What is good about Ilya Muromets eggplant: reviews of summer residents and features of agricultural technology

Seed companies offer a huge selection of vegetable growers varieties of eggplant. However, it is Ilya Muromets who is in great demand among gardeners. It conquers even demanding summer residents with its unpretentiousness, productivity, disease resistance, large-fruited and other excellent qualities.

Description of the eggplant variety

The Ilya Muromets variety was developed by Russian scientists. In 2016, it was entered into the State Register. The name eggplants were given due to their heroic size and endurance - the variety was specially tested for the possibility of growing throughout our country.

Distinctive features

Eggplants of the Ilya Muromets variety have characteristic features:

• large fruits up to 50 cm long, 10 cm in diameter and weighing up to 750 g;
• yield up to 10 kg from 1 m²;
• each flower gives an ovary, there are no barren flowers;
• excellent taste without characteristic bitterness;
• universality of appointment;
• long-term storage;
• transportability;
• unpretentious care;
• disease and pest resistance;
• the possibility of growing indoors and outdoors.

Characteristics and yield

Ilya Muromets is a mid-season variety. From germination to harvesting, an average of 110–120 days pass. The culture is native to India, therefore it is demanding on light and heat.

The height of the bush does not exceed 80 cm, but it is spreading, therefore it requires formation and garter. The branches are dark green or purple. The stems are thick and firm. The leaves are large, oval, bright green. The flowers are white at the base and purple at the edge.

Reference. The high yield of the Ilya Muromets variety is ensured by the absence of barren flowers, each flower gives an ovary.

With proper farming techniques, eggplant fruits can reach a length of 45 cm, a diameter of 10 cm and a weight of 550–750 g. The yield reaches 10 kg per 1 m² in a greenhouse, in the open field - 1.5–2 kg less. The skin of the fruit is thin, tough, shiny, purple with a black tint. The pulp is light beige, dense, without bitterness. The seed nest is absent.

How to grow yourself

Eggplant seeds take a long time to germinate, so they are grown as seedlings. To maintain high germination, the seeds for planting should be renewed every 3 years.

Growing seedlings

To grow healthy seedlings, you need to carry out all the recommended activities:

1. Before sowing, eggplant seeds are treated with potassium permanganate. The color of the solution should be light pink.
2. The seeds are placed in water at a temperature of 50 ° C for 15 minutes or in a growth stimulating preparation for 2 hours.
3. Sowing is carried out at the end of March. Peat or garden soil mixed with compost in a 1: 1 ratio is used as soil. Can be planted in a specially prepared soil mixture: humus, topsoil and sand (2: 1: 1). For 1 bucket of this mixture, add 60 g of superphosphate and 2 tbsp. l. wood ash.
4. Seeds are sown in a common container, buried in the soil by 1.5–2 cm, at a distance of 5 cm from each other or in separate cups.
5. The seeds are covered with soil and watered with warm water (25 ° C).
6. The containers with seeds are covered with foil and placed in a warm, dark place.
7. After the emergence of shoots, the film is removed and the seedlings are protected from direct sunlight.
8. After 3 weeks, the plants are planted in separate containers and watered as needed.
9. After a week, the seedlings can be transplanted into the ground.

Reference. When airing, eggplant seedlings should be sheltered from drafts.

Ilya Muromets eggplant is a variety, not a hybrid, therefore you can harvest seeds yourself... They will retain all the qualities inherent in the variety, give good shoots and can be stored for up to 5 years.

Transfer

Planting of seedlings in a greenhouse or greenhouse is carried out in mid-May, in open ground - in early June, when the weather will be stably warm. The planting pattern is the same for any type of soil: the distance between the rows is 60–70 cm, between the plants - 0.5 m.

The eggplant area should not be in the shade, in a low-lying area with high humidity or in the open sun. It is better to choose the south side behind a building or along the walls of greenhouses.

Attention! Eggplants should not be planted in areas where other nightshade crops have previously grown. The best predecessors for them are cabbage, cucumbers, legumes, carrots, pumpkin, and zucchini.

In the selected place, the soil is weeded, loosened and fertilized with organic matter at the rate of 2.5 kg per 1 m². Then dig holes according to the standard scheme and spill them abundantly with warm water. A support is driven into each recess.

Seedlings in peat pots are planted together with containers; the plastic cups are carefully cut and the sprouts with an earthy clod are taken out. The plants are sprinkled with earth, tied to a support and mulched with dry straw and peat.

Further care

Ilya Muromets eggplant care is standard for this culture. However, some peculiarities must be taken into account.

The irrigation scheme for this variety is as follows:

• 3-4 days after transplant;
• before flowering - once a week;
• during flowering and fruit formation - once every 4 days.

10 to 12 liters of water are consumed per 1 m².

The first feeding is carried out 3 weeks after transplanting. For this, organic fertilizers are applied under the root of the plants. After 2 weeks thereafter, fertilizing with preparations with phosphorus is carried out. During the period of fruit formation and harvesting, eggplants are root-fed with liquid mineral fertilizers.

Important! After flowering, you need to remove all the leaves before the first fork, and remove small flowers from the lower branches.

So that the bush is not too sprawling, it is important to shape it correctly. Only 3 of the strongest shoots are left. All lateral branches and leaves are removed when they reach a length of more than 3 cm. Greens shading the eggplant inflorescences are also removed.

Diseases and pests characteristic of the variety

Eggplant Ilya Muromets resistant to fungal and viral diseases, it is not affected by late blight and powdery mildew.

Root rot and black leg are the result of improper care. They occur mainly in greenhouses. It is necessary to remove diseased plants, stop watering and wait until the earthen coma is completely dry. Then normalize the temperature and humidity in the greenhouse.

Reference. For prevention, it is recommended to strengthen the immunity of Ilya Muromets - before flowering, treat the plants with fungicides, such as copper oxychloride or calcium polysulfide.

If the eggplant lacks light, water or minerals, its leaves curl or turn yellow, black spot, powdery mildew appears. It is possible to cope with these diseases only in the early stages of development, therefore it is so important to observe the plants and take action as early as possible.

In the open field, the most common eggplant pest is the Colorado potato beetle and its larvae. Effective ways to control them are manual collection and treatment with insecticides.

Harvesting and application of the crop

The first harvest is carried out 35–40 days after the onset of the eggplant flowering. The fruits are carefully cut with a knife together with a cup, leaving a stalk 3 cm long. Store in a dry, dark place.

At a temperature of 10 ° C and an air humidity of 90%, fruits are kept more than 1 month.

Ilya Muromets is a universal variety. It is used in cooking for roasting, stewing and preparations for the winter... This eggplant is grown for the production of caviar, and is also supplied to restaurants for preparing gourmet dishes.

Advantages and disadvantages

The variety has a minimum of drawbacks: demanding lighting and heat, heat intolerance, the need to form a bush.

The gardeners give out much more advantages:

• unpretentious, does not require special care;
• resistant to diseases and most pests;
• abundant flowering and ovary formation on each flower;
• high productivity;
• long-term storage and transportability;
• fruits taste good without bitterness;
• versatility of the variety;
• the possibility of cultivating crops in open and closed ground.

Reviews of those who grew

The Ilya Muromets variety attracts gardeners with its simple agricultural technology, excellent fruit qualities, and a rich harvest.

Stepan Sviridov, Syzran: “I love eggplants, and not only eat but also grow them. They are always on my site. I tried all sorts of varieties, but Ilya Muromets liked the size of the fruits and their excellent taste. I want to tell you about my experience. To prevent the variety from growing too much, before planting seedlings, I drive in 70 cm stakes next to the holes.When the bushes grow, I tie them together with all the shoots. They turn out to be more compact, and more heat and light comes to the fruits. My grandmother taught me this, I recommend trying. "

Olga Orlova, Sertolovo: “I have been growing eggplants on my site for a long time, and Ilya Muromets is the second year. The variety is young, so I had my doubts. The first year was grown with purchased seedlings; came out 4 kg per bush. Such a harvest pleasantly surprised me. I collected the seeds and planted the seedlings myself this year. I remove the bottom and any weak leaves so that the fruits are large. Eggplant blooms profusely, as in the photo on the Internet, so I pick all the small flowers and leave the strongest ones - then the fruits will be larger and heavier. "

Galina Kalyuzhina, Ivanovo: “I first bought the seeds of Ilya Muromets in 2016. Every seed has sprung up! If cared for well, the plants grow up to one and a half meters tall and are as strong as mini-trees. The fruits themselves are very large, long, even; there are many of them and all are very tasty. Germination rate - 100% ”.

Read also:

How to cook the most delicious eggplant caviar for the winter.

Can eggplant be used for gastritis: the pros and cons.

Conclusion

The Ilya Muromets variety is one of the most popular among vegetable growers. It is unpretentious, resistant to pests and diseases, gives many large and tasty fruits that are stored for a long time and are easily transported. A large crop is harvested in any region, regardless of the type of soil chosen.