From the point of view of botany, eggplant is a berry, according to the cook, it is a vegetable. And in the southern regions of Russia it is often called simply blue. In scientific works, it is said that eggplants are herbaceous plants of the nightshade family (perennial), the pear-shaped fruits of which weigh from 0.35 to 1 kilogram (and their length can reach 0.7 meters). Only they are edible (the rest of the plant is not eaten).
Important! It is better to eat slightly unripe fruits, as overripe berries are distinguished by a rough structure and are not very tasty.
Eggplant, whose vegetative period varies within 2-5 months, is a very thermophilic plant. In Russia, only the southern regions can boast a fairly large number of warm and sunny days. Therefore, so that the plants can properly develop and give a good harvest, it is better to plant eggplants through seedlings. How to prepare the seeds of a plant (they are flat and small in shape; light brown in color) for planting? How to get seedlings and how to care for them so that the plants become strong, strong and suitable for planting in open ground or a greenhouse? Let's get it right. Moreover, the process of planting eggplant is quite painstaking, but worth it to do.
A bit of history
Based on ancient manuscripts, scientists came to the conclusion that 1,500 years ago wild eggplant grew in India, South Asia and the Middle East. It was in these parts of this plant that they began to actively cultivate. Later, in the XV century, the Europeans “met” with a similar vegetable, appreciating it at its true worth. And only in the XVII century the berry was introduced into the territory of Russia, took root and became quite popular. Initially, eggplant planting was carried out exclusively in the southern and central regions of the country, and subsequently in the northern regions they began to do so with success.
Today, thanks to the fruitful work of breeders, a huge number of varieties of this beautiful plant have been bred, the fruits of which people eat. Vegetables are distinguished by color, size and shape. Traditionally considered medium-sized berries that have a dark purple color.
The timing of planting eggplant seedlings
So when to sow seeds for seedlings? It all depends on the region of your residence. In the southern regions of the country, eggplant seedlings should be planted at the end of March.
Important! Experts do not recommend sowing eggplant for seedlings on days such as the new moon and full moon.
In regions with more severe climatic conditions, it is better to plant eggplants in February. This is logical: the colder the region, the earlier the sowing of seeds. When calculating the planting dates, one must be guided by the fact that the seeds will sprout in two weeks. Further on, seedlings will need about 2 months (or maybe more) to develop before planting them in a greenhouse or open ground. So it turns out that in the colder regions it is in February that the planting of eggplants (days will be indicated below) is most optimal.
On a note! If there are fears that the fruits will not have enough time to ripen (for this you need about 125-145 days), then you can start planting seeds in late January or early February.
If you intend to grow vegetables with their subsequent laying for storage, the dates for planting eggplants are shifted to the end of April (numbers 23 or 24).
Important! When calculating the landing time, you need to add a few "spare" days, since the weather is very unpredictable, and you can easily make a mistake with it. It’s better to be safe.
Another nuance to keep in mind: the longer the seedlings are at home, the stronger and stronger they become. In this case, there is a chance that a transplant into an open ground with a plant that has an already developed root system will be easier to carry (that is, it will not hurt in the future and the engraftment process will be easier).
Remember! Such a vegetable as eggplant is rather capricious and really does not like to be disturbed by its root system.
By the way, the timing of planting seedlings of peppers and eggplant are the same.
Lunar Landing Calendar
When should sowing work begin in 2018? What days exactly? The lunar eggplant planting calendar is as follows:
- The optimal numbers in January are 20, 21, 25, 26, 29, and 30.
- In February: 18, 21, 22, 25 or 26.
- Eggplant planting days in March: 1, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 29 or 30.
- In April: 18, 21, 22, 25, 26, or 29.
- In May: 18, 19, 22, 23, 27 or 28.
Important! Keep in mind that the eggplant planting calendar is exclusively advisory (that is, completely optional). The main thing is to remind you once again: you should not carry out any excavation work on the days of a new moon or a full moon. On these days, the earth "must rest."
Note (for lovers of peppers)! According to the lunar calendar, the timing of planting seedlings of peppers and eggplant are the same.
What to grow seedlings
This question is important, since eggplant is a moody vegetable, and it suffers all kinds of transplants and pickings quite painfully. Therefore, it is preferable to immediately plant the seeds in separate pots, in which the plants will grow until the moment they are planted in a greenhouse or open ground.
Capacities should not be small, since the height of the seedling sometimes reaches 32-42 cm, and the plant has a rather developed root system. For these purposes, you can use either ready-made containers made of plastic, or sour cream cups, or bags of milk or kefir.
On a note! To avoid stagnation of excess fluid in the pots, it is necessary to make holes from the bottom. Do not forget about it.
Some gardeners prefer to use pots of peat for seedlings. Others believe that such containers are not very suitable for growing due to the fact that the earth in them quickly dries out (moisture evaporates through the walls of the pot); the plant develops inharmoniously - the roots grow faster than the leaves; before planting in the soil, the roots germinate so much through the walls that you have to plant the plant along with the pot (and it decomposes very poorly, despite the fact that it is made of organic matter).
But not everyone has large window sills, on which you can place individual containers with seedlings. Therefore, it is first necessary to plant the seeds in common containers, and then pick them up.
Preparing the seeds for planting
Seed preparation is as follows:
- We dip the seeds in warm water (liquid temperature - 40-50 degrees) for 5-10 minutes.
- Drain the water; wrap the seeds in a damp cloth (preferably gauze), folded in several layers; put the package in a saucer (or a small flat container); pour a little settled water at room temperature (the cloth should only be dampened).
- We put the saucer in a bag, which we tie in such a way that there is air access.
- We leave a plate with planting material for 5-7 days in a warm place (at a temperature of 25 degrees). Constantly ensure that the gauze is wet.
Important! Water in the saucer should not be in excess.
- After the seeds have sprouted, they are ready to plant in pre-prepared soil.
Preparing the soil for seeds
The soil mixture should be quite fertile. At the same time, they differ in lightness, friability and neutrality. You can buy ready-made soil in the distribution network. And you can cook it on your own by mixing river sand, turf and humus in a ratio of 1: 1: 2. Then add superphosphate (based on 20 liters of a mixture of 1 cup) and a couple of glasses of wood ash. Then mix everything thoroughly. Everything, the soil mixture for planting eggplant is ready.
On a note! To lighten the soil, instead of two parts of humus, you can take only one part of it, and add the second with peat.
We recommend that you prepare the mixture in advance (from the fall) on your personal plot and store it in a cold place (for example, on the balcony) so that it freezes and all pathogens die. Indoors, the soil should be brought in a week before the start of work, so that it thaws under natural conditions.
If there are doubts about the quality of the soil mixture, you can spill it with a very strong solution of potassium permanganate. And a day before planting seeds, in addition to previously taken measures, it can be treated with a fungicide.
On a note! A few days before planting, the soil mixture can be poured into prepared containers for seedlings. Just do not forget to first provide for drainage in pots (cups or containers) (with a layer of at least 10 mm), for which expanded clay (or sand) is suitable.
Direct seed planting
The process is simple but time-consuming. Before planting eggplant seeds in the soil, they must be decontaminated without fail. To do this, prepare a strong solution of potassium permanganate and stand the seeds in it for half an hour. And you can prepare another mixture consisting of water (200 ml) and hydrogen peroxide (6 ml), heat it (up to 40 degrees) and lower the planting material into it for 10 minutes. In addition, many 2-3 hours before planting eggplant produce soil treatment with preparations of a biological nature, which not only carry out the function of recharge, but also the function of protection against various pathogens of diseases. Someone considers it superfluous.
Next, we place the prepared seeds in separate cups (no more than 12 cm high) or a total capacity (box or container). To do this, it is necessary to fill the soil (with a layer of 7-9 cm), make small recesses (15 mm high) in it, place the planting material (2-3 in each hole), sprinkle with soil (1.5-2 height cm), slightly tighten, cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place (temperature should be about 25 degrees). After the seeds have sprouted, remove the film and place the pots (or container) on the windowsill (closer to the sun).
Important! If you use a common container, then plant the eggplant seeds in the grooves located at a distance of 60-70 mm from each other. And one more thing: when the seeds germinate, the weaker plant should be removed (you remember that in each hole there are 2-3 seeds).
Every day it is necessary to remove the polyethylene from the mini-greenhouse, thereby providing air access to it; as well as monitor soil moisture. If necessary, spray with water.
On a note! We recommend sticking a “beacon” in each pot with seedlings, on which not only the type of vegetable will be indicated, but also the date of planting.
Temperature conditions for seedlings
For good germination of seeds under the film, the optimal air temperature should be about 24-25 degrees (but not lower than 22). In the next week after the appearance of the first seedlings, such a temperature regime should be maintained. Then the daytime temperature can be lowered to 17 degrees, and the nighttime to 13-15. Such events contribute to the development of the root system of the plant, and also do not allow the plant to stretch up.
On a note! If you want the seedlings to adapt faster in the garden later on, you need to harden them. To do this (after two weeks after the seeds have sprouted), it is necessary to create an imitation of natural conditions when it is hot during the day and cold at night. Therefore, in the daytime we maintain the temperature at 25-27 degrees, and at night - 12-14 degrees.
Lighting is very important
If the seeds were introduced into the soil in April, then most likely there will be plenty of light on the windowsill. But if the sowing work took place in February or March, then the seedlings will need artificial lighting (at least 12-14 hours a day).
Important! You need to turn on the backlight from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Moreover, the first three days (after the seeds have sprouted), artificial lighting devices should work around the clock.
For illumination, you can use not only special lamps (fluorescent, LED) or phytolamps, but also ordinary incandescent lamps. Initially, they are suspended at a distance of 100 mm from the soil mixture, and subsequently half a meter above the seedlings.
On a note! If the seedlings are very stretched up, and the leaves are poorly developed, then most likely they lack light or they are too closely planted. And another piece of advice: periodically turn the pots with seedlings around the axis so that each part of the plant is lit and heated.
Do not forget to water
After three days after removing the film, watering should be started and carried out once every three to four days, slightly moistening only the soil around the seedling. When the first leaves appear, watering should be less frequent (1 time per week). Water for these purposes should be warm (about 25 degrees) and settled.
Important! It is necessary to ensure that the soil is always slightly moist. Lack of fluid will lead to lower yields, and excess can cause a disease such as a black leg.
For watering it is better to use a spray gun. The usual method is not recommended, since a strong stream can contribute to the deepening of planting material, and it will be quite difficult for it to grow through the thickness of the soil. After "water procedures" the soil needs to be slightly loosened.
On a note! After watering, you can make top dressing (if you think that it is necessary).
Feeding will not hurt
We recommend the first top dressing with potassium-nitrogen fertilizers 11 days after the seeds have sprouted (if the seedlings are not dived) or 2 weeks after the dive. Subsequent feeding (potassium nitrate, "Crystal" or "Kemira Lux") produce no more than once every two weeks.
Important! In order to avoid burns of the root system, watering is necessary before and after each dressing.
Finally
If all the conditions are met, including favorable days for planting eggplant, then most likely, a vegetable harvest will delight you. And regarding the timing of transplanting seedlings into the open ground, one should adhere to the following recommendation: do this when it is already warm during the day and no frost is scheduled at night.