The labor 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, the vegetable gardens daily observe the emergence of new shoots and the growth of seedlings. But how annoying it can be if growing seedlings does not give the expected result. So, eggplant is a particularly capricious vegetable. He is picky about moisture, heat and sunlight. And what if the eggplant seedlings are stretched out, their leaves have begun to turn yellow or growth has slowed down? What do such deviations mean, and what measures need to be taken? How to properly grow eggplant seedlings? The answers to these and some other questions related to the cultivation of 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. Mid-early varieties, with a ripening period of 90-120 days, should be sown on 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.
Semen preparation
Before proceeding directly to sowing seeds for seedlings, you need to prepare the grains in a certain way. So, you can 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 rinsed with warm running water.
Soaking eggplant seeds in a nutrient solution produces strong, healthy seedlings. Seed nutrient medium can be obtained by adding 1 teaspoon of nitrophoska to a liter of warm water. The seeds should be soaked in such a solution 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, seeds should hatch within a week. This measure is not only a growth "accelerator", but also a seed germination detector.
Selection of capacity and preparation of soil
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 separate 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.Good alternatives 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 turf (garden) soil with peat and sand. The ratio of the components should be 7: 2: 1. Experienced gardeners harvest such soil in the fall and store it in plastic bags. However, before sowing seed for seedlings, the soil must be disinfected by spilling with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It is worth noting that, if necessary, ready-made soil compositions for growing eggplant can be found in specialized stores.
To sow 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, slightly filling the depression and watering the soil. The trays with seedlings should be covered with plastic wrap or protective glass, after which the crops should be placed in a warm place. As soon as the eggplant seeds begin to hatch through the soil, the crops must be placed in a warm, well-lit place.
Optimal growing conditions
Every farmer who wants to grow a good eggplant crop should know the optimal conditions for this crop.
Temperature
The best temperature for the growth of eggplants, the formation of ovaries and fruiting is in the range of +25 - + 300C. At temperatures from +15 to +250With the growth of young plants slows down, for adult bushes such a temperature regime is the norm. Temperature below +150C does not allow eggplants to grow at all, promotes the fall of flowers and ovaries. Even the most short-term, minor frosts are absolutely destructive for the culture.
Only some specialized varieties of eggplant are suitable for open ground, which are capable of fully growing at consistently low temperatures.
Humidity
The moisture content of the soil in which the eggplants grow should be at 80%. It is difficult to determine this parameter "by eye", therefore, the soil moisture must be regularly monitored and not allowed to dry completely. Watering seedlings in room conditions, it should be done about 1 time per week. If necessary, in the intervals between waterings, you can spray the soil with warm water from a spray bottle.
At the stage of ovary formation, flowering and fruiting, eggplant especially needs moisture. During this period, plants need to be watered once every 4-5 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 exclude such a situation, it is imperative to provide drainage holes in containers.
Air humidity also plays a large role in growing eggplant seedlings. The optimal value for this parameter is 60%. If there is a lack of moisture, you can spray the leaves of the seedlings or place an open source of moisture near 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 duration 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 a good harvest of delicious eggplants.
Possible problems
Having stipulated the rules for sowing seed and optimal conditions for further growing eggplant seedlings, it's time to get acquainted with possible problems and find out ways to solve them, in order to take appropriate measures at any time, noticing deviations in the development of seedlings.
Leaves turn yellow
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 the eggplant leaves around 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 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 be hardened by taking them outside.
The seedlings are pulled
The reason for the stretching of seedlings is often a lack of light. Eggplants growing on the windowsill, as a rule, unfold their leaves towards the window. Competing with each other, the plants begin to stretch out and form foliage abundantly on only one side. To prevent such a situation, it is necessary to additionally highlight the seedlings evenly. Reflective materials such as foil or mirrors also help restore light balance. They are installed along the perimeter of the surface on which the containers with seedlings are located. In addition, do not forget that containers with seedlings must be periodically rotated.
Another reason why eggplant seedlings can stretch out is the increased acidity of the soil. You can reduce this indicator by adding wood ash to the soil: 1 teaspoon for 3 sprouts.
You can find out more about the problem of pulling eggplant seedlings by watching the video:
The trunk grows stiff
The stem of the eggplant should not become woody prematurely, 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 curl
Eggplant leaves may begin to curl, deform and wither. These symptoms can occur for three reasons:
- the impact of harmful microorganisms, which, in principle, is more typical for adult eggplants, which have already been dived into the ground;
- increased acidity of the soil;
- excess moisture.
It is worth noting that it is precisely the excess of moisture that is a common cause of such a leaf defect, since often containers with seedlings do not have the necessary drainage system (drainage holes).
Stunted growth
Eggplant seedlings slow down their growth after transplants... A short-term growth retardation is observed after an intermediate transplant of eggplant seedlings from a common tray into separate containers and after picking plants into the ground at a permanent growing place. Depending on how carefully the procedure was carried out, the growth retardation can be 2-3 days or several weeks. If the root is damaged, eggplant seedlings may die altogether.
Lack of minerals in the soil is also the reason for slow growth. You can restore the balance by applying fertilizers to the soil.
Diseases
Subject to the rules for the preparation and sowing of seed, creating optimal conditions for the growth of eggplants, the likelihood of infection of seedlings is minimal.However, in some cases, you can encounter such ailments as late blight, tobacco mosaic, gray rot. All these diseases are provoked by pathogenic bacteria and appear on eggplant leaves. For plant treatment, 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 on a daily basis will certainly notice negative changes. Having identified the symptoms at an early stage, it is easy to eliminate the ailment before serious damage to the eggplant as a whole appears. 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 peculiarities of growing seedlings, devoting some time to plants and spending their strength, will it be possible to grow healthy and strong seedlings, resistant to diseases, pests and bad weather. In response to care and patience, the eggplant will surely thank you with a bountiful harvest of healthy vegetables.
