Planting eggplant in March 2022 according to the lunar calendar

Modern varieties ripen for 110 – 120 days, that is, even sown in March, they will give a harvest at the end of July.

Sowing in March is also good because at this time there is already a lot of sunlight and you do not need to bother with backlighting. But provided that the seedlings will be on the south or east window – there is usually maximum illumination. On the western, and even more so on the northern windows, the eggplants will not have enough sun, here you still have to turn on the phytolamps.

Favorable days for planting seedlings at home or in a greenhouse

In the middle lane, eggplant seedlings are planted in open ground after June 1 to 10 (1) – then there will definitely be no frosts. Plants are ready for planting when they are 60 days old. Shoots usually appear in 10 – 12 days, therefore, in this case, seeds should be sown on March 25.

Eggplants can be planted in the first decade of May, if they are covered with a film or non-woven fabric. In this case, seeds for seedlings can be sown in early March.

If eggplant is supposed to be grown in a greenhouse, then you can not start with seedlings at all, but sow seeds directly on greenhouse beds at the end of March. And there will be a double benefit:

• there will be an additional place on the windowsill for other seedlings – summer residents usually always lack it;
• eggplants grow better without a transplant – they really don’t like it when their roots are injured, and this always happens, even if they are transplanted very carefully.

Eggplant seeds germinate at a temperature of 13 °C. By the end of March, the soil in the greenhouse usually warms up to this figure. But if not, you can speed up the process: it is enough to cover the beds with black non-woven material for a week – it accumulates solar heat and helps the soil to “ripen”. And then you can safely sow the seeds.

Eggplant seedlings, until they have 3-4 true leaves, are often affected by the black leg (2). It is impossible to treat this disease, and as a preventive measure, it is necessary to loosen the soil more often. And make sure that water does not stagnate in pots or in the garden – this also provokes an infection. Especially when the temperature drops.

Ash also helps from the black leg – it must be evenly scattered over the surface of the soil. And the greenhouse should be ventilated more often, but only on warm days.

Favorable days for planting seedlings in open ground

In the middle lane, eggplant seedlings can be planted on the beds in three lines:

• at the end of April – in greenhouses;
• in the first decade of May – in the garden under cover (non-woven or film);
• after June 5 – in the garden without shelter, after this date there are no more frosts.

However, these are approximate dates. By and large, eggplant seedlings can be planted in open ground throughout May, of course, under cover.

It is best to cover eggplants with modern non-woven materials – lutrasil, spunbond, etc.

The film in this regard is much worse – a greenhouse effect is created under it, the temperature rises greatly, and the plants will need to be ventilated daily. And this is possible when you live in the country. If you cover the seedlings with foil and leave for a week, the plants will simply “burn out”.

Non-woven materials do not have such a problem – they allow air to pass through, allow seedlings to breathe and keep the optimum temperature. At the same time, it is reliably protected from frost.

How to determine landing dates in your area

Here you need to focus on the local climate and weather. For the normal growth of eggplant, two factors are important.

Soil temperature. Eggplant seeds, as we found out, germinate at a soil temperature of 13 ° C, but seedlings need more comfortable conditions – they can be planted in open ground when the earth warms up to 18 ° C. In the southern regions, this may be the second half of April. In the middle lane, the soil warms up to this value usually in May. However, there are exceptions – in other years, even in cool regions, a warm spring happens and then eggplants can be planted in the last days of April.

Freezing. Eggplants do not tolerate temperatures below 0 ° C – they will die. Moreover, eggplants actively grow when the air warms up above 12 ° C. At lower positive temperatures, they are in a state of “inhibition”. Therefore, it is important to focus on the air temperature. But this is the case if they are planned to be grown without shelter. With shelter, the problem of frost is solved, so the main reference point will always be the temperature of the soil.

Tips for caring for eggplant seedlings

Eggplant is one of the most fastidious crops, so to get a good harvest, it is important to provide them with the most comfortable conditions.

The soil. The ideal option for growing seedlings would be the Nightshade soil – it is sold in garden centers. It is made from low-lying peat, so it is very loose – this is the structure that eggplants love. In addition, horse manure-based compost is added to it, and the little blue ones really appreciate organic matter. It also contains perlite and vermiculite, which retain moisture, preventing the soil from drying out, as well as sand – an additional baking powder.

However, you can prepare the soil yourself. The ideal option is 1/3 garden land, 1/3 sand, and the remaining third should include sphagnum moss, sawdust and peat.

Capacities. Eggplants do not like transplants when the roots are damaged, so the seeds must be sown immediately in separate cups. It is better to take more, with a volume of 500 ml.

Watering. Eggplants have very large leaves and evaporate a huge amount of moisture, so they need to be watered more often – they are more demanding on moisture than tomatoes and peppers (3). The standard watering schedule is as follows:

• to the first true leaf – 1 – 2 times a week;
• after, until landing in the ground – 2 – 3 times a week.

It is necessary to water strictly under the root – moisture should not fall on the leaves, otherwise it will lead to sunburn and disease. Excess water from the pallets must be drained so as not to provoke root rot.

The main rule of watering is that the soil should always be slightly moist. But not wet!

Feeding. For the first time, eggplants have enough nutrients from the soil. But when they have 3 – 4 true leaves, they need to be fed with any complex fertilizer: 1 tbsp. spoon for 10 liters of water.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about growing eggplants with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.

Sources of

1. Pantielev Ya.Kh. ABC vegetable grower // M .: Kolos, 1992 – 383 p.
2. Fisenko A.N., Serpukhovitina K.A., Stolyarov A.I. Garden. Handbook // Rostov-on-Don, Rostov University Press, 1994 – 416 p.
3. Shuin K.A., Zakraevskaya N.K., Ippolitova N.Ya. Garden from spring to autumn // Minsk, Uradzhay, 1990 – 256 p.