Eggplant Prince

In this article, you will learn about such a variety as "Prince" eggplant. Its description, main characteristics, how to grow it correctly, what will be required for it carehow to deal with diseases and parasites.

Eggplant Prince: photo

Eggplant Prince: variety description

When choosing an eggplant variety, experienced gardeners give preference to varieties that do not require much effort, are unpretentious, grow quickly, delight with an excellent harvest and taste characteristics. Eggplant variety "Prince" fits this description perfectly, which is why it is most often chosen for cultivation. In this article, we will talk about it in detail.

Eggplant Is an annual herb belonging to the Solanaceae family. Only the fruit is edible for him.

• Eggplant "Prince" was bred by domestic breeders in 1968 and was included in the register of varieties a year later - in 1970.
• Designed for growing not only in the greenhouse, but also in the open field.
• The bushes of the prince eggplant are medium leafy; when grown in a greenhouse, their height reaches one meter, and when grown in open ground - about 70 cm, or even less.
• As mentioned earlier, in eggplant, only the fruit is edible, the shape of which is "cylindrical".
• The fruits of an eggplant are of medium size - they are quite compact in length, medium-sized - on average 25 cm, weighing 140-200 grams, the diameter of the vegetable is 6 cm.
• Eggplants have a pronounced even dark purple color, the fruits are shiny.
• The eggplant pulp is dense, not bitter, and has a white color.
• Variety "Prince" has a good yield - it is possible to harvest up to 7-8 kg from one square meter. harvest. The maximum result can be achieved only if all the rules and necessary agrotechnical measures were observed during cultivation and care.
• In addition to the high yield level, this variety has excellent commercial quality.
• This variety, according to reviews, has excellent taste characteristics, is suitable for preparing a lot of dishes, including preservation, the taste does not taste bitter (if, nevertheless, it happens that the pulp is bitter - fill the eggplant rings with salt for 30 minutes, after which all the unpleasant bitterness will come out).
• The plant has comprehensive protection against diseases - it has excellent resistance to the tobacco mosaic virus, as well as to many other diseases - this is a very significant advantage over other varieties.

The main characteristics of the Prince eggplant variety

Eggplant Prince has the following characteristics and traits:

• The most acceptable conditions for growing "Prince" in countries such as Russia, Moldova, Ukraine - this is where it is recommended to grow it;
• this variety is a medium early variety
• the foliage of the "Prince" is large, bright green (popularly, because of the large size of the leaves, it is called "burdock");
• high, stable level of productivity;
• the growing season, from the moment the first shoots appear until they are eaten, is approximately 110-130 days;
• thorns on a cup of eggplant are often weak or completely absent;
• fruits have a dark purple color, both at the stage of technical ripeness and at the stage of biological ripeness;
• the stem is purple in color;
• the pulp is firm, tender with a white or light green color;
• The Prince variety is versatile, suitable for both main courses and snacks. Perfect for preservation.

How to grow

Each vegetable has its own subtleties and rules for growing, which are strongly recommended to be followed in order to harvest a rich harvest, with excellent taste and market characteristics.

When choosing a place, keep in mind that the best predecessors are legumes and melons, and carrots are also good.

The soil for planting should be fertile, loose, light - chernozem, loam, sandy loam soils are ideal. Eggplant has a negative effect on clay soil, and this applies not only to the "Prince" variety, but to all types of eggplant.

The planting material does not need preliminary processing before planting.

Before planting in the ground, it is imperative to apply organic fertilizers, at the rate of 3 kg. manure per square meter.

Eggplant is a thermophilic plant; the warmer the summer, the sooner the fruits will ripen. The ideal air temperature for eggplant is +20 - +30 degrees, when the temperature drops to +15 degrees and below, growth slows down or stops altogether.

There are gardeners who use artificial lighting for the speedy development of plants - this is a big mistake that in no case should be made. On the contrary, eggplants prefer short daylight hours for growth, hence it is recommended to cover them with boxes from about 8 am to 6 pm.

Landing in open ground

It is recommended to plant seeds in open ground only when the soil has warmed up to at least +15 degrees - this is about the first half of May.

It is recommended to plant prince eggplant seeds at a distance of at least 50 cm from each other, while maintaining a distance between rows of 30 cm.

Planting in a greenhouse

To grow prince eggplant in a greenhouse, you first need to grow seedlings - this is done in early March, in order to plant seedlings in the greenhouse in early June.

For seedlings, seeds are planted in a container or in a separate container to a depth of 1 -1.5 cm, at a distance of at least 5 cm from each other. Next, the container is covered with polyethylene and placed in a warm, bright place. After the appearance of the first shoots, we immediately remove the film, and protect the plants from direct sunlight.

Approximately 3 weeks after the emergence of seedlings, the seedlings can already be transplanted into the greenhouse.

Since the root system of the "Prince" is rather weak and, in order not to damage it, it is necessary to transplant the seedling along with a lump of earth.

Depending on which greenhouse the seedlings will be planted in - heated or unheated - the degree of planting density depends. If the greenhouse is heated, then about 2.5 plants should fall on one square meter, if the greenhouse is unheated, then on average 3.5 plants.

How to care for eggplants

The Prince variety does not need any special care, all the necessary agrotechnical measures are quite standard - watering, fertilizing, loosening, weeding.

It is necessary to water the plants every 2-3 days, approximately 1-1.5 liters per bush. Watch out for moisture carefully, as excessive moisture can lead to root rot. It is recommended to use warm water for irrigation.

Top dressing is done a couple of times per season:

• The first time - 3 weeks after planting in a permanent place, for this you can use a solution of mullein or humus with water - for each bush, 1 liter is consumed.
• The second time - 2 weeks after the first feeding. At this stage of growth, the eggplant needs phosphorus fertilizers; for this, a solution of water with superphosphate is ideal. Consumption for each bush is 1.5 liters of solution.

Also, eggplant Prince, according to experienced gardeners, responds well to horse manure and wood ash.

• Loosening, ideally, must be done after each watering, which will prevent the formation of an earthen crust and prevent the appearance of pests.
• Weeding must be carried out regularly, this will get rid of weeds, which negatively affect the growth of eggplant, taking away all the necessary nutrients and moisture.

Possible diseases and pests, how to deal with them

As mentioned earlier, the prince eggplant variety is resistant to numerous diseases - the tobacco mosaic virus, late blight, powdery mildew and others. But there is a risk of root rot, the risk of which will be reduced to almost zero if the plants are properly watered and do not forget to loosen the soil.

If the "Prince" is resistant to disease, then unfortunately, this cannot be said about insect pests. This variety of eggplant is susceptible to attacks by the Colorado potato beetle, aphids, and spider mites. You can fight aphids with Bordeaux liquid; for this, a solution of water and liquid is sprayed on the area every 10 days.

You can fight the Colorado potato beetle with a solution of wood ash, spraying the bushes.

Currently, there are a lot of drugs in specialized stores to combat various parasites. At the first signs of the appearance of pests, in order to secure your harvest, you need to purchase the drug and process the plants.

Conclusion

Using all these recommendations, as well as personal experience, even a beginner in "garden affairs" will be able to grow a gorgeous crop, with excellent taste and quality, which can be used in the preparation of many dishes, as well as used for preparations. Eggplant variety "Prince" is unpretentious, it is easy to grow.