Vegetables such as eggplant have long been prescribed in the greenhouses of Russian gardeners. Care and cultivation of this wonderful plant requires a careful approach, as the eggplant is quite demanding. But the result is undoubtedly worth it - the purple oblong fruits have a wonderful taste, they can be cooked and eaten right away, and you can make various salads and preparations with them in the winter. So, what should be the care of the eggplant so that it will please a rich harvest? Let's try to answer this question.
Eggplant care in the greenhouse begins with proper soil preparation. To do this, remove the remains of last year's plants from the ground, and then give her an intense shower a couple of times. This procedure will help remove excess fertilizer. Next, disinfection is carried out - the soil is treated with a solution of copper sulfate (2 tablespoons of the substance per 10 liters of water), after which it is necessary to loosen the earth to a depth of at least 25 cm.
After preliminary preparation, you can plant seedlings - eggplant is planted in one row, a maximum of two, the optimal distance between the holes is 45 cm, since this plant is very branched and likes to grow to the sides.
Caring for eggplant in a greenhouse involves observing the rules for watering this crop. It’s best to schedule. This culture loves moisture, but without stagnation of water, therefore it is necessary to water rarely, but abundantly, so that water can penetrate to the roots, to a depth of 22-25 cm. In early summer, eggplant should be watered once a week, and after the first fruits grow - two times a week. In no case do you need to wet the leaves, water should be poured directly to the base of the bush. Do not forget about the temperature regime - the optimum temperature is 23-28 degrees, if it is higher - the flowers will fall off the plant, if below 13-14 degrees, the eggplants will not develop further.
Eggplant care in the greenhouse necessarily includes periodic top dressing. It should be carried out 4-5 times per season. The first top dressing is carried out already a couple of weeks after planting seedlings with mineral fertilizers. The second - substances rich in phosphorus. Do not abuse organic fertilizers, as this leads to the growth of the bush, but adversely affects the formation of ovaries.
And do not forget to form - this is the process of removing apical growth points. Due to this, branching is enhanced. The procedure should be carried out when the bush reaches a height of 20-30 cm (depending on the variety). Around the same time, you can carry out a garter, although many gardeners do this much later, when the fruits are already quite large. But you can’t do without a garter at all - the branches of eggplant, like the branches of peppers and a tomato, are very fragile and can not withstand a lot of weight.
The main problem that there is a risk in eggplant cultivation is the appearance of aphids. The main method of combating this pest is rapidly decomposing insecticides.
If you follow all the tips on how to properly care for the eggplant in the greenhouse, at the end of the season they will delight you with a rich harvest.