For residents of the southern regions of Russia, the mid-season eggplant variety Universal 6, recommended for open ground, is ideal. Under conditions of long and hot summer, all varietal qualities are revealed. The disease-resistant plant produces a bountiful harvest of tasty, without bitterness, fruits. In the northern regions of the country, cultivation in greenhouses is possible.
Description of the variety
To enjoy the taste of the fruit every year, it is enough to purchase Universal 6 eggplant seeds once.Then, for subsequent seasons, harvest the seeds yourself. To do this, one fruit must reach biological maturity - a brownish-yellow shade of the peel.
Description:
- fruit length is 18-20 centimeters. Diameter – 5-6 centimeters. Weight – up to 180 g;
- under favorable conditions, a harvest weighing 6.5 kilograms is obtained per square meter. In cool summers - about 3 kilograms;
- technical maturity occurs in 125-130 days;
- suitable for canning;
- the pulp is white, with a large number of small seeds;
- fruits without bitterness.
Characteristics of eggplant
A mid-early, drought-resistant variety has the following characteristics:
- bushes reach a height of 90 centimeters;
- the variety pleases with high yield;
- designed for open ground;
- the fruits have good transportability;
- leaves are large. They reach a length of 22 centimeters;
- heat-resistant variety. Easily withstands constant temperatures up to +30 degrees;
- The flowers are purple, with sharp petals, large in size.
What are the disadvantages of the variety?
The disadvantages include:
- The variety is heat-loving. A decrease in temperature greatly affects the development of bushes and fruit growth. This makes it difficult to grow in the northern regions, where even in greenhouses all varietal qualities do not have time to develop during the season.
- Compared to hybrids, Universal 6 is less productive.
- At temperatures below +15 degrees the plant stops growing, and at +10 degrees it dies.
How to grow a crop
Primary requirements:
- The variety is grown through seedlings.
- Tall bushes need supports during fruiting.
- It is recommended to grow eggplants in southern regions where it rains infrequently.Therefore, for maximum yield, frequent and abundant watering will be required.
Landing dates
For cultivation in greenhouses, sowing of seeds begins in the third ten days of February. For open ground – until March 15.
Sowing seeds and caring for seedlings
In order not to waste time on proper soil preparation, purchase ready-made soil intended for eggplants. Small containers are prepared for the seeds, since eggplants do not like diving.
Seed preparation is possible in two ways:
- 1 gram of potassium permanganate is diluted in a liter of water. Seeds are placed in the solution and kept for 20 minutes. Then rinse with plain water and dry.
- Heat the water to 50 degrees and soak the seeds for 5 minutes, then dry.
The seeds are deepened into the soil by 1-1.5 centimeters. If planted in boxes, leave a distance of 4 centimeters between the seeds. This allows you to transplant the sprouts without damaging the root system.
Damage to the root system leads to the death of the plant or its disease, which provokes growth retardation. For germination you will need to maintain temperature conditions. The ideal temperature is 27 degrees. Maximum - 32 degrees. In a week the first shoots will appear. Then the seedlings are moved to the brightest place. Otherwise, the first, strongest shoots will bend and stretch out.
The roots of the sprouts are located at the very surface, so the soil is always kept moist. Water only with settled water.
When the second true leaf appears, the bush is transplanted into a separate container with drainage holes with a volume of no more than 200 milliliters. Plant with a clod of earth, without burying it in the soil. Planted at the same depth at which they grew in boxes.
Preparing the soil and planting seedlings
Before planting, seedlings are dug up and the soil is fertilized. The procedure cannot be carried out on the day of planting. The land is prepared in the fall or at least 7 days before planting the seedlings. During this time, the fertilizers will have time to dissolve and transform into a highly digestible form.
The seedlings are watered abundantly the day before planting. Planting begins in the evening, after the heat has subsided.
- The holes are dug according to the size of the container in which the seedlings grow. The tall variety needs to be planted according to a 40x70 centimeter pattern.
- Warm up the water in advance in the sun and fill the holes.
- When the liquid is completely absorbed, place the bushes with a lump of earth. Fill with a liter of water and sprinkle with dry soil.
- To preserve moisture, mulch the soil with weeds, straw or dry grass.
Plant care rules
In the first days, the plant receives a lot of stress. Therefore, you will need to create certain conditions for the bushes:
- cover the eggplant from the sun;
- at low night temperatures, cover with film. In hot summers, it is prohibited to use covering material.
Bushes need:
- weeding;
- eliminating pests;
- feeding;
- loosening.
Watering and fertilizing
Water the plants when the soil under the mulch is completely dry. When watering, use at least 5 liters of settled water per bush. Soaking the soil should be 30 centimeters deep.
The first fertilizing of the soil is carried out 7 days before planting the seedlings. To do this, distribute per square meter:
- compost bucket;
- half a liter of wood ash.
If there is no organic matter, mix:
- 20 grams of potassium sulfate;
- 12 grams of urea;
- 10 liters of water;
- 50 grams of superphosphate.
The bed is dug up and watered abundantly with the prepared solution.The granules must be completely dissolved, otherwise they will damage the root system of the sprouts.
Feed the bushes every two weeks. Nitrogen fertilizers are supplemented with fertilizing from the infusion of manure, and after three days ash is added. To do this, a mug of ash is dissolved in a 10-liter bucket.
Recommended ready-made mixtures for feeding:
- Fertika;
- Fusco;
- Agricola;
- Blank sheet.
Bush formation
For a rich harvest, it is necessary to form the bushes correctly:
- remove all stepsons that appear in the axils of the leaves, which are located below the first bud;
- at the end of summer, when the night temperature is between 10-14 degrees, pinch off the tops of all stems. All flowers without ovaries and only formed buds are torn off.
At the beginning of the season, the first ovaries are removed from weakened and stunted bushes. During the entire period of growth, the lower leaves are gradually torn off. You cannot pick all the leaves from the bush. The plant will lose its ability to photosynthesize and lose nutrition. On a half-naked plant, the fruits ripen faster, but stop growing.
Diseases and pests
Pest Control:
- To protect against the Colorado potato beetle, immediately after replanting, the bushes are treated with long-acting insecticides. Corado is well suited for these purposes and protects eggplants for about a month. When fruit is set, chemical treatment is prohibited. Insects are collected by hand.
- Sprinkling will help prevent the appearance of spider mites in hot weather.
- Spraying with a solution helps to cope with whiteflies and aphids: 10 liters of water, 250 grams of ash. Also wash away insects with strong water pressure.
Disease control:
- against late blight, the bushes are treated with Bordeaux mixture;
- when a mosaic appears, to save the plantings, diseased bushes are removed, and healthy ones are sprayed with phytosporin;
- treatment with fungicides helps cope with black leg and gray rot;
- If there is a visible coating of fungal diseases, the sections are treated with wood ash.
Cleaning and storage
Harvest twice a week. Cut off with the stalk - this allows you to store strong fruits for about 25 days in a cool room.
Signs of maturity:
- achieving maximum fetal size;
- characteristic rich shade of the peel.
Overexposed ripe fruits lose their taste, and the pulp becomes bitter.
