How to properly grow frost-resistant eggplant “King of the North”
The hybrid King of the North is not similar to other eggplants either in the appearance of the bushes or in its properties. This unpretentious crop was bred specifically for cultivation in the northern regions. The vegetable does not require special care, but produces high yields. Suitable for stewing, baking and canning, does not require soaking.
Description of eggplant
Frost resistance, unpretentiousness and high yield of tasty fruits - the main features of culture.
Hybrid F1
The F1 sign in the name indicates that this is a first generation hybrid, obtained by crossing two parental forms of culture. This generation has unique properties.
The only drawback is the inability to grow the vegetable yourself. The collected seeds will already be second-generation hybrids and will not produce a crop with similar qualities.
Distinctive features
Features of eggplant King of the North - its unpretentiousness and frost resistance. The hybrid bears fruit well in unfavorable climatic conditions.
Culture does not like heat and intended for breeding in central Russia and northern regions. It is successfully grown in the Urals, Siberia, Central Russia and the North-Western region.
Due to its good productivity, King of the North is cultivated not only in individual farms, but also in large agro-industrial complexes.
Characteristics
The average height of the bushes is 0.5 m. The branches and stem are powerful and thick.In open ground they do not require tying or additional care, but in greenhouses vegetables grow in height and width, and then it is better to tie them down so that the bushes do not deform under the weight of the fruit.
Eggplants with purple skin, quite long (up to 30–40 cm), but narrow. With low bush growth, the fruits often fall to the ground. The average weight of vegetables is 300 g.
White juicy pulp. It has a mild taste without bitterness. The fruits do not require soaking. Some farmers believe that King of the North tastes similar to store-bought eggplants. Others like the hybrid for its lack of bitterness and versatility in cooking.
The yield of the hybrid is high: up to 10–12 kg from 1 m2. In open ground, fruiting lasts until the end of summer, in a greenhouse - until September.
How to grow your own
To obtain high-quality seedlings and large yields the seeds are prepared, the seedlings are planted correctly in the ground, fertilized and disease prevention is carried out.
It can be useful:
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What are white eggplants and how are they different from regular ones?
Preparing seeds and growing seedlings
The King of the North has a high germination rate, on average up to 70%. Additionally, it is increased by seed treatment. Preparation consists of warming up, disinfecting and then drying the planting material:
- When heated, the seeds are placed in gauze, which is immersed in warm water (up to +40 °C). If the water is hotter, the grains will cook.
- Disinfection - treating seeds with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After this, they are washed in running water and dried at room temperature on a paper napkin or towel.
- Hardening of planting material is popular, in which it is placed in the refrigerator overnight for a week, and in the warmest place for the day.
- The treated seeds are wrapped in a wet, warm cloth and waited until they hatch. To do this, the fabric is placed on a saucer, and it is placed next to the battery.
Seeds are planted in peat pots or boxesfilled with earth. You can purchase soil in the store (for example, one intended for tomatoes: it is light and well-permeable to air) or prepare it yourself. For eggplants, take 2 parts of humus, 2 parts of peat, add 1 part of sand and earth to them.
Important! To prevent diseases, crushed activated carbon, ash, and chalk are added to the soil.
The soil mixture is additionally calcined in the oven, frozen in the freezer, and treated with steam. Immediately before sowing, moisten moderately.
The seeds are distributed over the surface of the earth, without deepening them, and sprinkled with soil on top. The boxes are covered with film and placed in a warm place. It is advisable to heat them from below.
When the first shoots appear, the temperature is lowered up to +16…+18 °C (further maintained at +23…+25 °C), but increase the lighting level with phytolamps. Caring for seedlings consists of moderate watering, applying complex fertilizers and hardening off the seedlings before planting in the ground.
Transfer
Seedlings are ready for planting into the ground at the age of 60–65 dayswhen the soil warms up to +15 °C. For this purpose, the soil is dug up and loosened in advance. In the northern regions, beds are “insulated” by introducing humus into the ground or creating an additional layer of sawdust or straw above it.
For landing, choose a place protected from the wind. The King of the North does not like excess humidity and drafts.
The bushes of the hybrid are compact - plant them at a distance of 50 cm from each other.
Further care
In the first weeks after transplantation plants are protected from cold and wind by covering them with protective material. In the future, the King of the North does not need additional protection.
The hybrid loves moisture, but not in excess. If there is no heat and heat, it is enough to moisten the plantings once every 3 days. After irrigation, the soil is weeded and weeds are removed. Mulching the beds will retain moisture and slow down the growth of weeds.
After picking, the eggplants are fed organic fertilizers, in the second half of summer - ash, superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
Long fruits often reach the ground. So that they do not get dirty and rot, the beds are mulched, boards are laid.
To obtain a rich harvest when grown in infertile soils the crop is fed once every 2 weeks with potassium phosphates and sulfates. After fertilizing, water the bushes so as not to burn the roots.
Instead of applying complex fertilizers, use cow manure or bird droppings diluted in water.
Typical diseases and pests
King of the North is resistant to major cultural diseases due to its hybrid qualities and seed treatment before planting. In case of frequent rains, the plants are additionally sprinkled with wood ash and crushed chalk, and treated with fungicides.
With excess moisture or extreme heat, the bushes are affected:
black bacterial spot;- tobacco mosaic;
- late blight;
- gray rot.
Used against diseases biofungicides (for example, Fitosporin) or Bordeaux mixture.
Eggplants are attacked by pests:
- aphids;
- slugs;
- mole cricket;
- spider mites.
If there are a large number of insects, the bushes are treated with chemicals (karbofos, Strela, Fitoverm).
About other varieties and hybrids of eggplant:
Growing eggplant “Taste of mushrooms”
Harvesting and application
Eggplant is a tasty and low-calorie vegetable. Thanks to the high productivity of the hybrid, several bushes are enough to feed the whole family during the summer and prepare snacks for the winter.
In summer the fruits are stewed and fried. Served separately with herbs and sauces or with a side dish of cereals and other vegetables. Eggplants are especially good with grilled meat and in salads. Boiled fruits are used for dietary nutrition.
For the winter vegetables are pickled and stew. They make caviar, sautes, and salads. Other preparations are also added to adjika.
Fresh fruits can be stored for up to 1 month in a cool room.. Cut up eggplants are frozen and kept in the freezer all winter.
Advantages and disadvantages
Among the undoubted advantages of the King of the North are:
high cold resistance - the hybrid was bred for northern regions and tolerates light frosts;- good seed germination;
- unpretentiousness - the bushes do not require additional care and can grow both in a greenhouse and in open ground;
- resistance to major diseases;
- classic taste without bitterness and versatility in cooking;
- commercial quality - vegetables are well transported and stored for a long time;
- high productivity.
Disadvantages of a hybrid:
- has long fruits, which causes inconvenience during cultivation and preparation;
- You cannot use seeds from the harvested crop; you have to buy them every year;
- vegetables are simple in taste (some people like more flavorful fruits).
Reviews
Below are reviews from farmers who grow King of the North eggplant on their property.
Anton, Nizhny Tagil: “For our conditions, the hybrid King of the North is just a godsend. Always produces high yields of tasty fruits and does not require special care.".
Elena, Veliky Novgorod: “In the first year I planted the hybrid in a greenhouse and got a good harvest. There was enough to eat in the summer and to prepare for the winter. This year I planted seedlings in open ground. There she felt great and produced the same harvest as in the greenhouse.".
Pavel, Kirov region: “The King of the North has a high harvest and interesting large fruits, but tasteless (all went to harvesting). True, my wife liked the lack of bitterness.”.
Conclusion
The King of the North is a hybrid that produces high yields in the difficult climatic conditions of Siberia, the Urals and Transbaikalia. Does not require additional care, resistant to major diseases. It has properties unusual for a crop: it does not like heat and abundant watering. The fruits are without bitterness, do not require soaking, and are suitable for harvesting for the winter.