Planting this in open ground has its own characteristics.

In the article we will consider conditions for growing eggplant, that every gardener needs to know about.

general description

Eggplant grass can reach 40 to 150 cm in height. Large oval leaves, rough to the touch, may be green or purple. Purple flowers are single or collected in brushes of 2–7 pieces, their diameter is 2.5–5 cm. can bear up to 15 fruits.

The fruit itself is a large cylindrical pear-shaped or rounded berry, weighing up to 1 kg. The color can vary from purple to black. Decorative varieties are red, white color. The surface of the eggplant is glossy, rarely matte. Harvest fruits slightly unripe, as fully ripe eggplants are rough and tasteless. Eggplant by nature perennial, but in temperate climates it is cultivated seedling way like an annual.

Bed selection

Before you start growing eggplant in the open field, you should choose the right bed.

Lighting

The blue ones are a thermophilic culture, so the place for their landing should be well lit and protected from strong winds. Eggplants do not tolerate heat: if the temperature under the scorching sun is more than 28 ° C, then you can forget about the long-awaited fruits.

The soil

The soil for the blue ones should be fertile and retain moisture well.

Important!Eggplant roots must "breathe", so they cannot be planted in heavy clay soil.

The best predecessors for a crop are. Planting in soil where potatoes, tomatoes, sweet peppers grew is not recommended. Eggplants can be planted in the same bed no earlier than after 3-4 years.

Landing technology

Before you grow eggplant in the open field, you need to start growing seedlings. First you need to choose the right planting material. If the seeds were harvested on their own, then you need to be sure that they were stored correctly, and if they were purchased, then you need to look at the expiration date, which is always indicated on the package. Seeds remain viable for about 3-4 years, so those that have lain longer than this period are unlikely to give a good result.

Timing

The most suitable time for planting seeds is the beginning of February. This is due to the fact that the bush will begin to bear fruit only after 3.5-4 months. During this time, it should grow from a small seed and become a full-fledged plant.

How to prepare seeds

Seeds must be checked for germination: for a day they are soaked in water, and then laid out on a soft wet surface. Seeds that begin to peck after 2-3 days are suitable for planting. It is advisable to rinse the seeds in hot water to wash off their surface. essential oil which interferes with germination. You also need to sort, removing small and deformed ones. Seeds are disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate by lowering seeds into it for 15–20 minutes. Thanks to this method, there will be no infections and you will get a strong, healthy seedlings. You can still process the seeds (for example, or with Ideal fertilizer). Prepared seeds can be planted.

Sowing seedlings

The soil must be fertile and loose. The best composition is humus, soddy soil and sand, but you can also use it ready for vegetable seedlings, bought in a special store. Tanks should be shallow and wide. Seeds are sown to a depth of 5 mm, maintaining a distance of approximately 2 cm between them. Then they are immediately watered with warm, settled or boiled water. In the future, they need to be watered regularly, maintaining constant soil moisture.

Care rules

Containers with seeds should be placed in the shade, where the air temperature is approximately 22-25 ° C. We must not forget that the plant is thermophilic, so the temperature should not be below 15 ° C, as this leads to a lag in development. After 10-14 days, green sprouts will begin to sprout. The containers must be moved to a place with diffused light.

Important!Avoid hitting brightsunlight on the sprouts, because they can destroy the plant.

Seedlings need high-quality lighting throughout the daylight hours. If the desired level of light is not available, you can use artificial lighting. Seedlings require regular For this, a tablespoon calcium nitrate dilute 10 liters of water and, combining with watering, fertilize the seedlings about once a week.

For more successful germination of seeds, you can cover them with a film until the emergence of seedlings, thereby creating greenhouse conditions. After a month, the sprouts should already have the first leaves, they can be transplanted into separate containers. Two months later, small bushes will grow, which should be transplanted into the ground.

Planting seedlings in open ground

Eggplants are planted in open soil in early June. At this time, the weather suitable for seedlings is established. Holes are dug in the selected area to the depth of the shovel bayonet, keeping a distance of 40 cm, between rows - approximately 60 cm. Then a large volume of water is poured into each hole so that it is three-quarters full. Now seedlings can be planted in well-soaked soil, slightly compacting the ground around each seedling. In order for eggplants to grow in quality, after planting seedlings in the ground, you must follow the rules for caring for them.

Did you know?If you want to reduce your weight, be sure to include eggplant dishes in your diet. They break down fats well and maintain the acid-base and salt balance of the body.

Basic rules for watering a plant

Eggplants are capricious plants and require regular watering every 7-8 days. Do not use cold water from a well, as plants can get sick and die because of this. Water should stand in the sun for about a day - this temperature is optimal for irrigation. For each landing square meter about 15 liters of water should be used.

Soil care and hilling

During the season, it is necessary to process row-spacings several times - to loosen and weed. Loosening should be carried out at a distance of 10 cm from the eggplants themselves, so as not to damage the roots. The depth of loosening the soil should first be about 10 cm, and then - 12 cm. Using this method, the soil warms up well, and air enters the roots. Four times per season, eggplants need to be hilled low, due to which lateral roots will develop.

Plant nutrition

Even if the land is fertile, eggplants still need to be fed. For the entire growing season, this is done three times.

1. Two weeks after the seedlings were planted in the ground, they are fertilized. To do this, you need to use an infusion of mullein or a solution (50 g and 30 g are diluted in 10 liters of water).
2. Next time fertilize in a month. Use the same mineral fertilizers, doubled.
3. The third time they are fed at the beginning of the fruiting period. First, the bush is abundantly watered with clean water, and then the solution is poured (70 g of urea, 80 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium chloride are diluted in 10 liters of water). should be poured strictly under the root so that it does not fall on the leaves and shoots.

You need to look at the appearance of the bush. If the leaves are rotten and the shoots are weak, then there is not enough; if the green mass is too plentiful, there is a shortage.

Did you know? In the East, eggplant is called the "vegetable of longevity." Due to the large number of minerals useful for humans, blue ones have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. They are recommended for older people.

Treatment for diseases and pests

AT wild nature the vegetable grew many centuries ago, but appeared in Russia only in the 17-18 centuries. The usefulness of eggplant was not immediately appreciated, but wariness was soon replaced by great popularity. And not the last role in this was played by the ability of the product to lower cholesterol, improve heart function and regulate the water balance in the body. For successful cultivation in the open field, you must follow the rules of care - you need to love and carefully care for eggplant, grow seedlings under the necessary conditions, add top dressing or cover during frosts.

Where can you grow eggplant outdoors?

The conditions for growing eggplant are somewhat different from the cultivation of other vegetable crops. The main differences are as follows:

• productivity is guaranteed on fertile soils with a light structure;
• after landing, even short frosts are excluded;
• the temperature minimum at which the plant slows down development is +20 degrees;
• daylight hours should be within 12 hours;
• reaction to lack of moisture - dropping buds and ovaries.

Growing in Siberia

It is unlikely that ordinary varieties that were cultivated exclusively in southern countries could be grown in open ground in Siberia.

Thanks to many years of work, breeders managed to bring out quite a few hybrids that differ cold resistance and short maturation and they can be grown not only in the Kuban.

In addition to resistance to temperature fluctuations plants have strong immunity and give a good harvest.

Among the popular varieties: Sailor, Nutcracker, Purple Miracle, Robin Hood.

In the Urals

Under strict conditions, getting a blue crop in the Urals is considered a great success. For planting, varieties with a ripening period are selected no more than 95 days. But even this factor does not guarantee success, because it's all about agricultural technology. It should be aimed at accelerating growth.

Popular varieties are: Clorinda, Helios, Epic.

In the Moscow region

At correct selection varieties and hybrids can be planted on the plot of eggplant and in the suburbs. Many summer residents of the Moscow region have already managed to make sure of this.

Planting is carried out using the seedling method in the middle or end of May, when the threat of night frosts, which can be in the spring, has passed. Among the popular varieties: Marathonets, Sperm Whale, Balagur, Alekseevsky.

Terms for planting eggplant in open ground

Given the climatic features of our country, the cultivation of eggplant in open beds is carried out in seedlings. Seeds need to be planted in boxes or containers in late March. By the time the seedlings are transferred to open ground, 3-5 leaves have already formed, the stem and root system will get stronger.

Planting eggplant seedlings in open ground can be planned in the second half of May. Work can only be carried out if the night temperature is established. not lower than 15 degrees.

The spring period is characterized by unstable weather, so it is better to cover the bed with a film. During the daytime, protection can be removed if temperature indicator exceeds +18 degrees.

Experienced gardeners do not advise rushing to plant seedlings, as when low temperatures it still will not develop, and when it freezes, it will die altogether. But at the same time, it is also dangerous to keep seedlings in a greenhouse or other room.

Transplant needs to be done before budding period. If ovaries have already formed on young shoots, then the culture will be more difficult to adapt to new conditions, it will become vulnerable to any diseases.

Transplanting seedlings into the ground must be done before the budding period

Landing Rules

To get a good harvest, you must follow all the rules of agricultural technology. One of the important stages is planting a crop.

The right choice of seeds and seedlings

Seeds undergo a preparatory process before planting:

• disinfection(soaking for 25 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, followed by rinsing);
• treatment with nutrients to stimulate growth (planting material is immersed for a day in a solution that is prepared from 1 liter of water at 25-28 degrees and 1 tsp of nitrophoska);
• germination(moisturizing seeds and keeping 1-2 days in humid environment at 30 degrees).

Preplant preparation may include seed hardening. To do this, they are placed for 2 days in the refrigerator (compartment for vegetables), then kept for a day at a temperature of 18 degrees, after which they return to a cold place for 2 days again.

This procedure increases the resistance of the plant to adverse weather conditions, diseases, and also increases productivity.

After the young shoots reach a height of 10 cm and the formation of 5-7 leaves, it is planned to transplant into open ground. 10-14 days before this, the seedlings are hardened, that is, taken out daily for open air(without direct sunlight and drafts) for a few hours to adapt.

Preparing the soil before planting in the hole

The place for eggplant beds should be well lit.

The place for the bed is selected well lit, ideally if it is protected from the winds by neighboring shrubs.

negative Precursors such as potatoes, peppers, physalis, tomatoes affect the vegetation of eggplants. It is better to choose the site where they grew: cabbage, cucumber, onion, perennial herbs.

Eggplants respond well to fertile soil of light structure and neutral environment. If there is acidification of the soil, before planting, you need to introduce into it dolomite flour or crushed lime.

From fertilizers, both organic (rotted manure 3-4 kg per 1 m2) and complex mineral substances (70 g of superphosphate, 50 g of potassium sulfate, 25 g of ammonium nitrate) are used. You should not overdo it with nitrogen nutrition; you can provoke the growth of tops instead of the formation of ovaries.

The root system of the culture grows in loose soil. If necessary, the land is lightened in the beds by introducing into it peat, humus, river sand. All components or one of them are thoroughly mixed with dug up soil and loosened well with a rake.

Landing

Plant seedlings in the evening or in cloudy weather. The wells are arranged according to the scheme:

• spacing between plants in a row 25-30 cm early varieties, 35-40 cm medium and late varieties;
• aisle - 55-70 cm.

The scheme is selected taking into account the size of the plants. Do not plant tall shoots at short intervals. The thickening of the beds attracts pests, creates favorable conditions for the reproduction of harmful microorganisms.

Eggplant care during the summer

Seedlings take root in a new place is not easy, so from the first days you need to provide proper care.

Watering is carried out with settled heated water for about 1-2 times a week(before flowering), you need to focus on the degree of soil moisture. For 1 m2, the consumption rate is 10 l.

With the beginning of flowering and fruiting, irrigation is carried out under the root. If it is not possible to moisten the bed more than once a week, then the water consumption rate must be increased.

Eggplants thrive best when average temperature 23-26 degrees, so it is better not to allow either freezing or overheating. Recommended for cold protection use film or agrotextile. In extreme heat, you need to build light shading so that the plants do not get burned or simply do not dry out.

Before flowering, watering is carried out with settled water 1-2 times a week.

After reaching the escape of 30 cm do pinching- remove the top of the bush. Of the side shoots, 5-6 of the most healthy and strong should be left, the rest are disposed of. Stepping is not carried out if the summer is very hot and dry.

Once a week is recommended soil loosening to prevent clumping. This process is combined with weeding. Weeds create many problems with diseases and attract pests, so they should be dealt with in a timely manner.

What to feed after planting in the garden

Eggplant farming involves the repeated introduction of top dressings into the soil.

During the growing season they will need to be fed. at least 3 times. The first dose of nutrition is applied 20 days after planting the seedlings. The second time you need to fertilize after 3-4 weeks. The third time the beds are fed during the fruiting period.

Mineral supplements

For normal vegetation, the plant needs the following minerals:

• nitrogen- stimulates the growth of shoots (topical top dressing at the initial stage of development);
• phosphorus- helps to strengthen the root system, the formation of ovaries and fruits (used at all stages);
• potassium- strengthens the immune system, stimulates growth, gives the crop resistance to temperature extremes and adverse weather conditions;
• boron, manganese, iron- increase the period of fruiting.

Among the popular fertilizers of this type: superphosphate, nitrophoska, ammonium sulfate, potassium nitrate.

organic fertilizers

Manure, better rotted, is used for the first and second feeding. No less nutritious are:

• bird droppings;
• compost.

For top dressing, you can use rotted manure

What folk remedies to add for growth

Among folk recipes many effective, time-tested. For example, mushroom infusion which stimulates crop growth. To prepare a working solution, you need to pour ½ cup dried mushrooms a bucket of warm water and leave to infuse for a day.

ash liquid(1-2 cups of wood ash per bucket of water) is also popular among gardeners.

And along with it, you can put and yeast nutrition promoting the growth of young shoots. For the preparation of fertilizer, a kilogram pack of live yeast is used, which is poured into 5 liters of water. room temperature. A day later, the resulting liquid is diluted with water (1:10) and the plants are watered to the root with it.

Yeast top dressing

For the preparation of fertilizers are used different plants, the composition of which is rich in valuable trace elements necessary for the active development of eggplants and for them to be plump.

Known recipes include:

• cup dandelions pour 2 liters of boiling water and cover with a lid, after 3-4 hours add 7 liters of water and use for feeding;
• pharmacy camomile(1 cup) pour 1 liter of hot water, leave for a day, dilute with 9 liters of water;
• crushed eggshell pour a bucket of water and insist 1-2 days, after which you can put the solution in the hole or water the plant.

Pests and their control

When growing blue ones, it is worth taking into account the fact that the plant attracts many insects, which include pests.

Treatment with the use of special chemicals or dusting with salt flour, wood ash, spraying with wormwood infusion will help to overcome the beetle.

The first thing gardeners are guided by when determining eggplant maturity is growing season:

• early varieties– 90-110 days;
• medium varieties - 115-130 days;
• late varieties - 130-140 days.

The ripening time may vary, which is influenced by several factors at the same time: agricultural technology, weather, observance of terms of landing.

There are no obvious signs of ripeness in the vegetable, in addition to the growing season, they are mainly taken into account fruit length. There are standards for each variety, and you should rely on them. Color is not considered a sign, as it assumes a normal tonality in the early stages of maturation.

Eggplant color is not considered a sign of maturity

You can easily determine ripeness pressing on an eggplant. If the skin is bent, but quickly takes on its original form, the vegetable is ripe.

In order to increase the shelf life of eggplant, you need to select the healthiest specimens without signs of deformation and damage. You can put vegetables in boxes, shifting them with straw or parchment. Fruits are stored in a cool dark place.

A capricious and sensitive vegetable, which has unique nutritional and taste qualities, it is quite possible to grow it on your site if you follow the rules of agricultural technology. And when proper storage hold part of the harvest for the New Year's table.

Handsome eggplant - welcome guest on our table, but not all gardeners manage to make friends with him. Indeed, the process of growing this southern crop in the open field and not too warm climate is fraught with some difficulties. However, when right choice varieties, as well as observing a number of important rules and conditions, you can get a good harvest of strong, tasty fruits.

Growing eggplant

What eggplant varieties are suitable for outdoor cultivation?

The choice of a particular eggplant variety depends on personal preferences, but for climatic conditions with short, sometimes cool summers, experienced breeders recommend early-ripening species with small fruits. The most popular varieties among domestic gardeners include Alekseevsky, Almaz, Epic F1 and Robin Hood.

Alekseevsky	Low bushes up to 70 cm, fairly branched, with small rich purple fruits. The pulp is white, pleasant to the taste without signs of bitterness.	One of the most productive varieties that feels great both in the greenhouse and in the open area.
	Plant height up to 60 cm, cylindrical fruits (weight 100-150 g), dark purple, the flesh has a light green tint and is not bitter.	The bushes of this variety are very compact, so a lot of them can be placed in a small area. In addition, they differ high yield- from one square meter of plantings you can get up to 8 kg of fruit.
Robin Hood	Bushes 70-100 cm high, with spreading leaves and a large number of ovaries. The weight of the fruit is up to 300 g, the shape is pear-shaped, and the skin has a lilac hue. Suitable for all types of processing.	One of the most resistant varieties to adverse conditions, which takes root well in open areas.
	Tall, powerful bushes (90-100 cm) with even glossy, dark purple fruits, each weighing about 200 g.	An early maturing hybrid variety, which is especially recommended for cultivation in open areas. Resistant to temperature extremes and diseases, has a high yield.
	The height of the plants reaches 100-130 cm, and about 70 fruits are formed on each of them. The fruits have an elliptical shape and an unusual, bright purple color, the flesh is white, with a pleasant taste.	An early ripe, resistant variety that feels great in summer cottages or home gardens.
	Small, compact bushes with small (150-300 g) fruits. The pulp has light shade, pleasant taste, differs in density and tenderness.	The variety belongs to the super early ripe high-yielding varieties, and the fruits are perfect for transportation and storage.

Instructions for growing eggplant in open ground

Eggplant - cultivation

Since eggplant is considered a rather capricious crop, when growing it, it is necessary to strictly adhere to a number of conditions and rules.

1. Plants like short (no more than 12 hours), but fairly bright daylight hours.
2. If temperatures often fall below 20°C, pollination of flower stalks and fruit growth may cease. Plants do not tolerate frost at all.
3. One of essential conditions good harvest- fertile, fairly light soil, prepared in advance accordingly.
4. Eggplants are also demanding on humidity: during prolonged drought, the flower stalks fall off, and the fruits are deformed.

Sowing, planting and caring for eggplant

Stage one. Garden preparation

The site for planting should be prepared in the fall - it should be located in a well-lit, sunny place without drafts. Perfect option- light loams or sandy loams with good drainage while retaining moisture.

Soil: preparing for planting

If the soil has other characteristics, the situation can be corrected in the following ways:

• for loamy plots, for every square meter of land, two buckets of peat and one rotten sawdust and rotten manure should be added;
• if the soil is too dense, with a predominance of clay, for each meter you need to add a bucket of rotten compost, half-rotted sawdust, sand with a coarse fraction and two buckets of peat;
• two buckets of clay soil, peat and compost, as well as a bucket of sawdust per meter, are brought to the sandy beds;
• it is recommended to “ennoble” peat soil with ordinary soddy soil and compost (one bucket each).

We fertilize the soil

Besides, for each square meter of land, the following fertilizers must be applied:

• a teaspoon of urea;
• potassium sulfate and superphosphate - a tablespoon;
• a glass of wood ash.

After that, dig up the earth by about 30 cm and get rid of weeds. In the spring, the site needs to be dug up again and the remaining weeds pulled out, and the procedure is best done on damp ground after rain.

Digging the soil is an important stage of work

high bed

Another important point - you can not plant eggplant after pepper, tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco and physalis. But the best predecessors for culture are greens, peas, beans, root crops and cucumbers. In addition, the culture does not tolerate even minimal shading, so undersized plants should be planted next to them.

Rotation table

Stage two. Preparing to grow seedlings

For planting eggplant seeds, you can use special boxes or cassettes for seedlings, but since the sprouts of this crop do not tolerate picking, it is better to take peat cups or separate containers.

peat pots

It is better to prepare the soil for growing seedlings yourself by choosing one of the following options:

• compost, manure, sod land (8:1:2);
• peat, sawdust (3:1) with the addition of any purchased mixture for seedlings;
• compost, sod land, sand (3:5:1);
• compost, peat (2:1).

In any case, the mixture must be mixed well until smooth and left for a couple of days.

Soil for eggplant seedlings

Stage three. Sowing seeds

It is better to calculate the timing for sowing seeds based on the characteristics of the variety according to the following formula: planting seedlings is usually carried out in early June, and the age of the seedlings should be about 2 months. That is, the procedure should begin in February-early March. Only high-quality, properly stored seed is suitable for planting, as eggplant seeds quickly lose their germination capacity. To get healthy, strong sprouts, you must adhere to the following algorithm of actions.

Step 1	Before planting, the seeds need to be germinated: for this, they are soaked in warm water for a day, after which they are laid out on cotton pads (it is better not to use gauze so as not to damage the roots). You need to keep them warm for 6 days, keeping the cotton wool moist, and then choose those that have sprouted.	Preparing eggplant seeds for sowing
Step 2	On the eve of planting, germinated seeds are disinfected by soaking for half an hour in a solution of potassium permanganate or simply in a thermos with hot water.	Disinfection
Step 3	Fill the containers with soil by about 3/4, without tamping it so that the seeds receive enough oxygen, then spill it with water and leave for an hour. If planting is done in a box, the soil should be poured with a layer of 7-8 cm.	Soil backfill
Step 4	One seed is sown in peat cups or cassettes, and small grooves are made in boxes and seeds are planted at a distance of 5 m from each other. Crop should be covered with a small, no more than 1 cm layer of soil.
Step 5	Cover the containers with glass or film and put in a warm place (optimum temperature 25 ° C).	Film-covered containers
Step 6	After germination (after 1-3 weeks), the shelter should be removed immediately and the containers should be moved to a cooler (about 18 ° C), but well-lit place.	We create favorable conditions
Step 7	After 5-6 days, the temperature should again be raised to about 20 ° C, and under this temperature regime, seedlings should be grown until transplanted into the ground.	eggplant seedling

Note: when using seed cassettes, do not plant seeds different varieties in one tray, as they have different germination periods.

Stage four. seedling care

1. Care of seedlings consists in regular watering, and with the growth of shoots, their need for moisture increases. The water temperature should not be lower than the air temperature in the room. Rainwater is most suitable for irrigation, but if it is not available, settled tap water can be used. First, it is better to moisten the soil with a spray gun or a small pear, so as not to flood the sprouts.

   Watering seedlings

2. After the appearance of two leaves, the seedlings should be fed with superphosphate (3 tablespoons) with the addition of potassium sulfate (2 tsp) and ammonium nitrate (1 tsp), which are diluted in 10 liters of water. The next top dressing - in two weeks, with superphosphate (60-80 g) and potassium salt (25-30 g), diluted in 10 liters of water. Can be replaced with the drug "Crystal" (20 g per 10 liters of water).

   Fertilizer Crystalon

3. Another important point is a sufficient amount of light. In March, eggplant sprouts most often have enough sunlight (you should put them in a place that is best lit), but if the month turned out to be cloudy and gloomy, you will have to use additional lighting. Seedlings are illuminated with fluorescent lamps for 12 hours a day, and the distance from the lamp to the shoot should be at least 50 cm.

   Illumination of seedlings

4. If it is impossible to do without picking, the plants are transplanted after the appearance of two leaves, very carefully, transferring them together with a clod of earth to moist soil. After about 10 days, the sprouts should be fed with phosphate fertilizer (for example, "Crystal Yellow" at the rate of a tablespoon per 10 liters of water).

Video - Eggplant Dive

Stage five. Transplantation in open ground

Seedlings ready for transplanting into the open ground should reach about 20 cm in height and have at least five strong leaves. The optimal time is the end of May or the beginning of June, when not only the threat of frost has passed, but also sharp nighttime temperature drops. In addition, the shoots must first be hardened by taking the containers outside for several hours for 2 weeks. Planting pattern - 25-30 cm between bushes and 45-50 cm between rows.

The scheme of planting eggplant seedlings

The process of transplanting shoots is as follows.

Holes for planting eggplant

Photo of eggplant transplant

Planting eggplant in open ground

Stage six. Landing Care

1. Immediately after transplanting, the seedlings should be watered every 2-3 days with warm water, and after the seedlings take root, watering can be reduced to once every 6-7 days, the fluid flow rate is 10-12 liters per meter.
2. The soil is loosened at least 4-5 times during the summer period, and after loosening the bushes are spudded - this will significantly increase the future harvest.
3. During the season, it is recommended to carry out 3-5 top dressings (the first - 2-3 weeks after transplantation), alternating complex mineral and organic fertilizers. As a mineral fertilizer, you can use Mortar (25 g per 10 liters of water), and as an organic fertilizer, mullein infusion or Biud preparation (dilute in water in a ratio of 1:20).

   Fertilizer

   Biocompost

4. It is very important to remove weeds around plants in time, destroy pests and make sure that there are no signs of diseases on the bushes.

Formation of an eggplant bush

Subject to all the rules and appropriate care, planting eggplants in the open field give an excellent harvest even in the domestic climate, which is considered not the most comfortable for this guest from the hot south.

Video - Eggplants in the open field

Many fell in love with the unusual taste of eggplant, wide selection which are available in grocery stores. But every summer resident wants to feast on this representative of the nightshade from his own garden. However, eggplant cultivation and outdoor care have subtleties that you should get to know before you get to work.

Eggplant varieties for open ground

Today, breeders have bred many varieties of various colors: traditional blue, striped, red, orange and green varieties. Their taste qualities are very similar, but for decoration holiday table using a multi-colored palette is an excellent solution.

Vegetable growers opt for varieties that have proven to be high-yielding and versatile for different agro-climatic zones of cultivation.

Black handsome.

A popular high-yielding variety in areas with hot summers. Among the advantages stand out: weight of 200 g, excellent taste without bitterness, disease resistance and suitability for long-term storage.

Diamond.

The variety, recognized by many gardeners for its delicate taste, has cylindrical fruits weighing 100–200 g and maximum length 20 cm. The vegetable is painted in the traditional purple color.

Albatross.

It is also a high-yielding variety, the blue-violet fruits of which have a pleasant-tasting pulp without a bitter aftertaste. The vegetable is distinguished by a shortened shape resembling a pear and a mass of 450 g.

Epic.

The hybrid, whose early maturation makes it possible to cultivate it in different agrozones, also demonstrates high level productivity and resistance to a wide range of diseases.

Basic requirements for growing

Although the plant belongs to the Solanaceae family, the requirements for its cultivation are not the same as the rules for growing tomatoes, peppers and other representatives.

• Eggplants need more heat: a temperature drop below 20°C leads to a cessation of plant pollination and fruit development.
• Return frosts are detrimental to the culture.
• Moisture deficiency provokes the fall of flowers and ovaries, and also causes the formation of ugly fruits.
• The plant needs bright, but not long-term lighting - a maximum of 12 hours.
• Light and fertile soil is the key to a good harvest.

Compliance with the organizational and economic measures - crop rotation - plays a significant role in obtaining the result: the cultivation of eggplant is allowed on the same bed with peppers and tomatoes, but not after them. Poor crop precursors are all nightshades, other vegetables are considered acceptable precursors. Best Choice for eggplant are carrots, cucumbers, onions, early cabbage, legumes.

Growing seedlings at home

The thermophilicity of the culture indicates that it is better to grow it through seedlings.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Using a solution of potassium permanganate, disinfect the seeds, and then subject them to heat treatment by placing them in hot water at 50 ° C for a quarter of an hour.
2. Prepare a soil mixture of soddy soil, humus and sand in a ratio of 5:3:1, and supplement it with a mineral supplement containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
3. Sow the seeds in a container with prepared soil mixture.
4. Place the box before emergence in a room with a temperature of 25°C.
5. After the appearance of sprouts for a week, lower temperature regime in the daytime up to 16°C, and at night - up to 13°C.
6. At the end of this period, grow seedlings at the following temperature values: in cloudy weather at 18°C, in sunny weather at 28°C.
7. When the first pair of true leaves is formed, feed the seedlings with a solution of superphosphate, urea and potassium salt.
8. After a two-week interval, repeat top dressing.
9. Two weeks before planting the seedlings in the garden, begin to harden them by taking the box out into the street.
10. After the formation of the third pair of true leaves on the plants, plant them in open ground if stable warm weather conditions have been established.

Attention! Eggplant seedlings need systematic moistening in order to prevent the soil from drying out.

Planting eggplants in open ground

With the seedling method of cultivation, the grown seedlings are abundantly watered 24 hours before planting, then the procedure is repeated before removing the seedlings from the container.

Landing is carried out as follows:

• holes are prepared in the garden according to the scheme: between plants in a row - 40–50 cm, distance between rows - 70 cm;
• prepared landing pits are abundantly filled with water;
• seedlings are planted in the resulting mud mixture;
• the soil around the plant is compacted;
• dry soil or peat is poured on top as mulch.

In the non-seedling method, seeds prepared in the same way as for sowing in boxes are sown in open ground when the temperature of the surface layer reaches 15°C. The slow growth rate of the culture at the initial stage is associated with the tradition of vegetable growers to sow eggplant seeds along with radishes. This allows you not to lose rows of eggplant in the garden.

Immediately after sowing, it is better to install a structure of metal arcs with a film stretched over them over the eggplants. The final removal of the protective film is not earlier than mid-June, when the threat of return frosts has passed.

Advice! To maintain a fertile soil layer, during the spring digging of the area intended for the cultivation of eggplants, one tablespoon of urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate should be applied per 1 m2.

culture care

Comprehensive eggplant care consists of such basic tasks as feeding, watering, bush formation and plant protection.

Fertilization

Top dressing of eggplants in the open field during their growth is carried out on average three times:

1. Before the appearance of the ovary, top dressing is carried out with complex mineral fertilizers.
2. In the fruiting phase, a solution of nitrogen-phosphate fertilizers is added under the crop, prepared from a tablespoon of superphosphate and a teaspoon of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water.
3. In conditions of wet and cool summer, eggplants are fed with microelements in a foliar way.

Watering and loosening

Eggplant is a very moisture-loving crop. During the growing season, he needs watering twice a week, and in hot summer conditions, it will be more correct to water it every other day. After moisturizing near-trunk zone it is worth carefully loosening: the formation of a crust depresses the culture.

Bush formation

Competent formation of the bush directly affects the future harvest. The correct bush should consist of a maximum of three stems, for the role of which the three strongest shoots are selected. After the bush is formed, new shoots are removed when their length reaches 5 cm. Leaves that shade the sun's rays are also subject to removal: an ovary is formed on the plant only when the sun hits the flowers. To prevent the shoots from breaking, a trellis is stretched over each row, to which plants are tied.

Plant protection from diseases and pests

The main damage to culture is inflicted Colorado potato beetles capable of destroying it completely. To prevent this, one should first of all observe the agricultural technology of cultivation: soil preparation, compliance with crop rotations, and others. If the settlement has occurred, then you should resort to spraying the bushes with insecticides, not forgetting the period of toxicity: chemicals should not be used after the formation of the ovary.

Harvest and storage

On average, you can start harvesting after 30-40 days after flowering, not forgetting to protect your hands and the plant itself. The fruit is cut off with the stalk using a pruner or a table knife. The entire crop must be harvested before the arrival of frost. If it so happens that there are bushes with a large number of unripe large fruits, they are dug up and transplanted into a greenhouse where the vegetables can reach technical ripeness.

Attention! The resulting crop is stored in a cool, dry place for one month.

So, when cultivating this crop, you may encounter a number of difficulties, since eggplant is very demanding. However, if you correctly approach the process and carry out comprehensive care for eggplants, the effort spent will pay off with interest.

Eggplants belong to the nightshade family, just like potatoes, vegetable peppers and tomatoes, however, planting and growing blue ones in the open field have specific features.

Foreword

Growing eggplant has whole line significant differences:

Crop rotation is also of great importance: growing this vegetable in open ground is possible next to peppers and tomatoes, but not after them. In general, after nightshade (including after themselves), eggplants can be planted only after three years. Suitable predecessors are practically all the rest vegetable crops. These vegetables feel good after carrots, cucumbers, onions, early cabbage, legumes and melons.

Video about eggplant in the open field

What eggplant varieties are suitable for growing outdoors

• King of the North. An early frost-resistant variety, but the shoots need to be hardened off. From the bush, 3-4 kg of crop is obtained. At maximum maturity, there are almost no voids in the fruit. With proper storage, it does not lose its attractiveness for up to 2 months. Suitable for workpieces.
• Bibo. Super early undemanding variety. The fruits are white, can reach a weight of half a kilogram.
• Black handsome. Small fruits (up to 200 g) dark, almost black. Up to 3 kg of crop is obtained from a bush. The variety is afraid of frost.
• Albatross. Teardrop-shaped fleshy fruits without voids. Suitable for workpieces and long-term storage. Perfectly transported without damage.
• Diamond. A real garden decoration. Miniature spherical bushes are often used for decorative purposes. At the same time, up to 8 kg of crop can be harvested from one bush. The weight of one fruit is 180 g.
• Marzipan. Fruits are in the form of pears, their color is deep, purple. The main advantage of the variety is the delicate taste of the fruit.
• Vakula. The variety is unpretentious, patient with temperature changes. From one bush it turns out up to 8 kg of crop.

We are preparing a garden

An eggplant bed is best provided in a sheltered from the wind, sunny place, clean from weeds. It's great if you have light loamy or sandy soils on the site, which the "blue ones" like so much. What to do in other cases:

• with heavier soils, it is necessary to introduce humus and peat during the autumn digging of the earth. Adding sawdust, river sand or straw cutting for autumn digging will also help to make the soil lighter;
• if the soil is sandy, you need to add clay soil, peat and sawdust;
• sod land with humus is introduced into peat soil.

In autumn, fresh manure can be applied to increase the fertility of the land, but in spring only rotted manure is already allowed, otherwise all the forces of the vegetable will be spent on the formation of leaf mass, and you will be left without fruits.

Preparing beds for growing eggplant

With the seedling method of planting eggplants, the soil must be prepared in the fall by digging 30 centimeters deep, adding the necessary components with fertilizers (potassium sulfate, superphosphate, urea) and removing weeds. In April, the remaining weeds, pest larvae are destroyed and the soil is rolled. It is recommended to carry out these works after rain, so that the moisture in the ground is better preserved.

A bed up to 30 cm high and no more than one meter wide is suitable for this vegetable. Each gardener determines the length of the beds at his discretion. The prepared bed is leveled with a rake and the earth is shed with a hot solution of mullein, or with Effekton fertilizer.

Proper sowing of seeds for seedlings

First of all, you need to prepare the soil for seedlings. It must meet the following requirements: neutral, light, loose, fertile. You can buy ready-made potting mix from a hardware store, or you can make your own using one of the following recipes:

• River sand + lowland peat + compost in proportions 1:4:3.
• Humus + turf + rotted mullein in proportions 8:2:1.
• Peat + rotted sawdust in proportions 3:1.
• Humus + turf in proportions 2:1.
• Humus + peat in proportions 2:1.

The soil must first be disinfected. To do this, hold it for 40 minutes in a hot oven or in a water bath. If you do not have such an opportunity, pour plenty of boiling water over the soil to kill harmful microbes. For 10 kg of any of these mixtures after sterilization, add ½ cup of potassium sulfate or 1 cup of wood ash. Before planting, keep the soil in a warm place for about 14 days so that beneficial microorganisms develop in it.

The best place to plant seeds is in peat cups or tablets. However, plastic glasses can also be used, but they must first be treated with a strong solution of manganese. The day before planting, fill the containers with prepared soil and water abundantly.

Seeds also need to be pre-cooked. To do this, first dip them for half an hour in a strong solution of manganese to disinfect. After that, rinse the seeds, put them on a damp cloth and cover with another damp cloth. During the week, put the seeds in the refrigerator overnight, and keep them just in the room during the day. After that, soak them for 12 hours in warm water with a growth stimulator. It is best to use rainwater or melted ice for this. Next, dry the seeds.

Spread the prepared seeds 2-3 pieces in each container and cover with a layer of earth 2 cm thick. Lightly tamp the earth and cover the containers with foil. Maintain the temperature at 25-30°.

Did you know that it is very convenient to grow seedlings in special cassettes. However, in this case, you must definitely choose from a cassette with large cells, so you do not have to dive seedlings and injure them once again.

Preparing seedlings for cultivation

After the first sprouts have appeared, you can begin to prepare the seedlings for cultivation. To do this, remove the covering material from the seedlings and lower the temperature in the room in which it is located. Optimum temperature during the day - 14-16 °, at night - 10-12 °. It is at this temperature that the root system develops most actively.

After a week, increase the daytime temperature to 25-27°, and the night temperature to 12-14°. It is very important to observe the difference between day and night temperatures, this mimics natural conditions. After such preparation, seedlings are easier to adapt to in the open field.

How to grow eggplant seedlings

In the Russian climate, it is better to grow eggplant through seedlings, choosing popular early varieties that have time to ripen in a short summer. Seeds before planting on seedlings should be pickled with a solution of potassium permanganate, heat treated, held in hot water (temperature +50) for twenty minutes, and germinated.

The soil for seedlings is mixed from fertile soddy land, humus and sand in a ratio of 5:3:1. Additionally, phosphorus, potash and nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the ground.

Eggplant seedlings must be watered systematically so that the soil does not have time to dry out.

Sowing seeds in boxes or small pots with soil mixture, they are provided with a temperature of +25 degrees until germination, then for five days the temperature is reduced to +16 degrees during the day and +13 degrees at night. In the future, seedlings grow at temperatures from +18 in cloudy weather to +28 in sunny weather. Before planting in the garden, seedlings are hardened for two weeks, allowing them to gradually get used to street conditions.

Eggplants must be watered regularly so that the soil does not have time to dry out. When the first two true leaves appear, top dressing is applied in the form of a solution of superphosphate with potassium salt and urea. The second time they feed two weeks later.

When the plants form a good root system and reach 10 cm with five to seven true leaves, they can be planted in the garden. Of course, provided that the frosts have passed, and warm weather has settled.

When the first two true leaves appear, top dressing is applied in the form of a solution of superphosphate with potassium salt and urea.

seedling care

For seedlings planted in February or March, artificial lighting is needed, since daylight hours are still very short. In total, seedlings should be in the light for 12 hours. For the first three days, keep the artificial light on 24 hours a day, and then turn it on as needed. Artificial lighting should be at a distance of about 50 cm from the seedlings. Phytolamps or fluorescent lamps are best suited. Seedlings planted in April do not need artificial lighting, just keep it on the windowsill.

Eggplant seedlings love moisture, so it is important to water them regularly. However, you need to choose the right watering mode, in which the soil will always be moderately wet. If the soil dries out, then you will get a small crop, but if there is too much water in it, there is a risk of developing fungal diseases. Water the eggplant seedlings with a spray bottle. Use settled water at room temperature for this. Lightly loosen the soil after each watering.

10-12 days after the appearance of the first shoots, top dressing should be applied. To do this, dilute 1 tablespoon of yellow Crystal in 10 liters of water. Immediately after fertilizing, be sure to water the seedlings so that there are no root burns.

If you planted seeds in large boxes or containers, you will have to dive seedlings when they have 2 leaves. Use small containers with drainage holes for this. Carry out the picking as carefully as possible. Please note that pinching eggplant seedlings is not required.

Landing in open ground and further care

Ready seedlings a day before planting should be watered abundantly and watered again immediately before removing the seedlings from the box or pots.

The process of planting sprouts in the ground looks exactly the same as planting pepper: according to a certain scheme, holes (or furrows) are dug in the garden, where a large amount of water is poured, and seedlings are planted in the resulting “dirt”. The earth is compacted around the plants, a layer of mulch from dry earth or peat is poured on top. The planting scheme should be chosen based on how eggplants of certain varieties grow - for compact plants, it will be enough to leave 40 cm between seedlings, and for high varieties, at least 50 cm will be needed.

With a seedless method of growing, germinated and slightly dried seeds are immediately planted in the ground when its upper layer warms up to +15 degrees. Due to the slow growth in the initial period, radishes are sown along with eggplant seeds so as not to lose rows in the garden.

Eggplant transplant

Since these vegetables are very afraid of the night cold, for the first time they need to stretch the film over them on wire arcs. If you planted them outdoors in mid-May, cover the vegetables with a double layer of film. It will be possible to remove the protective film around mid-June, when warm weather sets in. But at the same time, even in summer, you need to constantly monitor the temperature and, if necessary, cover the plants for the night if they promise a cold snap.

The first two weeks "blue" will grow very slowly. You can help them by shallow loosening the beds so that more air enters the roots. It is recommended to wait a little with watering at this time, it is better to spray the plants with water with the addition of urea.

How to care for vegetables in the garden:

• loosen the ground regularly during the summer, preventing it from compacting, especially after rains;
• the soil should always be slightly moist, watering should be done with water heated in the sun;
• for the whole season, plants need three top dressings with mineral fertilizers and slurry, or bird droppings (the first top dressing - 10 days after planting the eggplants, the second - twenty days later, the third - at the beginning of fruiting);
• remove weeds in a timely manner and see that pests or diseases do not appear on the fruits;
• hilling stimulates the development of adventitious roots, from which the yield of fruits will increase.

Video about growing eggplant

Diseases and pests of eggplant - prevention and control

How to harvest

Each variety of eggplant has its own ripening period, be sure to consider this. Harvesting too early will give you bitter and tasteless fruits, after harvesting late, the fruits will have large seeds and overripe pulp. It is important to have time to harvest at the moment of technical maturity, at this time it is most delicious. Remember that biological maturity comes literally a few weeks after technical maturity, so the moment can be easily missed. Most feature the fact that it is time to harvest - a pronounced glossy shine of the fruit.

You can harvest about a month after flowering, when the fruits become glossy and acquire the color characteristic of their variety. Brown eggplants are overripe, their flesh is already tasteless and rough. If there are still undeveloped large ovaries on the bushes before the autumn cold, dig up the plants along with the roots and transplant them into the greenhouse.

Cut vegetables with a knife or secateurs along with the stalk, trying not to damage the shoots of the plant. The harvested fruits are best eaten in the near future or made from them for the winter, since long-term storage of eggplant is a real art that not everyone can master.

16.03.2017 10 831

Planting eggplant - what does the summer resident's experience say about !?

To achieve high results, eggplant planting must be timely and correct, in compliance with all the requirements of agricultural technology. Of course, you can not follow the rules and regulations, but do not expect a large harvest in this case, do not complain and do not envy your neighbor in the country, who will grow beautiful large fruits. The agrotechnical cultivation of eggplant has its own characteristics, before planting seedlings in open ground or a greenhouse, we advise you to familiarize yourself with the intricacies.

Content:

Cooking the garden right

To grow a tasty and rich harvest, good strong seedlings are not enough. The yield of eggplant is largely determined by many factors, among which the most important ones can be distinguished:

• the fertility of the soil in which nightshade grows;
• timely feeding;
• proper watering;
• bush formation.

Eggplants grow on highly fertile soil, do not tolerate marshy, clay and heavy soils. To prepare a bed for planting eggplant, take half a bucket of humus, 30 grams of superphosphate and 1 tbsp. l. potassium salt and spread over 1 m² of area. Fresh manure should not be applied before planting in the spring.

If there is sod land, you can use it to create a ridge. Do not plant eggplant in the place where tomatoes, potatoes, peppers used to grow, the best predecessors are melon, onions, beans, cucumber, beans, pumpkin. Spill the ridge with a dark solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect.

A bed for planting eggplant is considered ready if you were able to achieve airiness, friability and nutritional value of the soil. Clay soils and very heavy experienced gardeners it is recommended to dilute with coarse river sand (precisely coarse-grained, and not fine, which is often sold in hardware stores).

Planting eggplant seedlings - scheme and rules

When the ridge is ready and happened according to the rules, it remains to land in open ground or a greenhouse. It would seem that there is nothing easier - indeed, difficulties should not arise, but we will heed the advice of experienced gardeners:

• it is better to make holes according to the scheme at a distance of 0.4-0.5 m, observe intervals of 60-70 cm between rows, the depth of the holes should be 15-17 cm;
• throw a handful of ash into each hole and pour warm water over it;
• now proceed to planting and deepen the eggplant seedlings to the very first leaves.

planting eggplant - pictured planting eggplant - pictured

Plant very carefully, trying not to damage the fragile roots of plants, otherwise you cannot avoid a long period of recovery and disease. It is worth noting that after planting in the ground, the plants are taken rather slowly (up to two weeks), so you can often observe how. But do not panic, the phenomenon is temporary, when the sprouts get stronger, the color will return. To help the eggplant this stage experienced summer residents recommend feeding with urea (1 tsp / 10l).

In addition, do not forget that the outdoor air temperature or in the greenhouse should not be less than + 15 ° C, and the earth should warm up to + 13 ° C, otherwise the seedlings will die rather than be accepted or will constantly get sick. Planting eggplant in the ground is best done in the evening, when the sun is not so bright.

Further care for planted eggplants

Once planted, make sure that the plants are comfortable. Cover the plantings with a film, put arcs and build a greenhouse that can be opened during the day and covered at night.

In the Urals and Siberia, also in the Moscow region, the Leningrad region, eggplant planting is recommended specifically in greenhouses, greenhouses or under film due to climatic conditions, but in Krasnodar Territory, Astrakhan region can be planted immediately in open ground, without additional insulation.

method of growing eggplant in China - in the photo

The first fertilization is carried out two weeks after landing on the ridge. Eggplants during flowering and before the onset are given the following top dressing - 4-5 grams of urea, 25-30 grams of potassium sulfate, 60 grams of superphosphate are dissolved in a bucket of water or used in the form of various infusions and decoctions.

When eggplants begin to form ovaries and bear fruit, you can use the same elements of the same composition as before, only without urea. There are various mineral complexes on sale (Agricola, Gumi fertilizer, Kemira Lux, etc.), which are also worth paying attention to, because all the necessary nutrients are selected there, which individually we cannot always provide to plants. Summer residents with experience recommend using alternating organic and mineral supplements for a good and balanced diet.

Pay attention to watering eggplant, which is carried out only with warm water (+23 ° ... + 25 ° С). It is advisable to water directly under the root, trying not to get on the leaf plates. Important feature when cultivating a crop is, without which it will simply not be possible to grow a generous harvest. Of course, we are talking about tall varieties and strongly branching ones, since short and dwarf eggplants do not require shaping.

Planting eggplant in open ground - video

114 02/13/2019 7 min.

Eggplant is a healthy and tasty vegetable, but heat-loving and fastidious, so gardeners have to tinker with planting and caring for it. You can learn all the subtleties and nuances of growing eggplants in the open field from this article: we will consider how to plant eggplants correctly and how to care for them in order to get a full harvest. We also learn useful tips from experienced gardeners regarding the cultivation of this capricious vegetable.

Site selection and soil preparation

Since eggplant is a southern and heat-loving plant, it should choose a sunny, wind-protected and well-lit place. You should not plant a plant in the shade - with a lack of heat and light, the bushes will be frail, and the harvest, accordingly, weak

As for the soil, the plant will develop and bear fruit best in loose soil, containing sand and clay (but in small quantities). If the soil in the selected area is too dense and heavy, you can add sand mixed with fine sawdust to it. This additive will loosen the soil and provide it with additional drainage.

There is also the opposite situation - too loose, sandy soil. In this case, you need to add clay mixed with sawdust and peat. In any case, it is also recommended to enrich the bed with humus and peat: in this way, the soil can be made more fertile and nutritious. Carefully remove all weeds from the garden.

Growing seedlings

In our climate, eggplant seeds are usually not immediately placed in open ground: pre-growing seedlings is necessary. Thus, the plant gets into outdoor conditions already strengthened and grown up, which allows it to survive in harsh conditions. Consider the important nuances regarding the proper germination of seedlings from seeds.

Before placing eggplant seeds in the ground, they must first be treated with a disinfectant solution of potassium permanganate to eliminate spores of pathogenic microbes and larvae of harmful insects. If potassium permanganate was not at hand, you can a short time lower the seeds into water heated to +50 degrees, then immediately cool. This procedure will also act as sanitization.

It is recommended to plant seeds from mid-March until its end. It is necessary to prepare separate pots for seedlings or common capacious boxes, and fill these containers with a mixture of soddy soil with sand and humus.

Tip: experienced summer residents advise planting eggplant seeds in separate pots, so as not to then carry out the dive procedure, which the plant does not like very much.

It may also be useful for you to learn about how at home

Seeds are laid in the ground, deepening by a centimeter. After planting, the containers must be covered with a film, which, after the appearance of the first sprouts, must be immediately removed.

A couple of weeks before the proposed planting of seedlings in the ground, start hardening it off a little. To do this, it is necessary to take containers with seedlings outside every day so that the seedlings get used to the outdoor living conditions.

How to plant seedlings in the ground

It is recommended to transplant eggplant seedlings to a garden bed in the open air in May, closer to summer. By this time, on fully developed bushes, at least five leaves should already be formed, and the root should reach 10 cm in length.

In order for eggplant seedlings to take root safely in the garden, it needs an air temperature of at least +15 degrees. Keep in mind that lower temperatures can completely ruin the entire seedling.

It is better to place eggplants on a separate bed, as this culture is very picky and will not tolerate an unfavorable neighborhood for itself.

Before removing seedlings from pots, the ground must be thoroughly watered. Subject to this condition, the roots will be removed from the ground as gently as possible, and avoid damage.

On the video - how to plant eggplants in open ground:

Between the bushes on the main bed, it is necessary to leave a distance of at least half a meter - eggplants grow strongly, need an abundance of light and nutrients. When eggplants are grown on huge fields on an industrial scale, it is recommended to leave a distance of about a meter between the bushes.

Boarding procedure

• In the garden, it is necessary to dig holes of suitable sizes.
• Pour half a liter of warm water into each well.
• Seedlings are planted in the resulting lukewarm earthen slurry, which helps the roots take root faster.
• Each bush is sprinkled with dry earth containing peat.

When planting, deepen the seedling bushes only to the first lower leaves. Drive in a small peg near each bush, to which you will subsequently tie the plant.

After the seedlings are placed on the bed, cover the last transparent film to protect the first time the plants from possible cold snaps.

Note that immediately after transplanting into open ground, the bushes usually show poor growth, but two weeks later they come to life, and begin to violently reach for the light.

Features of care

We will learn how to care for eggplant growing in open ground.

watering

Plants need mandatory and regular soil moisture. It is best to water the bushes in the evening, and it is important that the water is warm. Be sure to loosen the soil in the garden after the moisturizing procedure, as well as after rains, to provide the plant roots with good air exchange.

If eggplants are tall varieties, their bushes need a mandatory garter.

top dressing

Eggplants need high-grade additional food. It is necessary to carry out top dressing of plants on a regular basis, taking into account their needs at the moment. Eggplants should be fed with mineral fertilizers, and plants also respond gratefully to manure liquid mixtures.

On the video - how to care for eggplant:

The procedure for the growing season is carried out in three stages. For the first time, fertilizers are applied 10 days after the crop is planted in the ground. The second feeding - 10 days after the first. Well, for the third time, eggplants need additional nutrition during the appearance of their fruits.

Mulching

It is not recommended to weed the beds where eggplants grow, since these plants have a sensitive root system that does not respond well to outside interference. And in the process of weeding, it is very easy to touch their roots, practically, it is inevitable.

Therefore, in order to exclude weeding, it is better to mulch the beds after watering with straw or grass. The second option, also very effective, is to cover the beds with non-woven material or an opaque film with cut out holes for the bushes. Such a shelter will provide eggplants with full growth, and will not give weeds a single chance to exist.

Pollination

In order for the flowering of eggplants to be stormy, and pollination to take place actively, it is recommended to sprinkle sugar water on the leaves of plants. This measure helps to attract pollinating insects. During the pollination period, it is forbidden to use spraying with fungicides and insecticides, since chemicals can scare away beneficial insects.

Prevention

Eggplants can be eaten by pests, so they should be protected from insects. Aphids, bears, slugs and thrips can especially harm bushes. Eggplants can be saved from all these pests by preventive spraying with Fitover or another similar safe drug.

Bush formation

This procedure is mandatory for tall eggplant varieties. Those gardeners who neglect the formation of an eggplant bush, considering this procedure an unnecessary whim, are usually very disappointed then in the harvest.

Formation of an eggplant bush

For proper formation, it is important to remove the lateral stepchildren on the stems in time. Keep in mind that for abundant fruiting on one bush there should be three to four healthy strong shoots, and no more than ten ovaries. Large quantity ovaries will lead to crushing of the fruit. What are the early ripe eggplant varieties for open ground, what are they called and what do they look like, this will help to understand

Harvesting and storage

The first ripe eggplant fruits can be harvested around the middle of summer. The fruit, ready for cutting, has elastic pulp, a length of at least 10 cm, a color characteristic of an adult eggplant, fully consistent with the variety. The surface of the skin of a mature fruit has a characteristic glossy sheen.

Harvest all ripe eggplants in a timely manner to prevent them from becoming overripe. If you miss the harvest time, the pulp of the fruit will become hard and tasteless, it will acquire an ugly brown tint.

On the video - harvesting:

Note that fresh eggplant is a perishable product. That is why gardeners are trying to quickly either sell the crop or process it. But so that fresh eggplants can still be stored for some time, they must be placed immediately after cutting in a cool dark place. The humidity in this room should be high - about 90%. Under such conditions, fresh eggplant can be stored for 1-2 months.

secrets

Here are a few tricks that help experienced gardeners reap impressive eggplant crops every year.

AT northern regions Eggplant cultivation in the open field is currently not possible. So far, cold-resistant varieties of this crop have not been bred so that they can easily endure the temperature fluctuations of the northern climate. Therefore, in Siberia, the Urals, and other northern regions, it is possible to cultivate eggplants only in greenhouses.

On the video - the secrets of growing:

So, we examined the features of growing eggplant in open ground. As you can see, this capricious heat-loving vegetable requires compliance with many nuances, but the result is worth it. Considering all the points for planting and caring, you can get a rich harvest of healthy and tasty vegetables as a result, which can be used both fresh and for making delicious pickles.

Culture lovers strive to get a harvest without putting much effort. Growing eggplant is a troublesome process, but subject to the requirements and rules for care, they get the declared harvest.

The culture itself is wild plant from India. There, its fruits have been eaten for a very long time. In Europe, for a long time, they were wary of the fruits of this culture. And grown only as ornamental plant. But gradually the vegetable tightly entered the diet and began to gain popularity. Everywhere eggplant is grown as an annual crop, but few people know that it is actually a perennial.

The fruits of the plant are used for any method of preparation. They prepare hot dishes, cold appetizers, salads and all kinds of winter preparations from them.

At the initial stage of development, a weak root system develops over time and penetrates 0.4-0.5 m deep.

The stem is very strong, at the age of 2 months it becomes stiff and becomes able to independently support the weight of the fruit without tying it to the supports. The color of the stem depends on the variety and varies from green to purple. Eggplant flowers are arranged singly or in curls of 3-5 pieces. Their color also varies depending on the variety. Belong to the category of self-pollinated.

The fruits of the plant differ from each other in the following ways:

• The length varies from 12 to 30 cm.
• Diameter from 5 to 15 cm.
• Shape: cylindrical, oblong, pear-shaped, rounded, round.
• Weight from 50 g to 2 kg.
• Color: white, green, purple, lilac, red, yellow, orange and other shades.

The pulp of the fruit is also of different colors. Taste characteristics depend on the type of culture, some are bitter, some are not. There are about 200 seeds in one vegetable. Their germination lasts from 3 to 8 years.

Eggplant varieties

The variety of choices is amazing. A wide range of types of culture is presented to the dacha residents. Thus, the vegetable grower selects for himself a plant that meets the needs of the family.

The choice of variety is carried out according to the following criteria:

• The appearance of the fruit. A choice is made between small or large fruits, purple, red, green and other colors. Taste characteristics from these signs practically do not change.
• I see bushes. Choose among tall and short, compact or sprawling.
• Harvest volume. Different kinds give different indicators from 1 to 17 kg of fruits from 1 m 2.
• Ripening dates. Early, early, middle and late varieties of culture.
• Species for any growing method. In open or protected field, for direct sowing in the ground or seedling method of cultivation.
• Other related factors: immunity, cold resistance, heat resistance and much more.

Now the choice is only for the vegetable grower, you should read the description and choose varieties that are suitable for growing in a particular region.

Basic requirements for growing

Compliance with the rules and requirements will help you get the declared eggplant crop. With proper care and creation necessary conditions get record harvests. The main thing is hard work and patience.

The heat-loving culture does not tolerate cold snaps, lack of sunlight, wind and frost.

Growing requirements:

1. Site selection. The place should be well lit, without drafts and strong winds. It is recommended to plant eggplant bushes for raspberries or currants. Dense plants will cover tender plants from the wind.
2. With a lack of light, eggplants take off their color, the fruits do not tie at all. The same plant behaves when the temperature drops. It is recommended to install arcs and cover the beds with polyethylene.
3. Nutrient soil. Mandatory application of manure, compost, humus and other substances that can make the soil composition more fertile.
4. Correct fit. Grown by direct sowing in the ground or seedlings. It is important to sow immediately in separate containers so as not to injure the root system.
5. Agricultural practices. Timely removal of weeds, proper loosening and top dressing will increase the yield.

There are few requirements, but they are all significant and their fulfillment is mandatory.

Features of agricultural technology in the cultivation of eggplant

Growing culture, the main thing is not to be disappointed. If you know certain features of agricultural technology, errors should not occur. Following the rules will lead to positive results. Properly planted eggplants will delight you with a bountiful harvest.

Garden preparation

The first step is to select a place for landing. The site should be in the sun, closed from wind and drafts, and the composition of the soil should be fertile. Agrotechnics for growing crops warns that planting for several years in the same place is undesirable. Plants will get sick and yields will drop significantly.

Fresh manure is introduced into the composition of the soil in the fall, dug up and left for the winter. In the spring, before digging, mineral fertilizers and wood ash with humus are added. Everything is mixed well and eggplants are planted in prepared holes.

Preparing to grow seedlings

When a crop is planted in this way, the soil for seedlings has been prepared since autumn. Soddy soil, peat, sand and humus are mixed in a ratio of 2:2:1:2. Everything is thoroughly mixed and mineral fertilizers, potassium, superphosphate and urea are added. Wood ash is added in small quantities.

With the onset of the time for planting seeds, the earth is watered with boiling water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The soil is ready, now you should prepare the seeds of the crop intended for planting.

The temperature optimal for seed germination is +20…+23 ⁰С. At lower temperatures, eggplants may not sprout.

A week in advance, eggplant seeds are checked for germination. To do this, part of the planting material is wrapped in a damp cloth or a piece of gauze. Keep warm until sprouts appear. Then the result is calculated. The higher the percentage of germinated seeds, the better the planting material.

Before sowing, planting material should be disinfected. To do this, it is enough to withstand the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. No more than half an hour, then they are washed and allowed to dry. After that, at the request of the vegetable grower, they keep the seeds in a growth stimulator.

Sowing seeds

First, the timing is determined, then the planting material is already sown in the prepared containers. The day is determined based on the climate of the growing region and the manufacturer's recommendations.

Landing is carried out as follows:

• the soil is watered;
• distance between seeds 2 cm;
• distance between rows 3-4 cm;
• if cultivation is carried out without picking, then 2 seeds are sown in one container;
• sprinkled with a layer of earth in 1 cm;
• tighten with polyethylene or cover with glass;
• left until germination dark place, the temperature of which is 30 ⁰С;
• after germination, set on a sunny windowsill.

The first time, before the appearance of the first true leaves, watered using a spray bottle.

seedling care

The air temperature in the room with eggplant seedlings should be at least +17 ⁰С. After a few days, the temperature should be raised to +26 ⁰С. Light day should be at least 10 hours. Therefore, with a lack of sunlight, additional illumination lamps are installed. They are placed at a distance of 20 cm from the tops of the seedlings.

The grown plants are watered very carefully, under the root. About once a week. Water for irrigation is taken warm or settled.

Feed the plant several times during the growth period at room conditions:

• 2 weeks after germination;
• after picking, if it is carried out;
• a few days before transfer to a permanent place.

Such care will allow you to grow high-quality, strong seedlings which will give a good harvest.

Seedling dive

After the appearance of the second true leaf, the seedlings are dived. To do this, they are placed in separate containers. This is necessary so that the plants form a strong root system and do not stretch. The soil for transplantation is taken fertile, well-heated and disinfected. Planted one eggplant in a container, watered well and set in a lit place.

Transplantation in open ground

At the time of transplanting into open ground, 6-7 true leaves should be formed on eggplants. The bed is prepared high, the distance between the rows is at least 1 meter. Between the bushes leave 40 cm.

In the garden, holes are made 15 cm deep, watered, and eggplants are planted in them. Transplant only with soil or a peat pot. Plants are buried to the first leaves, this will make it possible to form additional roots.

culture care

As the planted eggplant grows, it needs attention and care. It consists in observing simple agricultural practices that are performed for any crop. Proper adherence to them leads to a positive result. Caring for a culture is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. It is important to understand the subtleties and apply them in practice.

Fertilization

Proper feeding of eggplant depends on how quickly the plant will develop. Compliance with the dosage will help grow the crop, not the green mass. The culture loves top dressing, it is better to combine organic matter and mineral fertilizers. The poorer the land, the more often top dressing is applied.

Plants need:

• nitrogen;
• phosphorus;
• magnesium;
• calcium and other trace elements.

The alternation of chemical dressings with organic matter is the best option. Complex mineral fertilizers are easier to calculate, and organics are safe for human health. With organic fertilizers, you should be extremely careful. It's important not to overdo it. Excess nitrogen contained in their composition greatly affects the growth of green mass. Fertilizers are applied mainly under the root, this helps to avoid burns on plants and accelerates absorption.

Watering and loosening

Watering eggplant bushes is required regularly. Watering is not necessary immediately after transplantation, as eggplants are planted in watered holes. After 5 days watered for the first time. If the weather is rainy, it is watered once every 10 days, if it is dry sunny, then more often - once every 3 days. Watered with warm water, in the morning, strictly under the root of each plant.

Loosen the ground around the eggplants after each watering, at first by 4 cm, during flowering by 6 cm, after the appearance of ovaries by 7 cm. It is impossible to go deeper, because the root system is too close to the surface. If, after each loosening, the bushes are slightly spudded, this will ensure the preservation of moisture and the supply of oxygen to the roots. It also slows down the growth of weeds.

Bush formation

If the plants are not standard, they must be tied to supports. This will reduce the risk of breaking the stepson with fruits. In addition to the garter, some eggplant varieties require shaping. All stepchildren are removed to the fork, they only draw out useful substances, but do not bear fruit. But there is a plus from them, in the heat they cover the ground, preventing it from drying out quickly.

Stepson plants or not, a private matter for every vegetable grower. But all yellowed leaves and fruits that are deformed are removed from the plants. Many summer residents do not form eggplants in the open field; with proper care, they give an excellent harvest.

Potential Growing Problems

When growing a crop, it is difficult not to encounter some problems. The most common is that eggplant grows bitter. The reason for this is that plants lack heat, moisture and sunlight. Overripe fruits are also very bitter, it is important to harvest on time, during the period of technical maturity.

If there are no fruits, which happens during a drought, then it is recommended to increase the amount of watering. And be sure to loosen after drying.

It happens that the color falls off the bushes, the fruit is not tied. There are several reasons, and the solutions are also different:

1. Irrigation with cold water.
2. Consistently hot weather, temperature above +30 ⁰С. Irrigating the top layer of the earth, bring down the temperature.
3. Reduced temperature long time. Plants are fed with calcium nitrate.
4. Banal drying of the soil. Watering required.

If the plant grows green mass, and there are no fruits at all, then there is an excess of nitrogen.

Disease and pest control

How to deal with eggplant disease, it is better to take timely preventive measures. Crop rotation is the first and most important measure for disease prevention. The use of high-quality planting material leads to the fact that the plants initially grow healthier. Some summer residents are wondering why eggplants do not turn blue, the reason is that the plants do not have enough light. The skin on the fruit becomes pale.

Treatment of plants from diseases is carried out by a chemical method, or are used folk remedies struggle.

The former are more efficient and effective, but dangerous for human body. The latter are completely safe, but have a short-term effect. Summer residents are advised to take better care of the plants, then they will not get sick.

Harvest and storage

Eggplants are harvested at the stage of technical maturity, they are suitable for cooking and processing for the winter. Define by appearance the maturity of the vegetable is very difficult. Therefore, they are guided by the data from the manufacturer. Store the collected fruits in a dark, cool room, which is protected from temperature extremes. Selected ripe eggplants are put in boxes and shifted with straw. In this form, they are lowered into the cellar and stored for several months.

Growing eggplant on the site is a laborious process, since the culture is mostly capricious, loves heat and moisture. But an attentive attitude towards it, the fulfillment of all requirements pays off with the harvest.