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Eggplant is rightfully considered one of the most useful vegetables that can be grown in domestic conditions. In addition, the fruits of the plant have original and extremely pleasant taste, which are used in the preparation of various dishes. Moreover, eggplant can be consumed both fresh and canned. One of the most popular products is the widely known eggplant caviar. The factors listed above have led to the fact that the plant can increasingly be found in domestic gardens and vegetable gardens.
Basic properties of eggplants
The climatic conditions of Russia are far from the most suitable for growing eggplants. Therefore, it is necessary to use a variety of agricultural techniques to help achieve stable and high vegetable yields. The most important points to consider when growing a plant are the following.
Heat-loving properties of eggplants
Plants are quite rightly among the most heat-loving of all grown in extremely difficult domestic conditions. The optimal temperature for vegetable development is considered to be an ambient temperature exceeding plus 20 degrees.At lower temperatures, eggplant growth slows down noticeably, and in some cases, stops altogether.
In addition to loving warmth, the plant also perceives the effects of negative temperatures extremely negatively. During frosts, eggplants often die, so additional measures have to be taken to protect them. When growing vegetables in open ground conditions, various devices are almost always used, for example, arcs are installed onto which covering protective material is stretched. As a rule, ordinary polyethylene film is used for these purposes.
Another consequence of eggplant’s heat-loving nature is that in the conditions of the Russian middle zone it is almost always grown using seedlings. Otherwise, there is always a risk of simply not being able to get a harvest before the temperatures at which the growth and development of the plant stops.
High soil moisture requirements
For normal growth, eggplant requires a constantly high level of moisture in the soil in which it is grown. The required degree of moisture is usually achieved using two main agricultural techniques.
Firstly, the plant is regularly and abundantly watered. The optimal time for this is considered to be morning or evening hours, when the ambient temperature is not the highest, which allows moisture to be completely absorbed into the soil.
Secondly, when growing eggplants, mulching the soil is mandatory. This is necessary to slow down the evaporation of water, as well as for its more even distribution in the soil.A variety of options can be used as mulch, for example, straw, a layer of grass or sawdust, and often a mixture of the listed components.
It should be borne in mind that with an insufficient level of humidity, as a rule, the plant’s flowers and sometimes the ovaries fall off. In addition, another extremely unpleasant process may occur, which consists in the deformation of already formed eggplant fruits.
The need for regular and abundant feeding
One of the main reasons for failure when growing eggplant is, as a rule, fertilizing done at the wrong time or in insufficient quantities. In this case, it is imperative to take into account the condition of the soil and the level of substances in it necessary for plant growth, since the frequency and amount of necessary fertilizers depends on this.
When choosing the option and amount of fertilizing, the following must be considered. The eggplant harvest is negatively affected by both the deficiency or complete absence of necessary nutrients (in this case, few fruits are formed, which are also small in size), and their excessive quantity (with excess fertilizer applied, too much green mass is formed to the detriment of fruit formation).
Features of feeding eggplants
By doing feeding eggplants Several basic rules must be followed. One of the main ones is that when growing vegetables, foliar feeding is practically not used, when a fertilizer solution is sprayed onto the leaves and stems of the plant. On the contrary, it is recommended to apply fertilizing exclusively to the eggplant root. In addition to this, there are a few more points that need to be observed.
Top dressing depending on soil quality
In the case of growing eggplants in fertile soil, as well as with regular mulching, three feedings after planting the seedlings are sufficient. The first is produced at the time when the plant's buds begin to form. The second feeding is carried out when the harvest time approaches. The third time, fertilizers are applied at the moment of formation of eggplant fruits on the lateral shoots.
The first and second fertilizing usually consists of a standard set of minerals, namely: ammonium nitrate (5 g), potassium chloride or sulfate (10 g) and superphosphate (20 g). The indicated amount of fertilizer is calculated for approximately 1 sq.m. fed area. In some cases, when carrying out the second feeding, the dosage of phosphorus and potassium is doubled. The third fertilizing is done using organic fertilizers, usually rotted compost. Its necessary and sufficient quantity is approximately 6 kg. per 1 sq.m.
When eggplant is grown in soil that is poor in nutrients, more frequent fertilizing is necessary. It is usually done every two weeks. The first time comes 15 days after the seedlings have been planted. As a top dressing, a solution of ordinary complex fertilizer is used, prepared at the rate of 20 g per standard bucket. The required dosage is approximately half a liter of solution for each bush.
When performing the second feeding, organic fertilizers are used, in most cases liquid mullein at the rate of half a liter per plant. During the third and fourth feeding, urea is used. The solution is made at the rate of one tablespoon per bucket of water.For each bush grown, approximately a liter of the resulting solution is required. Urea has an extremely beneficial effect on accelerating the process of the appearance of ovaries, as well as on the subsequent formation of fruits.
Particularly close attention must be paid to feeding eggplant seedlings, since its full formation is one of the determining factors affecting the level of the resulting yield. Experienced gardeners recommend feeding eggplant seedlings twice. The first fertilizing is done at the time when real leaves begin to form on the plant. The second is done approximately 10-12 days before planting the seedlings in the ground.
Feed the seedlings can be done in many different ways. The first fertilizing, as a rule, is a variety of fertilizers with a high nitrogen and potassium content:
- Regular potassium nitrate. To prepare the solution, take 30 grams of the substance per bucket (10 liters) of water.
- Special fertilizer Kemira-Lux. When using it, you must follow the instructions. The usual proportions for preparing the solution are from 25 to 30 g per 10 liters, that is, a bucket of water.
- A self-prepared mixture consisting of foscamide (30 g) with the addition of superphosphate (10 to 15 g). The specified amount is diluted in 10 liters of water.
- The composition already mentioned above, which includes ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium sulfate or potassium chloride in quantities of 2, 3 and 3 teaspoons, respectively, which must be dissolved in a bucket of water.
The second planned fertilizing of seedlings is carried out with compounds that include, in addition to potassium and nitrogen, phosphorus, as well as various micro- and macroelements. In most cases, one of the following options is used:
- Special mixture of fertilizers Kristalon.To prepare the solution, 20 grams per bucket of water is enough.
- The already mentioned complex fertilizer Kemira-Lux. The proportions for preparing the solution are similar to those described above.
- A self-prepared mixture, which includes superphosphate (60 to 80 g) and potassium salt (20-30 g). The specified amount of the mixture is also dissolved in one bucket of water.
When growing eggplant, do not forget about the need to prepare the soil before planting seedlings. It is much more correct and effective not to increase the amount and frequency of fertilizing, but to try to raise the soil level.
As a rule, soil preparation begins in the fall, when the future bed is dug up with the addition of manure. In this case, of course, you should choose weeds.
In the spring, it is also necessary to add organic fertilizers, for example, the same manure, but in a rotted form. These simple measures will have an extremely beneficial effect on the speed and quality of eggplant growth.
Conclusion
When growing eggplant, it is necessary to take into account three main qualities of the plant, namely: its heat-loving nature, as well as high requirements for humidity and fertilizing. Only if all the conditions necessary for the vegetable are met can you count on a stable and decent harvest. Compliance with the feeding rules, especially the timing and amount of fertilizer applied, is not particularly difficult. The main thing is to strictly and carefully follow the recommendations given in the article.
