How to properly grow eggplants and care for them in open ground, agricultural technology

Culture lovers strive to get a harvest without putting in a lot of effort. Growing eggplants is a troublesome process, but if you follow the requirements and care rules, you will get the desired yield.

Description of the plant

The culture itself is a wild plant from India.Its fruits have been eaten there for a very long time. In Europe, for a long time they were wary of the fruits of this crop. And they were grown only as an ornamental plant. But gradually the vegetable became a part of the diet and began to gain popularity. Eggplant is grown everywhere 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 are used to prepare hot dishes, cold appetizers, salads and all types of winter preparations.

At the initial stage of development, there is a weak root system, which develops over time and penetrates 0.4-0.5 m in depth.

The stem is very strong, at the age of 2 months it becomes woody and becomes able to independently support the weight of the fruit without tying it to 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. They belong to the category of self-pollinating.

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 fruits is also of different colors. Taste characteristics depend on the type of crop; 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 large assortment of crop types is available to gardeners. Thus, the vegetable grower selects 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. The choice is made between small or large fruits, purple, red, green and other colors. The taste characteristics of these characteristics practically do not change.
• I see bushes. Choose from tall and short, compact or spreading.
• Harvest volume. Different types give different indicators from 1 to 17 kg of fruits per 1 m².
• Terms of ripening. Early ripening, early, middle and late varieties of crops.
• Species for any growing method. In open or protected ground, for direct sowing in the ground or seedling growing method.
• Other associated factors: immunity, cold resistance, heat resistance and much more.

Now the choice is only up to the vegetable grower; you should read the description and select varieties that are suitable for growing in a particular region.

Basic requirements for growing

Compliance with the rules and requirements will help you obtain the declared eggplant harvest. With proper care and the creation of the necessary conditions, record harvests are obtained. The main thing is hard work and patience.

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

Growing Requirements:

1. Selection of site. The place should be well lit, without drafts or strong wind. It is recommended to plant eggplant bushes behind raspberries or currants. Dense plants will shield delicate plants from the wind.
2. With a lack of light, eggplants lose color and fruits do not set at all. The plant also behaves when the temperature drops. It is recommended to install arches and cover the beds with polyethylene.
3. Nutritious soil.Mandatory application of manure, compost, humus and other substances that can make the soil more fertile.
4. Correct landing. Grow by direct sowing in the ground or by seedlings. It is important to sow immediately in separate containers so as not to injure the root system.
5. Agrotechnical practices. Timely removal of weeds, proper loosening and fertilizing will increase the yield.

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

Features of agricultural technology when growing eggplants

When growing a crop, 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.

Preparing the bed

The first step is to select a place for planting. The site should be in the sun, protected from wind and drafts, and the soil composition should be fertile. Agricultural technology for growing crops warns that planting for several years in the same place is undesirable. Plants will become sick and yields will decrease significantly.

Fresh manure is added to the soil in the fall, dug up and left for the winter. In the spring, before digging, add mineral fertilizers and wood ash with humus. Mix everything well and plant the eggplants in the prepared holes.

Preparing to grow seedlings

When a crop is planted in this way, the soil for seedlings is prepared in the fall. Mix turf soil, peat, sand and humus in a ratio of 2:2:1:2. Mix everything thoroughly and add mineral fertilizers, potassium, superphosphate and urea. Wood ash is added in small quantities.

When the time comes to plant seeds, water the ground 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 optimal temperature for seed germination is +20…+23 ⁰С. At lower temperatures, eggplants may not germinate.

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 piece of gauze. Keep warm until sprouts appear. Then the result is calculated. The higher the percentage of sprouted seeds, the better the quality of the planting material.

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

Sowing seeds

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

Planting 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;
• sprinkle with a 1 cm layer of earth;
• covered with polyethylene or covered with glass;
• Before germination, leave in a dark place, the temperature of which is 30 ⁰C;
• After germination, place it on a sunny windowsill.

At first, before the first true leaves appear, water 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, you should raise the temperature to +26 ⁰C. Daylight hours should be at least 10 hours.Consequently, if there is a lack of sunlight, supplementary lighting lamps are installed. They are placed at a distance of 20 cm from the tops of the seedlings.

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

The plant is fed several times during its growth period under indoor conditions:

• 2 weeks after emergence;
• after a pick, if it is carried out;
• a few days before moving to a permanent place.

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

Picking up seedlings

After the appearance of the second true leaf, the seedlings are picked. 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 replanting is fertile, well heated and disinfected. Plant one eggplant per container, water it well and place it in a lighted place.

Transplantation into open ground

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

Holes are made in the garden bed 15 cm deep, watered with water, and the work is carried out in them. planting eggplants. Replant only with soil or a peat pot. Plants are buried up to the first leaves, this will make it possible to form additional roots.

Cultivation care

As the planted eggplant grows, it requires attention and care. It consists of following simple agricultural techniques performed for any crop. Following them correctly leads to achieving a positive result. Caring for a crop is not as difficult as it seems at first glance.It is important to understand the subtleties and apply them in practice.

Fertilizer application

Proper feeding of eggplants determines how quickly the plant will develop. Compliance with the dosage will help to grow crops, not green mass. The culture loves fertilizing; it is better to combine organic matter and mineral fertilizers. The poorer the land, the more often fertilizing is applied.

Plants need:

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

Alternating chemical fertilizers with organic matter is the best option. Complex mineral fertilizers are easier to calculate, and organic fertilizers are safe for human health. You should be extremely careful with organic fertilizers. It's important not to overdo it. Excess nitrogen contained in their composition greatly affects the growth of green mass. Fertilizers are applied mainly at the roots, this helps to avoid burns on plants and speeds up absorption.

Watering and loosening

Eggplant bushes need to be watered regularly. There is no need to water immediately after transplantation, since eggplants are planted in watered holes. After 5 days, water for the first time. If the weather is rainy, water once every 10 days; if the weather is dry and sunny, then more often - once every 3 days. Water with warm water in the morning, strictly at the root of each plant.

They loosen the soil around the eggplants after each watering, at first by 4 cm, during flowering by 6 cm, after the ovaries appear by 7 cm. It is impossible to go deeper, because the root system is located too close to the surface. If you hill up the bushes a little after each loosening, this will ensure moisture retention and oxygen supply to the roots. In addition, weed growth will slow down.

Bush formation

If the plants are not standard, they must be tied to supports. This will reduce the risk of the stepson breaking off with the fruit.In addition to garter, some varieties of eggplant require shaping. All stepsons are removed up to the fork; they only draw out useful substances and do not bear fruit. But there is a plus from them: in hot weather they cover the soil, preventing it from drying out quickly.

Whether or not to plant plants is a personal matter for each vegetable grower. But all yellowed leaves and fruits that are deformed are removed from the plants. Many summer residents do not grow eggplants in open ground; with proper care, they produce an excellent harvest.

Possible problems during cultivation

When growing a crop, it is difficult not to encounter some problems. The most common one is that eggplants grow 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 ripeness.

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 it after drying.

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

1. Watering with cold water.
2. Consistently hot weather, temperature above +30 ⁰С. By irrigating the top layer of soil, the temperature is reduced.
3. Reduced temperature for a long time. The plants are fed with calcium nitrate.
4. Banal drying out of the soil. Watering required.

If the plant grows green mass, but there are no fruits at all, it means that there is an excess of nitrogen.

Disease and pest control

To combat eggplant disease, it is better to take timely preventive measures. Crop rotation is the first and most important measure for disease prevention.Using high-quality planting material results in plants that initially grow healthier. Some gardeners wonder why eggplants do not turn blue; the reason is that the plants do not have enough light. The skin of the fruit becomes pale.

Treatment of plants against diseases is carried out chemically, or folk remedies are used.

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

Harvesting and storage

Eggplants are collected at the stage of technical maturity; they are suitable for cooking and processing for the winter. It is very difficult to determine the maturity of a vegetable by appearance. Therefore, they rely on data from the manufacturer. Store the collected fruits in a cool, dark room, protected from temperature changes. Selected ripe eggplants are placed in boxes and covered with straw. In this form they are lowered into the cellar and stored for several months.

Growing eggplants on a plot is a labor-intensive process, since the crop is predominantly capricious and loves heat and moisture. But paying attention to it and fulfilling all requirements pays off in the resulting harvest.