Secrets of growing and caring for eggplants in the open field

When to plant

Depending on the variety, the planting date of the eggplant varies. Early ripening varieties can be planted in late May, mid-ripening and late ones in mid-June. First of all, be guided by the weather, if frost is coming, it is better to postpone planting so as not to destroy the young seedlings. As soon as the weather is stable, and the seedlings are strong enough, you can start planting.

Keep in mind that eggplant is highly dependent on heat, sunlight and high humidity. Planting must take place under these conditions, otherwise it will be more difficult for you to grow healthy plants.

Planting seedlings

Growing eggplants outdoors begins with planting seeds on seedlings. Although it is possible to grow healthy eggplants by planting seeds directly in the open ground or in a greenhouse, the preferred option is to grow seedlings.

Planting seeds should be carried out in specially prepared soil, in which peat, sod, humus or wood ash are mixed. Soil fertility is one of the most important elements in eggplant cultivation. Before planting, seed and soil must be disinfected and hardened in order to avoid unpleasant consequences in the face of fungal microflora. A universal method of disinfection is a strong solution of potassium permanganate, in which the seeds are soaked for half an hour and the soil mixture is watered with it before planting begins.

It is recommended to plant seeds calcined and tested for germination in separate containers - plastic boxes, or cups. It is important that the containers have drainage holes to drain off excess moisture. Each eggplant seed is deepened 1.5-2 cm into the ground, watered, and then covered with foil. The film helps create a greenhouse effect by maintaining a stable temperature and also preventing moisture from evaporating. In the first week and a half, eggplant seeds do not need air and light, so concentrate on keeping the air temperature stable and not falling below 19-20 ° C.

Growing seedlings

Eggplant seedlings grow properly if they are watered regularly, provide adequate lighting and are fed. Of course, air temperature is also important, but if cold air can harden the seedlings, then the lack of nutrients is likely to destroy them.

Stable watering is best done from a spray bottle, moderately moistening the soil around the seedling. Try not to spray the leaves of the plant, especially if it is in direct sunlight - this will burn the leaves. You can just water from a watering can, but then try to pour water around the eggplant, and not under the very stem. This way you will not expose the roots of the plant or wash out the soil around the seed.

We recommend that you personally adjust the daylight hours of the eggplant using phytolamps or ordinary fluorescent lamps. Young eggplants need lighting for 12-13 hours daily so that vegetative processes do not slow down.

During the cultivation of seedlings, 1-2 dressings can be carried out in order to stimulate the seedlings to active growth. Use an infusion of chicken manure (0.5 liters of droppings are soaked in 10 liters of water, diluted 1:15 before use), a mixture of ash and superphosphate infusion (0.5 liters of wood ash is mixed with 10 g of superphosphate, diluted in 10 liters of water, insist 2 -3 days). Each seedling should receive no more than 45-60 ml of liquid fertilizer.

In the Moscow region and in the Ukraine, the weather suitable for transplanting seedlings into open ground is established just by mid-end of May.

Landing in the ground

Planting eggplant seedlings in the ground occurs no earlier than the seedlings are 70 days old. It is at this age that they are most suitable for an easy transplant. However, if the weather is still unstable and the air temperature is low (as often happens in the Moscow region), then it is better to wait.

When planting seedlings in greenhouses, humus can be added to the ground, which will maintain a high temperature during the decomposition process. But for open beds, you will have to build more complicated structures: use paper “caps”, film shelters or thick fabric. This way you can protect plants from frost and help them quickly adapt to their new habitat.

Eggplants love when there is a lot of free space around them, so leave a gap between the holes about 40 cm, and between the rows about 55-60 cm.If you have chosen a tall variety, then make sure that the shoots have something to tie up.

Add 50-100 g of humus to the holes, 1 tbsp. spoon of wood ash, pour abundantly with a solution of potassium permanganate. Moisten the soil in the seedling containers to facilitate removal and not damage the roots. Place the seedling together with an earthen lump in the hole, to a depth of about 15 cm, sprinkle with earth, tamp it a little. It is recommended to sprinkle the soil in the holes with dry earth or rotted manure.

Planting eggplant should be done in a sunny area of ​​the garden, where the wind is not raging. It is imperative to observe the crop rotation, not planting eggplants for two years in a row in the same place, or after tomatoes and potatoes.

Video "Growing Eggplant"

This video explains how to plant eggplants through seedlings.

Care

Eggplants require extra care as they grow. Despite the fact that planting and the first stage of adaptation are the most difficult, it is quite difficult to grow this culture correctly (especially in the Moscow region). Growing eggplants in the open field is combined with regular watering, deep loosening of the earth, and weed control. In general, the basic set of actions is no different from caring for other vegetable crops.

It is extremely important to treat plants and soil with fungicidal preparations in order to prevent the harmful activity of the fungal microflora. In the Moscow region, they are especially vulnerable to downy mildew, anthracnose, gray and root rot. Medvedka, melon aphids and spider mites are no less active in the Moscow region. Therefore, it is very important to keep the beds clean and process the eggplants in a timely manner.

During the season, apply 3-4 fertilizers with phosphorus, potash and organic fertilizers to prepare the plant for abundant fruiting. It is recommended to use infusions of nettle, wood ash, onion husks, yeast. They contain a rich complex of vitamins and micronutrients, which contribute to the active vegetation of eggplant, accelerate the growth and ripening of fruits. Moreover, many of them have a positive effect on the taste of the vegetable.

The recipe for the first feeding: take 30 g of superphosphate and potassium nitrate for 10 liters of water. Bring the solution to 50 liters and start watering, no more than 1 liter of solution can be applied under one bush.

Recipe for the second feeding: displace 0.5 liters of wood ash and 1 liter of mullein infusion, add 0.5 liters of bird droppings extract, and then dilute the concentrate with 10 liters of water. Leave to infuse for a day.Before watering, bring the volume of the solution to 50 liters.

Recipe for the third feeding: Mix 1 liter of mullein infusion with 0.5 liters of chopped leaves and stalks of nettle, add 0.5 liters of wood ash and 10 liters of water. Insist in a dark, warm place for 5 days, stirring the mixture. Strain the solution before watering.

Be sure to pinch medium and tall varieties. Thus, you stimulate the eggplant to give more ovaries, form the fruit faster, and also provide the plant with access to light, moisture and a greater concentration of beneficial trace elements.

Eggplant Care Video

How to care for eggplants at all stages of growth is discussed in this video.