What is good about the eggplant “Ilya Muromets”: reviews from summer residents and features of agricultural technology

Seed companies offer vegetable growers a huge selection eggplant varieties. However, it is Ilya Muromets who is in great demand among gardeners. It conquers even demanding summer residents with its unpretentiousness, productivity, disease resistance, large fruit and other excellent qualities.

Description of the eggplant variety

The Ilya Muromets variety was developed by Russian scientists. In 2016 it was included in the State Register. Eggplants got their name due to their heroic size and endurance - the variety was specially tested for the possibility of growing throughout our country.

Distinctive features

Eggplant varieties Ilya Muromets have characteristic features:

• large fruits up to 50 cm long, 10 cm in diameter and weighing up to 750 g;
• yield up to 10 kg per 1 m²;
• each flower produces an ovary, there are no barren flowers;
• excellent taste without characteristic bitterness;
• versatility of purpose;
• long-term storage;
• transportability;
• ease of care;
• resistance to diseases and pests;
• Possibility of growing indoors and outdoors.

Characteristics and yield

Ilya Muromets is a mid-season variety. On average, 110–120 days pass from germination to fruit harvest. The culture comes from India, therefore it is demanding of light and warmth.

The height of the bush does not exceed 80 cm, but it is spreading, so it requires shaping and staking. The branches are dark green or purple. The stems are thick and strong. The leaves are large, oval, bright green. The flowers are white at the base and purple at the edges.

Reference. The high yield of the Ilya Muromets variety is ensured by the absence of barren flowers; each flower produces an ovary.

With proper agricultural technology, eggplant fruits can reach a length of 45 cm, a diameter of 10 cm and a weight of 550–750 g. The yield reaches 10 kg per 1 m² in a greenhouse, in open ground it is 1.5–2 kg less. The skin of the fruit is thin, hard, shiny, purple with a black tint. The pulp is light beige, dense, without bitterness. There is no seed nest.

How to grow your own

Eggplant seeds take a long time to germinate, so it is grown as seedlings. To maintain high germination rates, seeds should be renewed for planting every 3 years.

Growing seedlings

To grow healthy seedlings, you need to carry out all the recommended activities:

1. Before sowing, eggplant seeds are treated with potassium permanganate. The color of the solution should be light pink.
2. Seeds are placed in water at a temperature of 50 ° C for 15 minutes or in a growth stimulating preparation for 2 hours.
3. Sowing is carried out at the end of March. Peat or garden soil mixed with compost in a 1:1 ratio is used as soil. Can be planted in a specially prepared soil mixture: humus, topsoil and sand (2:1:1). To 1 bucket of this mixture add 60 g of superphosphate and 2 tbsp. l. wood ash.
4. Seeds are sown in a common container, buried 1.5–2 cm into the soil, at a distance of 5 cm from each other or in separate cups.
5. The seeds are covered with soil and watered with warm water (25 ° C).
6. The containers with seeds are covered with film and placed in a warm, dark place.
7. After germination, the film is removed and the seedlings are protected from direct sunlight.
8. After 3 weeks, the plants are planted in separate containers and watered as needed.
9. After a week, the seedlings can be transplanted into the ground.

Reference. When ventilating, eggplant seedlings need to be protected from drafts.

Eggplant Ilya Muromets is a variety, not a hybrid, therefore you can prepare the seeds yourself. They will retain all the qualities inherent in the variety, produce good shoots and can be stored for up to 5 years.

Transfer

Seedlings are planted in a greenhouse or greenhouse in mid-May, in open ground - in early June, when the weather is consistently warm. The planting pattern is the same for any type of soil: the distance between rows is 60–70 cm, between plants - 0.5 m.

The area for eggplants should not be in the shade, in a low area with high humidity or in the open sun. It is better to choose the south side behind a building or along the walls of greenhouses.

Attention! Eggplants should not be planted in areas where other nightshade crops previously grew. The best predecessors for them are cabbage, cucumbers, legumes, carrots, pumpkin, and zucchini.

In the selected location, the soil is weeded, loosened and fertilized with organic matter at the rate of 2.5 kg per 1 m². Then dig holes according to the standard pattern and spill them generously with warm water. A support is driven into each recess.

Seedlings in peat pots are planted along with the container; Carefully cut plastic cups and take out the sprouts with a lump of earth. The plants are covered with earth, tied to a support and mulched with dry straw and peat.

Further care

Caring for eggplant Ilya Muromets is standard for this crop. However, some features need to be taken into account.

The irrigation scheme for this variety is as follows:

• 3-4 days after transplantation;
• before flowering - once a week;
• during flowering and fruit formation - once every 4 days.

From 10 to 12 liters of water are consumed per 1 m².

The first feeding is carried out 3 weeks after transplantation.To do this, organic fertilizers are applied at the roots of plants. 2 weeks after this, fertilizing is carried out with preparations containing phosphorus. During the period of fruit formation and harvesting, eggplants are fed at the root with liquid mineral fertilizers.

Important! After flowering, you need to remove all the leaves up to the first fork, and remove small flowers from the lower branches.

To prevent the bush from being too spreading, it is important to form it correctly. Of the strongest shoots, only 3 are left. All side branches and leaves are removed when they reach a length of more than 3 cm. Greenery that shades the eggplant inflorescences is also removed.

Diseases and pests characteristic of the variety

Eggplant Ilya Muromets resistant to fungal and viral diseases, it is not affected by late blight and powdery mildew.

Root rot and blackleg are a consequence of improper care. They occur mainly in closed ground. It is necessary to remove diseased plants, stop watering and wait until the earthen clod dries completely. Then bring the temperature and humidity in the greenhouse back to normal.

Reference. For prevention, it is recommended to strengthen the immunity of Ilya Muromets - before flowering, treat the plants with fungicides, such as copper oxychloride or calcium polysulfide.

If an eggplant lacks light, water or minerals, its leaves curl or turn yellow, black spotting and powdery mildew appear. These diseases can only be dealt with in the early stages of development, which is why it is so important to monitor the plants and take action as early as possible.

In open ground, the most common pest of eggplant is the Colorado potato beetle and its larvae. Effective ways to combat them are manual collection and treatment with insecticides.

Harvesting and application

The first harvest is carried out 35–40 days after the start of eggplant flowering. The fruits are carefully cut with a knife along with the calyx, leaving a stalk 3 cm long. Store in a dry, dark place.

At a temperature of 10 ° C and air humidity of 90% fruits are stored more than 1 month.

Ilya Muromets is a universal variety. It is used in cooking for baking, stewing and preparations for the winter. This eggplant is grown for the production of caviar, and is also supplied to restaurants for preparing gourmet dishes.

Advantages and disadvantages

The variety has a minimum of disadvantages: demands on lighting and heat, heat intolerance, and the need to form a bush.

Gardeners highlight many more advantages:

• unpretentious, does not require special care;
• resistant to diseases and most pests;
• abundant flowering and formation of ovary on each flower;
• high productivity;
• long-term storage and transportability;
• the fruits have a good taste without bitterness;
• versatility of the variety;
• the possibility of cultivating crops in open and closed ground.

Reviews from those who grew

The Ilya Muromets variety attracts gardeners with its simple agricultural technology, excellent fruit quality, and rich harvest.

Stepan Sviridov, Syzran: “I love eggplants, not only to eat them, but also to grow them. They are always on my site. I tried all sorts of varieties, but I liked Ilya Muromets for the size of the fruits and their excellent taste. I want to tell you about my experience. To prevent the variety from growing too much, before planting the seedlings, I drive 70 cm high stakes next to the holes. When the bushes grow, I tie them up along with all the shoots. They turn out more compact, and more heat and light reach the fruits.My grandmother taught me this, I recommend you try it.”

Olga Orlova, Sertolovo: “I have been growing eggplants on my plot for a long time, and Ilya Muromets is growing it for the second year. The variety is young, so I had my doubts. The first year I grew it with purchased seedlings; came out 4 kg per bush. This harvest pleasantly surprised me. I collected the seeds and planted the seedlings myself this year. I remove the lower leaves and all weak leaves so that the fruits are large. The eggplant blooms profusely, as in the photo on the Internet, so I pick all the small flowers and leave the strongest ones - then the fruits will be larger and heavier.”

Galina Kalyuzhina, Ivanovo: “I first bought Ilya Muromets seeds in 2016. Every seed has sprouted! If cared for well, the plants grow up to one and a half meters tall and are as strong as mini-trees. The fruits themselves are very large, long, even; There are a lot of them and they are all very tasty. Germination - 100%."

Read also:

How to prepare the most delicious eggplant caviar for the winter.

Is it possible to eat eggplants for gastritis: arguments for and against.

Conclusion

The Ilya Muromets variety is one of the most popular among vegetable growers. It is unpretentious, resistant to pests and diseases, produces a lot of large and tasty fruits that are stored for a long time and are easily transported. A large harvest is harvested in any region, regardless of the type of soil chosen.