches with vegetables. They must be tied to supports.

Pest Control

Eggplants, as members of the Solanaceae family, most often suffer from attacks by the Colorado potato beetle. They are fought with chemical or folk remedies. It is recommended to use methods without the use of chemicals. The disadvantage of such methods is their short duration of action and multiple repetitions. But nothing harmful to the human body is deposited in the fruits.

Chemicals are more effective and last longer, harmful substances accumulate in the plant and transfer to vegetables.

For treating small areas, the following mixture will help:

• 1 part slaked lime;
• 2 parts wood ash;
• 1 part tobacco dust.

Everything is mixed and scattered between the rows of plantings.

Protection from diseases

The best protection is proper prevention. It consists of cultivating the soil, planting material and maintaining crop rotation.

Eggplants are susceptible to the following diseases:

• black leg;
• late blight;
• gray rot;
• mosaic;
• stolbur.

Treatment is carried out in a timely manner, choosing products that have the least impact on the plant itself, quickly decompose and do not remain in the eggplant fruits.

Collection and storage

It is difficult to determine the degree of ripeness by the appearance of a vegetable, so they are guided by the length of the fruit.

Another way to tell whether an eggplant is ripe or not. You should press on the fruit; if the dent does not straighten out for a long time, it means that it is not yet ripe. If it levels out quickly, you should carefully cut the eggplant using garden shears.

Eggplants are stored fresh by covering them with straw and storing them in a dark, cool room. In this way, the vegetable is stored for 1-2 months.

For longer storage, eggplants are cut into rings and hung to dry in a dry, cool, well-ventilated area.

Robin Hood is suitable for any method of pickling or salting. Perfectly preserves taste and nutritional composition.

Reviews from summer residents about the Robin Hood eggplant variety

For information, beginners look for reviews from experienced vegetable growers. The comments contain useful information about the features of caring for and growing this crop variety:

• Evgenia: “I’ve never grown eggplants myself. A neighbor gave me a couple of bushes of the Robin Hood variety. I planted it in May, and a month later the first harvest was harvested. The taste is excellent, they made caviar and even dried it. The next year, inspired by the results, we decided to prepare the bed and plant the vegetable ourselves.”
• Anton: “I started my first growing experience with Robin Hood eggplants. Grown by seedling method. I sowed the seeds back in February. Since the culture is light-loving, I organized additional lighting. When 56 leaves appeared on the plants, I planted them in a greenhouse. He took good care of it, fertilized it, sprinkled the row spacing with ammonium nitrate. After 30 days, the first harvest was harvested. In the family's favorite vegetable stew, eggplants performed well, with no bitterness. Next year I plan to grow it in open ground.”
• Maria: “I love Robin Hood for its germination and productivity. The bed is 6 m long, 0.6 m wide, I can place 20 bushes. I grow the seedlings myself and get 2 kg of vegetables from one plant. I’m not looking for a replacement, I’m completely satisfied.”

Growing Robin Hood eggplants is not difficult; they are undemanding in terms of soil composition. They adapt perfectly to any climatic features of the region.