Eggplant Universal 6: characteristics and description of the variety, yield with photo

For residents of the southern regions of Russia, the mid-season variety of eggplant Universal 6, recommended for open ground, is ideal. Under the condition of a long and hot summer, all varietal qualities are manifested. The disease-resistant plant produces a bountiful harvest of tasty, bitter-free fruits. Greenhouse cultivation is possible in the northern regions of the country.

Variety description

To enjoy the taste of fruits every year, it is enough to purchase eggplant seeds Universal 6 once. Then, for subsequent seasons, harvest the seeds yourself. To do this, one fruit must reach biological maturity - a brownish-yellow hue of the peel.

Description:

• fruit length 18-20 centimeters. Diameter - 5-6 centimeters. Weight - up to 180 g;
• under favorable conditions, a square meter produces a crop weighing 6.5 kilograms. In cool summer - about 3 kilograms;
• technical maturity occurs in 125-130 days;
• suitable for canning;
• white flesh with lots of small seeds;
• fruit without bitterness.

Eggplant characteristics

Mid-early, drought-resistant variety with the following characteristics:

• bushes reach a height of 90 centimeters;
• variety pleases with high yield;
• designed for open ground;
• fruits have good transportability;
• leaves are large. They reach 22 centimeters in length;
• heat resistant variety. Easily withstands constant temperatures up to +30 degrees;
• flowers are purple, with sharp petals, large in size.

What are the disadvantages of the variety?

Disadvantages include:

1. The variety is thermophilic. A decrease in temperature greatly affects the development of bushes and the growth of fruits. This makes it difficult to grow in the northern regions, where even in greenhouses, all varietal qualities do not have time to open up during the season.
2. Compared to hybrids, Universal 6 is less productive.
3. At temperatures below +15 degrees, the plant stops growing, and at +10 degrees it dies.

How to grow a crop

Basic requirements:

1. The variety is grown through seedlings.
2. Tall bushes need props during fruiting.
3. Eggplant is recommended to grow in the southern regions, where it rains infrequently. Therefore, for maximum yield, frequent and abundant watering will be required.

Date of planting

For growing in greenhouses, seeds are sown in the third decade of February. For open ground - until March 15.

Sowing seeds and caring for seedlings

In order not to waste time on proper soil preparation, they acquire ready-made soil intended for eggplants. Small containers are prepared for seeds, as eggplants do not like diving.

Seed preparation is possible in two ways:

1. 1 gram of potassium permanganate is diluted in a liter of water. Seeds are placed in the solution and kept for 20 minutes. Then washed with plain water and dried.
2. Heat the water to 50 degrees and keep the seeds for 5 minutes, then dry.

The seeds are deepened into the soil by 1-1.5 centimeters. If planted in boxes, then leave a distance of 4 centimeters between the seeds. This allows you to transplant sprouts without injuring the root system.

Damage to the root system leads to the death of the plant or its disease, which provokes stunting. For germination, you will need to observe the temperature regime. The ideal temperature is 27 degrees. The maximum is 32 degrees. In a week, the first shoots will appear. After the seedlings are moved to the most illuminated place. Otherwise, the first, strongest shoots will bend and stretch.

The roots of the sprouts are at the very surface, so the ground 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 not more than 200 milliliters. They are seated with a clod of earth, without deepening into the soil. Planted at the same depth at which they grew in boxes.

Preparing the soil and planting seedlings

Before planting seedlings dig and fertilize the soil. On the day of landing, the procedure cannot be carried out. The land is prepared in autumn or at least 7 days before planting seedlings. During this time, the fertilizer will have time to dissolve and turn into a well-assimilated form.

Seedlings are watered abundantly a day before planting. They start disembarking in the evening, after the heat has subsided.

1. Holes are dug according to the size of the container in which the seedlings grow. A tall variety needs to be planted according to a 40x70 cm pattern.
2. Preheat the water in the sun and fill the holes.
3. When the liquid is completely absorbed, put bushes with a clod of earth. Pour a liter of water and sprinkle with dry earth.
4. To preserve moisture, mulch the soil with weeds, straw or dry grass.

Rules for plant care

In the early days, the plant gets 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 a film. In hot summer, it is forbidden to use covering material.

The bushes need:

• weeding;
• pest elimination;
• feeding;
• loosening.

Water and fertilize

Water the plants when the soil under the mulch is completely dry. During irrigation, at least 5 liters of settled water are used per bush. Wetting the ground should be 30 centimeters deep.

The first top dressing of the soil is carried out 7 days before planting seedlings. To do this, distribute on a square meter:

• compost bucket;
• half a liter of wood ash.

In the absence of 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 top dressing from manure infusion, and after three days ash is added. To do this, a mug of ash is dissolved in a 10-liter bucket.

Recommended ready-to-feed formulas:

• Fertik;
• Fasco;
• Agricola;
• Clean slate.

Shaping a bush

For a rich harvest, it is necessary to form bushes correctly:

• remove all stepchildren appearing in the axils of the leaves below the first bud;
• at the end of summer, when the night temperature is set within 10-14 degrees, pinch the tops of all stems. All flowers without ovaries and only formed buds are cut off.

At the beginning of the season, the first ovaries are removed from weakened and stunted bushes. During the entire growth period, the lower leaves are gradually cut off. You can't pick all the leaves from the bush. The plant will lose the ability to photosynthesize and lose nutrition. On a half-naked plant, the fruits ripen faster, but stop growing.

Diseases and pests

Pest Control:

1. To protect against the Colorado potato beetle, immediately after transplantation, the bushes are treated with long-acting insecticides. Corado is well suited for these purposes, which protects eggplants for about a month. When fruit is set, chemical treatment is prohibited. Insects are harvested by hand.
2. Sprinkling will help prevent spider mites in hot weather.
3. Spraying with a solution helps to cope with whitefly and aphids: 10 liters of water, 250 grams of ash. They also wash off insects with a strong pressure of water.

Fight disease:

• against late blight, bushes are treated with Bordeaux mixture;
• when a mosaic appears, to save plantings, diseased bushes are removed, and he althy ones are sprayed with phytosporin;
• treatment with fungicides helps to cope with black leg and gray rot;
• with a visible plaque of fungal diseases, cuts are treated with wood ash.

Cleaning and storage

Harvest twice a week. Cut off with a stalk - this allows you to store strong fruits for about 25 days in a cool room.

Signs of maturity:

• reaching maximum fruit size;
• characteristic rich skin tone.

Overexposed ripe fruits lose their taste, and the flesh becomes bitter.

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