Eggplant Hybrid Seeds DARIO F1

• Solanum melongena is an early-maturing variety.
• This is a "Black Beauty" eggplant.
• Fruits have an average size of 16 x 12 cm and a round oval shape.
• The skin is a shiny dark black.
• These eggplants are large, weighing between 400 and 500 grams.
• The plant is very vigorous and heat tolerant.
• The fruit contains few seeds.
• The variety is resistant to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV).
• The seeds are hybrids.
• They are natural, untreated and free from genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

In late winter or early spring, sow two seeds per pot, 5 mm deep. Cover, label and water well. Keep pots at around 20°C in a propagator or under a clear plastic bag on a warm windowsill. Once germinated, expose to light on a windowsill at at least 15°C and transfer to 9 cm diameter pots 5 cm high.

To plant, harden the plants and wait for the frost to pass. Warm the soil under a horticultural blanket. Plant in full sun, 45 cm apart or 30 cm apart for dwarf varieties. You can also use 20 cm diameter pots or grow bags outdoors, in a greenhouse or near a bright window.

Use support stems to keep fruit off the ground, reducing disease and improving shape, especially for elongated varieties. Staking makes harvesting easier.

Pinch off the first flowers at budding to encourage strong stems and deep roots instead of immediate new fruit. Disinfect pruning tools to prevent disease. Thin leaves to reduce the risk of fungal disease on dense plants, remove lower leaves and keep 5-6 fruits for larger eggplant varieties.

Water regularly in hot weather and daily in pots. Spray foliage after flowering to encourage fruiting. Feed weekly with a liquid tomato fertilizer once the first fruits have set.

Harvest eggplants when they are fleshy, smooth and shiny, using pruning shears to cut the stems.