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Eggplant is deservedly considered one of the most useful vegetables that can be grown in domestic conditions. In addition, the fruits of the plant have original and extremely pleasant taste qualities that are used in the preparation of various dishes. Moreover, eggplant can be consumed both fresh and canned. One of the most popular products is the well-known eggplant caviar. The factors listed above have led to the fact that the plant can increasingly be found in domestic gardens and orchards.
The main properties of eggplant
The climatic conditions of Our Country are far from being the most suitable for growing eggplants. Therefore, it is necessary to apply a variety of agricultural practices that help to achieve stable and high vegetable yields. The most important points to consider when growing a plant are the following.
Heat-loving eggplant
Plants quite rightly are among the most thermophilic of all grown in extremely difficult domestic conditions. Optimal for the development of a vegetable is considered an ambient temperature exceeding plus 20 degrees. At lower temperatures, the growth of eggplant noticeably slows down, and in some cases stops altogether.
In addition to the love of warmth, the plant also perceives the impact of negative temperatures extremely negatively. During frosts, eggplant often dies, so you have to take additional measures to protect it. When growing a vegetable in open ground conditions, various devices are almost always used, for example, arcs are installed on which a covering protective material is stretched. As a rule, ordinary polyethylene film is used for this purpose.
Another consequence of the thermophilicity of eggplant is that in the conditions of the domestic middle zone it is almost always grown using seedlings. Otherwise, there is always a risk of simply not having time to get a crop before the time of the onset of temperatures at which the growth and development of the plant stops.
High requirements for soil moisture
For normal growth, eggplant requires a constantly high level of moisture in the soil in which it is grown. The required degree of moisture is usually achieved using two basic agricultural practices.
First, the plant is regularly and abundantly watered. The best time for this is considered to be morning or evening hours, when the ambient temperature is not the highest, which allows moisture to be completely absorbed into the soil.
Secondly, when growing eggplant, soil mulching is mandatory. This is necessary to slow down the evaporation of water, as well as for its more uniform distribution in the soil. A variety of options can be used as mulch, for example, straw, a layer of grass or sawdust, and often a mixture of these components.
It should be borne in mind that with an insufficient level of humidity, as a rule, the flowers of the plant fall off, and sometimes the ovaries. In addition, another extremely unpleasant process can occur, which consists in the deformation of already formed eggplant fruits.
The need for regular and plentiful feeding
One of the main reasons for failure in the cultivation of eggplant, as a rule, is the feeding done at the wrong time or in insufficient volume. In this case, it is imperative to take into account the condition of the soil and the level of content in it of the substances necessary for the growth of the plant, since the frequency and amount of necessary fertilizers depend on this.
When choosing the option and amount of top dressing, the following should be considered. The eggplant harvest is negatively affected by both the deficiency or complete absence of the necessary nutrients (in this case, few fruits are formed, which are also small in size), and their excessive amount (with excess fertilizer applied, too much green mass is formed to the detriment of fruit formation).
Features of feeding eggplant
When feeding eggplant, you must follow a few basic rules. One of the main ones is that when growing a vegetable, foliar top dressing is practically not used, when a fertilizer solution is applied by spraying on the leaves and stems of the plant. On the contrary, it is recommended to apply top dressing exclusively to the eggplant root. In addition, a few more points must be observed.
Top dressing depending on the quality of the soil
In the case of growing eggplants in fertile soil, as well as with regular mulching, it is enough after planting the seedlings of three top dressings. The first is produced at the time when the buds of the plant begin to form. The second top dressing is carried out when the harvest time approaches. For the third time, fertilizers are applied at the time of the formation of eggplant fruits on the lateral processes.
The first and second top dressing usually consists of a standard set of minerals, namely: ammonium nitrate (5 g), potassium chloride or sulfate (10 g) and superphosphate (20 g). The indicated amount of fertilizer is calculated for approximately 1 sq.m. fed area. In some cases, during the second feeding, the dosage of phosphorus and potassium is doubled. The third top dressing is made using organic fertilizers, as a rule, rotted compost. Its necessary and sufficient amount is about 6 kg. per 1 sq.m.
When eggplant is grown in soil that is poor in nutrients, more frequent feeding is necessary. It is usually done every two weeks. The time of the first comes 15 days after the seedlings were planted. As a top dressing, a solution of the usual complex fertilizer is used, prepared at the rate of 20 g per standard bucket. The required dosage is about half a liter of solution for each bush.
When performing the second top dressing, organic fertilizers are used, in most cases liquid mullein at the rate of also half a liter per plant. During the third and fourth feeding, urea is used. The solution is made based on one tablespoon of water per bucket. For each bush grown, about a liter of the resulting solution is required. Urea has an extremely beneficial effect on accelerating the process of the appearance of ovaries, as well as on the subsequent formation of fruits.
Particular attention should be paid to feeding eggplant seedlings, since its full formation is one of the determining factors affecting the level of the harvest. Experienced gardeners recommend feeding eggplant seedlings twice. The first top dressing is carried out at a time when real leaves begin to form on the plant. The second is made approximately 10-12 days before planting seedlings in the ground.
You can feed seedlings in many different ways. The first top dressing, as a rule, is a variety of fertilizer options with a high content of nitrogen and potassium:
- Ordinary potassium nitrate. To prepare the solution, 30 grams of the substance is taken per bucket (10 liters) of water.
- Special fertilizer Kemira-Lux. When using it, you must follow the instructions. The usual proportions for preparing a solution are from 25 to 30 g per 10 liters, that is, a bucket of water.
- Self-prepared mixture consisting of foskamide (30 g.), with the addition of superphosphate (from 10 to 15 g.) The indicated amount is diluted in 10 liters of water.
- The composition already mentioned above, which includes ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium sulfate or potassium chloride in the amount of 2, 3 and 3 teaspoons, respectively, which must be dissolved in a bucket of water.
The second planned feeding of seedlings is carried out with compositions that include, in addition to potassium and nitrogen, also phosphorus, as well as various micro and macro elements. In most cases, one of the following options is used:
- Special mix of fertilizers Kristalon. To prepare the solution, 20 grams per bucket of water is enough.
- The already mentioned complex fertilizer Kemira-Lux. The proportions for preparing the solution are similar to those described above.
- A self-prepared mixture, which includes superphosphate (from 60 to 80 g) and potassium salt (20-30 g). The indicated amount of the mixture is also dissolved in one bucket of water.
When growing eggplant, do not forget about the need to prepare the soil before planting seedlings. It is much more correct and more efficient not to increase the amount and frequency of feeding, but to try to raise the soil level.
As a rule, soil preparation begins in the fall, when the future bed is dug up with the addition of manure. In this case, of course, weeds should be selected.
In the spring, it is also necessary to add organic fertilizers, for example, the same manure, but already in a rotted form. These simple activities will have an extremely beneficial effect on the speed and quality of eggplant growth.
Conclusion
When growing eggplant, it is necessary to take into account three main qualities of the plant, namely: its thermophilicity, as well as high requirements for moisture and top dressing. Only if all the conditions necessary for a vegetable are met can one count on a stable and decent harvest. Compliance with the rules of feeding, primarily, the timing and amount of fertilizers applied, is not particularly difficult. The main thing at the same time is to clearly and accurately follow the recommendations given in the article.