Formation of eggplants in open ground: diagram, video

It is necessary to form eggplants in open ground in cases where the bushes are tall enough and grow well. Usually they are carried in 1-2 stems. If the planting is very dense and there is not enough space, 3-4 shoots are allowed. To do this, you need to install a support by tying the stems with rope.

Is it necessary to form eggplants in open ground?

As a rule, the formation of eggplants is carried out in a greenhouse. The reason is obvious - there is not enough space here, not much light comes in, so the bushes need to be grown in 1-2, less often in three stems, so that they give a good harvest. Although many varieties of eggplant produce strong, tall bushes with a large number of shoots.

Formation often needs to be done when growing in open ground. This procedure provides several advantages:

1. Uniform access of light and air to all parts of the plant.
2. It is possible to get 1-2 or several strong shoots so that the plant does not waste energy on the remaining branches.
3. Prevention of bacterial and fungal diseases.
4. It is easier to process bushes and care for them.
5. It is possible to save space: for example, if you grow bushes in open ground in three stems, they can be planted at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other.

When to form

It is recommended to start work 2-3 weeks after transplanting seedlings into open ground. By this moment, the bushes should have grown to 30-35 cm. Sometimes due to weather conditions, the dates may shift slightly, so it is worth focusing on the forecast.

If the seedlings develop poorly after transplantation, it is necessary to increase feeding and regularly provide nitrogen compounds. In this case, you should be in time before the first ovaries appear. Therefore, the deadline is the flowering period.

Formation begins when the eggplants grow to 30-35 cm

Preparatory work

At the preparatory stage, you should perform several actions:

1. Install a support and tie plants to it. This is done so that the plants do not bend down to the soil due to the weight of the fruits.
2. Pinch the top growing point.
3. Treat the wound with wood ash, lime or charcoal powder.
4. Wait for several shoots to form and leave the strong ones, remove the rest.

You can work manually or using pruners. The blades are pre-treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or another antiseptic.

How to properly form an eggplant bush in open ground

Forming plants in open ground is a fairly simple procedure. If you follow the basic rules, the bushes will not suffer and will produce a good harvest. We recommend paying attention to several points:

1. Work should begin only after the bush reaches a height of 30 cm. In order for it to adapt, the eggplant must be allowed to “rest” for 1-2 weeks before forming.
2. After pinching the top point in open ground, you should wait another two weeks to select 1-2 strong shoots. The rest are deleted.
3. After the branching point has been identified and several shoots have been selected, all the lower leaves of the eggplants up to this point must be removed. Moreover, it is better to do this not immediately, but one by one, for example, one sheet per day. Then the plant will survive the injuries less painfully.
4. When grown in open ground, new shoots periodically appear - they should be removed.
5. For proper formation, weak stepsons are pinched after the second leaf above the ovary in such a way that only one fruit remains.
6. If you grow eggplants in open ground, you should remove all growing points a month before harvesting. Then the plant will direct all its forces to the formation of fruits, and not green mass.

After pruning, plants weaken, may become exhausted and even suffer from infections. Therefore, it is necessary to provide enhanced care. To do this, the bushes are regularly watered twice a week. The water is pre-settled indoors or in the sun. In this case, it is best to water in the late evening and strictly at the root, so as not to burn the leaves. The consumption rate is from 1.5 to 2 liters per bush. This corresponds to 10 liters of water per square meter.

After pruning, it is necessary to ensure regular watering and fertilizing.

The soil is periodically loosened and weeded. To prevent it from drying out too quickly, it is advisable to mulch the plantings with sawdust, pine needles, hay, and straw. Also, during and after pruning, it is necessary to fertilize at intervals of two weeks.At the stage of fruit formation, complex formulations or superphosphate (40 g per 10 l) with potassium sulfate (30 g per 10 l) are given.

If the plantings are too dense, the summer is cold and rainy, this can provoke the development of a fungal infection. If powdery plaque or spots on the leaves are detected, it is necessary to treat with special preparations:

• "HOM";
• "Abiga Peak";
• "Bordeaux mixture";
• "Maksim".

Plantings may also suffer from aphids, spider mites and other pests. They can be destroyed using insecticides, for example:

• "Ephoria";
• "Biotlin";
• "Fufanon";
• "Aktara".

Types of shaping eggplants in open ground

To properly trim eggplants in open ground, you need to outline a formation pattern. Most often, bushes have one or two stems, but it also happens that they leave three or more powerful shoots. The choice depends on the characteristics of the variety, planting density and growing conditions.

Dwarf eggplants do not need to be formed at all, but tall varieties grow into 1-2 stems. If there is little space, you can plant densely and form bushes with three stems or more.

One stem

If the variety is tall, the plant is weakened due to unfavorable weather conditions, diseases or other reasons, it is better to form it in open ground in one shoot. This is the simplest case, in which only one strong stem is left and the rest are pinched.

In this case, the shoot must be tied to a wooden or metal peg buried in the soil. It must be secured with rope or fabric. You cannot tie it with wire, as this will damage the plant stem during formation.

In most cases, bushes lead to 1-2 stems

Two stems

Pruning eggplants in open ground when forming into two shoots is carried out according to the same scheme as in one. In this case, pinch off the top growth point after the bush reaches 30-35 cm. Then they wait for a while, select the two most developed shoots and leave them. All other sprouts are removed. You should also pick off the lower leaves of eggplants up to the branching point. They will not give anything to the plant and will only take away nutrients and water from it.

More than three stems

In open ground, formation of three or more stems is usually not used. This method is typical for greenhouses, where it is enough to simply install supports or stretch threads in order to support numerous vines.

The principle of forming eggplants is exactly the same. You need to wait until the bush in open ground grows to 35 cm, then pinch the top growth point. After this, three or more of the strongest shoots are left. The lower leaves and shoots of eggplants should be torn off up to this point. Other branches that compete with the main shoots are also pinched.

The formation scheme of 1-3 stems will help to carry out the procedure correctly

The bushes will be compact and will not take up much space. Therefore, they can be placed as tightly as possible.

Common Mistakes

During formation, summer residents sometimes make mistakes that can lead to partial loss of the harvest. To avoid them, it is recommended to follow these rules:

1. When working in open ground, you should not carry out formation in hot or, conversely, rainy weather. It is better to plan the procedure on a cool and dry day (optimal temperature 20-25 degrees).
2. If the eggplant is weakened, its foliage is twisted, yellowed, or there are signs of disease, it is better not to start forming. It is necessary to identify the disease or pest and carry out treatment in the open ground with special preparations. During the fruiting period, folk recipes or biological agents are used.
3. Another common mistake is that summer residents incorrectly determine the timing of eggplant formation in open ground. You need to start the procedure 2-3 weeks after planting in the garden, when the eggplants grow to 30-35 cm.
4. After the formation has passed and several strong shoots have been identified, it is necessary to continue to monitor the plants in the open ground. It is necessary to remove excess stepsons, as well as control how the wounds heal.
5. To prevent infection from penetrating through the damage, they must be treated with ash, charcoal powder or liquid lime.
6. If the weather is dry, then a few lower leaves should be left. When grown in open ground, they will help the plant survive the dry period.
7. If the weather is hot, then the lower foliage of the eggplants, on the contrary, is completely removed. This is necessary for the proper formation and prevention of diseases. Otherwise, the foliage may come into contact with open ground and rot.

Conclusion

Forming eggplants in open ground is necessary to obtain a good harvest and prevent diseases and pests.The procedure is not very complicated, the main thing is to start it on time, periodically remove the stepsons and provide normal care.

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