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How to grow eggplant seedlings at home
Eggplant is one of the tastiest vegetables in the nightshade class, which is grown in almost every household plot. But not everyone succeeds in harvesting a generous harvest. In order for the plant to please with a large number of fruits, it is necessary to grow seedlings according to the rules. After reading this article, you will become a master of eggplant cultivation in your area.
Timing for planting seeds for seedlings
From the moment of sowing the seeds to planting the eggplant on the beds, it should not take more than two months. If the plant grows under a film cover, you need to think about planting seed in the middle of February. If outdoors - at the beginning of March.
Correct fit in the box
Planting eggplant seeds in a box has been practiced for a long time. This method saves space, care of the seedlings is simplified, and transferring from place to place is not a big deal. Before planting seeds, it is necessary to select boxes of the correct size and of the required material.
Drawers are made of wood or plastic, purchased or homemade, most importantly, they should be as convenient as possible. Having picked up a box of the appropriate size, it is necessary to substitute a plywood pallet under it, and cover the walls with polyethylene so that it does not let water through.
Seeds in boxes are planted in grooves, the distance between which is 5 cm. Despite the obvious advantages of the box, there is a significant disadvantage. The root system of the seedlings is fragile, and even with a very careful dive, the root system can be damaged and the plant will die.
Conditions for growing eggplant seedlings at home
To successfully grow eggplants at home, you need to know 5 rules for choosing seeds:
- Productivity and resistance to temperature changes
- Choosing between a variety or a hybrid
- Choosing seeds corresponding to the growing region
- We use prepared seeds
- Choosing a trusted manufacturer
After the seed has been purchased, you need to carry out pre-sowing treatment:
- Seeds can be soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate
- Dissolve 3 ml of hydrogen peroxide in 100.0 water, heat to 40 degrees and lower the seeds for 10 minutes
The soil for sowing eggplant should be nutritious, light and loose with neutral acidity. We fill the container ¾ with earth, plant a seed, cover it with soil, thoroughly moisten it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and cover with a film. You can moisten the soil with melt water. Cold melt water promotes growth and gives strength to the future plant, making it more resistant to disease.
For good growth, you must follow the basic rules of care:
Lighting
For normal growth, eggplant seedlings, natural lighting may be lacking and it will have to be supplemented with a phytolamp or fluorescent lamp. The distance between the lamp and the plant should be about half a meter, and the length of daylight hours lasting from 7 to 19 hours.
Lack of lighting can lead to stretching of seedlings, seedlings weaken and lose their bright color. Such plants, when planted in a permanent place, are subject to all kinds of diseases.
Watering
Watering must be done with warm, settled water.Watering is done in the morning, using a spray bottle, so as not to wash the seeds or expose the roots. When watering, care must be taken that water does not get on the leaves and stems, as the spring sun can burn young shoots.
Top dressing
Eggplant seedlings, regardless of the quality of the soil, need additional feeding. With good development of the plant, it is fertilized with light feeding. To do this, pour 250 ml of tea leaves with 3 liters of water and leave to infuse for a week.
If seedlings grow in poorly nutritious soil or the plant grows poorly and loses its rich color, it is fertilized with complex fertilizers or self-prepared groundbait. For preparation, you need to take 1 teaspoon of superphosphate and potassium sulfate, dilute 2 teaspoons of complex fertilizer in a bucket of water.
You can also use wood ash or yeast solution as complementary foods. Ash is sprinkled on the ground in a thin layer, trying not to get on the leaves and stems. Preparation of yeast solution: 10 grams of dry yeast is diluted in 10 liters of water. Let it brew for 2-3 days. Before watering, the solution is diluted 1:10. All top dressing must be combined with watering.
Additional care
After the formation of 2-3 true leaves, the plant dives into larger pots. The container is filled with a nutrient mixture. The soil where the seeds used to germinate is best suited. The soil is spilled with a solution prepared from wood ash, potassium sulfate or complex fertilizer.
At the rate of 1 teaspoon of fertilizer in a bucket of water. Before diving, the seedlings must be shed. The seedling is carefully removed from the container, trying to take it with an earthen clod, and transfer it to a new container, deepening it to the cotyledon leaves. After transplanting, there should be no open area between the stem and the cotyledon leaves.
After diving, the plant stops growing, adding additional roots. After transplanting, the seedlings are not watered for 6 days and are hidden from the spring sun. After a week, watering is carried out every five days.
Temperature regime
As soon as the sprouts hatch, the covering material is removed and the air temperature is lowered. 7 days after germination, you must adhere to the temperature regime, morning temperature should be 16-17 degrees, at night - 13-14 degrees. This temperature is necessary for good development of the root system.
Further, the temperature should be increased again: in the daytime - 25-27 degrees, at night - 13-14. The difference between day and night temperatures makes it possible to harden the seedlings so that they are resistant to temperature changes when transplanted to a permanent place.
Although growing seedlings is not an easy matter, if you follow all the rules for caring for it, you can get a strong and healthy plant that will delight you with its fruits throughout the season.
