Eggplant Nutcracker: description and characteristics of the variety, yield with photo

Beginner gardeners are recommended to get their first experience in growing blue ones in the care of the Nutcracker eggplant, which is considered an unpretentious, resistant, hardy variety. Newcomers do not expect special difficulties - the culture will give a generous harvest even with minimal effort. The only requirement is to comply with agricultural engineering processes, of which there are not so many.

Description and characteristics of the variety

The Nutcracker is a mid-ripening variety, so it is recommended to grow the crop in regions with a temperate climate. Between sending planting material to the ground and collecting fruits, 100 days pass; if you grow plants in seedlings, you will have to wait about a month and a half for fruiting.Under open sunlight, the variety feels good, but it is recommended to use a greenhouse or greenhouse for cultivation - this will allow you to get a crop earlier.

The bushes grow up to one and a half meters, you will have to pinch, otherwise there will be few fruits. The leaves are large, round, with prickly thorns.

The distinctive quality of the Nutcracker eggplant is large fruits reaching a weight of 500 grams.

Favorable conditions will allow you to get copies up to 800 grams. Fruit length - 15-18 centimeters. The pear-like shape keeps the eggplants from falling to the ground, which prevents rotting. The pulp of the fruit is tasty, bitterness is almost absent. There are few seeds, they are small, inconspicuous in young eggplants. The skin is dense, medium thickness. The shade of ripe fruit is black.

It is easy to get up to 5 kilograms of eggplant from one bush. Competent care and favorable weather conditions allow you to collect up to 8 kilograms from one plant.

Advantages and disadvantages of eggplant

The Nutcracker has a lot of advantages, and even experienced gardeners are happy to grow this wonderful variety. Among the positive qualities noted:

• good yield;
• no special requirements for cultivation and care;
• long shelf life without loss of presentation and taste;

The Nutcracker variety has almost no cons. The only thing to remember is that it is a hybrid, so you should not collect your own planting material, you will not be able to get seedlings from it, you need to buy seeds in the store every year.

How to grow a crop

In warm regions, gardeners send planting material immediately to the open ground - favorable weather conditions allow you to harvest a good harvest.In the middle lane, it is better to use the seedling method - even if you manage to grow a large beautiful bush with powerful lashes, you will not be able to get fruits, they will not have time to ripen.

A lot depends on the timely cultivation of seedlings - if you are late with sending planting material to the ground, you will not be able to get a crop. Before that, it is recommended to deal with the landing dates - they differ for each region.

Date of sowing seeds

It is recommended to grow seedlings since winter, especially for residents of warm areas. In the southern regions, it is better to send seeds to the prepared substrate at the end of winter. Gardeners living in a cool climate are recommended to start the process of growing young bushes in early March. In Siberia, preparing plants for relocation to beds should be in the middle or even at the end of the first month of spring (from March 20th).

Preparation of soil and containers for seedlings

The easiest way to get a good substrate for growing young Nutcracker bushes is to go to the store and buy ready-made seedling mix.

If it is not possible to purchase ready-made soil, you can mix it yourself:

1. 4 handfuls of humus.
2. 2 handfuls of soddy soil.
3. 1 handful of coarse sand.

Before planting, sprinkle the substrate on sheets covered with parchment, bake in the oven - this will destroy eggs or insect larvae that can destroy seedlings. Bacteria won't survive hot treatments either. Use trays or containers as containers. It is recommended to put a layer of drainage on the bottom (expanded clay, pieces of foam).

Sowing seeds

Before sending the planting material to the prepared substrate, treat with fungicides. Make indentations in the soil, spread the seeds into the holes, to a shallow depth (up to one and a half centimeters).

Before planting and after sending the seeds to the ground, irrigate the surface of the substrate with water. Better to use a spray bottle. Be sure to cover with polyethylene film or a piece of glass.

Seedling care

After the appearance of the first sprouts of the Nutcracker eggplant, place the container with the plants in the sunniest and warmest place. Be sure to remove the tape. Light day should not be shorter than 14 hours, if necessary, use the backlight.

Use settled water, watering along the edges of the container or spraying with a spray bottle. Water procedures are recommended to be done in the morning. Be sure to drain excess liquid from the pan.Pick up in a container after the plant has four leaves.

Ground landing

You can send the Nutcracker to the beds after the bushes grow up to 20 centimeters. Place the recesses at a distance of about 55-70 centimeters. Since the bushes of the variety are quite tall and lush, it is better to plant in a checkerboard pattern.

Mandatory stage of planting - soil mulching. A layer of chopped straw or sawdust will reduce watering and protect the root system of eggplant bushes from hot sun rays or cold snaps.

Further plant care

The Nutcracker eggplant is not demanding, so even a novice gardener can handle the process. It is important to follow the main requirements and recommendations:

• irrigate;
• apply nutritional formulations;
• monitor pests and disease development and timely take measures to combat them;
• remove weeds, carry out loosening.

Another important requirement is to carry out the harvest in a timely manner - a delay is fraught with rotting of the fruit and loss of taste.

Irrigation

Irrigate the soil as needed. An excess of moisture can lead to the development of diseases, so it is better to water more often, but moderately - the soil should not be dirty.

Use only settled warm water for irrigation. Cold liquid for plants is no less dangerous than its excess. Before you start watering, it is recommended to loosen the soil surface - this will allow moisture to penetrate to a greater depth.

Fertilization

Due to its high yield, the Nutcracker will require regular application of nutrients. The first fertilizers will have to be used within half a month after planting the seedlings. A prerequisite is a high percentage of nitrogen.

Do not use nitrogen for subsequent fertilization, give preference to potassium, phosphorus. The regularity of making nutrient formulations is once every 24-28 days. You can use complex formulations ("Agricola", "Master"). Prepare solutions strictly according to the instructions - exceeding the dosage threatens to burn the root system.

Using homemade eggplant nutrition is encouraged. Recommended use:

• mullein infusion (1 liter per bucket of liquid);
• wood ash decoction (500 grams per bucket of water);
• infusion of nettle leaves (1 kilogram of vegetable raw materials for half a bucket of water).

The use of home remedies is allowed on the leaves. The main thing is to do it in cloudy weather.

Shaping a bush

Without the formation of plants, it will not be possible to get a full-fledged harvest - the bush will throw all its strength into the growth of lashes. Pinching should be carried out no later than in the presence of 6-8 leaves, at a height of about 30 centimeters from the soil surface.

Pinch only the main stem; be sure to remove all leaves below the first internode. Shoots growing from below are also better to remove. The nutcracker requires a garter, otherwise, under the weight of the fruit, the lashes will sink to the surface of the soil, which can lead to diseases.

Protection from diseases and pests

The Nutcracker is a variety that is rarely exposed to diseases. With improper care and under adverse conditions, rot and late blight can develop on leaves and stems. It is better to use chemicals - home formulations will not be able to cope with diseases. Self-prepared products are best used for prevention.

Pests rarely settle on Nutcracker plants, especially in greenhouse conditions. It is much easier to prevent the appearance of insects than to fight them, especially if they have already managed to occupy most of the bushes.It is not necessary to use chemicals - home remedies (infusion of ash, red pepper, tobacco) will drive away almost all pests. If it was not possible to save the plants, apply insecticides. The rule to remember is not to apply chemicals before harvest.

Harvest and storage of crops

It is recommended to go to collect Nutcracker eggplant at the age of technical ripeness. It is better for them to ripen in a cool dark place. Be sure to send the fruits immediately after harvesting for storage - this will increase the shelf life of vegetables. Eggplants periodically check, inspecting for rotting. If signs of spoilage are noticed in a timely manner, the fruits should be immediately sent for cooking.

The duration of storage of fruits is up to a month, but subject to all the rules. Coolness and darkness are the basic requirements. If there are few eggplants, you can send them to the refrigerator.

It is recommended to store the Nutcracker fruits fresh or frozen. Before sending the eggplants to the freezer, cut the blue ones, boil and cool. In winter, all that remains is to send them to the pan or to the pan. The Nutcracker variety has proven itself in conservation - marinades, salads, appetizers and even sauces are prepared on the basis of the blue ones.

The Nutcracker eggplant is a great way for beginner gardeners to test their skills in growing vegetables. No special difficulties are foreseen - just follow a few rules and requirements of agricultural technology to get a good harvest of blue ones.

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