There are many varieties of eggplant, among which summer residents can choose those that satisfy the maturity, taste, color, size. For those who appreciate large fruits, breeders have bred eggplant Marzipan. This is one of the new hybrids with various positive properties.
The variety was obtained by the breeding and seed company Russian Garden.
Hybrid features
Eggplant Marzipan belongs to mid-ripening varieties, ripening period 120-130 days. It is suitable for outdoor cultivation, in greenhouses and greenhouses.
The originator gives the following description of the plant:
- bush height up to 1 meter;
- upright plant;
- leaves are large, green;
- the bush blooms in single or flowers collected in inflorescences;
- the fruits are large, fleshy, of a classical form;
- the size of the fruit in length is up to 16 cm, in width - about 7 cm;
- the flesh is sweet, not bitter, pale yellow;
- the skin is purple, shiny;
- the seeds are small, they are few.
Eggplant Marzipan gives a fairly large number of fruits. From one plant you can collect over two kilograms of delicious blue ones, each weighing from 300 to 600 grams. The variety is intended for the preparation of any dishes, including canning. Marzipan is considered one of the best varieties for baking fruits on a wire rack.
Disadvantages and advantages
According to reviews, Marzipan eggplant has the following advantages:
- the ability to grow a plant in any region of the country, and in the south it grows in open ground, and in the north - in greenhouses, hotbeds;
- the fruits have an excellent presentation;
- large-fruited;
- the plant tolerates heat, drought;
- tasty eggplants, almost without seeds;
- excellent yield.
The disadvantages of eggplant Marzipan include:
- exactingness to lighting: lack of light leads to lightening the color of the skin;
- fragility of shoots under the weight of the fruit;
- Demanding on the temperature of the water used for irrigation: when using cold water, the plant discards the ovary and flowers.
Growing plants
Eggplant Marzipan can be grown in open ground in a greenhouse. Grow it through seedlings.
Plant seeds are sown in late February - early March in seedling boxes. Under cover, seedlings are planted in May, in open ground in June, after the threat of reverse frosts has finally warmed up and passed. By the time of transplantation, seedlings should be 60-70 days.
Growing seedlings
The eggplant variety Marzipan is planted in late February - early March. Before this period, seeds are planted only under the condition that additional illumination is provided.
Before you start sowing, you need to prepare everything you need. You should start with the choice of soil - you can prepare it yourself or purchase a ready-made substrate in a summer house. The last option has all the necessary substances, trace elements.
With the independent production of soil, a mixture of one part of sand, three parts of humus and four parts of peat is prepared. A spoonful of superphosphate, a glass of wood ash, is added to a bucket of soil.
Planting boxes are filled in two-thirds with soil, watered. Then make grooves with a depth of 0.5 cm. Seeds are laid out at them at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other. To accelerate germination and prevent drying of the upper layers of the soil, the boxes are covered with glass or film.
Seed germination occurs at a temperature of 25 degrees.
At the stage of cotyledonary leaves, it is recommended to spike shoots in individual containers. During transplantation, you should be extremely careful not to damage the root system. According to reviews, Marzipan F1 eggplant is hard to repair damaged roots.
Initially, eggplants have enough of those nutrients that are contained in the soil. As the seedlings grow and develop, reinforced dressings are carried out. It is best to give preference to complex fertilizers for seedlings. They are used according to the instructions.
Two weeks before planting in a permanent place, seedlings are hardened, gradually accustoming to fresh air. You should start with 15 minutes, gradually increasing the time the seedlings are in direct sunlight.
Permanent landing
Eggplant - plants that love light and heat, so they are planted when the temperature is kept at around 17-20 degrees. If it drops to 15 or rises above 30, then the plants drop buds.
According to the description of the variety and characteristics of the marzipan eggplant, before planting the seedlings in a permanent place, it is necessary to carry out preparation. A day before the planned planting, bushes are abundantly watered. Watering is repeated immediately before planting.
Plants are planted according to the scheme of three bushes per square meter. Between the rows they maintain a distance of at least 60 cm, transplant seedlings with a lump of earth, without injuring the root system.
Plant care
According to the description, Marzipan eggplant does not need special care. These plants do not like heavy watering - 5 liters of water per square meter are enough. Watering the beds once a week. After watering, the soil is loosened. If plants are grown in a greenhouse, then it should be aired.
During growth, bushes must be formed. Eggplants usually lead into 2-3 stems, all other shoots are removed. Left shoots tied to a support. Also remove all the leaves that obscure the stems, flowers.
When growing eggplant in the northern regions, pinch bushes at a height of 30-35 cm. In this case, no more than six ovaries are left on one plant.
General care rules
To get a good harvest, you must follow the following rules of care:
- Throughout the summer, it is necessary to loosen the soil so that it does not compact. Especially carefully monitor the soil after rain, watering.
- The bed with bushes should always be slightly moist. To get, as in the photo, eggplant Marzipan, according to reviews, should be watered once a week. This variety is not afraid of drought, but also does not tolerate the dryness of an earthen coma.
- For the entire period of fertilizing the development of plants, it is necessary to carry out three fertilizing. The first is performed ten days after transplanting, the second - two weeks after the first, and the third time the bushes are fed at the time of fruiting.
- Eggplants are plants that grow extra roots. This helps increase yields. To stimulate the formation of roots, it is necessary to carry out the hilling of plants.
- The beds must be weeded, inspections of bushes for pests, diseases.
Diseases, pests
Eggplant belongs to the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes. These plants suffer from the same diseases.
Late blight is a widespread fungal disease characterized by the appearance of rusty spots on foliage. In dry weather, the leaves dry and fall, and in rainy - they become covered with plaque, rot. To combat the disease using copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid. Processing plants is carried out after sunset. Prevention of late blight includes the burning of diseased plants after harvest. The treatment of the bushes with garlic solution helps well - two hundred grams are insisted in three liters of water for three days. Then the solution is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 1.
Eggplant can be infected with mosaics. This is a disease of viral nature, in which the deformation of the leaves occurs - they are covered with pale green patterns. Yellow spots appear on the fruits. The affected bushes are removed, the entire tool is processed. Healthy-looking plants must be treated with an antiviral drug. For the prevention of mosaics, plants are treated with a soap solution prepared from 20 grams of laundry soap diluted in a liter of water.
Eggplant often affects aphids. She sucks the juice of the plant, leading to twisting of leaves, the death of the bush. To combat aphids, chemicals or folk remedies are used. The tincture of ash helps to cope with the pest: a glass of ash is mixed with 10 liters of water and a spoon of green soap. The composition is allowed to brew for a day, then they are treated with eggplant. To protect plants from aphids, it is necessary to ventilate the greenhouse, as well as to conduct preventive treatment of bushes with chemists or an ash solution once every two weeks.
In dry weather, plants can damage spider mites. Pests feed on cell sap. To combat it, plants are treated with special chemicals strictly according to the instructions. As a prophylaxis of plant infection, eggplant is sprayed with water in hot, dry weather. This procedure is performed in the morning and evening.
Harvesting
As can be understood from the description and photo, Marzipan eggplant gives a good harvest. When collecting it should take into account the timing of fruit ripening. Harvesting too early will produce bitter fruits, while later harvesting will have too large seeds and hard flesh. Therefore, the fruits are removed during the period of technical ripeness, about a month after flowering. A clear sign of the readiness of the fruits for harvesting is a pronounced gloss of fruits with a characteristic dark purple color.
Vegetables are cut with scissors or secateurs along with the peduncle. This procedure should be performed carefully so as not to damage the bush. Harvested vegetables are consumed immediately, since they cannot be stored for a long time - during storage, the eggplants become soft, their skin is wrinkled. Vegetables can retain their appearance and taste for no longer than three weeks if stored in the refrigerator.