Review of the “Black Prince” eggplant variety and instructions for growing it

Eggplant is a close relative of tomatoes and potatoes and contains vitamins and minerals beneficial to the body. Variety Black Prince - bright representative of this species with high yield. This is an annual vegetable that is suitable for growing in greenhouses, but can also be cultivated in open ground.

Description of the variety

The Black Prince variety was developed by Russian researchers from the Gavrish company. Included in the State Register in 2017.

Breeders have provided for the possibility of growing these eggplants in open ground in the southern regions of Russia.

Distinctive features

There are several distinctive features of this variety:

• When ripe, the foliage is dark purple;
• there are no thorns on the flower calyx;
• There is almost no bitterness in the taste.

Characteristics

In temperate latitudes, the Black Prince variety is grown in greenhouses. Eggplants grow in bushes 60-80 cm high. The leaves are semi-lowered, medium-sized, fleecy, green. The fruits are slightly curved pear-shaped, 8-12 cm in diameter, up to 20 cm in length, and weigh 200 g.

The outside color of the fruit is dark purple, with a glossy sheen, and inside there is light yellow flesh with a small number of grains. It has a pleasant taste with a barely noticeable bitterness. Black Prince has a high yield, which reaches 6-8 kg per 1 m².

How to grow this variety yourself

To grow Black Prince eggplants yourself and get a decent harvest, you need to select high-quality planting material, breed viable seedlings and provide the plants with care and protection from pests.

If eggplants are grown in a greenhouse, then the optimal time for sowing is mid-February. For transplanting into open ground in the southern regions, seedlings are planted in mid-March.

Growing seedlings

Experienced farmers advise buying seeds from special stores. You can choose the material from your own grown fruits - choose only the ripest eggplants.

The seeds must be disinfected, that is, soaked for 25 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate. After this, you need to rinse the seeds under water.

Next, the seeds are placed in fabric bags and left in a previously prepared nutrient solution: 1 tsp. nitrophoska (can be replaced with wood ash) per 1 liter of water.

Important! The temperature of the nutrient solution should not exceed +25 °C.

After 2 days, the seeds are placed on a plate and placed in a room where the air temperature is +25...+30 °C for 1-2 days.

The plant is unpretentious to the composition of the soil. Experienced gardeners advise buying soil in specialized stores, since garden soil needs to be disinfected and fed so that the plant does not get sick. The soil should contain peat, wood ash, eggshell powder, humus, compost, and vermicompost.

Seeds can be planted in separate cups or in a large container with peat substrate. The seeds are placed at a depth of no more than 1 cm, optimally 0.5 cm. A distance of 35-50 cm is left between the seeds so that they do not interfere with each other. Then the container is covered with film and placed in a warm place where there is not much sunlight.

When the first shoots appear, the container should be moved to a place well lit by daylight. At night, the seedlings are covered with a dark film.

Water the plants once a week with slightly warmed water. It is better to spray the first shoots rather than water them to avoid washing out the roots, since the planting depth is shallow. During subsequent waterings, make sure that water does not get on the leaves of the seedlings.

Advice. If the top layer of soil dries out, increase the number of waterings to 2-3 times a week.

Transfer

To plant the Black Prince, choose the sunniest beds on the site. The soil must have a neutral acid-base balance.

To plant eggplants, use a two-line ribbon pattern: parallel to each other or in a checkerboard pattern.

The plant must be replanted carefully so as not to damage the roots. Do this with the lump of earth in which the seedling was located. The least traumatic option for growing seedlings is peat pots.

The bush is formed into 3 stems to increase productivity.

Further care

After picking, the seedlings are fed, and subsequently this is done every 7-10 days. Ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, and potassium chloride are used for feeding.

Important! Combine fertilizing with watering.

Water small sprouts often, every 1-2 days, but little by little. Grown plants are watered as the soil dries out.

Since the Black Prince has a tap-shaped root and does not form additional roots, it is not hilled, but only loosened the ground under it. The plant loves sun and regular watering.

Diseases and pests characteristic of the variety

The appearance of the foliage indicates the condition of the plant:

• if the leaves rise at an acute angle, the buds and ovaries begin to fall off, this indicates phosphorus starvation;
• when the leaves curl, turn brown at the ends and become covered with spots, the vegetable lacks potassium;
• pale leaves indicate a lack of nitrogen.

Curled leaves may also indicate that there is too much salt in the soil or that the plant has been attacked by spider mites. In the first case, fertilizers are used, watered abundantly, or the soil is gypsumed using raw ground gypsum. Traditional methods will help in the fight against mites: infusion of potato tops, tobacco dust or garlic.

The Colorado potato beetle is collected by hand. If the population is large, professional means are used, but this is done 3-4 weeks before harvest.

Harvesting and application

The harvest is harvested as the fruits ripen, so as not to interrupt the fruiting process. The ripe fruit is elastic to the touch. If the vegetable is picked on time, it will have few seeds and dense pulp. Overgrown eggplant becomes oaky, difficult to cut, does not soften when cooked, and tastes bitter. The fruit may become overripe if left for a long time stored.

When picked, the stem can be damaged, so ripe eggplants are cut with pruners or scissors, leaving a 2 cm tail.

Black Prince eggplants are suitable for commercial cultivation. The fruits are supplied to oriental restaurants, where they are used to prepare national dishes. In production, vegetable caviar is made from eggplants. At home, it is consumed in stewed form or preserve.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Farmers note the pros and cons of growing the Black Prince variety.

Advantages:

• high productivity;
• withstands long-distance transportation;
• has a marketable appearance and good taste;
• unpretentious to soil composition;
• resistant to late blight and powdery mildew;
• versatile in cooking.

Flaws:

• does not grow in shaded areas;
• cannot be planted next to tomatoes, potatoes and peppers.

Reviews

According to reviews, the Black Prince eggplant is a favorite variety for many gardeners.

Marika, Moscow: «I really like the Black Prince eggplant variety. Last year we were pleased with the abundant harvest, unpretentiousness, and taste of the fruit. Excellent taste in dishes - there is no bitterness, as in other varieties."

Anna, Vologda: “We already have frosts in August. My Black Prince grew well in a greenhouse and did not die from the cold. The eggplants have grown thin and long, just like in the photo.”

Conclusion

The Black Prince eggplant variety is quite young, but is already known to gardeners. Eggplants of this variety require a lot of sun and regular watering. The Black Prince has a strong immunity to diseases, but the danger to it is posed by the larvae and adults of the Colorado potato beetle.

Due to its high yield and the possibility of transportation, the variety is grown not only in garden plots, but also on an industrial scale.