Eggplant Epic F1 is an early Dutch hybrid. It has excellent adaptability, therefore, the variety is actively grown in different climatic conditions. We will find out what makes Epic attractive to our gardeners, how to plant it and how to care for it.
Eggplant Epic F1
Eggplant Epic has a good yield
Eggplant Epic has no bitterness
Characteristics and description of the variety
In appearance, the Epic hybrid is a classic representative of eggplant. The plant is powerful, has excellent productivity and resistance to various negative environmental conditions.
Bushes
Epic has vigorous and powerful, moderately spreading bushes, reaching 90-100 cm in height. The stem is green-purple in color and slightly pubescent. Leaves are medium-sized, oval, green.
Fruit
Main characteristics:
- The fruits are teardrop-shaped.
- The standard color is dark purple.
- The skin is smooth, glossy.
- There are rare thorns on the calyx.
Fruit sizes:
- length - 20-22 cm;
- diameter - 9.5-10 cm.
Fruit pulp:
- cream or white;
- dense consistency;
- practically does not contain seeds;
- does not taste bitter.
The fruits are large and weighty, therefore no more than 6-7 pieces are left on one plant - the rest are prudently removed at the ovary stage.
Yield
The hybrid has a high yield. From 1 sq. m collect 5-6 kg of fruit and more. One eggplant, under favorable conditions, gains 250-300 g.
The first eggplants are picked 60-65 days after planting seedlings in the ground or in a greenhouse. Under unfavorable circumstances, fruiting is delayed up to 80 days.
The largest eggplants are the ones that grow first. The last ripening fruits are small, and their skin is somewhat harsh.
For which region is the variety suitable?
The copyright holder of Epic F1 is the Dutch company Monsanto. According to her application, the hybrid has been on variety trials in Russia since 2005. After successfully passing the trials, in 2008 Epic was included in the State Register. Moreover, its cultivation is recommended for all regions of the Russian Federation.
In the southern regions, it can be grown in open ground and under shelters, and in areas with a more severe climate - only in greenhouses.
Fruit use
Epica fruits have excellent taste characteristics. When cooked, they have a rich taste, specific aroma, and at the same time they do not have the characteristic "eggplant" bitterness.
How Epic is used:
- Hot meals and snacks are prepared. The fruits are fried, boiled, stewed, baked. They are used as the main ingredient and in various dishes.
- They make blanks. The fruits are salted, pickled, canned. They make excellent winter snacks - "caviar", all kinds of salads.
- Freeze. They are folded in plastic bags and placed in freezers.
Advantages and disadvantages of Epic eggplant
Most summer residents and gardeners who have appreciated the Epic hybrid have become convinced of its many advantages, which allow them to close their eyes to a couple of minor flaws.
Pros:
- High immunity to most diseases.
- Practically not sick with tobacco mosaic.
- Resistant to temperature fluctuations.
- Excellent taste.
- High productivity.
- Unpretentious care.
Minuses:
- Low cold resistance.
- Cultivation is carried out by seedling method. In most regions (except for the southern ones), Epic is grown under cover.
Preparing and planting seedlings
Eggplant "Epic" is grown according to standard agricultural techniques - first, seedlings are grown, and then they are transplanted into open ground or into a greenhouse.
Landing dates
Seeds are sown from early to mid-February. Depending on the region, the seeding time may differ by several weeks.
When choosing a sowing time, one must take into account the duration of growing seedlings - it is 60-75 days, and the time of planting - it depends on the climate in a particular region.
Seed preparation
It is recommended to process the seeds before sowing. They are immersed in a disinfectant solution to prevent various diseases.
Processing methods:
- Potassium permanganate. Dissolve 4 g of the preparation in a glass of water. Dip the seeds in a potassium permanganate solution for 20 minutes. After soaking, rinse the seeds with running water and dry them on a cotton cloth. You should not put seeds on paper - they stick.
- Hydrogen peroxide. Dissolve 6 ml of peroxide in 200 ml of water and heat the solution to 40 ° C.
Processing is needed if the packaging does not say "seeds processed". Typically, growers supply planting material ready for planting. Excessive processing will only harm such seeds - it will break their protective layer.
Seed sowing scheme for seedlings
Seedlings are grown in separate glasses or in cassettes. If you sow seeds in containers, you will have to dive the seedlings. The root system of eggplant seedlings is very fragile, an extra transplant is a serious stress for the plant.
The containers are filled with a purchased substrate or the soil mixture is prepared independently by mixing 1: 1: 1:
- soil from the garden;
- humus;
- peat.
Add 1 glass of wood ash to each bucket of soil mixture. It is advisable to disinfect such a mixture by heating it in the oven, or spilling it with boiling water.
Sowing order:
- Moisten containers with soil with warm water.
- Place 1-2 seeds in a glass - to a depth of 1.5 cm.When planting seeds in rows, observe an interval of 2 cm between them.
- Cover crops with foil or glass and place them in a warm and well-lit place. The seeds are best kept at + 25 ° C.
Seedling care
When seedlings appear - after 7-10 days, the film or glass that covered the crops is removed.
Features of caring for eggplant seedlings:
- Temperature conditions. After sprouting, keep the temperature at + 16… + 18 ° C. After a few days, increase it again to + 23 ... + 25 ° C. Nighttime temperatures should be + 13… + 15 ° C.
- Watering. Moisten the soil regularly. It is important not to allow the soil to dry out and waterlogged.
- Top dressing. Apply fertilizers containing phosphorus a week after germination. Then, with a frequency of one week - nitrogen-containing dressings that stimulate the growth of greenery.
- Backlight. Seedlings are usually placed in the brightest place. But if there is still not enough light, install phytolamps or fluorescent lamps. Daylight hours for seedlings should last at least 12 hours. Place the light source at a distance of 0.5 m from the seedlings.
- Hardening. Move the seedlings to cooler temperatures from time to time. This will help the plants adapt faster in the garden beds.
Seedlings are transplanted when its height reaches 20 cm, and the number of leaves is 4-6 pieces.
Growing Epic eggplant outdoors
Landing in open ground is carried out only when stable warm weather is established. Daytime temperature - at +20 ° C, nighttime - not lower than + 15 ... + 16 ° C.
Choice of location and soil
The eggplant growing area should be well lit and the soil should be fertile enough. Depleted lands are necessarily fed with fertilizers.
The soil for eggplant is fertilized in the fall - they bring in a bucket of compost or humus for each square meter, and 2 cups of wood ash. If the autumn event is missed, fertilizer is applied in the spring 2-3 weeks before planting.
When planting eggplants, you must follow the rules of crop rotation.
Good predecessors for eggplant:
- beans;
- peas;
- carrot;
- melons.
Transplanting seedlings to a permanent place
When transplanting seedlings into open ground, it is necessary to prepare the holes for planting in advance. Since "Epic" has a semi-spreading bush, a distance of about 70 cm should be left between the plants.
The procedure for transplanting seedlings into the ground:
- Make holes for seedlings - in rows or staggered. The recommended landing pattern is 40-50x60-70 cm. For 1 sq. m should fit 4-5 seedlings. Make the depth and diameter of the holes in accordance with the size of the root system.
- Pour warm water over the seedlings 24 hours before transplanting into the ground to make it easier to remove the seedlings from cassettes and glasses. Plan to disembark in the evening or morning.
- Pour 500 ml of warm water into the prepared wells. And when the water is absorbed, place the seedling in the hole, along with a lump of soil, and sprinkle on its roots.
- Mulch the compacted soil to prevent moisture evaporation and weeds growth. For mulch, you can use dry grass or straw.
Watering and soil maintenance
The first 10 days after planting, the eggplants are watered moderately. Watering is carried out only at the root.
How to water eggplant:
- watering frequency after planting - every 2-3 days;
- during fruiting, eggplants are watered daily;
- water for irrigation is used warm (+20 ° C).
The soil near the plants is regularly loosened and weeded. This is done as carefully as possible, since the roots of eggplants are located close to the surface.
Feeding eggplant
Top dressing is carried out when the seedlings take root. Compost, rotted manure, ash or mineral fertilizers are used as top dressing.
Eggplant feeding rules:
- Fertilizers are diluted with water before use or applied directly during irrigation.
- Fertilizer solutions are poured into the furrow made around the plants. The groove is dug at a distance of 15-20 cm from the stem.
- During the growing season - from planting in the ground to harvesting, from 3 to 5 dressings are carried out. The first one - 2 weeks after planting the seedlings in the ground.
- Until fruiting has begun, the plants are fed with complex mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
- During the period of fruit formation, nitrogen-phosphate fertilizer is applied - 1 tsp is diluted in 10 liters of water. nitrate and superphosphate.
- Use special fertilizers for nightshade crops. For example, Florizel, Agricola, etc.
Diseases and pests
The Epic hybrid is quite resistant to many diseases, but preventive treatment will not hurt it. For spraying, universal preparations are used that prevent late blight, gray rot, black leg and bacterial spotting.
Prevention means:
- bordeaux liquid;
- copper sulfate;
- cuproxate, etc.
The first preventive spraying is carried out three weeks after germination.
Diseases and pests of Epic eggplant and control measures:
Diseases / pests | Signs of defeat | How to fight? |
Late blight | A fungal disease that affects the entire plant. Leaves and stems are covered with a dark bloom. | Sprayed with fungicides - "Alirin-B", etc. |
Blackleg | The fungus attacks the roots, and then spreads throughout the plant. | There is no cure. The affected bushes are removed, and the soil is disinfected with a manganese solution (for 10 liters of water - 5 g). |
Gray rot | The fungus covers the aerial part of the plant with a gray, fluffy bloom. | Used for spraying "Gamair". |
Colorado beetle | Beetle larvae are capable of destroying all the green part of plants in a matter of days. | Marigolds and tansy are planted along the beds. Sprayed with insecticides. For example, the drug "Apache". |
Spider mite | Insects entangle the plants and suck the juices out of them. | Sprayed with acaricides, for example "Akarin". Plants are powdered with wood ash or tobacco dust. |
Slugs | They eat stems, leaves and fruits. | Practicing manual collection. To prevent their appearance, sprinkle the ground with powdered pepper or nutshells. |
Collection and storage of fruits
Fruits are harvested at the stage of technical maturity - every 2-3 days. Eggplants ripen about 3-4 weeks after the flowers appear.
Collection and storage of Epica fruits:
- Ripe eggplants have a dark purple color and firm flesh.
- The fruits must be cut with pruning shears.
- Unripe fruits are not picked - they do not ripen during storage.
- Fresh eggplants do not last long. To extend the shelf life, the fruits are wiped with a dry cloth and stored in a cool place. The storage temperature is maintained at +1 ° C.
Reviews of gardeners
Alina, 47 years old, amateur gardener, Lipetsk region I always buy seeds, not pick from fruits, so I often take hybrids. Eggplant Epic, of all that I have grown, came first in terms of taste and simplicity. Harvested under any conditions, early ripening - yields fruits earlier than many other varieties. Minus - you can not overexpose on the bushes - the peel of the fruit becomes hard, and the pulp becomes unpleasant friability.
Vadim Ivanovich, 69 years old, pensioner, Saratov. "Epica" took 6-7 fruits from one bush last summer. The weight of each is 200-300 g. On the garden bed I grew 20 bushes, I collected almost 40 kg. Recently, I prefer to grow hybrids - they grow better, get sick less and are very productive.
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The Epic hybrid has every chance of becoming one of the most popular eggplants among our gardeners. It embodies the main thing that lovers of this vegetable appreciate - a combination of unpretentiousness in growing with high yields and excellent fruit taste.
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Russia. City Novosibirsk
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