Content
Of all the vegetables that our gardeners and truck farmers plant in their summer cottages, eggplant is the most delicate and capricious. 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 offensive when a seemingly healthy seedling suddenly drops its leaves and becomes 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 are eggplant seedlings falling?" lies in the wrong care of young plants. Eggplant seedlings are so delicate that even short-term changes in growing conditions can have a significant negative impact on plants. There are the following reasons why eggplant seedlings can wilt:
- change in watering;
- insufficient illumination;
- a sharp drop in temperature;
- the occurrence of various diseases;
- damage by pests;
- putrefactive lesions of the root system.
Let's go through each item in more detail.
Watering change
Eggplant seedlings instantly react to even the smallest change in the irrigation regime, let alone a prolonged excess of moisture or its lack. But if you choose between the two extremes, then it is much easier to reanimate plants that lacked moisture. Indeed, with a strong flood of young eggplant plants, the delicate root system may not withstand and rot.
In addition, the temperature of the water 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 negatively affect the delicate roots and lead to the fall of the seedlings.
In order to avoid this, you must follow the simple rules for watering eggplant seedlings:
- Watering the hatched eggplant seedlings is allowed only when the topsoil dries out. In this case, it is worth abandoning the usual watering from a watering can, but only moistening the earth from a spray bottle;
- A week after the eggplant seeds germinate, 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.
Insufficient illumination
Most often, eggplant seedlings, which are grown in apartment conditions, where the illumination is rather low, experience a lack of light. And for normal growth, eggplant seedlings need illumination for 12-14 hours. Moreover, the older the seedlings, the more they need light. It is for this reason that seemingly healthy seedlings can suddenly begin to drop 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 damaged 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.
The lamps should be installed at a height of 15-30 centimeters from the eggplant plants.They should be turned on only in the morning and evening hours. The duration of the lamp operation directly depends on the length of daylight hours in a particular area.
Sharp temperature drop
A sharp change in temperature has nothing to do with hardening of seedlings. Seedling hardening measures 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 is there such a different effect? The thing is that a sharp temperature drop is of a short-term nature. Eggplant seedlings do not have time to adapt to such temperature changes and reacts to them by dropping their foliage or falling.
A sharp temperature drop occurs both as a result of drafts and with a short opening of a window or window. To help fallen seedlings, temperature stabilization can. If after a few days the seedlings do not rise, then you can try to water the plants with a growth stimulant.
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, just emerging immunity. Even if the adult plants of the selected variety have resistance, say, to different types of spotting, the seedlings are not yet immune to them. Eggplant seedlings can infect 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 spot, these are black, dark brown spots on the foliage.
But powdery mildew first dries out the foliage of the seedlings, and then causes the entire plant to wilt.
Black spot is quite difficult to treat. Fungicides are most commonly used, and reducing irrigation and 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 conditions of care did not change, and the plants suddenly fell, then the first thing to check is the base of the plant stem. If there are darkening on its surface with small nodules in the middle, then this is an insidious black leg.
Blackleg is a fungal disease that is almost impossible to cure. The simplest thing to do is to remove the infected eggplant plant. You can try to treat it with "Fitosporin", sprinkle with ash or crushed eggshells, but, most likely, everything will be in vain.
A careful pre-sowing treatment of the land can avoid the black leg. For this, boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate is used.
Damage by pests
The fall of young eggplant shoots can be caused by harmful insects. Most often this culture is attacked by:
- whitefly;
- aphid;
- spider mite.
Chemicals can be used to combat them. In cases where you do not want to spray young weakened eggplant plants with incomprehensible chemistry, you can use good old potassium permanganate. A light, pale pink solution is suitable for this. They can also shed earth to destroy insect larvae.
Putrid lesions of the root system
All putrefactive lesions of the root system of eggplant plants arise under the influence of fungal spores, which look like a white or pinkish bloom.At the same time, young shoots of eggplant begin to fall only when the fungus has infected almost the entire root system. At the initial stages, root rot can be determined by the lower leaves: they turn yellow, then turn brown and dry.
Root rot on eggplant seedlings is easier to prevent than 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 definitely should not use soil with an acidic pH level. Choose neutral or alkaline earth.
Also, a favorable environment for the fungus is created by excessive fertilization with nitrogen-containing fertilizers and organic matter.
Conclusion
As you know, the best weapon of struggle is prevention. Therefore, in order for the 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 the plants of this culture:
Good afternoon, dear Irina!
It is possible to remove the film from containers with seedlings practically when the first green shoots appear. However, at this point it is very important that the soil in the cups is constantly moist, otherwise the earth will be covered with a crust. The rest of the sprouts will find it difficult to hatch through the rough crust and may die.
Take off the cellophane without fear and place the container with the seedlings on the windowsill. And one piece of advice. Eggplants and peppers are tender crops. And the windowsills are still cold in February. Be sure to place foam rubber or some kind of rags under the containers so that your plants do not stop developing or freeze. Good harvests to you!
Hello! I sowed eggplant and pepper in plastic cups, covered it with cellophane and put it in a warm place, but not on the windowsill. Today I noticed that a few eggplants and peppers hatch. Tell me, right away, how to hatch and remove the cellophone to put it in a bright place on the windowsill? Or wait a little? Thank.