To get a rich harvest, you need to sow eggplant seeds for seedlings on time. It is extremely important to observe the length of daylight hours. Mistakes made at the seedling stage often lead to problems with the formation of ovaries in June-July.
Buying seeds
An inexperienced summer resident often makes the first mistake already at the stage of purchasing seeds. You should not buy seed in the markets, and especially from unknown private traders. It's always a lottery. In addition, seeds purchased in specialized stores, in most cases, have already undergone the necessary processing and are completely ready for planting.
If you use home-harvested planting material, you must be sure that it is collected from varieties and not from hybrids. The latter will not retain the qualities of the mother plants.
The seed package must contain the following information:
- Collection date (it is advisable to plant relatively fresh rather than stale seeds).
- Has the seed been pre-treated?
- If you take a hybrid, then take only 1 generation (F1).
- Address, phone number of the manufacturer.
- Number of seeds per package.
Preparation of seed material
In order for seeds to germinate better, a number of measures should be taken to improve their germination:
- For 4 minutes, keep the seeds in gauze in hot water heated to +45...+50 C.
- Next, pickle the seeds in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 15-20 minutes, then rinse. The preparations “Alirin-B”, “Gamair SP”, “Trichodermin”, “Fitosporin-M” are also suitable for disinfection.
- Since eggplants germinate slowly, before planting they should be soaked in a growth stimulator solution for 10-12 hours. At home, aloe juice diluted in warm water.
After all the above work, the seeds are hardened within 5-6 days. During the day they are kept at room temperature, and at night they are put in a refrigerator with a temperature of about +3...+4 C.
Before sowing, the prepared planting material is laid out on wet napkins in saucers, covered and put away for 2-3 days in a warm, dark place.
When the seeds germinate, dry them a little and begin to sow.
Soil preparation
Eggplants prefer to grow on the lungs fertile soils with neutral pH.
Popular recipes:
- 2 parts of mature humus + 1 part of turf soil (or 1 part of high-moor peat) + 1 part of sand (or 1 part of semi-rotten non-coniferous sawdust).
- 1 tsp humus (or 2 tsp high peat) + 2 tsp turf soil + 1 tsp sand.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Heat the resulting mixture in the oven, scald with boiling water or freeze in freezer. Add the biological product “Baikal EM-1” to the disinfected substrate. For 1 bucket of prepared soil, add 15 g of potassium sulfate (or a glass of finely ground wood ash), 30 g of granulated superphosphate, 15 g of urea.
After mixing, fill the seedling container with the resulting soil mixture.
Optimal planting dates
Period to achieve technical ripeness:
- for early ripening - from 85 to 90 days from the appearance of full shoots;
- for mid-season - from 90 to 120 days;
- for late-ripening ones - from 120 to 150 days.
In the southern regions of our country, seeds are sown from the end of February to the second ten days of March. In the OG, seedlings are transplanted from the end of May to the second ten days of June.
IN middle lane seeds are planted in mid-March. Preference here should be given to early and mid-ripening varieties and hybrids (late ones require additional lighting). In the first ten days of June, the grown seedlings are transferred to permanent place.
Growing and care
Eggplants are sensitive to picking, so it is better to avoid this procedure altogether. 1-2 seeds are planted in each peat-humus pot 8x8 cm to a depth of 1-2 cm.
Until seedlings emerge, crops should be kept in a dark, warm place.
Temperature:
- from sowing to emergence - from +20 to +28 C;
- the first week after emergence - from +8 to +10 C at night and from +14 to +16 C during the day;
- in the future - from +17 to +18 C at night and from +20 to +22 C during the day.
Watering should be done at intervals of 1 time every 2-3 days. warm water(from +20 to +25 C) under the root (avoiding the stems and leaves). There is no need to over-moisten the soil. Antifungal biofungicides Planriz and Trichodermin should be added to the water twice a month. Air humidity can be reduced by ventilation (without drafts).
The first feeding is carried out in the 3-leaf phase. Superphosphate (30 g per 10 l) and urea (7 g per 10 l) are added to water for irrigation. At the end of feeding, the seedlings need to be sprayed clean water from the sprayer.
The next feeding should be done a week before planting the seedlings. You should use a comprehensive mineral fertilizer"Kemira".
14 days before planting, you need to start hardening off the seedlings. In the first days, take it out to glass balcony for several hours, then leave it in a cool place for a longer period.
Healthy eggplant seedlings ready for planting must meet the following parameters:
- height - from 16 to 25 cm;
- 7 to 9 healthy dark green leaves;
- from 1 to 3 buds;
- well developed fibrous root system;
- straight stem.
At proper agricultural technology the harvest will not be long in coming.
A vegetable with a dark purple skin, eggplant belongs to the Solanaceae genus, is a heat-loving plant and does not tolerate frost. That is why in our climate it should be grown in seedlings. From the moment the shoots emerge until the fruit ripens, 75 to 100 days should pass. In our article we will tell you how to plant eggplant seedlings correctly and when, and we will describe in detail how to care for the plants. We wrote about when to plant peppers and tomatoes in 2019 in our previous articles, links to which are here:
Seeds of purple vegetables germinate in about 10-15 days, after which it will take about two months for the seedlings to grow and become stronger before they are planted in a greenhouse or garden bed. open ground. These dates must be kept in mind to determine the date for sowing the seeds.
Favorable days for planting eggplant seedlings Lunar calendar in 2019:
- in February it is 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 23, 24, 25;
- in March, it is recommended to sow seeds on the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th, 18th, 19th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th;
- vegetables that will be kept fresh in winter should be planted on April 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, 17, 18, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29.
According to the Lunar calendar, eggplant seeds are sown for seedlings during the waxing Moon. On New and Full Moons, planting and replanting vegetables whose fruits form above the ground is not recommended. Therefore this year days prohibited for sowing: February 3, 4, 5, 19 and 20, March 5, 6, 21, 31, April 5, 19 .
Preparing for sowing
Before planting eggplant seedlings at home, you need to prepare:
- special soil;
- planting material;
- seedling containers.
Seed preparation
Seedling containers
Eggplants do not like transplanting, so it is recommended to plant them in individual peat cups, tablets or disposable plastic cups. Plastic containers should be washed before sowing strong solution manganese potassium.
Soil for eggplant
You can buy the soil mixture at a specialty store or prepare it yourself. Soil options for planting:
- Humus, lowland peat, river sand (3:4:1).
- Peat and humus (1:2).
- Turf soil and humus (1:2).
- Mix rotted sawdust and peat (1:3), sterilize and fertilize with complex mineral fertilizers.
- Mix rotted mullein, turf soil, humus (1:2:8), sterilize and add superphosphate with urea.
The result should be a fertile, light, loose, neutral soil mixture.
Before use, the soil is disinfected, for which it can be heated in a water bath or for 40 minutes in the oven. After such treatment, the substrate must stand in a warm place for two weeks so that bacteria beneficial for the growth and development of plants can multiply in it.
Sowing seeds
Seedling containers are filled with moistened soil, into which eggplant seeds are placed to a depth of one centimeter and sprinkled with soil. The soil is compacted, sprayed with water from a spray bottle and covered with film. Crops are placed in a warm place, with an air temperature of about +25 degrees.
Every day you should lift the film and ventilate the soil so that it does not sour. If necessary, moisten the soil with warm water from a spray bottle.
Growing seedlings
In warm conditions, the first seedlings should appear in 10-14 days. After emergence, the seedlings are placed in a bright place without direct sunlight. The lighting must be good, otherwise the plants will begin to stretch out and grow weak.
Caring for eggplant seedlings is no different from caring for seedlings of other vegetable crops:
- Water Plants should be planted only when the soil dries out. When buds begin to appear on the bushes, the air and soil humidity should be increased.
- Feeding the seedlings are not needed, since they were planted in nutritious soil. If the vegetables were planted in a poor substrate, then during the growing of the seedlings they should be fed two or three times with special fertilizers. You can use Crystallin solution by first diluting 12 grams of fertilizer in ten liters of water.
- Transfer (picking) Eggplant planting occurs when two true leaves appear on the bushes. The seedlings are transplanted into larger pots with a diameter of 10-12 cm. Transplantation should be carried out using the transshipment method so as not to disturb the roots of the eggplants.
When the soil temperature in the open ground or greenhouse becomes at least +18 degrees, the plants can be planted in the garden. Two weeks before this, the seedlings begin to harden, placing them on warm days open balcony or plot. In the first days, seedlings should be on fresh air during few hours. By the time the eggplant is planted in the garden, the bushes should have 8-10 leaves and be between 16 and 25 cm high.
You can plant eggplants after legumes, zucchini, garlic, onions, carrots, cucumbers, and cabbage. You cannot plant eggplants in the area where eggplants, physalis, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes grew last year.
Planting eggplants on time proper care seedlings and compliance with crop rotation will guarantee good harvest delicious vegetables.
Eggplants are healthy and very delicious vegetables. They increase immunity, improve heart function, and reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. Due to the presence of nicotine, eggplants help reduce smoking addiction.
In our country, eggplants were grown for many years only in the south. Thanks to new modern zoned hybrids and varieties, gardeners have the opportunity to obtain excellent harvests in central Russia, in Far East and even in Siberia.
Planting eggplant seedlings is the very first and most important step towards a rich harvest. For vegetables with a long growing season, you cannot do without it. Advice from experienced gardeners will help you grow your own eggplants and delight them with delicious healthy vegetables yourself and your loved ones.
Eggplant is a heat-loving crop, so the easiest way to grow it is through seedlings. To obtain a good harvest, it is important to observe the timing of sowing seeds. It must be taken into account that eggplants, even early ripening ones, have a longer growing season, so it is better to sow them for seedlings before peppers and tomatoes.
Depending on the climate, you need to sow eggplant seedlings at different times, which also depend on how the vegetable will be grown further - in protected or open ground. It is advisable to sow on the waxing moon. On the days of the full moon and new moon, it is strictly not recommended to sow eggplant seedlings.
You can make a simple calculation to determine the timing of planting eggplant seedlings to obtain a harvest, for example, in June. The growing season for the development of the earliest ripening eggplant varieties is 100 days before technical ripeness and 130 days before physical ripeness. If we want to get a harvest in June, then we need to plant eggplant seedlings at the end of January or at the beginning of February.
In central Russia and to the north, eggplants are most often grown in greenhouses, greenhouses or under film covers. Some daredevils manage to get high yields in open ground. In this case, it is better to cultivate ultra-early ripening or early ripening varieties. These eggplants, as a rule, are less productive, but they have a greater chance of producing their fruits in a cool, short summer.
For different regions optimal timing planting eggplant seedlings differs:
- in the southern part of the country - early February, and for greenhouses - even after January 15;
- central Russia - late February - early March;
- in the north - throughout March.
Soil preparation
Eggplants have a long growth period. Of all the nightshades, this crop is the most demanding in terms of light and heat. With acidified soil, too dense planting, or insufficient moisture, eggplant seedlings slow down their growth.
To grow eggplant seedlings, you need fertile, light and loose soil. neutral soil. You can buy such soil in a store. Or you can prepare the substrate for seedlings yourself.
To do this, you need to mix 4 parts of lowland peat, 1 part river sand, 3 parts humus or compost. After sterilization, it is recommended to add a glass of wood ash or half a glass of potassium sulfate to 10 liters of this mixture and mix everything thoroughly.
Experienced gardeners use several more recipes for preparing the substrate:
- Mix 1 part peat with 2 parts humus.
- Prepare a mixture of 8 parts humus, 1 part rotted mullein, 2 parts turf soil, sterilize and add 20 grams of superphosphate, urea and potassium sulfate to a bucket of the mixture.
- Mix 1 part turf soil with 2 parts humus.
- Add 1 part of rotted sawdust to 3 parts of peat, sterilize and mix a bucket of soil mixture with 40 grams of superphosphate, 40 grams of potassium salt, 12 grams of ammonium sulfate.
Any prepared soil mixture requires disinfection. The substrate needs to be poured with boiling water, heated in a water bath or heated in the oven for 40-50 minutes. After preparing the substrate for sowing eggplant seeds, it is kept in a warm place for a couple of weeks to allow bacteria beneficial to the seeds to multiply.
Seed treatment
Before sowing eggplant seeds for seedlings, it is necessary to disinfect them. To do this, the seed can be kept for 20-30 minutes in a one percent solution of potassium permanganate. Another method can be used. Add 3 ml of hydrogen peroxide to 100 ml of water, heat the resulting solution to 40°C and immerse the seeds in it for 10 minutes.
The next day, the seeds are removed from the refrigerator. After a week, the stratified seeds are soaked for 12 hours in heated melt or rain water, to which growth stimulants are added - Zircon (1 drop per 100 ml of water) or Epin (1-2 drops per 100 ml of water). After this, the seed is dried until it flows on a clean white sheet and sown.
Landing technology
When choosing a container for sowing eggplant seedlings, you should give preference to peat compost pots or peat tablets, since the root system of eggplants does not like picking.
Plastic cups can also be used as containers for seedlings, but before sowing they must be washed with a 3% solution of potassium permanganate. The container is filled sterile substrate 20-24 hours before sowing and water well.
Place 2-3 seeds in cups with a damp substrate, sprinkle them with a layer of soil 1.5-2 cm thick and compact it slightly. The containers are covered with glass or film and kept at a temperature of 25-30°C until germination.
Experienced gardeners with good skills in picking seedlings can sow eggplant seeds in a common container or box filled with a layer of moist substrate 6-8 cm thick.
On the surface of the soil, at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other, grooves with a depth of 1.5-2 cm are made, seeds are placed in them every 2 cm, the grooves are sealed and the soil is compacted. Covering the container with glass or film, the crops are placed in a warm place until germination.
Growing eggplant seedlings in tablets
It is convenient, simple and safe to grow eggplant seedlings in peat tablets. They do not have dense walls, the roots grow through them freely and are not subject to deformation. In dry form, the tablets can be stored indefinitely. They are made from compressed peat neutral reaction with the addition of disinfectants, growth stimulants and anti-stress additives, ensuring high germination of seeds.
Growing eggplant seedlings in tablets does not require picking: the roots of the seedlings remain intact. It is optimal to grow eggplant seedlings in tablets with a diameter of 4 cm or more.
They are laid out in a deep container and filled with warm water to swell. After maximizing the size of the tablets excess water drained. Once saturated with water, the tablets increase in size by 7-8 times.
Peat tablets have the holes facing up. Eggplant seeds are placed in these holes, 2-3 pieces at a time, slightly recessed and the holes are sealed with peat. When using peat tablets to grow seedlings, the seed does not need to be processed.
The tablets are placed in a deep transparent container with holes for drainage, covered with a transparent coating, the container is placed on a tray and placed in a warm, bright place. Crops should be ventilated daily and ensure that the tablets do not dry out.
How to grow seedlings in cassettes?
Good eggplant seedlings can be grown in cassettes. If you choose a cassette with large cells, you will not have to pick the seedlings. Having placed it in a container or on a pallet, the cells are filled with substrate, which is well watered.
Using a damp wooden stick, seeds are placed in the center of each cell. Having deepened them by 1.5-2 cm, the holes are sealed, the cassette is covered with a transparent lid or film and placed in a warm place.
Seedling care
Eggplants are finicky vegetables that require serious care.
Temperature
With the appearance of sprouts, the covering is removed from the crops and the temperature is lowered. IN daytime it is maintained at 14-16°C, and at night - 10-12°C. With this temperature conditions The root system is developing well, which is very important at this stage. In addition, when kept cool, seedlings do not stretch.
After a week, the daytime temperature is increased to 25-27°C, and the night temperature to 12-14°C. It is imperative to observe the difference between day and night temperatures. This is how the imitation occurs natural conditions and adaptation of seedlings to them, which will then be easier to take root in the garden.
Seedlings turn around their axis from time to time. If the air in the room is dry, cover the seedlings with film.
2 weeks before planting in the ground, they begin to harden the seedlings: the room is ventilated more often, watering is reduced. Plants can be placed in partial shade on the balcony for several hours if the air temperature is at least 15°C.
Lighting
If the seeds are sown for seedlings in April, then it is enough to keep the crops on a well-lit windowsill. Shoots that appear in February or early March will require additional lighting. For eggplant seedlings, the length of daylight should be at least 12 hours, so the lighting should be turned on from 7 am to 7 pm. In the first 3 days, the plants need to be provided with round-the-clock artificial lighting.
The light source should be located 50 cm above the seedlings. For additional illumination, fluorescent or LED lights, phytolamps. Before purchasing, it is necessary to calculate the number and power of lamps required for the area in need of additional lighting.
Watering
Due to the dense foliage, eggplant seedlings require regular, abundant watering at home. A soil moisture regime should be developed in which it should always be slightly moist. The approximate scheme for watering seedlings should be as follows: 1-2 waterings (about 7 liters of water per sq. m) until the first true leaf appears and then 2-3 waterings of 14-15 liters of water per 1 square meter.
If there is a lack of water, plant stems will become woody prematurely, and the yield will be significantly reduced. Excess moisture will lead to the development of blackleg - a dangerous fungal disease.
It is better to use a spray bottle to water the soil. It is recommended to take settled water at room temperature. After watering, it is advisable to carefully loosen the soil. It is important to regularly ventilate the room after covering the seedlings.
Top dressing
When growing eggplant seedlings, it is necessary to add fertilizer to the substrate not only before sowing, but also 10 days after germination, if picking is not intended. If eggplant seedlings are grown with picking, fertilizing is carried out 12 days after it.
Yellow Crystal is used as a fertilizer, 1 tablespoon of which is diluted in 10 liters of water. If further fertilizing is necessary, use special Crystalon, prepared according to the instructions. It is recommended to complete each feeding with watering so as not to burn the root system of the seedlings.
Pinching
Most experts believe that eggplants at the seedling stage do not require pinching.
Picking
Seedlings sown in a box or container at the stage of development of 2 true leaves dive.
Seedlings are planted in 10x10 cm pots with drainage holes, which are filled with the same substrate as for sowing seeds. Before picking, the soil in the pots is spilled with a solution of 1 teaspoon of wood ash in 10 liters of water. 2 hours before picking, water the seedlings well with water.
The seedlings are removed very carefully, trying not to damage the roots or destroy the earthen lump. They are planted in depressions made in advance in the substrate up to the cotyledon leaves. The first watering after picking seedlings can only be done on the sixth day. During this entire time, seedlings require protection from direct sunlight.
In the future, the seedlings need to be watered once every 5-6 days. It should be borne in mind that after picking, seedlings slow down their growth for some time, as the formation of the root system takes place.
Growing eggplant seedlings in a greenhouse
Growing eggplant seedlings in a greenhouse with heated soil and air will lead to additional costs, which make no sense. It’s easier and cheaper to grow seedlings at home and transplant them into a greenhouse when they no longer need heating.
Choice planting material good quality- the first step to excellent harvest in future. How to grow eggplant seedlings at home? There are several secrets on how to end up with absolutely healthy, hardy and productive plants. We understand all the important nuances!
Preparing and sowing eggplant seedlings
When is the best time to sow eggplant seedlings?
Eggplant is brought from the tropics, which means it is a heat-loving plant. When to start planting eggplant seedlings at home? It is worth starting this exciting activity in early February. Seedlings planted on time will grow, become stronger and prepare for transplanting into the garden at the end of April.
To accurately determine when to plant eggplant seedlings, you need to focus on the standard duration of the period from sowing to planting young plants. Usually, 50-55 days are enough for eggplant seedlings to “ripen”.
If you plan to plant eggplants in a greenhouse, then the sowing dates are shifted to mid-February. Without a greenhouse, it is better not to rush, but to plant eggplant seedlings in early March. Residents of the middle zone and Siberia should adhere to the same deadlines. At earlier or later dates, planting eggplant seedlings can be risky (remember that 80% of the territory of Russia belongs to the risky farming zone).
If you plan to grow eggplants from seedlings in a cold region, please note Special attention for varieties "Baltic" , "Swan" , "Sailor" , "Nutcracker" ,"Diamond" . They are distinguished by their endurance and take root well in Siberian lands.
ON THE PICTURE:Almaz variety eggplants grown in seedlings
Technology for sowing eggplant seeds for seedlings
Choosing the right soil mixture
Before growing eggplant seedlings at home, you need to prepare fertile, loose, light soil for sowing, the acidity of which is close to neutral.
The root system of these plants is highly sensitive, so the soil requirements are quite high. Soil mixture for seedlings can be purchased at finished form or cook it yourself.
ON THE PICTURE:When using a proprietary purchased mixture, the risk of seedlings being damaged by diseases and pests is much lower.
Proven recipes for a mixture useful for eggplant seedlings:
- To 8 parts of humus add 1 part of fertilizer from mullein diluted with urea, superphosphate and potassium (according to the instructions for them), and 2 parts of turf soil.
- Peat and sawdust are mixed in a 3:1 ratio, and a special solution for feeding seedlings is added to them. The amount of solution is determined by the instructions for the drug.
- The turf soil is added to humus (1:2).
- Peat is supplemented with humus (1:2).
You can add to any of these recipes (usually 2 parts of this mineral substrate from the hydromica group are taken for each part of the prepared soil mixture).
All components of the soil mixture according to any recipe, taken from nature, are calcined in the oven for an hour before sowing seeds for the purpose of disinfection.
Checking the germination of seed
Seed preparation is done in advance, and not at a time when it is high time to plant eggplant seedlings. A couple of weeks before sowing, the material is checked for germination.
The easiest way to test eggplant seeds for germination is to soak them in water for a day. Then they are placed in a warm place on a damp cloth and kept there, constantly moisturizing, for 6 days.
The more seeds that “bend” after this, the more likely it is to obtain good eggplant seedlings from this material: It is advisable to grow seedlings from seeds with a germination rate of more than 50%. But germination rates can be improved by proper pre-sowing treatment.
Thermal treatment of seeds
You can awaken the “sleeping” seed as follows. Pour into a thermos hot water and cool it to 52-55 o C. Then a gauze bag with seeds is lowered into this thermos for half an hour, then it is taken out and rinsed in cold water. After a few hours, you can begin disinfection.
Disinfection of material for sowing
It is necessary to treat the seeds to prevent possible fungal and bacterial diseases in future seedlings . Caring for eggplant seedlings grown from treated seeds is much easier, since they practically do not get sick.
Today, products such as and are popular for disinfecting seed. These drugs are used according to the instructions on the package. If you don’t have a special disinfectant at hand, you can use boric acid . It is diluted to a concentration of 0.05% and the seeds are soaked in the solution for 15-20 minutes.
ON THE PICTURE:Another effective and accessible fungicide to everyone - solution of potassium permanganate 1% (several crystals per 0.5 liter of water).
Germination of seed material
Special “prohormones” will help speed up germination. These can be purchased products or a solution of wood ash. Of the store-bought stimulants, the best proven ones are:
- Krezacin;
- Novosil;
- Energen;
- Epin-Extra.
After processing, the seeds are soaked in plain water for a couple of days, using plates and cotton pads. 4-5 seeds are placed on each disk. The plates are placed in a transparent bag to prevent the substrate from drying out.
The seeds “hatch” best at a temperature of 25-27 ° C. When it drops below 20°C, there is a danger of seedlings rotting. Seeds are inspected and aerated every day. The sprouted ones are carefully cut out of a cotton pad with scissors and, together with a piece of cotton wool, planted in a glass with soil.
Suitable containers for seedlings
Eggplant does not like transplantation, therefore, if possible, the seeds of the plant are immediately planted in separate containers. In this case, caring for eggplant seedlings is simplified, since it becomes possible to create the most suitable conditions for each plant. good conditions: move closer to the light or, conversely, move it into the shade, water if necessary, etc.
Best used for sowing peat tablets or coconut fiber tablets, as well as cassettes with a cell volume of 50 ml. In the phase of appearance of 3-4 leaves, young plants are transferred together with a tablet or lump of earth from the cassette into peat pots with a diameter of 12-15 cm.
ON THE PICTURE: Peat pots are well suited for growing almost any seedlings.
If you decide to sow the seeds in a common box, then fill it with soil mixture to a height of 7-8 cm, make grooves in it every 5 cm from each other and sow the seeds in them, deepening them by 1 cm.
How to plant eggplant seedlings in cassettes
The agricultural technology for growing eggplant seedlings at home when sowing in cassettes is not very complicated:
- The cassettes are filled with soil and moistened.
- They crush the bed for the seed, immerse it there, sprinkle a half-centimeter layer of soil on top and moisten it again. Sometimes a couple of seeds are sown in one cell at once in order to ultimately leave the strongest plant.
- The sown seedlings are covered with film and placed in a warm place. At this stage optimal temperature for growing eggplant seedlings - 25-28 o C.
ON THE PICTURE: Growing eggplant seedlings in cassettes is a modern, convenient way to obtain strong seedlings with a well-developed root system.
Caring for eggplant seedlings
In a maximum of a week, eggplant seedlings will emerge from the ground. Its cultivation at this stage occurs in a bright area and at a lower temperature: from 14 to 16 o C.
Lack of light or overheating during this growth period will cause the plant stem to stretch, and the root system will not have time to develop.
From the second week of cultivation, the daytime temperature is increased to 16-26 o C, and the night temperature is reduced to 10-14 o C. The soil is regularly moistened and the seedlings are ventilated if they are covered with film. For irrigation, water at room temperature is used. Daylight should last 10-12 hours: if there is not enough natural light, the plants are given additional light.
ON THE PICTURE:Being an "emigrant from the tropics", the eggplant needs plenty of light.
Fertilizing eggplant seedlings
Seedlings should be watered and fed in turn. Water it every other time with plain water, and every other time - with complex fertilizer for seedlings. You can do this yourself using the following recipe:
- 1 tsp. superphosphate;
- 1 tsp. potassium sulfate;
- 2 tsp. complex fertilizer;
- 10 l. water.
This composition will help if eggplant seedlings are not growing well. Plants will become stronger, healthier and more resilient.
If the seedlings stretch upward strongly, they must be illuminated with very strong light or.
Picking eggplant seedlings
Sown in total capacity During the growing process, eggplants must be picked. This operation is carried out after the plants have two true leaves. For seating, take cups 10 cm in diameter with drainage holes for water drainage.
The seedlings should be watered 2-3 hours before picking. Trying not to damage the earthen ball, the selected seedling is transferred to a pot and sprinkled with earth up to the cotyledon leaves.
In order for the picked plants to take root well, the composition of the soil should not differ much from that in which the seeds were sown.
In the first 2-3 days, the transplanted plants are shaded. Growing eggplant seedlings without picking, in individual containers, allows you to skip this stage.
ON THE PICTURE:At the picking stage, delicate handling of the roots of the seedlings is very important.
Hardening and preparing seedlings for planting
Eggplant seedlings begin to be hardened off by taking the pots to open air, approximately fourteen days before landing at a permanent place. Every day the time the seedlings spend in the fresh air needs to be increased.
The air temperature should not be lower than 10°C - this can cause the death of seedlings.
When is the best time to plant eggplants in open ground?
After hardening off the seedlings, you can transplant them to the beds.
Eggplants are planted in the greenhouse in the second half of May, and in open vegetable beds- from early to mid June.
When is it time to plant eggplant seedlings in the garden? As soon as the plants reach 20-30 cm in height. Each of them should have at least 8-12 leaves of bright green color and large size. There may even be buds on the bushes.
ON THE PICTURE:Properly planted eggplant seedlings quickly turn into fruit-bearing plants.
B eggplants, unlike most cultivated plants from family Solanaceae , originate from the tropics of the Old World. There are several subspecies of eggplant; in our culture we use two: East Asian and West Asian. Of all known related plants: tomato , pepper ,potato and eggplant, the latter is the most heat-loving and demanding. In open ground in temperate climates, growing eggplants is possible only through seedlings.
When to plant eggplant seedlings depends on the climatic conditions of the region. The colder the climate, the longer the seedlings cannot be planted in open ground. On the other hand, keeping eggplant seedlings for a long time is also bad. Seedlings that have already thrown out buds do not take root well, usually drop their flowers and more often die.
The timing of when you can plant eggplant seedlings is indicated on the packet of seeds; they may differ for each variety. It is important to consider that the variety is zoned for your area.
Depending on the variety (early or late) and the growing method (greenhouse or open ground), seedlings are planted 9-11 weeks after sowing the seeds. In central Russia, you can plant eggplant seedlings according to the following scheme:
- if it is planned to grow eggplants in open ground without shelter, seedlings are planted after the threat of frost in early June, therefore, eggplant seedlings should be planted in mid-to-late March;
- growing eggplants in home greenhouse or under temporary shelter requires early sowing in February; plants are planted in the ground in mid-May.
5 rules for growing eggplant seedlings
To get healthy, viable seedlings, follow 5 basic rules:
Rule 1: Seeds need to be stimulated before planting for better germination
Eggplant seeds are classified as difficult to germinate. To improve germination and to reduce the period of seedling development, it is necessary to carry out pre-planting treatment of the seed material: bubbling, stimulation, calibration (sorting by size), preventive disinfection.
The use of bubbling will speed up the germination of eggplant seeds by 2-2.5 times. At home, treat the seeds with a solution of 
Oxygen can be added to the water using an aquarium compressor. The water temperature should be +19 - 21 °. The duration of the procedure is 24-30 hours (depending on the size of the seeds). Soluble microelements, as well as disinfectant substances, can be added to the water. This will allow you to combine sparging and disinfection.
Can be used as stimulation scarification
– damage to the seed coat. To do this, the seeds are mixed with coarse sand.
Soaking is another way when you can plant eggplant seedlings with prepared seeds. There are several options for soaking:
- for 2-3 days in a damp, warm cloth;
- for 15 minutes in hydrogen peroxide t+37-40 ° C, then rinse with warm water;
- in warm water until they settle to the bottom, then - in a weak warm solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, then - rinse with warm water;
- overnight in aloe juice, diluted half with water;
- in a warm infusion from onion peel and ash for 6 hours, combine two infusions: (a handful of husks per 1 liter of boiling water, leave until cool) + (2 tablespoons of ash per liter of water).
Effective modern way pre-sowing treatment - use of preparations Zircon, Baikal EM-1, Reacom, Kendal, Rost concentrate, MS cream, Ivin, Emistim S, succinic acid etc. according to the instructions.
Important! Seeds can be already prepared for sowing by the manufacturer (primed, encrusted, coated, processed). Such seeds are not soaked.
Rule 2: The substrate must be rich in organic components
Eggplants are not plants whose seedlings will develop well on sawdust or perlite. The composition of the substrate, in addition to peat, must include compost
or humus, you can add perlite or sand. The percentage of sand should be no more than 13%.
For growing eggplant seedlings, commercial soil with an acidity of 6.0-7.0 (that is, from slightly acidic to neutral) is suitable.
When preparing the substrate yourself, you can use lowland peat (about 50%) and compost (37-40%). Microelements are added to the prepared soil; for this you can use ash
(200 g per 8-9 l of substrate).
Rule 3: For seed germination and seedling growth you need heat
Eggplant seeds germinate at a temperature of +22-26° 7-15 days after sowing. After this, they are transferred for a week to a cool (+17°) and bright place (for example, closer to the window frame) so that the sprouts do not stretch, but roots form. After a week, the seedlings will again require a high temperature of +25-30°. During the entire period of growing seedlings at night, it is advisable to provide a temperature of +13 °C. Cool temperatures prevent the appearance of blackleg, stretching of seedlings, promote their hardening, and increase the stress resistance of plants.
Rule 4: Sprouts love good lighting
When seeds germinate in February, you can use additional lighting. In March, provided that the seedlings grow at sunny side near a window, additional lighting is not required.
Eggplants are light-loving plants short daylight hours. Lighting for more than 12-14 hours a day does not benefit the plants, nor does growing eggplant seedlings in a north-facing window or in the shade.
Rule 5: Avoid overfilling soil
Seeds are planted in a moist, but not wet substrate. To avoid waterlogging, water the soil well and leave for several hours. Experts say that it is better to moisten the substrate with rain or snow water.
Before planting, you need to check the soil for excess moisture. To do this, you need to take a handful of earth and squeeze it tightly in your fist. If the substrate sticks together into a dense lump from which water does not flow, the soil is ready for planting. And if, when squeezed, water begins to drip from it, then such soil should be given time to dry out more.
Seedlings do not like high air humidity, especially when the temperature drops. Various fungal infections(rot, powdery mildew). The soil should not be allowed to dry out; eggplant is a moisture-loving plant. For irrigation, use warm, settled water t+20-22 °.
How to plant eggplant seedlings
Seeds are sown in trays or boxes with soil. If several varieties of eggplant are planted, the crops are labeled, or each variety is sown in different containers. When the first true, rather than cotyledon, leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted into separate containers.
Eggplant seedlings have a very delicate root system, so they are sensitive to transplantation. In order to avoid injury, seeds can be planted immediately in separate containers. In this case, the time frame for planting eggplant seedlings is shifted by one to two weeks, since the plants will not need time to take root after picking. For growing eggplant seedlings, special peat or paper cups are suitable - in this case, the plants are not removed, but planted directly into the ground.
Special tablets for seedlings with cells - too a good option, plants can be easily removed from them without damaging the roots. Can be used plastic glasses average or big size(0.3 and 0.5 l). Before pouring soil into them, you need to make a couple of holes in the bottom to avoid stagnation of water.
Seeds are sown to a depth of 1 cm and moistened with a sprayer. With its help, crops and young seedlings are carefully watered in the future so as not to erode the soil. The crops are covered with cellophane to create a greenhouse effect. Ventilate daily for 10 minutes, moisten if necessary. After the shoots emerge, the cellophane is removed.
If there are a lot of seeds (or inexpensive), sowing 3 seeds in 1 cup is practiced. The strongest seedling is left, and weak shoots are pinched off at the base, without disturbing the roots.
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How to care for seedlings
When growing eggplant seedlings, fertilizing is carried out. The signal for this will be leaves losing their brightness of color. Feed the plant with soluble fertilizer for seedlings after watering so as not to burn the roots. The worse the soil for planting was prepared, the more often fertilizers are applied, but no more than once every ten days.
As eggplants grow, they may need to be transferred to pots. bigger size. It is believed that for 25-centimeter seedlings with a stem half a centimeter in diameter and seven leaves (this is exactly what is planted in the ground), a container measuring 5x5 cm is sufficient. In this case, the containers must be placed at a sufficient distance from each other so that the seedlings do not stretch out. If conditions permit, last stage It is possible to grow seedlings in larger containers.
Before planting in the ground, seedlings are hardened off. With the coming warm days in April they are moved to a glassed-in balcony or taken outside for a short time.
Planting seedlings in the ground
Planting in the ground is carried out when warm weather sets in. The air temperature should be at least +20° during the day, the soil should be warmed up to at least +12°. At air temperatures below +12°, eggplant will stop growing.
In central Russia, seedlings are planted in film greenhouses
or tunnels in mid-May, in open ground - in early June. Often eggplant grown in greenhouses
. Depending on the variety, a distance is maintained when planting, usually 30 cm between plants and 70 cm between rows.
Planting is carried out without disturbing the earthen coma, so as not to damage the roots, in well-seasoned soil and in holes spilled with warm water, preferably in evening time or in cloudy weather.
When planting, seedlings are buried so that the soil level in the ground is 3 cm higher than the soil level in the container. After watering, the plantings are mulched (compost, humus, dry grass or black spunbond
), seedlings are temporarily shaded. If there is a threat of frost, non-woven covering material is additionally used. Growing eggplants in greenhouses and greenhouses
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