Eggplant "Long Purple": variety description, characteristics and reviews

It takes a lot of effort to grow eggplant in the country. This agricultural crop is susceptible to various diseases, eggplants also suffer from pests. It is important to choose the right type of vegetable. Take into account its resistance to diseases, productivity and taste. Summer residents note that when planting an eggplant of the Long Purple variety, you can harvest a good harvest.

Detailed description

Eggplant "Long Purple" is considered an early ripe and very productive variety. It takes about 3 months from sowing to harvest. This crop is suitable for growing in greenhouses and outdoors.Eggplants are also called blue, because of the characteristic color of the fruit.

The bushes of the plant can grow to about half a meter high. The flowers are beautiful, somewhat reminiscent of potato flowers. The fruits are elongated, can be up to 25 cm long and weigh up to 300 grams. The pulp is blue medium density, greenish-white hue without bitterness. Vegetables are used to prepare preserves, side dishes and first courses.

Long Purple variety has a piquant taste and a presentable presentation. Such vegetables do not spoil during long transportation.

Characteristics of eggplant "Long Purple"

In recent years, many varieties of eggplant have been bred, of different sizes and colors. But more often in gardens there are blue ones, which have a beautiful, glossy, purple color. Summer residents are attracted by the characteristics of this culture.

1. The little blue bushes are compact, they do not grow into all the free space. The plant grows to about half a meter tall.
2. Precocity. With the correct distribution of the timing of planting, diving and landing in open ground, it is realistic to get the first harvest after 3 months. If the seeds are sown in March, then the harvest is planned for the end of June.
3. Yield. Up to 10 fruits are harvested from one bush, each weighing about 300 grams. With proper care, up to 3 kg of vegetable can be obtained from one bush.
4. Delicious and fragrant flesh with tender seeds.

Long Purple variety can be used not only for cooking first courses, side dishes and snacks. This crop is also preserved for the winter.

Very tasty s alted eggplant with fried carrots, parsley and garlic.

Pros and cons

Like every vegetable crop, this variety has advantages and disadvantages. Pros include:

• High yield.
• Excellent taste.
• Attractive appearance.
• Long term storage.

Among the shortcomings, summer residents note susceptibility to diseases and frequent invasion of areas with blue pests. The disadvantages of the variety include the fact that with improper care, the bushes grow weak and there are few ovaries on them.

Growing seedlings from seeds

You can grow seedlings in many ways. If there is no greenhouse, then you can use flower pots or special containers. According to the observation of many summer residents, seedlings from the greenhouse are stronger and more resistant to diseases.

In the greenhouse

You can plant seedlings in the greenhouse at the end of February. An important condition for good seed germination is sufficiently warmed and fertilized soil. The soil is pre-fertilized with mineral fertilizers and manure. They wait a couple of weeks and start planting blue ones.

In landing containers

Land is collected in containers from autumn, but it is fertilized first. If the idea to plant eggplants came up spontaneously, and there is no collected land, it does not matter. Special soil for planting fruit and vegetable crops can be purchased at a specialized store.

Plastic containers and peat pots are used for planting seeds. In the latter case, seedlings are planted in the ground directly in pots.

You can't use the same soil for planting seedlings 2 years in a row. The soil is renewed every year.

Planting seedlings

Before you start planting seeds, they should be prepared. They do this in several stages.

1. In a liter of warm tap water dissolve a full teaspoon of table s alt. The seeds prepared for planting are poured into the solution, mixed and left for 5 minutes. Seeds that have floated to the top are drained, and those that have fallen to the bottom are washed well with clean water.
2. Potassium permanganate is bred and the seeds are dipped into the composition for 20 minutes. The color of the solution should be red, but not saturated. Next, the seeds are dipped in a growth stimulator solution and left for 10 hours.
3. Put moistened cotton pads in the pan, prepared seeds on them, they are also covered with wet cotton wool on top. In this state, planting material is left for 3 days at room temperature.

After three days, the seeds are evaluated. By this time they should already hatch, so you can remove weak specimens without sprouts or with weak shoots.

Make sure that the cotton pads are constantly wet. Otherwise, the seeds will die!

After that, holes are made in the prepared soil with a pencil, 2-3 seeds are placed in them and sprinkled with earth. Cover the pots with foil and put in a warm place. The first shoots usually appear after a couple of weeks. In the greenhouse, the blue ones are planted in the same way.

Crop care

After the appearance of the first shoots, the temperature in the room is reduced. This will avoid overstretching the sprouts. For 5 days they keep the temperature during the day no more than 16 degrees, and at night no more than 13.

Then the regime is changed, at night the temperature should be about 18 degrees, and during the day - 26. At the same time, weak shoots are removed from the pots.

Irrigation Rules

Eggplant seedlings should be watered as the soil dries. It is optimal to do this after 2 days on the third. Water for irrigation is taken at room temperature. Do not pour water directly under the root.

Feeding

The first top dressing is carried out after the appearance of third true leaves on the shoots. For top dressing, use mineral fertilizer bought in a store. It is bred according to the instructions.

Shaping a bush

The bush is formed by removing side shoots and leaves to the first fork. After the plant has faded, 6-7 of the largest ovaries are left on it, the rest are recommended to be removed.

Diseases and pests

Eggplants are prone to disease, but most often these are the consequences of improper care.

• Black leg. A fungal infection attacks the stem of the plant due to overwatering.
• Late blight. In this case, the lower leaves are covered with dark spots. This disease is also fungal in nature and develops due to excessive moisture.
• Mosaic. This disease manifests itself even during the period of growing seedlings. It is characterized by uneven coloring of the leaves, which dry out over time. Plants affected by this virus have small, irregular fruits.

Of the plant pests, Colorado beetles and slugs are more likely to infect. If there are few pests, they are collected, otherwise the plants are treated with pesticides.

Harvest and storage of crops

The eggplants are harvested as the fruits ripen. If the seedlings are planted early, then the first crop can be harvested in late June, early July. Store the crop in a cellar, refrigerator or cool place. Periodically, vegetables are reviewed and spoiled ones are removed.

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