The main difference and advantage of Almaz eggplant is the ability to grow and bear fruit in regions with short and cool summers. We will learn about all the features of this variety, how to grow it, and how to achieve high yields.
The eggplant variety "Diamond" does not contain bitterness
Almaz variety has a high yield
Eggplant Diamond
The history of breeding varieties
The "Almaz" eggplant variety has been around for about fifty years. He was bred by Ukrainian breeders at the Donetsk experimental station. The variety was registered in the late 80s. Later, the rights and patent for the variety were transferred to the Intersemya seed farm.
Eggplant Diamond: variety description
Eggplant is a thermophilic crop, but the Almaz variety is able to grow and bear fruit stably in a temperate climate. Read more about the varietal characteristics and qualities of this eggplant - below.
Plant appearance
The bushes of this variety are compact, 45-60 cm high. They are strong, stable and have a well-developed root system.
Other features of the "Diamond" bushes:
- dense leaf cover;
- leaves of medium size, bright green, shape - extended oval;
- on the peduncle and calyx there are no spine-shaped processes.
Fruit
“Diamond” has large glossy fruits, which are brown in color during the period of technical maturity. Fully ripening, eggplants acquire a dark purple color.
Characteristics of the fruit:
- shape - cylindrical;
- length - 15-20 cm;
- diameter - from 4 to 7 cm;
- weight - 90-170 g;
- the pulp is white with a greenish tinge, with a lot of seeds and without bitterness.
Seeds in ripe fruits are not suitable for reproduction - they are unripe. To get planting material, you need overripe eggplants.
The fruits of "Diamond" are well stored and carry transportation over long distances.
Productivity and fruiting
"Diamond" refers to mid-season varieties. The exact ripening time depends on the climate, weather conditions and care. It is a high-yielding variety characterized by stable fruiting throughout the season.
Variety characteristics:
- Productivity - from 5 to 7.5 kg per 1 sq. m.
- Ripening dates - from the moment of emergence of seedlings to the technical maturity of the fruit, it takes from 110 to 150 days.
Area of use of fruits
Almaz has excellent taste characteristics when properly cooked. In its raw form, the fruits are practically tasteless, and after cooking they acquire a variety of flavors.
From fruits they make:
- hot dishes - stew eggplant, boil, bake;
- cold snacks;
- winter preparations - eggplants are fermented, salted, pickled.
Disease and pest resistance
The variety is distinguished by average resistance to diseases and pests. There are diseases to which "Almaz" is very resistant, and to which it has extremely low immunity.
Features of immunity "Diamond":
- high resistance to pillar and viral mosaic;
- average resistance to late blight and fusariosis;
- poor insect resistance.
The Colorado potato beetle is especially dangerous for the variety - its larvae are able to eat all the leaves of the plant in the shortest possible time. Among the pests of "Almaz" there are also spider mites, bear, aphids, slugs and whiteflies.
In which regions is it better to grow the variety?
The variety can be grown in almost all regions of Russia. In the south, it is grown in open ground, in areas with cool summers - in greenhouses and under film shelters.
Almaz can be grown in the following regions:
- Central Volga region;
- Middle and South Urals;
- south of Western Siberia;
- Far East.
Advantages and disadvantages
The popularity of Almaz eggplant among our gardeners is due to the advantages and benefits of this variety.
Pros:
- high productivity;
- beautiful presentation of the fruit;
- fruiting stability;
- sufficient resistance to fungi and viruses;
- simple care and undemanding to growing conditions;
- pleasant taste without bitterness;
- keeping up and portability;
- no thorns on the stalk.
Diamond has a few drawbacks:
- exactingness to the temperature regime;
- the need for periodic feeding;
- lower fruits touch the soil - this can cause rotting;
- prone to attacks by the Colorado potato beetle.
Features of planting and growing
In most regions, seedling is the only possible way to harvest. In the southern regions there is a chance to grow eggplants by sowing seeds in the ground, but this option is unproductive - most of the seeds do not germinate.
Dates of sowing seeds for seedlings
Eggplant seeds are sown on seedlings from late February to mid-March. From the time of emergence to planting in open ground, 60-75 days pass. Seedlings are planted in the greenhouse half a month earlier.
In the southern regions, seedlings are planted in May. In middle latitudes, during this period, it can only be planted in a greenhouse or under a film.
When choosing a transplant time, you need to take into account the current weather. Eggplants are planted in open ground when the air temperature is set at +20 ° C.
Soil preparation
Variants of soil for growing seedlings:
- Ready soil mixture. You can buy it at specialized stores. Such soil does not need to be fertilized or disinfected - it is completely ready for use.
- Home cooked. In equal parts, mix garden soil, peat and humus. Add 1 glass of ash to the mixture bucket.
If the mixture is prepared independently, it must be disinfected from fungal infection, bacteria and insects.
Soil disinfection methods:
- Preheat the oven at 100 ° C and heat the soil in it for 15 minutes. After warming up, the soil should recover, therefore, before use, it is given a rest for 7-10 days.
- Place the soil in the microwave for 5 minutes.
- Fill the soil with a solution of hydrogen peroxide. To prepare it, dilute 20 ml of 3% peroxide in 1 liter of water.
- Put the soil in a container with a hole in the bottom. Pour boiling water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate over the soil.
Seed preparation
Seeds are bought at seed stores or harvested on their own. In the second case, planting material must be prepared for sowing.
If the packaging of purchased seeds does not indicate that the seeds have been “processed”, they will also have to be handled several times.
How to prepare seeds for sowing:
- Sorting. Place the seeds in room temperature water. Those that come up - discard, they are not pervasive.
- Calibration Select seeds that are different from the normal size - this will ensure good seedlings. Calibration can be done manually, and if there are a lot of seeds, using a special sieve.
- Disinfection. For this purpose, a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution is suitable. After heating the solution to +50 ° C, immerse the seeds in it for 3-5 minutes. You can also use a weak solution of potassium permanganate for processing - keep the seeds in it for about half an hour.
- Growth stimulation. If you are not going to germinate seeds, treat them in growth stimulants, for example, in "Kornevin", "Zircon", "Epin".
Some gardeners prefer to germinate seeds before sowing. For this, the seeds are wrapped for 2-3 days in gauze moistened with water.
You can only germinate seeds collected independently. Purchased planting material cannot be subjected to such a procedure - the protective shell of fungicides will be broken.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
You can plant eggplant seeds in separate glasses or in large containers. In the latter case, a picking will be required - planting seedlings in separate containers.
Tanks for growing seedlings should have holes for drainage.
Sowing order:
- Deepen the seeds in the seedling bowl. Sowing depth is 2-3 cm.If sowing is carried out in containers, then leave intervals of 2-3 cm between adjacent seeds, and 5 cm between rows.
- Sprinkle soil over the seed depressions and water liberally.
- Cover crops with transparent material and place in a warm and bright place. Ventilate the crops daily by removing film or glass.
Seedling care of Diamond
The total period of growing seedlings is 2-2.5 months - all this time it is necessary to water and feed the seedlings, to provide it with optimal growth conditions.
The procedure for caring for eggplant seedlings:
- Until the seedlings have risen, maintain the temperature within + 24 .... + 26 ° C. When the seedlings appear, this will happen in about 2 weeks, the film or glass that covers the crops must be removed. With the emergence of seedlings, the temperature should be lowered by 2-3 degrees. Nighttime temperatures should not fall below + 15 ... + 16 ° C.
- Water the seedlings from the spray gun, preventing the soil from drying out or waterlogging. Use irrigation warm water for watering. As you grow, reduce the frequency of watering - it is enough to water the grown seedlings every three days.
- Provide seedlings with 10-12 hour daylight hours by turning on phytolamps.
- 2 weeks after germination, you can carry out the first feeding. Further feeding is carried out at intervals of 2 weeks.
Feed the seedlings with Kornevin or another growth stimulator, you can use Foskamid or Kemira fertilizer. Or prepare a mixture of fertilizers - from superphosphate (45 g), potassium sulfate (20 g) and ammonium nitrate (10 g). - 7-10 days before transplanting into open ground, begin hardening seedlings. Take it outside, first for 30 minutes, and then gradually increase the time, bringing it to the time of disembarkation up to several hours.
Transplanting seedlings to a permanent place
Almaz seedlings are planted in open ground at the age of 50-70 days. It should be a sunny, draft-protected area.
The soil in which the seedlings are to be planted should warm up well. Estimated landing dates for a temperate climate are late May-early June. The daytime temperature should be set at +20 ° C.
Eggplants are not allowed to be planted after nightshade crops. The worst predecessors are potatoes, peppers, tomatoes.
The procedure for transplanting seedlings into open ground:
- If the soil for eggplant is not prepared in the fall, do it 3 weeks before planting seedlings in the ground. Dig up the ground and apply fertilizers - a bucket of compost and 2 glasses of ash per 1 sq. m.
- Water the seedlings a day before planting. Plant in the morning or evening - the scorching sun can damage the seedlings.
- Prepare the wells. Their size should correspond to the root system of the seedlings. The approximate depth of the holes is 10 cm.The distance between adjacent holes is 30-40 cm, and between the rows is 50 cm.
- Fill the dug holes with warm water - 500 ml in one recess.
- When the water is absorbed, put the seedling in a hole along with a lump of soil.
- Sprinkle earth over the roots and compact carefully. Sprinkle mulch on the soil, such as dry grass.
Open field cultivar care
Caring for "Almaz" eggplant is standard - watering, feeding, protection from pests. The only feature is the formation of bushes, which accelerates the ripening of fruits.
Frequency and features of irrigation
Eggplants need regular watering. It is important to moisten the soil in time, preventing it from drying out. The frequency of watering depends on the age of the seedlings and the weather.
Features of watering eggplant:
- the first time eggplants are watered a week after planting in the ground;
- adult plants are watered about once every 3-4 days, and during drought - daily;
- use warm water for irrigation.
After irrigation, the soil is loosened, weeds are harvested at the same time as loosening - they cannot be left as they take food, water from the plant, and can also become carriers of diseases.
Top dressing: types and proportions
Top dressing is carried out with a frequency of 2-3 weeks. It is advisable to combine them with watering so that the dissolved fertilizers do not burn the roots of the plants.
Recommended Feeding:
- After the transplant. 3 weeks after transplanting the seedlings, the first top dressing is carried out - a urea solution (30 g per 10 l of water) is introduced.
- During flowering. Watered with a solution of superphosphate and urea - diluted with 10 g in 10 liters of water. The consumption rate is 500 ml per plant. You can use organics - in 1 bucket of water dissolve 1 liter of mullein and 200 g of ash.
- During fruiting. Watered with a solution of superphosphate - diluted 40 g in 10 l of water. The second option is to dissolve urea (60 g), superphosphate (60 g) and potassium chloride (20 g) in 10 l of water.
- After the fruit appears. Sprinkle the soil with ash before watering.
Bush formation
Thanks to the formation of bushes, it is possible to get the first ripe fruits faster.
Features of the formation of varieties "Diamond":
- Only 2-3 stems are left - the strongest and tallest. The rest is cleaned so that they do not drag the vitality of the plant onto themselves.
- Pruning of excess shoots is carried out before flowering. When flowers appear on the bush, only yellowed leaves are cut off.
- Stepsons do not remove this variety, since it has the peculiarity of forming ovaries on these shoots. Therefore, cutting off stepsons can negatively affect crop yields.
- A garter is required; without it, the plant may break.
Diseases and Pests
"Diamond" has good immunity, but under adverse conditions it can be affected by various diseases and pests.
Common diseases of the Almaz variety and measures to combat them:
Disease | Symptoms | How to fight? |
Late blight | Brown spots appear on the leaves. The fruits rot, and the aerial part of the plant dies. | They are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, copper sulphate, Quadris, Antrakol, HOM preparations, and Fitosporin and Baktofit biologics. For prevention, treat with whey and garlic tincture. |
Verticillus wilting | Inside the plant, water exchange is disturbed. Leaves turn yellow, bushes wither. The middle of the stem turns black. | For prevention spray “Fitosporin” and a solution of potassium permanganate. Fertilized with potassium and phosphorus. |
Vertex rot | Light spots appear on the top of the fruits, leading to rotting. | For prevention, spray with potassium or calcium nitrate. |
Pest control:
- Colorado beetle. This is the main pest of "Almaz". Its larvae are able to eat all the leaves in a couple of days. Ways of struggle:
- inspect the bushes daily and collect beetles until they lay eggs;
- spray with chlorophos - dilute in 10 l of water 30 g of the drug, you can use another insecticide.
- Whitefly, spider mite, bear and aphids are fought with systemic insecticides. It is also recommended to sprinkle the aisles with wood ash and fluff lime.
Harvesting and storage
Harvest as the fruits reach technical maturity. The readiness of the fruit for harvesting is indicated by a dark purple color.
Peculiarities of cleaning and storing Almaz eggplant:
- The fruits ripen gradually. Harvesting is carried out several times per season. The approximate frequency of collection is once a week.
- It is recommended to regularly inspect the bushes, cutting off the fruits that reach the ground. Prolonged contact with the ground will rot.
- The fruits are cut with a sharp secateurs.
- Before laying for storage, the fruits are sorted, removing damaged and diseased ones.
- Good fruits are put down on the straw with the stalks. Cover with burlap and hold for 10-11 days. Then re-sorting is carried out. The selected fruits are wrapped in paper and taken to a cool place.
- Store eggplants in a cool place - in the cellar or in the refrigerator. If the fruits are lowered into the cellar, they are put in boxes.
Tips & Tricks
Experienced gardeners with extensive experience in growing eggplants know the many secrets of getting a large crop, which are shared with beginners.
Tips for gardeners:
- Do not plant eggplant near potatoes, so as not to attract Colorado beetles to them.
- Sprinkle the soil with ash and moisten it - the smell of wet ash discourages Colorado beetles.
- It is better to plant seeds for seedlings immediately in separate glasses, so as not to transplant seedlings once again.
- You should not wait for the fruit to fully ripen. Harvesting begins when the fruit has reached varietal size. Over time, the fruits coarsen, the seeds become stiff.
- To reduce the frequency of watering in open ground, it is necessary to mulch the soil.
Reviews of gardeners
Larisa, 30 years old, summer resident, Penza. I have been planting Almaz for two years now, I like the taste and presentation of the fruit. First, I planted seeds in the ground, out of inexperience, as a result, I did not wait for the harvest. Now I grow seedlings, so before the frost they manage to take off all the fruits.
Dmitry, 45 years old, amateur gardener, Moscow Region... I tried to grow eggplants in the open field - there were fruits, but not as much as I wanted. He built a polycarbonate greenhouse and began to grow them there. The yield in the greenhouse was much higher.
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With a high yield and excellent taste, "Almaz" is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and simplicity of agricultural technology. If you manage to cope with the Colorado beetles and provide the culture with minimal care, you will be guaranteed a good harvest.
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Russia. City Novosibirsk
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