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Of all the vegetables that our gardeners and gardeners plant in their summer cottages, the most tender and capricious is the eggplant. It is because of the problems with growing seedlings that many gardeners do not dare to plant it in their beds. And it is especially insulting when seemingly healthy seedlings suddenly drop their leaves and go limp. What to do in this case and how to prevent such a phenomenon, we will describe below.
Reasons why eggplant seedlings fall
Most often, the answer to the question: “Why does eggplant seedlings fall?” lies in the wrong care of young plants. Eggplant seedlings are so delicate that even a short-term change in growing conditions can have a significant negative impact on plants. There are the following reasons why eggplant seedlings can wilt:
- change watering;
- insufficient illumination;
- a sharp temperature drop;
- the occurrence of various diseases;
- pest damage;
- putrefactive lesions of the root system.
Let’s go through each point in more detail.
Amendment watering
Eggplant seedlings instantly react to even the slightest change in the irrigation regime, to say nothing of a long-term excess of moisture or its lack. But if you choose between two extremes, it is much easier to reanimate plants that lacked moisture. Indeed, with a strong bay of young eggplant plants, the delicate root system may not withstand and rot.
In addition, the water temperature for irrigation is of great importance. Eggplants, like other members of the Solanaceae family, have a very sensitive root system. Therefore, watering with cold water can adversely affect delicate roots and lead to seedlings falling.
In order to avoid this, you must follow the simple rules for watering eggplant seedlings:
- Watering hatched seedlings of eggplant is allowed only when the topsoil dries. At the same time, it is worth abandoning the usual watering from a watering can, but only moistening the ground with a spray bottle;
- A week after the germination of eggplant seeds, young seedlings can already be watered in the usual way. The regularity of watering should be no more than once every 5 days;
- For irrigation, only settled water at room temperature is taken.
low light
Most often, eggplant seedlings, which are grown in apartment conditions, where the illumination is quite low, experience a lack of light. And for normal growth, eggplant seedlings need light for 12-14 hours. Moreover, the older the seedlings, the more it needs light. It is for this reason that apparently healthy seedlings may suddenly begin to lower their leaves or fall.
Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can cause burns on the leaves and wilting of the plant itself.
In order to prevent the fall of seedlings or to save already affected plants, fluorescent lamps are used. They are sold everywhere, but the peak of sales occurs in late winter – early spring, when gardeners begin to prepare seedlings. It is worth choosing a lamp not only by the size of the wallet, but also by the size of the installation site.
It is worth installing lamps at a height of 15-30 centimeters from eggplant plants. Turn them on only in the morning and evening hours. The duration of the lamps directly depends on the length of daylight hours in a particular area.
A sharp temperature drop
A sharp change in temperature has nothing to do with hardening seedlings. Measures for hardening seedlings can only have a positive effect on young eggplant plants. But frequent sudden changes in temperature, on the contrary, cause plants to fall. It would seem that in both cases the temperature changes, why such a different effect? The thing is that a sharp temperature drop is short-lived. Eggplant seedlings do not have time to adapt to such changes in temperature and react to them by lowering their foliage or falling.
A sharp temperature drop occurs both as a result of drafts, and when a window or window is opened for a short time. To help fallen seedlings, stabilization of the temperature regime can. If after a few days the seedlings do not rise, then you can try to water the plants with a growth stimulator.
Exceeding the recommended dosages can negatively affect the root system of already weakened eggplant plants.
The occurrence of various diseases
Seedlings are young and unprotected plants, with weak, only emerging immunity. Even if the adult plants of the selected variety have resistance, say, to different types of spotting, the seedlings do not yet have immunity to them. Eggplant seedlings can be affected by both bacterial and fungal diseases:
- black spot;
- powdery mildew, both false and real;
- blackleg.
The first two diseases are determined by external signs. In the case of black spotting, these are black, dark brown spots on the foliage.
But powdery mildew first dries the foliage of the seedlings, and then causes the entire plant to wilt.
Black spot treatment is quite difficult. Fungicides are most commonly used, but reducing watering and reducing moisture can also help. Powdery mildew is treated with Fitostorin or Topaz.
Both of these diseases appear quite rarely, which cannot be said about the black leg. If the care conditions have not changed, and the plants have suddenly fallen, then the first thing to check is the base of the plant stem. If there are darkenings on its surface with small nodules in the middle, then this is an insidious black leg.
Black leg is a fungal disease that is almost impossible to cure. The easiest thing to do is to remove the infected eggplant plant. You can try to treat it with “Fitosporin”, sprinkle it with ashes or crushed eggshells, but, most likely, everything will be in vain.
Careful pre-sowing tillage can avoid the black leg. To do this, use boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate.
Pest infestations
The fall of young eggplant shoots can be caused by harmful insects. Most often this culture is attacked by:
- whitefly;
- aphid;
- spider mite.
To combat them, you can use chemicals. In cases where you do not want to spray young weakened eggplant plants with incomprehensible chemistry, you can use the good old potassium permanganate. For this, a light pale pink solution is suitable. They can also shed the earth to destroy insect larvae.
Putrefactive lesions of the root system
All putrefactive lesions of the root system of eggplant plants occur under the influence of fungal spores, which look like a white or pinkish coating. At the same time, young eggplant shoots begin to fall only when the fungus has affected almost the entire root system. At the initial stages, root rot can be determined by the bottom sheets: they turn yellow, then turn brown and dry.
Root rot on eggplant seedlings is easier to prevent than to cure. Once the plants have fallen, they cannot be saved. The correct choice of soil and the optimal irrigation regime will help to avoid putrefactive damage to the root system. As a soil for eggplant seedlings, you should definitely not use soil with an acidic pH level. It is worth choosing neutral or alkaline earth.
Also, a favorable environment for the fungus creates excessive fertilizer with nitrogen-containing fertilizers and organic matter.
Conclusion
As you know, the best tool in the fight is prevention. Therefore, in order for eggplant seedlings to grow well and not cause problems for the gardener, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the video on the rules for caring for plants of this crop:
