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The work of a domestic farmer begins in early spring. During this period, you should purchase the necessary planting material, prepare the soil and containers, sow the seeds of heat-loving crops for seedlings. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants – often just such a “vegetable mix” can be seen on the windowsills of apartments. In anticipation of the first results of their labors, gardeners daily observe the emergence of new shoots and the growth of seedlings. But what a shame it is if growing seedlings does not give the expected result. So, eggplant is a particularly capricious vegetable. It is demanding on moisture, heat and sunlight. And what to do if the eggplant seedlings stretched out, her leaves began to turn yellow or growth slowed down? What do such deviations indicate, and what measures should be taken? How to grow eggplant seedlings? The answers to these and some other questions related to growing eggplant seedlings are given below in the article.
How to sow seeds
In order to understand when to sow eggplant seeds for seedlings, you need to know the ripening period of the fruits of the selected variety. So, early ripe eggplants, the ripening period of which is 60-80 days, can be sown for seedlings at the end of April. Medium-early varieties, with a fruit ripening period of 90-120 days, should be sown for seedlings about 1-1,5 months earlier than early-ripening ones. Varieties, the fruits of which ripen only after 130-150 days, are sown for seedlings in late February – early March.
seed preparation
Before proceeding directly to sowing seeds for seedlings, you need to prepare the grains in a certain way. So, it is possible to remove possible pest larvae and pathogenic bacteria from the surface of the seed by soaking it in a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. Such disinfection should last at least 30 minutes, after which the seeds should be washed with warm running water.
Soaking eggplant seeds in a nutrient solution allows you to grow strong, healthy seedlings. A nutrient medium for seeds can be obtained by adding 1 teaspoon of nitrophoska to a liter of warm water. Soak the seeds in this solution should be throughout the day. The measure is advisory, but is widely used by professional farmers.
You can speed up the process of growing seedlings by germinating the seed. For this, the grains are placed in a humid, warm environment. As a rule, they are screwed into a cotton cloth moistened with water and placed in a warm place (+25-+300FROM). In such a microclimate, the seeds should hatch in a week. Such a measure is not only an “accelerator” of growth, but also a detector of seed germination.
Selection of containers and soil preparation
After processing and germinating eggplant seeds, you can proceed directly to sowing. It is better to sow eggplants for seedlings 1-2 seeds in each individual pot. It is preferable to use containers made of peat (cups, tablets). This will allow future seedlings to be planted in the ground without removing them from the pot and without injuring the root system. A good alternative to peat containers are plastic cups and plastic bags, from which you can easily remove the plants. Mass sowing of eggplant seeds in one large container is also possible, but in this case, when two leaves appear, the plants will still have to be transplanted into isolated containers.
The best soil for growing eggplant seedlings is a mixture of soddy (garden) soil with peat and sand. The ratio of components should correspond to a proportion of 7:2:1. Experienced gardeners harvest such soil in the fall and store it in plastic bags. However, before sowing the seed for seedlings, the soil must be disinfected by spilling a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It is worth noting that, if necessary, ready-made soil compositions for growing eggplants can be found in specialized stores.
To sow an eggplant seed for seedlings, you need to fill the containers with prepared soil, then immerse 1-2 seeds there to a depth of 0.5-1 cm, lightly filling the recess and watering the soil. Trays with seedlings should be covered with plastic wrap or protective glass, and then placed in a warm place. As soon as the eggplant seeds begin to peck through the ground, the crops must be placed in a warm, well-lit place.
Optimal Growing Conditions
Every farmer who wants to grow a good eggplant crop must know the optimal conditions for this crop.
Temperature
The best temperature for eggplant growth, formation of ovaries and fruiting is between +25 – +300C. At temperatures from +15 to +250With the growth of young plants slowing down, for adult bushes such a temperature regime is the norm. Temperature below +150C does not allow eggplants to grow at all, contributes to the fall of flowers and ovaries. Even the shortest, slightest frosts are absolutely detrimental to the culture.
For open ground, only some specialized varieties of eggplant are suitable, which are able to fully grow at consistently low temperatures.
Humidity
The humidity of the soil in which eggplant grows should be at the level of 80%. It is difficult to determine this parameter “by eye”, therefore soil moisture must be monitored regularly and not allowed to dry out completely. Watering seedlings in room conditions should be done about 1 time per week. If necessary, in the intervals between watering, you can spray the soil with warm water from a spray bottle.
At the stage of formation of ovaries, flowering and fruiting, eggplant especially needs moisture. During this period, plants should be watered once every 1-4 days or more often, depending on weather conditions. However, you should be especially careful at the stage of growing seedlings, since moisture is well retained in a closed container and in excess can lead to root rot. To avoid this situation, it is necessary to provide drainage holes in the containers.
Humidity also plays a big role in growing eggplant seedlings. The optimal value of this parameter is 60%. With a lack of moisture, you can spray the leaves of the seedlings or place an open source of moisture next to the crops, for example, a saucer of water. It is quite difficult to deal with excess moisture, but the easiest way is to place cups filled with salt near the plants.
Light mode
The length of daylight hours for the favorable growth of eggplant seedlings should be 12 hours, which does not correspond to the duration of the natural light period. That is why eggplant seedlings should be illuminated with fluorescent fluorescent lamps.
Creating optimal conditions for growing seedlings is an important step towards getting a good harvest of delicious eggplant.
Possible problems
Having agreed on the rules for sowing the seed and the optimal conditions for further growing eggplant seedlings, it’s time to get acquainted with possible problems and find out ways to solve them, so that at any time, noticing deviations in the development of seedlings, take appropriate measures.
Yellow leaves
Many farmers are faced with the fact that the lower leaves of eggplant seedlings begin to turn yellow and may fall off altogether. Such changes are often a sign of a lack of moisture or nitrogen. Drying and yellowing of eggplant leaves at the edges indicates a lack of calcium. It is possible to restore the microelement composition of the soil and stop the wilting of plants by applying fertilizers.
Yellowing of the leaves can also be a manifestation of stress after picking seedlings into the ground. That is why a few weeks before planting, young plants need to start hardening, taking them out into the street.
Seedlings are pulled out
The reason for pulling seedlings is often a lack of light. Eggplant growing on the windowsill, as a rule, unfold their leaves to the window. Competing with each other, the plants begin to stretch and abundantly form foliage on only one side. To prevent this situation, it is necessary to additionally evenly highlight the seedlings. Reflective materials such as foil or mirrors also help balance the light. They are installed around the perimeter of the surface on which containers with seedlings are located. In addition, do not forget that the containers with seedlings need to be rotated periodically.
Another reason why eggplant seedlings can stretch is the increased acidity of the soil. This figure can be reduced by adding wood ash to the soil: 1 teaspoon per 3 sprouts.
You can learn more about the problem of pulling eggplant seedlings by watching the video:
Tree trunk
The eggplant trunk should not prematurely woody, as this can lead to underdevelopment of the plant and a decrease in yield. However, with a lack of moisture, such symptoms can be observed even in small booths. Anomaly can be prevented by selecting the optimal irrigation regime.
Leaves are curling
Eggplant leaves may begin to curl, warp, and wilt. These symptoms can occur for three reasons:
- exposure to harmful microorganisms, which, in principle, is more typical for adult eggplants that are already dived into the ground;
- increased acidity of the soil;
- excess moisture.
It is worth noting that it is excess moisture that is a common cause of such a defect in the leaves, since often containers with seedlings do not have the necessary drainage system (drainage holes).
Slow growth
Eggplant seedlings slow down their growth after transplanting. A short-term lag in growth is observed after an intermediate transplant of eggplant seedlings from a common tray into separate containers and after picking plants into the ground to a permanent place of cultivation. Depending on how carefully the procedure was carried out, growth retardation can be 2-3 days or several weeks. If the root is damaged, eggplant seedlings may die altogether.
The lack of minerals in the soil is also the cause of slow growth. You can restore the balance by applying fertilizers to the soil.
disease
Subject to the rules for preparing and sowing the seed, creating optimal conditions for the growth of eggplant, the likelihood of seedling infection is minimal. However, in some cases, you may encounter such ailments as late blight, tobacco mosaic, and gray rot. All these diseases are provoked by pathogenic bacteria and appear on eggplant leaves. For the treatment of plants, it is advisable to use chemicals to treat the seedling itself and the soil in which it grows.
Conclusion
A farmer who takes care of his plants daily will definitely notice negative changes. By identifying the symptoms at an early stage, it is easy to eliminate the disease before serious damage to the eggplant as a whole occurs. So, the video shows examples of common eggplant diseases and methods of dealing with them:
Of course, eggplant is a very whimsical and demanding crop. Having decided to grow it, the farmer must stock up on patience and knowledge. After all, only knowing and observing the rules and features of growing seedlings, devoting some time to plants and spending your strength, will it be possible to grow healthy and strong seedlings that are resistant to diseases, pests and bad weather. In response to the care and patience, the eggplant will surely thank you with a plentiful harvest of healthy vegetables.