Unpretentious in care and amazing-tasting eggplant "King of the Market"

Eggplant King of the Market is an unpretentious hybrid resistant to diseases and temperature extremes. This is the choice of many gardeners who value their work and want to get a high quality harvest.

In the article, we will consider the advantages and disadvantages of eggplant, the secrets of its cultivation, and also share with you the reviews of farmers.

Description of culture

Hybrid King of the Market was bred by the agronomic holding "NK Russian Garden" by crossing the frost-resistant eggplant "The Gardener's Dream" and immune to diseases varieties Prince.

Eggplant does not taste bitter, has a deep blue-black color. Suitable for growing in greenhouses and open field. Among other nightshades, it stands out for its good transportability and quick adaptation to climate change.

Characteristic features of a hybrid:

• the height of the bush reaches 90 cm in greenhouse cultivation and 50 cm in an open area;
• growth of the ovary from 20 to 25 cm;
• medium-sized leaves with pronounced purple blotches on the underside and velvety on the front;
• the stem is covered with villi, thickened towards the root;
• purple flowers with lilac streaks at the base of the inflorescence;
• the stalks are without thorns, they practically do not bend and break well - the fruits are cut with special scissors or plucked by hand.

Reference! This is an early ripening vegetable, but it requires a growth temperature of at least 24 ° C, otherwise the eggplants will be crooked.

Fruiting and productivity

The fruits of the hybrid are elongated, cylindrical in shape, have a dense white pulp with creamy areas at the locations of the seeds and a thin peel. Eggplant length - up to 22 cm with a diameter of 6 cm.

The plant needs two months to fully mature. The yield is high - you can collect up to 10 fruits from one bush. By weight, this is approximately 50-60 kg per 10 sq. M.

The keeping quality of the fruit is excellent, no special storage conditions are needed.

Germinating seeds

Sowing of seeds begins in late February-early March, depending on the climate of the region. First, the seed is soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate to determine germination. Only those grains that have sunk to the bottom are suitable.

Seeds are planted to a depth of 1 cm. It is recommended to plant each plant in a separate box or container with a volume of at least 150 ml - this will make it easier to transplant the culture to a permanent place.

Optimal soil composition:

• 300 g of peat;
• 1 kg of humus;
• 2 kg of turf land.

Before planting the seeds, the soil mixture is poured into pots and warmed up for 10 days, poured with a potassium solution or "Fitosporin", and then covered with a transparent oilcloth.

Sprout care

Eggplant seeds sprout one week after planting. Seedlings are watered for the first time only when shoots appear.

Important! It is impossible to fertilize plants - this causes hypervitaminosis, which is manifested first by the violent growth of seedlings, and then by their death.

At the growth stage, the eggplant must be provided with:

• the optimal level of lighting - the duration of daylight hours is 12 hours;
• frequent and abundant watering with warm water (sometimes you can spray seedlings, replacing watering);
• protection from drafts and sudden temperature changes - containers are not placed close to window frames and heating devices.

Planting and cultivating seedlings

In open ground or a greenhouse, seedlings are planted no earlier than mid-May. Plants have a well developed, but fragile root system.The bushes do not dive, they are immediately transplanted to a new place along with a lump of earth.

Reference! Planting of seedlings is done according to a square-nesting scheme at a distance of at least 50 cm from each other. Planting frequently can reduce yields.

Fertilizers

After planting the plants in a new place, they are fertilized three times during the entire life cycle: 7 days after transplanting, during flowering and in the process of fruit ripening.

For feeding, you can use chemical solutions containing iron, nitrogen, potassium, manganese, phosphorus or organic matter - usually cow dung is used.

Watering

Eggplants are regularly watered with warm water without chlorine and other harmful impurities. The frequency depends on the weather. Plants that do not have enough moisture drop their leaves, lose the ovary and flowers, and the fruits turn yellow. A balance must be maintained here. Deficiency of moisture leads to the formation of dense areas inside the fruit, its excess leads to rotting of the stem and eggplant.

Attention! The soil under the plants is mulched using cut grass or hay.

Diseases and pests

The King of the market hybrid is resistant to most diseases, but in the open field, without proper care, the crop is often attacked by aphids, slugs and Colorado beetles. To avoid this, when planting, copper sulfate is poured to the base of the roots. Blooming eggplants are sprayed with a Colorado potato beetle repellent.

Greenhouse conditions

In greenhouses, a hybrid can be sick with a black leg, late blight, mosaic, black rot. Plants affected by rot die rather quickly if appropriate measures are not taken.

Black leg or late blight cause drying of the fruit. They become covered with yellow spots and begin to rot. From the mosaic and aphids, the leaves of the hybrid fold, the plant withers.

You can get a high yield and protect plants from pests if you follow a number of rules:

• sort the seeds before planting;
• monitor the microclimate in the greenhouse;
• examine eggplants for diseases and pests;
• water regularly and avoid waterlogging.

Application area

Eggplant King of the market is rich in vitamins and useful microelements that improve the functioning of the heart, gastrointestinal tract organs, and normalize blood circulation. In eastern Asia, the juice of this vegetable is used to make ointments that heal wounds.

In our country, eggplants are canned, fried, and steamed. It is best to use baked fruit - this way all its useful properties are preserved.

Advantages and disadvantages

Hybrid King of the market is rightfully in high demand among summer residents.

The benefits of culture are clear:

• high productivity;
• pleasant taste without bitterness;
• simple growing conditions;
• standard care;
• resistance to pests, infectious and fungal diseases;
• long storage of crops;
• universal application: canning and culinary processing.

The disadvantages include the curvature of the fruit, but this rarely happens.

Reviews

There are a lot of reviews about the hybrid, most of them are positive. The culture is appreciated for its fertility, persistence and original taste for eggplant.

Marina, Oryol: "The King of the Market planted an eggplant for the sake of experiment. Our summer was hot, we had to water the plants every other day. Gathered 12 kg from 3 beds! Children used to not eat eggplants at all because of the bitterness, and they eat them with great appetite. "

Semyon, Tambov: “I am an agronomist by profession, I have my own farm. I know a lot about eggplant and I can confidently say that the King of the Market fully justifies its name. It ripens early, good quality fruit, juicy. Last summer, other types of eggplant were killed by aphids, but this one survived. Ripens even earlier than zucchini and bears fruit until the end of August. The main thing is the optimal microclimate. During the day it should be + 20-25 ° C, at night not higher than +15 ° C. "

Elena, Novoaleksandrovsk: "I don't like eggplant, I grow it only because of my husband. Used to use seeds from the last sowing.The harvest was not particularly pleasing; it was often attacked by spider mites. Last year I bought a hybrid King of the market. The eggplants did not hurt, they grew quickly. Then I thought where to attach so much harvest! "

Conclusion

Eggplant King is profitable to grow both in greenhouses and in open areas. It does not require special care, adapts to any climate and produces a good harvest. It is only necessary to plant the seeds correctly, otherwise the hybrid is unpretentious.