Growing eggplants: how to get an excellent harvest

Variety of varieties

Eggplants, or “little blue” ones as they are also called, are a favorite product of many of us. They are very healthy, nutritious and suitable for preparing delicious dishes and pickling for the winter.

Before planting, it is worth studying the variety of eggplant varieties to choose the most suitable ones. They differ in taste, appearance and ripening time:

1. Early ripening . Early ripening varieties are considered to be those that produce a harvest within 70 days after the appearance of the first shoots. These include: Early Czech, Vakula, Balagur, etc.
2. Mid-season . There are quite a lot of mid-season varieties, more than 20. The most common are: Almaz, Black Beauty, Baltic.
3. Late ripening . Gardeners rarely plant such varieties, since they do not have time to ripen before the arrival of frost, and therefore are not suitable for planting in open ground.
4. Varieties for the greenhouse . In central Russia, the southern vegetable is grown in greenhouses. There are special varieties for this: Sofya, Black Moon, Bull's Heart F1.
5. Carpal varieties . The fruits of such varieties grow several in clusters. There are many similar varieties, but the most common are Samurai and Prado F1.

How to grow eggplants - step by step instructions

Eggplant is the most heat-loving crop among all nightshades.

The most suitable air temperature is +24-26 degrees . At this temperature, plants develop quickly and correctly. If it drops below 15 degrees, the ovaries and flowers on the bushes will begin to fall off, and at 13 degrees the plant’s growth stops completely.

Reference. The crop is grown in much the same way as peppers or tomatoes.

Selection of seed

Agrotechnical measures begin at the stage of preparing planting material. The key to a good and high-quality harvest is correctly selected planting material.

Tips for choosing eggplant seeds:

1. Varieties that produce large yields are very demanding on the composition of the soil, and they also require good care. For the first time, it is recommended to purchase varieties that are not so capricious, although they produce less fruit. For beginning gardeners, these seeds will be the most productive.
2. Immunity. It is advisable to choose blue varieties that are resistant to most common infections. It is especially important that they do not suffer from viral diseases, which are practically incurable and difficult to prevent.
3. Resistant to temperature changes. This parameter is especially important for the central and northern regions of Russia. These varieties do not have as delicate a taste as the southern varieties, but they are easy to care for.
4. Hybrids are more resistant to unfavorable factors, but the seeds collected from the harvest do not have the characteristics of the parent plant. Therefore, if you plan to harvest seeds from grown eggplants in the future, you need to choose varietal plants.
5. Each variety or hybrid is suitable for growing in a specific climate zone. This factor should be taken into account when choosing planting material.
6. The highest germination is observed in seeds that have been disinfected in the factory and covered with a nutrient coating.

Preparing seeds for planting

Before planting, planting material must be properly prepared. This is especially true for those eggplant seeds that were not processed at the factory.

Using this procedure, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of infection of plantings, increase the resistance of plants to various negative factors, and also speed up germination.

Seed preparation is as follows:

1. Warming up planting material . The package of seeds just needs to be placed near the battery for 15 days. This will speed up the emergence of seedlings.
2. Germination test . Planting material should be soaked in a glass of water with the addition of 1 tsp. salt. Seeds that sink to the bottom are considered suitable for planting.
3. Disinfection . To disinfect the seeds, you need to keep them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes (the color should be light pink). You can also use store-bought drugs, for example, Fitosporin.
4. Growth stimulation . This procedure will increase the percentage of germination, accelerate the germination of planting material, and also increase its resistance to temperature changes. For stimulation, the drugs Epin or Kornevin are used. Must be used according to instructions.

You can also germinate the seeds before planting. To do this, they need to be wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in a warm place for several days. But you can skip this stage.

Growing seedlings

Little blue ones are usually grown in seedlings, transplanting formed and strong plants to a permanent place. To grow eggplant seedlings, you need the right soil. It should be fertile, loose and light.

The soil must be fertilized with humus or compost (up to 25% of the total volume of the substrate).

When should you start feeding eggplant seedlings?

Many gardeners do not feed eggplants at all, because they have very fertile soil. There are some fans who prefer to feed the “little blue ones” when they are already planted in the garden, at their permanent place of residence.

We hasten to inform you that fertilizing can begin already with the appearance of the first true leaves of eggplant seedlings. You should be careful when feeding. You only need to water the soil with the nutrient mixture, not the sprouts themselves. The fact is that the composition with mineral substances can burn the delicate tissue of eggplant seedlings.

Caring for eggplants in a greenhouse

It is advisable to grow eggplants in a greenhouse separately from other plants, positioning them in such a way that optimal temperature conditions can be created, as well as additional lighting on cloudy days.

Required temperature and humidity

We must try to create conditions such that the average daily temperature is between +24 and +28 degrees .

If the variety is resistant to temperature changes, then this indicator can be kept at a level from +18 to +24 degrees. In the case of such varieties, at higher temperatures, the flowers will begin to fall off, which will result in fewer ovaries. And at low temperatures (below +15 degrees) the development of the plant will stop.

On hot days, the temperature can be reduced by ventilating the greenhouse or watering the paths with cold water. You can also shade the sunny side.

The most suitable humidity during the growing season is 60-70% . During fruiting, it should be about 60% to prevent the appearance of fungal infections on overgrown bushes.

Watering rules

Young plants need to adapt after transplanting. Therefore, watering eggplants for the first time is carried out no earlier than after 4 days.

Important! Plants should be watered only at the root so as not to wet the leaves. Water can damage foliage.

You need to water with water whose temperature is not lower than +25 degrees . Otherwise, flowering begins later.

Lack of water leads to stopping the development of plants and shedding of ovaries. During the fruiting period, eggplants need to be watered every 3 days.

Watering must be done in the morning , and then mulch the ground near the bushes so that fog does not form in the greenhouse. The amount of water required depends on the soil. After watering, the soil should get wet 20-25 cm deep.

Fertilizer application

The formation of fruits in blueberries very much depends on the availability of nutrients in sufficient quantities. Therefore, it is imperative to fertilize the soil. Feeding is carried out up to 5 times per season.

What microelements do eggplants need for a large harvest?

Eggplant is a very capricious vegetable that requires increased attention and proper feeding. Eggplant loves nitrogen; without this microelement, the “little blue” one withers before our eyes.

He also loves potassium, without which normal growth and fruiting of eggplant is impossible. The soil must be sufficiently fertilized with this element.

Another main component in eggplant nutrition is ammonium nitrate. Without it, the normal growth of this vegetable and the large size of the eggplants themselves are also not possible.

This is the wisdom behind growing eggplants. If you are not afraid of the worries and troubles that will accompany the growth and development of this vegetable, then feel free to plant it.

Caring for eggplants in open ground

When growing this vegetable in open ground, care consists of regular watering, weeding, loosening and fertilizing. Plants grown in such conditions require more attention.

Watering

The crop requires the greatest amount of moisture during the mass formation of fruits. But when the bushes are still young, excess moisture can only weaken them.

In dry and hot summers, you need to water every other day . If the weather is humid, water as needed. The top layer of soil should dry to a depth of 4-5 cm.

The water (as for greenhouse plants) should be warm - within 25-30 degrees. It is necessary to pour carefully at the root so that drops do not fall on the leaves.

Feeding

Eggplants growing in open ground require frequent feeding - once every 2-3 weeks .

The first time the bed is fertilized 20 days after transplanting the plants. To do this, for 1 sq. m. area use 10 g of superphosphate, 10 g of ammonium nitrate and 5 g of potassium sulfate. These fertilizers can be replaced by Crystallin, nitrophoska or ammophoska in the amount of 20 g per 1 sq. m. m.

The next time, the amount of fertilizer is gradually increased. Each time you need 1.5 times more than with the previous feeding.

Important! After applying fertilizers, the blueberry bed must be well watered .

If the summer is cold, eggplants additionally require foliar feeding . For this purpose, specialized stores have many different preparations with the necessary microelements.

Weeding and loosening

Weeding is carried out as necessary, when weeds appear near the bushes and between the rows.

You need to loosen every time after watering. The procedure is performed after the top layer of soil has dried.

Garter

Eggplants need a garter to prevent the stem from breaking when there is a large number of fruits. Also, thanks to this procedure, the fruits do not lie on the ground and do not rot.

To make a garter, you need to stretch the wire along the entire row. A rope or twine will be tied to it. You need to make a garter under each branch of the bush. As you grow, the number of ropes will increase.

How to feed eggplant seedlings with a solution based on vermicompost?

You can feed the “little blue ones” with this nutritional composition 10-14 days after they have been transplanted to their permanent place of growth. In this case, half a liter of fertilizer for each eggplant bush will be enough.

The second time you can feed the eggplants with this mixture just before flowering. Here, do not skimp on fertilizer and pour 1.5 liters for each eggplant. Try not to touch the leaves and stems when doing this, so as not to burn them with the caustic composition.

Vermicompost can be bought at a gardening store. It is inexpensive, but brings enormous benefits. This feeding is suitable not only for eggplants, but also for absolutely all crops that grow on your site.

Vermicompost is a substance similar to that produced by worms when processing leaves and various debris in the soil. This substance has an extremely beneficial effect on the growth and fruiting of all crops. Soil that is rich in worms is always a valuable place for growing vegetables successfully.

After a few days, you may notice that the eggplant leaves have become greener and the stems have become denser and stronger. This is all due to the minerals in your supplement.

how to prepare an elixir for seedlings from vermicompost, yeast and sugar?

There are no difficulties in preparing effective homemade fertilizer. You can verify this from your own experience. First, go to the store and buy yeast and vermicompost. Make sure you have ash, because we will also use it to prepare folk fertilizer for eggplants.

Here's what you'll need for fertilizing based on yeast and vermicompost:

• pressed yeast - 30 g;
• vermicompost - 500 ml;
• wood ash - 2 cups;
• sugar - 5 tbsp. l.;
• water - 10 l.

All these components are simply mixed with each other. Before feeding, this composition must be diluted 10 times with water. That is, for a 10 liter bucket of clean water you need to take 1 liter of fertilizer prepared by yourself.

Disease and pest control

During growth, eggplants can contract a whole “bouquet” of various diseases. The most harmful diseases are: root rot, tracheomycosis, root rot, stolbur and leaf mosaic.

This crop is often infected with fungal and viral diseases, as well as bacterial rot. Disease control involves prevention and treatment of plants and soil with special preparations:

1. Biochemical . They are not harmful to plants, animals and humans. They are also safe for beneficial insects such as bees.
2. Chemical . They quickly cope with the cause of the disease, but they are harmful to humans and affect the quality of products. Chemical residues accumulate in the fruits.

How to feed eggplant seedlings before diving?

Before diving, it is best not to feed the soil of eggplant seedlings at all. If the composition of the soil is chosen correctly and it contains the special soil for seedlings (purchased), and soil from the garden, and sand and vermiculite, then the seedlings will feel good at first even without fertilizer.

Picking, as a rule, is done after the eggplants have their first leaf. Seedlings from a common large container are transplanted into separate jars. For this purpose, housewives often use jars of yoghurt, boxes of milk and kefir, and various bottles, the top of which is cut off.

Life hacks from professionals

To make it easier to cope with growing eggplants, you should use the advice of professional gardeners:

1. Using warm beds . On them, the plants will be protected from the cold and provided with all the necessary nutrients. To do this, in the autumn you need to dig a deep trench or build a wooden structure in the form of a box. Food, wood, paper waste and various weeds are placed in the recess. Then it is all covered with earth. By spring, you will have a warm and nutritious substrate in which eggplants will grow well. This bed will last for 3-4 seasons.
2. In a greenhouse, plants should be planted in a sunny place , since the amount of yield is reduced due to shade. You can highlight vegetables using white mulch made from reflective film. There will be much more ovaries on the bushes.
3. Do not apply too much organic fertilizer as it contains nitrogen. Because of this, the stem will grow large, but there will be few fruits.
4. plant tobacco, basil or calendula between the beds . These plants repel many pests.

What to do if eggplants don’t set?

To avoid empty flowers in eggplants, first of all you need to provide the vegetable with comfortable growing conditions. Abnormal heat or, conversely, sudden cold snaps can ruin your harvest. Also, pests and diseases will cause stress to the plant.

Excessive fertilizing with mineral fertilizers or lack of nutrients in the soil can also cause harm. It is recommended to use natural ash solutions and liquid vermicompost for periodic feeding.

A little about typical problems when growing eggplants

It is very important to remember that any reaction from the plant is a signal that something is wrong with it. If you decipher this signal correctly, you can fix the problem.

So, the falling of flowers may mean that there is too much nitrogen in the soil, the water for irrigation is too cold, or the blue ones are not happy with the ambient temperature being too low. Signs that a plant is starving most often appear on the leaves, so they require the closest attention: they should not lighten (nitrogen starvation), become marble green (magnesium starvation) or yellow-green (this means that the plant lacks nutrients). substances).

Of course, this crop requires more attention and care than peppers and tomatoes, but the taste of the fruit will be a worthy reward for your work.

Harvest and storage

The harvest must be harvested on time, otherwise the fruits will overgrow. This will affect the taste and shelf life.

When to collect fruits?

If an eggplant is overripe, its skin will fade, lose its elasticity, and the flesh will become very hard and bitter. But you cannot pick unripe fruits from the bushes, since they will not be able to ripen on their own, like tomatoes, but will simply wither.

The fruits of this vegetable ripen very unevenly, so it is necessary to collect them selectively, checking them every couple of days. It is advisable to cut using pruners or a sharp knife.

Important! When cutting, be sure to leave a tail on the fruit 3-5 cm long . If you cut close to the fruit, it will quickly wither.

How to store eggplants

Before storing eggplants, wipe them with a dry cloth. After this, they are transferred to a dark place. The temperature should be from 0 to +2 degrees.

Important! If there is high humidity and a temperature of more than +5 degrees in the storage, then gray rot may appear on the fruits.

First, the fruits should be laid on the floor in 1 or 2 layers. After 2 weeks the harvest is checked. Only the most undamaged vegetables are selected, wrapped in paper and laid out on straw. The layer of straw should be 15-20 cm. Then the fruits should be covered with thick cloth.

At the right temperature in these conditions, eggplants can be stored for 3 months.

Late-ripening varieties lend themselves best to storage. Early ripening fruits are recommended to be consumed or processed immediately after collection.

These vegetables are not suitable for longer storage, so they need to be preserved for the winter.

If you don’t want to preserve, you can dry the vegetables and then keep them in a preheated oven for a while. Then they should be sent to the freezer . This product remains suitable for consumption throughout the year without loss of taste.

Planting technology: growing through seedlings

In the Russian climate, the easiest way to plant this crop in open ground is through seedlings, rather than directly sowing seeds in the ground. Growing eggplants in seedlings is not so risky, because the seedlings grow in weather-protected conditions (from low temperatures and rain), and they are planted in a permanent place already strong and sufficiently developed. The timing of sowing seeds for seedlings depends on the growing conditions in your region, so they may vary.

Seed preparation

Growing eggplants begins with preparing the seeds. If they were collected from their own fruits, then use the freshest ones, and if they were purchased, they should not be older than 3-4 years. Both are etched in a pink solution of potassium permanganate, in which they are left for 20 minutes. Next, heat treatment is carried out, for which the seeds are kept in hot water (50 ° C) for another 20 minutes. Floating seeds, small and irregular in shape, are selected and discarded as they are useless. These measures make it possible to reject low-quality seeds and disinfect seeds suitable for germination, thereby preventing the development of seedling diseases.

To stimulate growth, selected eggplant seeds are soaked in growth stimulants (humate, ash solution, boric acid solution or the preparations Ideal, Epin, Heteroauxin, Bigus) for 30 minutes. Then the seeds are transferred to a wet cloth and left for 2-3 days to germinate. After this, they are ready to be planted in the prepared container.

Preparing containers and soil

Soil suitable for eggplant seedlings is made from a mixture of good turf soil, coarse river sand and fresh humus in proportions 5:1:3. Nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are added to it. They also use special soil for vegetable seedlings, purchased at a vegetable growers store. These soils are filled into cassettes with large cells, plastic pots or disposable cups. They must be clean, disinfected in potassium permanganate and dried. They are filled with soil loosely, without compacting it.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Seeds are sown in the cells of cassettes or cups to a depth of only 1.5-2 cm. There is no need to lower them deeper, as they will take a long time to germinate. After this, they are carefully watered with warm, settled water from a spoon and sprinkled with earth on top. After this, the containers with eggplant seedlings are transferred to a warm (22-25 ° C) shaded place.

After about 1.5-2 weeks of growing seedlings, when seedlings begin to appear, the cassettes are placed in a place with dim light and an air temperature of 18-20 °C. Before planting seedlings, they are hardened off for 2 weeks, gradually lowering the temperature to 13-16 °C.

Seedling care

Young plants are regularly watered with warm water, preventing the soil from drying out or becoming waterlogged. After the eggplant seedlings produce 2 full leaves, they are fed with a solution of nitrate, superphosphate and potassium salt (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water).

The 2nd feeding is done after 2 weeks. You can plant eggplants in open ground when they reach a height of approximately 10 cm and form 5-7 leaves. The day before, they are watered abundantly, and on the day of planting, watering is repeated immediately before the event itself.