Review of the variety of eggplant "Nutcracker": advantages and disadvantages, nuances of growing
For the first time, wild eggplant as a culture was discovered in East India. Then people were attracted by the interesting appearance of the fruit and compact bushes. Today, the attractive purple vegetable is widespread throughout the world.
It is useful in its properties and is used in the preparation of many dishes. Some varieties eggplant is more bitter, while others, on the contrary, have a pleasant mild taste. Today we will talk about the Nutcracker variety, which is grown by gardeners throughout the country.
The content of the article
Description of the variety
The vegetable is a hybrid, has excellent yields and high immunity to diseases and pests. It ripens within 40-50 days, is planted in seedlings, and is unpretentious in care.
Distinctive features
The height of the bush depends on the growing conditions. In the open field, it reaches 1 m, in the greenhouse - about 1.5 m.
Semi-spreading bushes, leaves of a classic green color of a rounded regular shape. An early ripe hybrid is not afraid of frost and drought.
Fruit characteristics and yield
Fruits are spherical, shaped like a pear. The weight of one vegetable is about 0.5 kg, the surface is glossy, deep purple. The pulp is white, the taste is not bitter. In length, the Nutcracker reaches 13-17 cm. From 1 sq. m summer residents collect about 20 kg.
Interesting! Eggplant also has the name of the dark-fruited nightshade, as it belongs to the nightshade family. And in eastern countries, the vegetable is called "badrijan" or "bubrijan".
How to grow Nutcracker eggplant yourself
Experienced gardeners are advised to grow this variety exclusively in seedlings. So it will be easier for the culture to adapt to one or another climatic conditions of the region and avoid many diseases. Let's take a closer look at how to properly plant and care for eggplants.
Growing seedlings
Seedlings are prepared 65-70 days before the plant is planted in the ground. To do this, purchase seeds and disinfect them in a solution of hydrogen peroxide at the rate of 100 ml of water per 3 ml of peroxide. Heat the mixture to 40 degrees and soak the material in it for 10 minutes. It is advised to carry out the procedure immediately before sowing.
The soil for the Nutcracker should be fertile and nutritious with neutral acidity. An excellent option is a mixture of soil from the garden, ready-made soil and sand. All components are taken in equal amounts and mixed. To provide the composition with the desired level of acidity, a little dry wood ash is added to the mixture.
Eggplant is planted in any convenient container, as long as it is disinfected. Seeds are sown in milk cartons, cut plastic bottles, peat tablets, wooden boxes.
Landing
Fill containers with soil and pour generously with warm water. Make holes, place one seed in each and sprinkle with earth on top. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm and bright place. The ideal room temperature is no less than 25 and no more than 28 degrees. If you want to plant several types of eggplant, allocate a separate container for each.
Important! Summer residents are advised to moisten the soil with melt water. It is she who stimulates the growth of plants and increases their immunity. If there is still snow outside by the time the seedlings are prepared, be sure to carry out this procedure.
When the first shoots appear in the hybrid, it is transplanted into a larger container. It is important to do this carefully so as not to damage the still weak and fragile stems. When transplanting, the roots should not be bare, and the sprout is placed in a new container with a lump of earth. The plant is buried to the cotyledonous leaves, after which it is watered with warm water.
Seedling care
Moisten the seedlings from a spray bottle to prevent excess moisture. It is better to use rainwater, and if it is not available, then settled tap water... Ideally, the water temperature should be at least the air temperature. In addition, special attention is paid to the lighting of the seedlings.
If there is not enough light, special phytolamps are used. Lack of light leads to the fact that the seedlings are stretched, they do not have enough strength for normal development.
Also, seedlings require additional balanced nutrition in the form of fertilizers. The drug "Kristalon Osobiy" is recognized as an excellent remedy. It is applied every 10 days to accelerate growth. It is also recommended to use mineral supplements with a high phosphorus content.
Important! Prepare a nutritious infusion of nettle for seedlings. To do this, you need finely chopped nettle leaves and a bucket of warm water. Such a folk remedy increases productivity and saturates the vegetable with vitamins and macronutrients.
Open ground transplant
Sunny and sheltered areas are great for eggplants. During the autumn digging of the beds, add peat and humus to the ground... In the spring, add river sand or sawdust to it, which acts as a natural drainage. If the soil is loamy, add more sand. A bed 30-40 cm long and 1 m wide is suitable for eggplants. Before planting, level it with a rake and pour a hot mullein solution over it.
On the day of transplanting, dig holes in the beds and fill them with warm water. After placing the seedlings in the holes, sprinkle them around with soil. The distance between seedlings should be at least 40-50 cm.
For the first time, it is advised to cover the sprouts with a film so that they do not freeze in the event of frost. They remove the protection from mid-June, but when cold weather sets in, they cover young plants again.
Read also:
Stable and unpretentious in care, persistent tomato "Zhenaros".
Further care
Caring for the Nutcracker variety is timely watering, weeding the beds and applying fertilizers. The beds are watered every five days, while the soil should always be slightly moist. If the plant grows in a greenhouse, the soil is moistened once every two weeks. It is best to water after loosening - this way the water gets to the roots faster. One bush consumes 2-4 liters of water.
Another important care step is weeding, which includes removing weeds and loosening. Weeds take some of the nutrients from the crop and make it difficult for sunlight to reach. In addition, they are often the cause of diseases affecting vegetables. Loosening is necessary in order to provide oxygen access to the roots and make the earth lighter.
For the entire ripening period, it is recommended to feed the eggplants three times. The first fertilizer is applied 2-3 weeks after transplanting (for example, potassium chloride or ammonium nitrate). The second time the Nutcracker is fed after the formation of fruits on the lateral processes. Liquid chicken manure is recognized as an effective fertilizer. For the third time, the crop is fertilized two weeks before harvest.
Important! During fruiting, feed the plant with bird droppings and Nitrofoskoy. After infusing the mixture, watering the eggplants is advised at the rate of 1.5 liters of solution per bush. This method improves the taste of vegetables and increases yields.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
When growing the Nutcracker variety, gardeners are advised to pay attention to some of the nuances, which will help to avoid difficulties and increase yields:
- water the plant only in the evening so that the moisture does not evaporate in the sun, but goes directly into the soil;
- when growing a vegetable in a greenhouse, constantly ventilate it;
- do not forget to periodically mulch the beds.
Particular attention is paid to the formation of the bush. When the plant reaches 30 cm, pinch the top, leaving two vegetables on the side shoots. When the stepsons begin to branch, leave one, the most powerful, and pinch the rest. If this is not done, many unnecessary shoots are formed, which will take away strength from the fruits that have not yet formed.
Also, eggplants are especially sensitive to the lack of microelements, therefore it is recommended to feed the plant once with the “Riga mixture”: dilute one tablet in 10 liters of water and water the beds.
Diseases and pests
All diseases of the variety can be divided into viral, fungal and bacterial. Fungi include late blight, white and black legs, root rot. Fungus appears due to improper care and high humidity. The spores of the fungus penetrate through the stomata into the stem and are carried with water throughout the plant. It is recommended to fight diseases with the help of professional drugs such as "Quadris", "Fitosporin", "HOM".
Viral diseases include tobacco mosaic and phytoplasmosis. Because of them, the fruits are deformed, and the leaves become brownish-gray. It is almost impossible to cure a plant from such diseases, therefore it is necessary to carry out prophylaxis using the means of "Aktara" and "Conifor".
Bacterial diseases are caused by low temperatures and high humidity. Bacterial blotch covers the eggplant with watery spots and leaves dry and black. If the bush is already sick with spotting, it is immediately removed and burned.
Important! The main pest of eggplant is the Colorado potato beetle. They destroy it in several ways: they manually collect it from the bushes and burn it, or use special preparations (Colorado, Bicol). The massive appearance of the Colorado potato beetle occurs during the flowering period of the bushes. Eggplants are also attacked by whiteflies and aphids, which helps to fight with a soap solution.
Harvesting and application of the crop
Eggplants are harvested when their skin turns deep purple and the flesh becomes firm. Do not overripe the vegetable as the flesh will taste bitter and the skin will become thin. At the same time, eggplants are not able to ripen outside the bush, so it is important not to miss the perfect moment for harvesting. Check vegetables for ripeness every 2-3 days. When cutting the eggplant, leave the stem of the stalk 3 cm. For long storage, wipe the vegetables with a dry cloth and place in a dark and cool place.
Important! Eggplants cannot be stored for more than two months, so it is better to preserve them right away. Also, the fruits can be dried well, and then cut and frozen. The product is used in this form throughout the year, defrosting and adding to dishes. At the same time, eggplants do not lose their taste and useful properties.
The Nutcracker variety is used to prepare a wide variety of dishes: spicy rolls, the famous fried eggplant with tomatoes, and even juicy lasagna. The neutral taste of the vegetable is combined with most of the ingredients, and the interesting appearance will complement any salad or soup. Housewives also like to preserve eggplants for the winter. Especially tasty preparations are obtained with the addition of ginger and a mixture of Provencal herbs.
Interesting! Eggplant can be used to make original vegetable strudel. In addition to this vegetable, you will need filo dough, feta cheese, bell peppers, olive oil, zucchini, fresh spinach leaves, and egg yolk. The dough is rolled out in thin layers, greased with oil and laid on it in layers already baked and diced vegetables, spinach and feta cheese. Everything is wrapped in a roll and smeared with egg yolk. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main advantage of the Nutcracker variety is that it requires a minimum of maintenance. Eggplant rarely gets sick, it is immune to common diseases of the culture. Many gardeners also note its attractive appearance: the vegetable resembles a large purple pear in shape.
There are also several disadvantages. If the vegetable is not removed from the garden in time, it will acquire a bitterness and become less tasty. Also, some summer residents note difficulties in the formation of a bush, especially when it forms too many shoots.
Farmers reviews
The Nutcracker has a whole army of fans, but some gardeners were disappointed with the harvest.
Maxim, Saratov: “Nutcracker grew eggplant in the open field. The harvest turned out to be good, I collected 6 kg of vegetables from only one bush! I like the taste of eggplant, its firm pulp. I will definitely grow more. "
Olga, Moscow: “I really love compact vegetables because they are easy to cut and cook. There were a lot of fruits, all neat and beautiful, practically without scratches. The pulp is tender and tasty. I especially like stuffing eggplant. You just need to take off the hat, peel the vegetable inside and fill it with the filling. "
Irina, Oryol: “I planted the Nutcracker variety in a greenhouse. In my opinion, the vegetables turned out to be too small, the maximum weight was only 170 g. The vegetables taste bitter, and the peel is very thin, which is why they had to be processed immediately. Next year I will plant other varieties in my garden. ”
Conclusion
Nutcracker eggplants are very popular among gardeners, they are widely used in cooking. Vegetables are rich in calcium, fiber and phosphorus. Even an inexperienced gardener can grow this variety. The main thing is to water the beds with warm, settled water every five days and apply a complex of fertilizers three times a season.