Eggplant Valentina F1 is a productive early ripe hybrid of Dutch selection. It attracts our gardeners with delicious fruits and undemanding care. We will learn about all the features of this variety, how to grow it on our site and how to achieve high yields.
Valentine's eggplant has no bitterness
Eggplant Valentine
Valentine's eggplants keep well
Hybrid characteristics
Hybrid "Valentina" was bred by the Dutch company MONSANTO HOLLAND B. V. Included in the Russian State Register in 2007. Suitable for growing in private plots - in open and closed ground.
Description of the plant
Bushes of the Valentine variety can be classified as medium-sized or tall eggplants. Plants have a powerful, straight stem and large flowers.
Description of eggplant bushes Valentine F1:
- semi-spreading;
- height - 80-90 cm;
- pubescent, light purple stems;
- medium-sized leaves, notched at the edges;
- flowers are white-purple, 3-4 cm in diameter.
Fruit
The fruits of the Valentine F1 eggplant have a traditional look for this culture.
Fruit characteristics:
- shape - drop-shaped, elongated;
- ripe fruit length - 20-26 cm;
- thickened, the lower part of the fetus reaches 5 cm in diameter, the upper - 4 cm;
- average fruit weight - 200-250 g;
- the skin is thin, shiny, easy to clean;
- the flesh is creamy white, with small seeds;
- the taste of the pulp is pleasant, without bitterness.
Productivity and fruiting
Eggplant Valentine F1 refers to early maturing varieties. Fruits ripen 60-75 days after transplanting. The first eggplants, in temperate climates, are picked in July. The maximum fruit weight is 300 g.
Eggplant yield Valentine F1:
- in the open field - 2.8-3 kg per 1 sq. m;
- in greenhouse conditions - up to 5 kg per 1 sq. m.
Scope of use
Fruits plucked in the technical ripeness phase are used:
- In cooking. They are boiled, fried, stewed, baked.
- For blanks. Eggplants are harvested in different ways - they are dried, frozen, canned, pickled.
Disease and pest resistance
This Dutch variety has high immunity, but under unfavorable growing conditions it can be attacked by pests and diseases. At high humidity, the hybrid is affected by fungi, but it is resistant to tobacco mosaic.
The variety can be attacked by pests:
- aphid;
- Colorado beetles;
- spider mite;
- slugs.
Advantages and disadvantages of Valentine's eggplant
The Dutch hybrid has many advantages for which our gardeners grow it.
Pros:
- Adaptability to various weather conditions. The hybrid firmly endures adverse external influences, not reacting to cold or heat by dropping buds and flowers.
- High productivity.
- Undemanding to growing conditions.
- Due to the small number of seeds, the fruits have a delicate structure.
- The fruits are the same size.
- Good transportability.
- High safety. The fruits, placed in a dry and cool room, are able to lie for a whole month without significant loss of presentation and taste.
There are no obvious flaws in the variety. Some gardeners may not like:
- Fruit shape. Eggplants grow quite thin, and many like pear-shaped eggplants, with a large thickening of the bottom.
- Fruit taste. Not all gardeners are happy with the taste of the hybrid. Also, "Valentina" is not liked by those who prefer fruits with large seeds.
Features of planting and growing varieties
It is recommended to grow eggplants using the seedling method. It allows you to get strong viable plants and an early harvest - the first fruits are removed in the middle of summer.
Soil preparation
Eggplant seedlings are best grown in a special soil mixture - they are sold in agricultural stores. If desired, the soil can be prepared independently.
To prepare the soil for seedlings, mix in equal parts:
- compost or humus;
- peat;
- sand;
- small sawdust or perlite.
Ash is added to the thoroughly mixed mixture - 1 glass per bucket, or saltpeter - 10 g. The soil is also enriched with urea - 1 tbsp is dissolved in 10 liters. l. fertilizers.
Timing
The exact time of planting seeds depends on the growing region. When choosing a sowing date, take into account the planting time and the duration of growing seedlings. From the moment of sowing to readiness, it takes about 2 months.
In regions with a temperate climate, sowing seeds for growing eggplant seedlings is carried out from the second half of February to mid-March.
Sowing seeds without germination
It is not necessary to germinate eggplant seeds. But they can be disinfected in hydrogen peroxide or a growth promoter.
Eggplant seedlings are grown in separate containers. They do without picking, since the seedlings have a very delicate root system, and transplanting harms them. Therefore, seeds are sown directly into pots or cassettes, and not into large containers.
Seed sowing procedure:
- Fill the pots with the prepared compound or purchased soil mixture. Do not compact the soil.
- Make small indentations in the center of the pot. Plant the seeds 1-1.5 cm deep.
- Place only one seed in one cavity.
- Water the crops and sprinkle with soil.
- Cover the pots or cassettes with clear material and place in a warm, well-lit room.
- Maintain the temperature during the day at +26 to +28 ° C, and at night from +15 to +16 ° C.
Seedling care
Sowing eggplant requires daily care - it is necessary to maintain the air temperature, soil moisture, feed the grown seedlings in time, and provide the correct lighting regime.
Temperature regime
When growing any seedlings, including eggplant, the ambient temperature changes depending on age.
Features of the temperature regime:
- Within 14-15 days after sowing, the temperature is maintained at +26 ... + 28 ° C.
- When shoots appear, the film or glass is removed, the pots with seedlings are placed closer to the light, the temperature is lowered to + 23 ... + 25 ° C. This restriction helps to avoid pulling the seedlings.
- Nighttime temperatures should be + 15… + 16 ° C.
- On cloudy days, it is recommended to lower the daytime temperature by 2–3 ° C.
Daylight hours
Seedlings need long daylight hours. If the sun is not enough, additional artificial lighting is used.
Light mode features:
- For lighting, it is advisable to install special phytolamps with a red-blue light spectrum, which is favorable for plants. With such lamps, seedlings can be grown even in dimly lit rooms.
- Daylight hours should be 10 hours.
Watering
The seedlings need regular moisture. The main principle of seedling irrigation is regularity, which must take into account the condition of the soil.
Watering rules:
- irrigation water must be warmed up to +20 ° C;
- the soil is moistened as it dries, the average frequency of watering is once every 2 days;
- an excess of moisture is not acceptable - the seedlings can get sick with a black leg.
During watering, it is recommended to use antifungal drugs - "Fundazol" or "Gauspin".
Top dressing
If the seedlings are grown in a fertile, well-fertilized soil mixture, then you can do without top dressing. Otherwise, the seedlings will have to be fed.
How to feed seedlings:
- Drizzle 2-3 times with Kristalina solution. To prepare a solution, 6-8 g of the drug are diluted in 10 liters of water.
- Dissolve 30 g of superphosphate and 10 g of urea in a bucket of water, pour the seedlings with a ready-made solution.
Transplanting seedlings
2 weeks before planting seedlings in open ground, the seedlings begin to harden - they are taken out into the street. First, for 20 minutes, then every day the duration of the “walks” is increased, gradually reaching several hours.
Hardening is necessary for plants to improve their adaptation to new conditions - sunlight and sudden temperature changes.
Seedlings ready for transplanting should have at least 5 true leaves. The height of the seedlings is 20-25 cm. Another sign of the readiness of the seedlings is the appearance of buds.
The procedure for transplanting seedlings into the ground:
- Prepare your landing site. This should be a well-lit area where legumes or melons were growing. Dig it up and fertilize with superphosphate (30-50 g per 1 sq. M), wood ash (1 glass per 1 sq. M) and potassium sulfate (15-20 g per 1 sq. M).
- Dig holes for seedlings - at intervals of 25-30 cm. If the soil is clay, add a handful of sand to the holes. There should be a distance of 60-70 cm between adjacent rows. The depth of the holes is 15 cm.
- Pour water over the wells before planting - approximately 500 ml per well.
- Place the seedling in the hole. Deepen it to the cotyledon leaves, sprinkle with soil and tamp it lightly.
- Water the plants again and mulch - with dry grass or needles. Instead of natural mulch, you can use a dark film - it is laid between the rows.
It is recommended to transplant eggplants into open ground in the evening in calm weather.
In order not to provoke an excessive build-up of green mass, it is necessary to observe the dosage when feeding eggplants with mullein infusion. No more than 500 ml of solution is poured under one bush (200 ml of mullein infusion is diluted in 10 liters of water).
Growing in a greenhouse
Eggplants in regions with cool summers are not planted in open ground, but in unheated greenhouses or film shelters.
Features of growing eggplant in a greenhouse:
- Eggplants "Valentina" are planted in greenhouses from about 10 to 20 May.
- The landing pattern is similar to open ground - 60x30 cm.
- The bushes are watered only with warm water 2 to 4 times a week.
- After watering, the soil must be loosened, trying not to damage the roots.
- It is recommended to mulch the soil.
- 3 weeks after planting, the plants are fed. The best option is to water the plantings with Kemira Universal solution. The solution is prepared by diluting 1 tbsp. preparation in 10 liters of water. Watering rate - 500 ml for one plant.
- For feeding, organic or mineral fertilizers are used. Recommended organic matter - wood ash, fermented solution of grass and weeds, diluted manure.
- When the ovaries appear, half are removed, leaving the largest ones. This will speed up the ripening of the fruit and make it larger.
- The greenhouse is regularly ventilated so that the eggplants do not "suffocate". Valentina is very robust and can withstand adverse conditions, including high temperatures. The bushes will retain the ovaries, but the fruits will grow small.
- In the greenhouse, it is necessary to maintain optimal humidity - no more than 70%. If the greenhouse is damp, the pollen from the flowers will not be able to move in space, and the yield will drop.
Outdoor eggplant care
The Valentine hybrid is unpretentious and needs only standard care. It is important to provide the culture with the minimum necessary growing conditions - heat, water, food.
Eggplants are grown outdoors only in regions with warm summers - in the south of Russia. In the middle lane, it is recommended to plant them in greenhouses or under film shelters.
The optimum temperature for the growth and development of eggplants is from +28 to +30 ° C. At lower temperatures, the culture lags behind in development.
Watering and feeding
Watering eggplant is a necessary agrotechnical measure, on which the development of the plant and its yield directly depend.
Watering rules:
- The first time the planted eggplants are watered no earlier than 5 days after planting.
- Pour the eggplants under the root.
- The best time to water is in the morning.
- Water temperature from +26 to +28 ° C.
- The frequency of watering in the open field is 2-4 times a week.
Top dressing is combined with watering so as not to burn the plant roots.
Top dressing scheme:
- 2-3 weeks after transplanting into open ground, eggplants are fed with "Kemira" or "Solution". In a bucket of water, dilute 1 tbsp. fertilizers. The feeding rate for one bush is 500 ml. You can also use any organic matter.
- At the budding stage, phosphorus and potassium are added. In a bucket of warm water, dilute 1 tbsp. potassium sulfate and 1.5 tbsp. ammonium nitrate.
- During the formation of the ovaries, a nitrogen-phosphorus "cocktail" is introduced. In 10 l of water, 25 g of superphosphate and potassium salt are dissolved. It will not be superfluous to throw wood ash - 1 glass per 1 sq. m.
- A month before harvesting, the plants are given dissolved superphosphate and potassium salt - in a bucket of water, dilute 1 tbsp. each component.
Soil care
After each watering, the soil must be carefully loosened. In eggplant, the roots are close enough to the surface, so you need to loosen very carefully.
After loosening, the soil is mulched - with humus, dry grass or other suitable material.
Bush formation
Eggplant Valentina F1 is distinguished by tall and rather spreading plants. But they do not need special pruning, minimal measures are enough.
Recommended:
- Tie bushes to supports - pegs.
- Conduct sanitary pruning - pick off dried leaves and shoots.
Prevention of diseases and pests
The Valentine hybrid is resistant to viruses, but can be affected by fungal diseases.
Recommended for prevention:
- Treatment with "Fitosporin" or "Zircon" to prevent fungal attack.
- Spraying wood ash on the ground will scare away slugs.
It is recommended to plant plants with a strong smell between the beds, for example, calendula or marigolds.
Diseases and pests
Under unfavorable growing conditions and lack of prevention, even a resistant hybrid can be affected by diseases (viral and bacterial) and pests.
Possible diseases of the Valentine hybrid:
- Late blight. It is accompanied by the appearance of brown spots on the leaves. Over time, the spots move to shoots and fruits. The plant dies. To prevent disease, eggplants are sprayed with fungicides containing copper - Bordeaux liquid, copper sulfate, copper oxychloride and others.
- Black bacterial spot. Symptoms are black spots with yellow edging. The fruits are covered with ulcers. Plants are treated by spraying with "Fitoflavin-300".
- Gray rot. Appears in high humidity. The leaves are covered with gray spots. Spraying with "Horus" helps to get rid of the disease.
The most dangerous pests:
- Whitefly. Small butterflies whose larvae suck the juices from the plant. Watering under the root is recommended "Aktaroy".
- Aphid. Spraying with a solution of ash and laundry soap helps to get rid of it. Several treatments are required. In case of mass destruction, use "Iskra", "Strela", etc.
- Colorado beetle. Spraying with "Corado" and "Aktara" preparations are recommended. You can pick beetles by hand.
- Spider mite. With a small number of pests, the cobweb and damaged parts of plants are cut off. Spraying with ammonia solution is recommended.
Harvesting and storage
The fruits are harvested as they ripen. They are plucked upon reaching technical ripeness, when the skin acquires a dark purple hue. The length of a ripe fruit should be 20-25 cm.
Collection and storage guidelines:
- Start harvesting fruits at the end of July - as it ripens. Carry out mass cleaning with the onset of cold weather.
- Cut the fruit with a pruner.
- Store the harvested fruits in a cool place. The shelf life is 1 month.
- Do not pick green eggplants - they are inedible, as well as overripe. Their flesh is bitter and the seeds become rough.
- Remove the fruit every few days to avoid overripe. If the skin of the fruit has become dull and faded, it means that they are overripe. They must be plucked, otherwise the formation of new fruits slows down.
Tips from experienced growers
There is nothing difficult in growing Valentine F1 eggplants, but there are secrets that will help you get a rich harvest while avoiding losses.
Tips from experienced gardeners:
- After transplanting the seedlings into the greenhouse, do not rush to water it. Let it pass 5-6 days.
- During watering, pour at least 500-1000 ml of water under one bush.
- Water the plants with warm water only. Pour water under the root, water should not fall on the leaves.
- Sprinkle the ashes scattered on the soil with water - pests do not tolerate the smell of wet ash.
- Eggplants get along well with low greens - dill, sorrel and garlic. But the neighborhood with tomatoes is unacceptable. Both crops - eggplant and tomato - belong to the nightshade, and their proximity harms each other. They suffer from the same diseases and have the same insect enemies.
Reviews of gardeners
Raisa, 40 years old, summer resident, Belgorod region I have been growing the Valentina variety for 3 years. Has shown itself as early ripening and fruitful, in the middle of July I begin to pick the first fruits. The taste is pleasant, in no way inferior to the best varieties. The only negative is thin fruits.
Oleg, 50 years old, gardener, Moscow region. I grow the "Valentina" variety in a polycarbonate greenhouse. The bushes are tall, you have to tie them up. The hybrid is undemanding, grows quickly and is always harvestable. Minus - you have to buy seeds every year.
Hide
Add your review
Dutch hybrid "Valentina" shows itself well in our latitudes. In this variety, unpretentiousness is successfully combined with high productivity. Providing the culture with minimal care, you can get 3-5 kg of high-quality and tasty eggplants from each square meter.