Is it possible plant eggplants together with other vegetable crops indoors? Nightshade crops are very demanding to care for and do not always get along with other vegetables, especially if grown in a greenhouse.
Growing conditions
Growing and caring for eggplants and cucumbers in a greenhouse has its own characteristics. Each of these vegetables has similar and distinctive aspects regarding care and growth.
In order to get a rich and high-quality harvest of eggplants, you need to observe certain conditions in the greenhouse:
- the air should be dry and warm (about 28 degrees);
- it is necessary to ensure free access of sunlight to the plantings;
- It is recommended to water only with warm water directly under the root;
- cultivation involves tying and pinching.
During the formation of color on blue seedlings, it is necessary to cut off excess small and weak flowers. Otherwise, the fruits are small and have a deformed shape.
From the moment the seeds are planted until the fruit appears, an average of 115 days pass. So that the greenhouse can be harvested even earlier, gardeners also plant other vegetable crops.
Blue ones can be planted with sweet peppers. These two vegetable crops get along well and require the same care. It is enough to water them 1-2 times a week. Water consumption is approximately 2 liters per root. During flowering, watering should be increased up to 3 times.
After watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil so that oxygen and nutrients penetrate better into the plant. But you need to loosen the soil carefully, since the root branches are very vulnerable and are located close to the soil surface. During the entire growing season, it is necessary to apply mineral and organic fertilizers at least 3 times.
You can plant eggplants with any legumes, Chinese cabbage, radishes, basil, and onions. This neighborhood will not cause any discomfort.
The proximity of blueberries to tomatoes is not very successful. Tomatoes require a lot of moisture; many varieties tolerate shade well, but do not tolerate heat well. If the air is too warm, tomatoes lose their ovaries.
Tomatoes attract many pests. Eggplants are watered more often and more abundantly. Excess moisture leads to the development of fungus and other diseases.
Cucumbers ripen quite quickly. From the moment the first shoots appear, only 38-40 days can pass. There are some peculiarities of growing cucumbers:
- the air in the greenhouse should be humid and approximately 19 degrees;
- the soil needs to be well fertilized, at least three times during the entire growing season;
- You need to water frequently with warm, settled water;
- timely treatment against pests and diseases.
For greenhouses, it is better to choose hybrids that do not require pollination by insects. The fruits are juicy, dense and crunchy, without bitterness in taste.
Possible neighborhood
The proximity of eggplants to cucumbers does not have the best effect, but it is possible to grow them by following some rules. If proximity cannot be avoided, then eggplants should be planted along the wall, where there is enough sunlight. Cucumbers should be planted on the opposite side so that their dense plantings do not shade the eggplant beds.
Cucumbers require a lot of moisture to grow and develop. Therefore, the root system will absorb water and microelements from the soil, without leaving them for the eggplants.
When planting eggplants together with cucumbers, you need to take into account that the latter need to be watered more often. Moisture negatively affects the development of blue vegetables. Eggplants are best planted along the south side, and cucumbers along the north.
If eggplants need dry and hot air, then cucumbers love moist, cool air of about 20 degrees. Therefore, if eggplants are planted next to cucumbers, then when the air is dry, the inflorescences of the latter begin to fall off.
During the period of fruit formation, eggplants need to be provided with ventilation. Drafts are contraindicated for cucumbers. Planted vegetables will wilt and the yield may be reduced.
The only similar requirement when growing both crops is the composition of the soil and fertilizer.These vegetable crops like loose and light soil. Fertilizers can also be applied the same.
Solution
Not everyone has the opportunity to install several greenhouses on their site. Therefore, the issue can be resolved through zoning, then the compatibility of blue vegetables with green ones will be possible. The room is divided into several zones. You can additionally organize another entrance to the greenhouse and make a partition from polycarbonate, oilcloth or polyethylene.
A partition or additional entrance will solve many problems. For example, if tomatoes and eggplants are planted at the same time, you can easily ventilate the former and water the latter.
If it is not possible to make a second entrance to the greenhouse, then you can simply make a partition through which you should pass only when necessary. The partition can protect against the spread of pests and maintain the necessary microclimate.
Eggplants belong to the self-pollinating group of plants, so you need to choose cucumber varieties that do not require pollination by bees.
You need to plant crops in different beds. Can be planted on opposite sides or placed eggplants near the walls of the greenhouse, and cucumbers in the middle. The sides of the greenhouse are much warmer and have more light.
If there is a lot of space left between cucumbers and eggplants in one greenhouse, then you can plant beans. It is able to enrich the soil with nitrogen, grows quickly and bears fruit well in a greenhouse.
Meeting with diseases and pests
When growing cucumbers next to eggplants, gardeners are often faced with the development of diseases and pest invasions. These plants are often attacked by aphids and spider mites. Insects damage seedlings and can carry many infectious diseases that spread at high speed.
Before planting seeds or seedlings of cucumbers and eggplants, disinfection measures must be carried out. It is necessary to disinfect not only the soil, but also the greenhouse structure, as well as gardening tools.
To prevent illness or notice it in time, you need to know a few rules:
- periodically you need to inspect the plantings, especially the inside of the leaves;
- if a change in the color of the leaves, the appearance of spots, pest larvae or adults is detected, it is necessary to treat with insecticides;
- Onion or garlic infusion, wood ash infusion with the addition of laundry soap will help prevent or get rid of pests.
Fertilizers will saturate plants with essential nutrients and increase resistance to disease. The best option for vegetable crops is manure and humus. You just have to remember that you can’t add fresh manure to the soil, so as not to burn the root system of the plants.
