Black handsome - eggplant for a warm climate

Eggplant is a heat-loving vegetable, therefore, even in the middle lane, growing it in unprotected soil is difficult. But in the south, starting from the Central Black Earth region, this is the most ordinary gardener. One of the relatively new varieties intended specifically for the open ground of warm areas is the eggplant Black Beauty. Its popularity is growing rapidly, since the variety has a lot of undoubted advantages.

Description of the eggplant variety Black handsome

Eggplant Black handsome - a relatively new variety, but he has already managed to fall in love with many gardeners. Reading numerous descriptions, one can find significant discrepancies both in the characteristics of the vegetable and in the history of its origin. It turns out that everything is quite simple. The black handsome man is translated into English as Black Beauty, and under this name there exists, and for a long time, a completely different variety (more precisely, a hybrid) of Dutch origin. We will try to dispel the confusion and describe exactly the domestic variety Black Beauty.

Origin, growing region

This variety was bred in the Moscow region by specialists of Agrofirm Search LLC, and it is not recommended for cultivation in large vegetable-growing enterprises. According to the State Register of the Russian Federation, where Black Beauty was introduced in 2006, the variety is recommended for cultivating personal subsidiary plots in unprotected soil. Thus, it is focused mainly on ordinary summer residents and small farmers.

Of course, eggplant cannot be grown in open ground in cold climatic regions, and an official document recommends the variety in question only for the Central Black Earth and North Caucasus regions. However, this does not mean that it cannot be planted in a greenhouse, and the use of such a technique has expanded the geography of cultivating the variety. It is successfully grown in the middle lane, including the Moscow region, and even in the more northern regions.

General characteristics of the variety

Black handsome is a mid-season variety for universal use: a wide variety of dishes are prepared from it, as well as preparations for the winter. The bush of this eggplant is medium-sized, semi-spreading: about 70 cm high. The stem is lilac or bluish, with short internodes, medium-sized pubescent. The leaves are also of normal size, green, prickly.

The fruits are pear-shaped, brown-violet or violet-black in color, glossy, grow in length to an average of 13-15 cm, sometimes up to 20 cm. Their mass is from 120 to 200 g. Inside the fruits have a yellowish-white flesh with no bitterness and a small amount of seeds. The peel is very thin. The taste of any dishes from this eggplant is described as excellent.

The fully ripened fruits of the Black Beauty can have almost black color

The yield is above average, almost like the well-known variety Diamond. With one bush with competent agricultural technology, you can collect about 3 kg of eggplant. Average yield per 1 m² is about 7-8 kg. Eggplant varieties of Black Beauty are stored for a relatively long time and can withstand transportation well, which makes the variety promising commercially.

In the open ground, the very first fruits are ready for harvesting approximately 120-140 days after the first seedlings have been outlined, in the greenhouse a little earlier. With timely sowing of seeds, this occurs approximately in the middle of summer; fruiting lasts until the end of August, and in the south it captures the first autumn month. Fruits are formed, starting from the lowest tiers of the bush.

Experts advise not only to wait until the eggplant is fully ripe, but even to reach the maximum possible size: young, medium-sized specimens are significantly tastier, even peeling is not required.

The resistance of the variety to most known diseases is above average; it also tolerates abrupt changes in the weather. However, when growing in a greenhouse, it is necessary to strictly monitor the humidity and temperature: without airing, the likelihood of diseases of any kind of eggplant increases sharply.

Thus, the Black Beauty is a classic mid-season eggplant with beautiful fruits for universal use.

Table: The main properties of eggplant Black handsome

The appearance of the plant

With proper cultivation, the fruits of the eggplant Black Beauty are characterized by an average size and a typical eggplant color. Once it was possible to say that the fruits are well recognizable in appearance. Now, in an era of variety diversity, that would be an exaggeration.

Eggplant fruits The black handsome man really looks like a pear, and their coloring is classic eggplant

On the bush, the fruits are often arranged in pairs or in small groups, with a minimum distance from each other. At the same time, a group of eggplants, as a rule, are born and keep up almost simultaneously.

A handsome black man gives birth to fruits in small groups, although they cannot be called clusters

Advantages and disadvantages, differences from other varieties

This is not to say that all reviews of the variety fit into the interjection “Ah!”, But the lovers and professionals note a lot of positive qualities of the Black Handsome and amateurs. This, for example, the versatility of the use of fruits, as well as:

• high productivity;
• compactness of the plant;
• good presentation of fruits, their transportability;
• fine taste of any cooked dishes, without bitterness;
• unpretentiousness in leaving;
• high disease resistance;
• adaptability to changing weather conditions;
• a small amount of seeds.

The relative disadvantages are most often indicated:

• the impossibility of growing in the middle lane without greenhouses;
• strong dependence of productivity on the level of agricultural technology;
• high demands on lighting.

However, few well-known varieties are devoid of these disadvantages. So, there are not so many varieties for unprotected soil that are cultivated without problems in cool regions. Although, for example, the King of the North hybrid is successfully grown without greenhouses even in Siberia, but reviews about its taste are very contradictory. The Negus variety is very good in such a situation, but its fruits to taste are evaluated only as good. The quality of Esaul eggplant is highly appreciated, but its yield is lower.

The shape of the fruit, this variety is somewhat reminiscent of the Albatross eggplant, zoned in the Lower Volga region, but the Albatross ripens somewhat earlier, and its resistance to disease is worse. Earlier, the pear-shaped fruits of the Vera variety are ready to be harvested, but it cannot boast of productivity. However, the comparison can be continued indefinitely: if an ideal variety existed, others would not be required.

Features of planting and growing

Only in the southernmost regions is it possible to grow eggplants in a non-seedling way, and even then they try to plant ripening varieties. In order to have time to harvest the Black Handsome man, sowing seeds in the garden is necessary in early or mid-April. If the air temperature at this time is set at least 15 ^aboutC, then in the south they sow seeds in a bed to a depth of 2 cm, sowing 3-4 holes in each hole. As a rule, all seeds do not germinate, so they leave one, the strongest sprout, sometimes two. But even in the warmest regions, crops are covered with film, and seedlings are kept under film cover for the first weeks.

Planting and growing seedlings

In the vast majority of cases, eggplant cultivation begins with sowing seeds for seedlings. It has to be grown at home, because it is an extremely heat-loving culture. They prepare for the process long, stocking up seeds, soil for seedlings and convenient containers in the winter.

Growing eggplant seedlings includes stages that are well known to any gardener, for this culture it is better to do without picking, immediately sow seeds in large pots, optimally peat. The procedure for growing seedlings is long and difficult, consists of the following operations:

• seed disinfection (half-hour treatment with a dark solution of potassium permanganate) and soil (spillage with a light pink solution of the same preparation);
• hardening of swollen seeds in the refrigerator and processing them with any growth stimulants (at least 1: 5 aloe juice diluted with water);
• sowing seeds in peat pots to a depth of 1.5-2 cm;
• obligatory lowering of air temperature by 5-6 days to 16-18 ^aboutFrom immediately after the appearance of the first shoots;
• maintaining a temperature of at least 23-25 ^aboutC hereinafter;
• moderate rare watering and 2-3 top dressings with complex mineral fertilizer;
• hardening of seedlings, carried out 7-10 days before transplanting it into the ground.

Seedlings of any varieties of eggplant are planted in a bed at the age of 60-70 days. Good seedlings are bushes at least 20 cm high; it should have from 5 to 8 large leaves. At least in the greenhouse, at least in unprotected soil, seedlings can be transferred only when the temperature of the soil has risen to at least 15 ^aboutC. If the average daily temperature by this time has not yet reached 18-20 ^aboutC, temporary film shelters must be equipped.

Good eggplant seedlings resemble a small tree

The exact timing of planting seedlings depends not only on the long-term climate, but also on the current weather in the region. Roughly in the south, seedlings are transferred to the garden in late April or early May, in the central regions a month later, and in Siberia or the Urals - in mid-June. However, the Black handsome man should not be planted in unprotected soil in regions with a cool climate, he is not intended for this. It is better to plant seedlings in the evening when the sun is already setting, and it is very good if cloudy weather is expected for the next 2-3 days.

Planting seedlings in the ground and further care for it

Beds for eggplant are prepared long before planting seedlings, optimally - even in the fall. They are surely well seasoned with rotten manure with the addition of wood ash and a small amount of mineral fertilizers. The place under the eggplant should be sunny and closed from the effects of cold winds. In an insufficiently warm climate, “warm” beds are made for these vegetables: various plant residues are placed in their lower part, the decomposition of which leads to soil heating in the root zone. Eggplants are planted a little deeper compared to how they grew in pots.

The bushes of the Black Beauty are placed on the bed according to any convenient scheme, but the distance between them is maintained at least 40-50 cm. The technique for planting seedlings of this eggplant is no different from the generally accepted one. Peat pots with seedlings are placed in pre-dug holes with a small depth, about 2-3 cm. The slope in the case of eggplant is not used. It is advisable to immediately stick in pegs: despite the fact that this variety is not very tall, it usually requires a garter. Seedlings in a new place are watered with water heated in the sun, after which the soil around the plants is covered with a thin layer of mulch. Be sure to cover plantings for the first time, best of all - with non-woven materials.

Eggplant seedlings are planted vertically and are almost not buried.

At first, until the seedlings get stronger and resume growth, nothing should be done with it, except to monitor the shelter. Then care for eggplant consists of watering, top dressing, forming a bush, garter it. Eggplant cultivar Black handsome is one of the hygrophilous, and it should be watered regularly, at least once a week with a flow rate of 3-4 buckets per square meter. It is worth doing this in the evening, heated in the sun by water.

During intensive fruit growth, they are watered even more and more often. After irrigation and a little drying of the earth, shallow loosening of the soil is necessary, accompanied by the destruction of weeds. Over time, the bushes will close, it will be difficult to loosen, instead they use continuous mulching of the garden.

Already after 1.5-2 weeks after transplanting seedlings, eggplant is given the first top dressing, and only 3-4 times are fed during the summer. Organics should not be given much, and inorganic nitrogen too: this leads to excessive growth of bushes to the detriment of full-fledged fruiting. And if the first feeding is carried out with an infusion of organic fertilizers (mullein or chicken droppings) or with a solution of complex fertilizers (such as azofoska), then the amount of nitrogen is reduced in the future. They mainly use superphosphate and potassium salts, but you can replace this recipe with ordinary campfire ash.

When growing eggplant, Black Beauty can not do without the formation of a bush. It begins with the fact that all vegetation is removed below the first fork. Upon reaching a height of 35 cm, pinch the main shoot. In case of bad weather, trying to preserve at least what is available, stepsons are also removed. If the number of flowers and ovaries is large, the most frail are removed: more than 10 full-fledged fruits the bush rarely overpowers. As the leaves turn yellow, they are also cut; remove those that cover the fruits from the sun.

Video: planting eggplant in open ground

Reviews

Eggplant "Black Beauty" I began to grow three years ago. Just when I bought the seeds I noticed them and took them. And I really liked them. This season I have not bought any other eggplant seeds other than "Black Beauty".

Kondratyuk

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Cultivated eggplant variety Black handsome. I like very much, not completely bitter, but of mid-late ripening. My favorite variety!

Nymphaeum

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Planted "Black Beauty" a good eggplant, but the last two years I planted only "Helios", round, without bitterness.

Alla Terekhova

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... not pleased with the harvest. With Giselle not compare. But once he talks about nothing. It is painfully good to write about him, maybe once again I will try to make friends with him.

Radiant

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Eggplant Black handsome, undoubtedly, is one of the best mid-season varieties. Unfortunately, in unprotected soil it can be grown only in a warm climate, however, in greenhouses the variety is cultivated in the suburbs. The great taste of the fruit is worth the effort to take care of the eggplant.