Eggplant seedlings: growing temperature

Eggplant is an extremely thermophilic culture. It is recommended to grow in Our Country only through the seedling method. Eggplant does not tolerate cold snaps and, moreover, frosts and immediately dies. That is why growing a crop is a complex process, it requires patience and certain knowledge from the summer resident. Let’s figure out what temperature for eggplant seedlings is considered the most acceptable.

Seed preparation and sowing

In addition to temperature, eggplants are demanding on the type of soil, fertilizers. It is believed that if summer residents manage to grow this crop, then they have achieved true success in the beds. When purchasing seeds, pay attention to the following parameters:

• ripening period;
• taste qualities;
• disease resistance;
• growing method;
• productivity.

The gardener must satisfy all parameters. If cultivation in a greenhouse is recommended, then in open ground the variety will not be able to bear fruit at full strength.

Here are some examples of the ripening dates for the most popular eggplant varieties in Our Country:

• grade “Diamond” – up to 150 days;
• variety “Black Handsome” – from 110 to 115 days;
• variety “Helios” – up to 120 days;
• hybrid “Bibo” – up to 110 days.

Growing seedlings begins with the preparation of seeds.

It is best to purchase seed from a store you trust. If the seeds are purchased from the hands, they can be held for 2-3 hours in a solution of potassium permanganate.

Soil for sowing can be as follows:

• ten parts of high-quality purchased soil;
• one part of the sand (it needs to be warmed up well in the oven);
• one or two parts of compost (can be specialized).

Everything is mixed and the cups are filled with this soil. Some gardeners prefer to grow eggplant seedlings using peat tablets. This is a good way, but you need to choose them so that the diameter matches the seedlings. Also pH matters. For eggplant, both soil and peat should have a slightly acidic or neutral reaction, that is, approximately 6,0-6,7. Also, carefully monitor the moisture content of peat tablets, it evaporates very quickly, and eggplant seedlings do not tolerate drought.

Sowing is carried out with dry seeds at the depth indicated on the package. Usually it is 1,5-2 centimeters. Then the seeds are watered, covered with a film or glass. They need to be grown at a certain temperature. Determine in advance the warmest place in the apartment or house. It is optimal if it is + 23-25 ​​degrees Celsius. It can be a little lower, but this will definitely affect the germination rate. The soil itself also warms up well beforehand (up to a temperature of + 26-28 degrees).

Care of seedlings

Now you can talk directly about growing seedlings. This period is special, because the yield of varieties and hybrids, as well as plant health and endurance, depend on what the seedlings will be.

Eggplant seedlings should be healthy. To do this, a number of conditions are met:

• the temperature of eggplant seedlings should be above 20 degrees, preferably + 23-25;
• watering should be carried out regularly, drying out of the soil is unacceptable;
• if there is little light in your area, the seedlings are illuminated with a lamp, however, the daylight hours should not exceed 12 hours.

Under all conditions, you can count on a rich harvest. Temperature, light conditions and watering depend on the fact that eggplant is a native southern culture. He came to us from distant India thanks to the actively developed trade routes with Europe. The vegetable came to Our Country late, but the love of our citizens for eggplant caviar today, perhaps, is already transmitted at the level of genetics.

It’s not hard to imagine the climate in India: warm, humid and full of sunshine. There, this vegetable is also found in the wild. Our gardeners, on the other hand, very often encountered the fact that growing seedlings brings more problems than real results. A large percentage of summer residents prefer to purchase ready-made seedlings from their hands at the end of May than to endure the torment associated with the growing process.

Using seedling cassettes, sow one variety in each. This will make it much easier to keep track of the shoots. If everything is quite simple with additional lighting, then the problem of watering and temperature conditions should be discussed in detail.

Watering

Rainwater is considered the best water for watering eggplants, but who will extract it for seedlings? That is why tap water is collected in advance and defended during the day. It should not be cold, the most ideal option is room temperature water.

When growing eggplant seedlings, it is best to use a sprayer for watering. It will moisten the soil without damaging the root system and without washing the seeds out of the soil.

Temperature conditions

It is not enough to follow the recommendations that nature itself gives us. Our Country is a country of risky farming. In summer, the temperature during the day can be very different from the night. This is important, because the seedlings will soon have to be in the harsh conditions of open ground or a greenhouse.

In order for eggplant seedlings to get used to different temperatures, adhere to the following regimen:

• when the first sprouts appear, the film or glass is removed from the plants, during the day the thermal regime is kept at + 23-28 degrees Celsius (everywhere the conditions are different);
• at night it is recommended to lower the temperature in the room to + 17-19 degrees.

What will it give? The root system of eggplant will be more developed, in addition, the plants will get used to the fact that the temperature is quite different day and night. It is dangerous if the temperature drops below +10 degrees, this is especially noticeable for young immature plants. When growing eggplants in open ground, everything must be done to keep them warm and comfortable.

A good video about the features of growing eggplant seedlings is presented below:

Transplanting eggplant seedlings into the ground

Let’s proceed directly to the moment of transplanting the finished seedlings into the ground. For a beginner, it will be interesting to know exactly when to transplant, and what needs to be done for this. We will answer both questions. Initially, we note that the predecessors of eggplant can be:

• carrot;
• legumes;
• gourds;
• greens.

You can not grow this crop after tomatoes, peppers, physalis and potatoes. The risk of disease is too high.

Depending on the growing season of the selected eggplant variety or hybrid, seedlings are considered ready for planting after 50-70 days. It should be strong, have at least 6 green true leaves.

The soil for eggplant is prepared in advance, since autumn. Not only the predecessors are important, but also the quality of the soil itself. Eggplants love fertile, light soils. Use the following tips:

• if the soil is heavy, peat and humus are added to it in autumn, sawdust can be added;
• if the soil has an excess of peat, humus should be added to it in the fall;
• for sandy soil, clay, sawdust and peat are used as an additive.

In the spring, it is impossible to bring fresh manure into the soil; it must be rotted so as not to damage the plant. Additionally, fertilizers are applied in the fall:

• urea;
• potassium sulfate;
• superphosphate.

In the spring, the soil is dug up, acidity is checked, weeds are removed. All activities are carried out at least a month before the proposed planting of eggplant seedlings in the ground. Then beds are formed with a height of about 30 centimeters.

If the climatic conditions in the region are not stable and cooling is possible even in summer, they use the following secrets:

• when grown in open ground, the hole is dug deeper during transplantation and a couple of spoons of organic matter are placed in it, then covered with earth;
• when grown in greenhouses and unheated greenhouses, manure barrels are equipped to create additional heat sources.

Organics, decomposing, provide additional heat for the weak root system of eggplant.

The scheme for planting a crop in the ground is indicated on the package, but as a standard, a 40×50 scheme can be used. Eggplants love top dressing, especially during the flowering period. Any fertilizer with a high phosphorus content is suitable for this. Fertilizer application is combined with irrigation. Please note that after planting eggplant seedlings in the ground or greenhouse, the temperature and quality of irrigation water should not change. Water should be settled during the day and warm enough to at least correspond to the air temperature. If the water is cold, eggplants can get sick.

Eggplant care is as follows:

• the earth is carefully loosened (in order not to damage the roots, the soil must be constantly loose);
• regular watering (plants cannot be flooded);
• top dressing can be carried out three times per season, this is enough;
• weed control is essential.

The eggplant crop is cut with a sharp knife or secateurs so as not to damage the dense shoots. The taste of eggplant will please every gardener who can independently cope with their cultivation. The most important thing is to observe the temperature regime. The love of this culture for warmth and plenty of sunlight will make the gardener seriously work hard. We hope that our advice will help many grow a rich harvest of eggplant.