Eggplant varieties: early, multi-colored, Dutch and hybrids

Early varieties

It's essential to protect seedlings from frost, as it can occur even in May. Furthermore, this crop is most often planted as seedlings, not from seeds. Early varieties are considered the best, and ideal for growing outdoors, not just in southern regions. Their fruits ripen very quickly, meaning you won't have to worry about your plants being damaged by the first autumn frosts. Furthermore, while summers are long in the southern regions of the country, allowing you to safely plant late-ripening varieties, the situation is somewhat different in the northern regions. Summers are very short there, so if you want to harvest in time, your best bet is to exclusively select early-ripening varieties.

What popular, delicious eggplant varieties can you choose from in this category? "Lilac Mist" is prized among domestic farmers. This variety is successfully cultivated throughout almost all of Russia. The fruit has an unusual light purple color, and the flesh is white. Remarkably, it lacks bitterness, which is often a culinary disadvantage for farmers (even a dish prepared according to a tried-and-true recipe can taste slightly bitter).

If you're looking for the best early-ripening eggplant varieties, consider the "Alekseevsky" variety. What's so special about the "Aleshka" eggplant? Its fruits have a rich, dark purple hue, a smooth texture, and a slight sheen to the skin. It's disease-resistant. "Aleshka" thrives outdoors, but is also widely grown in greenhouses.

'Maria' is another fairly easy-to-grow eggplant. The vine produces dark purple fruits, and you'll definitely find a use for this vegetable in the kitchen: its flavor is not at all bitter, making it ideal for a variety of dishes. But canning is also the best option. Among the early varieties of domestic eggplants, there's a long list of truly proven, high-quality varieties. Which of these is the best eggplant variety is up to you to decide.

Video "Productive Eggplant Varieties"

From the video you will learn about the productive varieties of this crop.

Popular varieties

If you're looking to plant a productive eggplant variety in your garden, you'll definitely want to know which varieties are considered the most popular by experienced growers. Eggplant varieties come in a variety of shapes and colors; these were previously known as "blue" eggplants.

Today, the skin color of this vegetable can vary from dark purple to red and even bright yellow. While their flavors aren't significantly different, you can certainly add a special touch to your holiday table by arranging colorful eggplants on a plate as appetizers or adding them to a particular dish. Among the most popular varieties of this vegetable are those known as "Black Beauty," "Diamond," "Albatross," "Epic F," and others. The list goes on.

Multicolored varieties

Colorful eggplants are the most versatile varieties that will grace your table. While just a few years ago, white or yellow eggplants were considered a true curiosity in Russian gardening, today they offer a great opportunity to add variety to your culinary offerings and provide guests with pleasant surprises. For example, white eggplants are especially prized by our gardeners.

It has significant advantages over purple eggplants. For example, the ripe fruit's culinary qualities are excellent, and its taste is devoid of bitterness. Interestingly, when you try cooked white eggplants, you might mistake them for mushrooms or even chicken (depending on the recipe and the spices you add). Another advantage of this fruit is that it contains virtually no seeds, meaning it's difficult to find easier-to-cook eggplants.

But white isn't all! There are many other colorful varieties. For example, yellow vegetables. They taste almost identical to their purple counterparts, but they're not grown as often in our country. Green varieties of the vegetable have also found their niche in modern gardening. Other colorful vegetable varieties are also considered delicious homegrown eggplants. "Matrosik," for example, has purple and white stripes on its fruit. This vegetable is useful both in cooking and as a beautiful addition to your garden plot or vegetable patch.

High-yielding varieties

Both mid-season and late-season eggplant varieties boast equally high yields. Which varieties specifically demonstrate high yields?

• Sancho Panza. Its unusual coloring (pink-purple hue) isn't the only advantage of this variety. Each fruit is quite heavy, so you can feed the whole family with it, adding it to a salad, for example. Importantly, farmers grow this variety both in unheated greenhouses and in the open field;
• Airship. The fruits of this eggplant variety are a rich, dark blue and very large. Planting seedlings of this variety is worthwhile simply because you won't have to worry about infectious diseases—the plant is quite resistant to these types of external factors.
• Solomon. An early-ripening and very productive eggplant variety. The bush can reach a height of up to 1.5 m. Despite all its advantages, this crop is not recommended for gardening; it's best grown in greenhouses.

If high yield is your primary goal, it's worth choosing a variety with the appropriate characteristics. However, before purchasing seeds from a seed store, make sure the variety you choose is suitable for outdoor cultivation.

Dutch varieties

Common varieties or hybrids—varieties developed by domestic breeders—cannot be confused with our favorite specimens. Their technical characteristics, as well as their taste, differ significantly from those of our own vegetables. Perhaps this is why they have become quite popular among domestic farmers. Some of the most notable Dutch varieties include "Anet F1," "Solaru F," "Bibo F1," and "Japanese Red Eggplant." Which Dutch variety is the best choice for your garden plot is up to you.

Hybrids

Hybrid varieties are perhaps the most popular among domestic eggplant varieties, often singled out by farmers. They typically produce a bountiful harvest and are easy to care for. This category includes both greenhouse eggplants and varieties that can be safely grown outdoors. So, which varieties should you, as a farmer, focus your attention on?

High-quality hybrid varieties include Pink Flamingo, Cachalot, Sancho Panza, Tezka, Torpedo, Bumbo, and Vakula. Growing them is considered challenging, as even experienced farmers know firsthand.

Which varieties you choose to grow in your garden or greenhouse (Smuglyanka eggplant, Baikal eggplant, or perhaps Violet Shar eggplant) depends on your goals, experience, and the climate of your region. Consider all the basics, and you'll achieve great results in this area of ​​gardening.

Video: "Common Varieties of Eggplant"

This video will show you the most common varieties without bitterness.