What to do if eggplant leaves and fruits turn yellow. What does this come from?

Eggplant is an annual plant of the nightshade family, popularly called “little blue” or simply “blue” because of the color of its thick, inky blue peel. The plant comes from India, but in the 19th century it was cultivated in Russia, appreciating its taste and beneficial properties. Now many varieties have been selected, varying in shape and color. In our climate, they behave rather capriciously and are often subject to both diseases and attacks from insect pests, but this has not reduced their popularity as a crop for growing.

Agricultural technology of culture

To obtain a bountiful harvest, you should properly care for your eggplant. Like every living plant, it has its own character and loves certain conditions.

Main characteristics:

• an annual plant, with large oblong-shaped fruits, thick skin and fleshy interior and small seeds;
• color depends on the variety: from white to blue-black;
• weight from 200 g to 2 kg;
• growth begins slowly, accelerating sharply by the time the ovaries appear;
• flowering begins 79-90 days after shoots;
• A little more than a month passes from the moment of pollination to ripening;
• overripeness is expressed in dried pulp and bitterness that the seeds produce.

Optimal indicators for growth

In order for a crop to grow healthy and bear fruit consistently, it needs to create a suitable habitat. Eggplants are quite finicky; growing them together with other crops is not so easy due to their high heat-loving nature and poor frost resistance.

Temperature

For germination, the thermometer must show at least 13 degrees Celsius, ideally +22-25.

After planting, stable indicators of +20 and above are required for further growth. Eggplants are very heat-loving plants and cannot tolerate temperature changes and cold snaps - when the air temperature drops to -10, they die.

Air humidity

The moisture-loving plant feels comfortable at 60% air humidity and 80% soil humidity. Excessive dryness leads to the fall of the ovaries and deformation of the leaves, and excess leads to slower growth.

Lighting

It gravitates toward sunlight; with a stable 12-hour day, the crop grows healthy and produces a bountiful harvest. In shady areas, eggplant does not produce ovaries and, as a result, fruits.

Diet

For productive growth and development of the system, a plant of the nightshade family needs a balanced feeding consisting of the main elements:

• phosphorus - for a strong root system and quick ripening of eggplants;
• nitrogen - for a future abundant harvest;
• potassium - for healthy foliage and increased disease resistance.

The ovaries turn yellow

Eggplant ovaries turn yellow and fall off mainly when there is a lack of moisture in the soil, when there is a sharp change in air temperature, when the sun is too bright in combination with dry air (dry winds), and when there is a lack of nitrogen and microelements in the soil.

The fight against this phenomenon consists of overcoming these negative factors, organizing shading, protection from the wind, and organizing drip irrigation throughout the dry unfavorable season. Can be used to shade and protect from dry winds shelters made of non-woven, light-colored materials that allow moisture to pass through, so that drip irrigation evenly moistens the area occupied by eggplants.

Types of cultivation

There are two types of planting seedlings: in open soil or in a greenhouse:

• Open soil . In this case, you need to choose a sunny area without drafts. The soil for planting is prepared in the fall - fertilized with peat and humus. In the spring, they dig up and carry out antiseptic measures against possible pests. Seedlings are planted at the end of May at a distance of 40 centimeters from each other. Potatoes and tomatoes are an undesirable neighborhood, despite belonging to the same family, and this is what becomes the cause of enmity. The soil must be constantly loosened and watered with water heated to 20 degrees. Feeding is carried out in three stages;
• Greenhouse . The sprouts are planted in soil prepared in advance and heated to + 15. The soil is prepared from peat, humus and turf in a ratio of 1:5:3. Some amendments are made to the care regime: the temperature should not rise above 28 degrees. There should be good air circulation in the greenhouse and water should not stagnate in the beds.

General recommendations

Before the start of a new agricultural season, the area where the eggplants were grown (or a greenhouse or greenhouse) should be treated with antiviral drugs and a 0.5% trisodium phosphate solution and crop rotation should be observed.

To treat seeds, you can use fungicides Maxim or Lamador. These drugs not only fight viruses and bacteria, but also increase the immunity of future plants. Preventing infection is always more effective than fighting a disease; this rule also applies to plants, saving money, nerves, and time.

The most effective scheme for preventing diseases of eggplants and their yellowing is:

• choose eggplant hybrids that are resistant to viral diseases;
• carry out pre-sowing seed treatment;
• disinfect the soil before planting crops susceptible to the disease;
• treat the garden with insecticides and acaricides that act on sucking insects (disease carriers);
• treat with preventive fungicides;
• observe the watering regime, monitor the humidity and temperature of the air and soil;
• correctly observe crop rotation on the site and plan the proximity of plant species on it.

Yellow leaf disease

Like all crops, eggplants can get sick - the most dangerous symptom that threatens the appearance of the crop and the life of the plant itself is yellow foliage. First you need to pay attention to the compliance of the conditions with the needs of the crop. If all agrotechnical parameters meet the standards, then the problem is much more serious. Before starting treatment, it is necessary to understand the identifying signs of possible diseases, make a correct diagnosis and take appropriate measures.

Not scary reasons for the yellowness of the lower leaves

1. The manifestation of a reaction to a kind of stress - transplantation, the lower leaves do not have enough nutrition, since all forces are directed towards the growth of the upper ones.
2. Biological aging - during growth, the lower leaves lose their shape and fall off.
3. Very dense foliage thus sheds excess load.
4. If the lower leaves are hidden in the shade, they die naturally - this does not cause any harm to the crop.

Causes of yellowing fruits

• One of the most common causes is internal necrosis. Yellowing of fruits is one of the symptoms of this disease. It begins with the appearance of brownish spots on the eggplants themselves. After a few days they turn yellow. If action is not taken in time, you may lose most of your harvest.
• Another disease characterized by the same symptoms is late blight.
  If you run it, it will ruin all your work. Failure to properly observe agricultural activities and temperature changes may well cause the development of such a disease. As a result, not only the fruits will suffer, but, ultimately, the roots of the plant itself. Greenhouse conditions favor high humidity. If it is not ventilated in time, this will further contribute to the development of late blight.
• Another reason for yellowing of fruits is a lack of mineral fertilizers. Thus, the plant is simply not able to fully provide nutrition to its fruits. As a result, due to a lack of microelements, they begin to turn yellow, gradually withering.

Yellow leaves of eggplants in open ground

The causes of foliage damage in open plantings differ from those in greenhouses. The most common among them are weather conditions:

• during the rainy season, yellowness appears on the leaves, which, with constant humidity, turns into rot - it is necessary to cover the beds and not allow water to stagnate;
• scorching direct rays and drought cause drying not only of the leaf plate, but also of the entire bush and fruits. Increase watering and spraying, organize a tent shelter;
• burnt red spots on the leaves and fruits remain from the sun;
• roots damaged during planting or eaten by harmful insects cannot fully nourish the trunk and foliage; due to lack of nutrition, yellowing and subsequent leaf fall begins.

General recommendations

Before the start of a new agricultural season, the area where the eggplants were grown (or a greenhouse or greenhouse) should be treated with antiviral drugs and a 0.5% trisodium phosphate solution and crop rotation should be observed.

To treat seeds, you can use fungicides Maxim or Lamador. These drugs not only fight viruses and bacteria, but also increase the immunity of future plants. Preventing infection is always more effective than fighting a disease; this rule also applies to plants, saving money, nerves, and time.

The most effective scheme for preventing diseases of eggplants and their yellowing is:

• choose eggplant hybrids that are resistant to viral diseases;
• carry out pre-sowing seed treatment;
• disinfect the soil before planting crops susceptible to the disease;
• treat the garden with insecticides and acaricides that act on sucking insects (disease carriers);
• treat with preventive fungicides;
• observe the watering regime, monitor the humidity and temperature of the air and soil;
• correctly observe crop rotation on the site and plan the proximity of plant species on it.

Yellow leaves of eggplants in a greenhouse

Greenhouse plants suffer from excessive yellowness for the following reasons:

• the greenhouse effect leads to the appearance of yellow leaves, which then become limp, with drooping edges and a withered surface;
• depleted soil does not provide the necessary microelements and inhibits plant growth, the leaves starve and do not gain strength, they remain small with a yellowish color;
• If you do not follow the technology of fertilizing and spraying, then instead of benefit you can cause harm - drug poisoning, causing withering of the foliage.

Diseases and their treatment

Foliage mosaic

It is expressed in the first appearance of small round yellow spots, which grow over time, cover increasingly larger areas and can spread to the fruits themselves. Occurs due to improper lighting conditions. To eliminate the problem, it is worth adjusting the light indicator in accordance with the requirements of the crop.

Late blight

It immediately catches your eye with rusty, chaotic spots on the surface of the foliage, gradually moving to the stems and fruits. As a result, a dark crust forms on them and they become unusable. Urgent measures must be taken to save the plant from death. Treatment with copper sulfate before the fruit begins to ripen helps. Various chemicals are used: Oxychom, Ridomil and biological ones - Ovary, Fitosporin.

Black spot

Another name for the disease is Alternaria. It is expressed by dark spots, with a yellow rim, covers the entire surface of the leaf, growing as the disease progresses. A young plant cannot resist and dies, a mature one bears fruit with affected eggplants, with convex dark-colored ulcers. The plant must be treated with Phytoflavin, the soil must be disinfected and the top layer must be replaced.

Anthracnose

It most often affects crops in open ground. It is easily identified by the reddish-brown spots on the foliage; at first they are small and round in shape, starting from the lower leaves. As the disease progresses, they grow and can capture fruits, deforming them and damaging the skin. For prevention, it is necessary to change the seat every three years. It is necessary to start treatment in the early stages - this way there is a chance for a successful outcome. The plantings are treated with 0.4% Khoma solution.

Cercospora blight, fusarium blight and verticillium blight

Greenhouse disease begins with a clear yellowing of the leaf plate in the direction from the edges to the center, then curling, drying out and falling of the foliage begins. The symptoms are similar to potassium starvation; to confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to fertilize - if this does not help, then a fungal disease is present. The blocking of blood vessels prevents metabolism from occurring, poisoning and depletion of the body begins, the plant gradually dries out, and the top dies. They are removed and burned, and the rest are treated with Bordeaux mixture for prevention. The soil is treated with Trichodermin, Previkur or Fundazol.

Viral mosaic

It affects healthy leaves with ugly spots of yellow-brown color and irregular shape. Gradually they increase in size and cover the entire area of ​​the leaf, the tissue dies and dries out. It causes direct harm to the fruits - they grow deformed and undeveloped. It is often possible to observe a latent course of the disease when only the root system is affected. Identifying the disease is problematic until the plant dies. The causative agent can be insects and initially infected seeds. For prevention, they are soaked in hydrochloric acid for half an hour, after which they are washed with water. It is necessary to promptly remove weeds, disinfect work equipment, and promptly destroy infected shoots.

Viral diseases cannot be treated; the plant is dug up along with the roots and burned. The remaining soil is replaced with new soil, and the nearby soil is treated with a mixture of ash and water at the rate of 1 cup per 1 liter. To prevent infection from pests, strong-smelling flowers are planted around the perimeter of the eggplant planting - their aroma repels insects.

Treatment by means

If eggplants are infected with fungus or other diseases, use special preparations. They are sold as a ready-made solution and sprayed onto all parts of the bushes. Once the plant gains strength, it will continue to develop and form young leaves.

Attention! Complete chemical treatment before flowering begins. Especially when fruits are ripening, it is dangerous to use insecticides and fungicides.

Chemical methods

To eliminate a number of diseases (gray rot, bacterial spot, late blight, blackleg), the following compositions are used:

• copper sulfate;
• Bordeaux mixture;
• "Kuproksat".

Preventive measures for plant treatment begin 24-27 days after the first seedlings emerge, and then continue for 21 days after planting in the greenhouse.

Vertimek, Inta-Vir, Decis Profi, Confidor Extra, Actellik, etc. are used as protective agents against pests. These are potent compounds, so 1-2 treatments with an interval of 2 are usually sufficient. weeks.

Folk remedies

They are much safer for plants and humans, especially when used repeatedly. The most popular among summer residents are the following:

• against spider mites and aphids - decoctions of chamomile, wormwood, yarrow for spraying;
• from whiteflies - pollination with a solution of ash, infusion of nut leaves;
• for aphid larvae - an infusion of dandelion parts minced through a meat grinder.

Compliance with the conditions for growing eggplants will reduce the use of processing compounds.

Lack of microelements

The relationship between yellowness and problems with feeding is shown in the table.

Troubleshooting solutions

If you encounter yellowing of eggplant leaves or fruits while growing in a greenhouse, you need to act without delay

It is important to do everything to find out which plant care points are followed and which are not.

In any case, it is recommended to fertilize outside the roots with nitrogen and potassium. You can supplement it with yeast or milk solution, increasing the nutrient content in the soil.

If you overwater or use cold water, stop watering for a few days to dry the soil. In order to avoid getting rocky soil after drying, loosen the soil daily, this way you will not only organize a flow of fresh air to the roots, but will also make your task easier during subsequent feeding.

Be sure to remove all weeds from the beds in the greenhouse. One of the reasons why leaves turn yellow is a lack of nutrients that weeds absorb. Carry out pinching; eggplants need it along with watering and sunlight. Pruning, in addition to removing excess shoots, helps solve the problem of lack of light. It also has a positive effect on eggplant fruiting, preserving more nutritional resources for the fruit.

If the leaves turn yellow due to fungal microflora activated in the greenhouse, then it is important not to delay treating the plants with fungicides. Depending on the type of disease, a specific pesticide is selected or (if the fruiting period has begun) folk remedies are used.

For example, spraying with whey, infusion of onion peel or garlic, soap solution. Be sure to apply root feeding to support the plant during difficult periods.

Active activity of harmful insects that damage leaves requires complex treatment of the soil and plants in the greenhouse

Why is it important to take a comprehensive approach to the issue? Because most insects, being driven away from vegetables, move to the upper layers of the soil, or hide in the base of the greenhouse

Insect pests

Spider mite

Difficult to detect at an early stage. Its presence is indicated by:

• yellow dots on the surface of almost all leaves;
• leaves lose density and become soft;
• the spots change color to brown-orange, the core dries out, and a through hole appears there.

Without emergency measures, a healthy plant will die from a mite attack in less than two weeks. Of the acaricide preparations, Envidor and Sunmite have proven themselves to be the best. Effective biological products Fitoverm and Bitoxibacillin.

Aphid

Bugs of soft green color live on young leaves in whole hordes. Fighting them is necessary - they suck out all the juices from the plant, as a result the leaves wither, the edges begin to turn yellow and curl, and uneven brown spots appear.

For destruction, chemical preparations Intavir and Iskra are used. Before starting work, insects are washed off with strong water pressure.

Whitefly

A seemingly harmless small butterfly with almost transparent wings can cause irreparable damage to a flowering plant. Lush foliage is a tasty treat for the harmful moth.

The insect itself and its larvae are clearly visible in the light; they are localized on the inside of the leaf. Due to lack of nutrition and damage to the veins, the leaf turns yellow, dries out and withers. The plant stops growing and large, stormy spots may appear. They appear where it is warm and humid - these are the conditions that eggplants love. Their chemicals are active Iskra, Aktara, Konfidor for instant contact destruction.

Folk methods of dealing with yellowing of foliage and its causes

1. The following solution helps to cope with fungal diseases: four liters of water are mixed with a liter of milk and 5 drops of iodine are added. All ingredients are mixed and allowed to warm to room temperature. Spray the bush itself and the soil around it, paying special attention to damaged leaves.
2. “Diamond solution” for cucumber mosaic: a bottle of pharmaceutical brilliant green is diluted in a ten-liter bucket of water and sprayed on the plants, not forgetting to water the soil around.
3. To repel pests, the soil is watered with a solution of laundry soap: 30 grams of soap shavings are dissolved in a bucket of water and moistened with it.
4. A saline solution will save you from late blight; salt is a powerful natural antiseptic that does not have a negative effect on the naturalness of the future harvest. A glass of coarse salt is dissolved in a bucket of warm water, poured into a spray bottle and sprayed on the bush.
5. Garlic also fights fungi and whiteflies. A head of garlic is passed through a press and infused for 24 hours in 5 liters of purified water. Spraying is carried out once every 10 days.
6. Onion decoction will help destroy harmful aphids: 100 grams of onion peel is brewed in 2 liters of water and left in a dark place for 5 days. Then the liquid is filtered, a tablespoon of grated tar or laundry soap is added, mixed and irrigation begins. The procedure interval is every week.
7. Traps for harmful butterflies are made from brightly colored boards coated with a mixture of honey and Vaseline.
8. Ticks are afraid of tobacco mixture mixed with ash in a ratio of 1 to 1. Plantings are sprinkled with the resulting powder twice during the summer.
9. Table vinegar will help destroy aphid breeding grounds. 2 tablespoons are dissolved in a liter of water and the leaves are treated at intervals of 3 days in a row after 20.

Is it possible to eat fruits that have changed color?

Overgrown green eggplants should be left for seeds. It is best to choose the most beautiful specimens for this purpose. It is necessary to wait until the peel of the fruit begins to dry out a little, pick them and put them in a dark place for 7-14 days for final ripening. After this, the seeds can be removed, washed and dried.

Greened eggplants contain a lot of solanine, so eating them can lead to poisoning , accompanied by the following unpleasant symptoms:

• dizziness;
• lack of coordination;
• headache;
• attacks of nausea and vomiting;
• yellowing of the whites of the eyes;
• discomfort in the stomach and liver area;
• heat;
• diarrhea.

Attention! If you regularly consume foods containing solanine in small doses, a rash may appear on the body, as well as ulcers on the oral mucosa. In addition, it leads to problems falling asleep. Gastric lavage and taking sorbents, for example, activated carbon or Enterosgel, will help cope with intoxication. If there is no improvement, convulsions, rapid heartbeat or fainting occur, you should urgently seek medical help.

It happens that eggplants have just begun to turn green, and thrifty housewives do not want to throw away the harvest. You can reduce the concentration of solanine using simple manipulations :

1. Cut the eggplant into slices and sprinkle with salt. After an hour, the juice that appears must be drained, and the fruits should be placed in a colander and rinsed with water, squeezing lightly.
2. Soak the slices in salt water (1 teaspoon of salt per 0.5 liter of liquid) for half an hour, and then squeeze.
3. After blanching for 5 minutes, the skin of the eggplants can be easily removed. In addition, they become not bitter at all.

Prevention measures

1. Choose a suitable place to plant the crop.
2. High humidity causes fungal infections - do not plant plants in lowlands and near rainwater drains, shady places and next to moisture-loving crops.
3. In greenhouses, the soil is covered with non-woven material to avoid contact with bacteria.
4. Provide good air circulation, but not draft.
5. Disinfect seeds before planting.
6. Timely collection of all plant and household waste.
7. After harvesting, the greenhouse must be treated with a solution of slaked lime, including paths and walls.
8. Instruments should also be treated with antimicrobial agents.
9. The diseased plant must be removed as quickly as possible to avoid spreading the disease to healthy bushes.

What to do about these problems?

To ensure that your efforts to grow this vegetable in a greenhouse are not in vain, you need to take action at the first signs of wilting. First of all, it is necessary to determine what exactly in this case caused the yellowing and wilting of the greenery.

1. If this is not related to acclimatization after transplantation, then you should carefully check whether the entire range of agrotechnical measures is carried out for this crop?
   Does the plant fully receive nutrients and microelements for development and growth? For eggplants, it is especially recommended to carry out foliar feeding with potassium and nitrogen. Additionally, you can feed with yeast or milk solution.
2. If there was excessive watering or cold water was used, the soil must be dried for several days. In order to avoid getting stone soil after drying, it is worth loosening the soil every day to ensure the necessary air exchange.
3. If harmful insects are detected, then it is necessary to treat the plants very carefully and comprehensively. This is due to the fact that many pests from eggplants move into the soil and serve as a source of infection of other crops, because can remain viable for quite a long time.