Content
In most cases, it is necessary to form eggplants in a greenhouse, since there is not much space, and the bushes can grow profusely. Usually they are carried in 1-2 stems. This is quite enough to get a good harvest. Less often they lead into three stems (or more). You can start forming at the moment when the bushes have grown to 35 cm, but not later than the formation of ovaries. The procedure is performed manually, the cut areas are sprinkled with wood ash or charcoal powder.
Do I need to trim eggplants in a greenhouse?
Most experienced gardeners agree that shaping eggplants when growing in a polycarbonate greenhouse is absolutely necessary. Moreover, this is especially important for plants in greenhouse conditions. Unlike open ground, they grow in a small room with limited access to light and air flow. Formation provides several obvious advantages:
- The plants will not grow spontaneously, the shoots will stop fattening. Thanks to this, all the nutrients and water will go to fruiting, which will have a good effect on the yield.
- If you prune eggplants correctly in a greenhouse, the light will fall evenly on all the leaves and flowers, including at the bottom of the bush. Therefore, you can count on the formation of all ovaries.
- Also, proper pruning helps normalize humidity levels, air flow, and ventilation, which is especially important when growing in a greenhouse.
- If you carry out pinching in a timely manner, you can prevent the spread of pests and diseases. After thinning, caring for eggplants is easier.
In most cases, gardeners do not have a question about whether eggplants are pruned in a greenhouse or not. If it is not always necessary to do this in open ground, then in a greenhouse the procedure is usually necessary. But it also happens that there is too little time, and stepsoning is difficult to carry out. In this case, it is recommended to grow low-growing varieties of eggplant in a greenhouse that do not require shaping, for example:
- Delicacy;
- White Night;
- Diamond;
- Robin Hood.
When to form
There are no strict deadlines for the formation of eggplant bushes in a greenhouse - it all depends on the growing conditions and the pace of plant development. As a rule, the procedure begins 17-20 days after transplanting seedlings into a greenhouse. By this point, the bushes have grown sufficiently. And if nothing is done, they will begin to form on their own. Then you will get a low, spreading bush, which does not need to be tied up.
Formation begins when the seedlings reach a height of 35 cm
But if you choose a certain step-by-step scheme and form eggplants in a greenhouse, powerful bushes will grow with a good harvest (as in the photo). It is better to start work early in the morning, when it is still quite cool.It is not recommended to work in dry, hot or, conversely, too humid weather. It is better if it is moderately warm outside.
It is necessary to have time before the first ovaries appear. Those. The work should be completed at the stage of mass flowering.
Preparatory work
Before starting to form eggplants in the greenhouse, they need to be tied to a support, for example, a wooden peg. This is done so that the fruits do not bend the bush to the ground as they grow. Otherwise, they will end up on the soil and may rot.
First, tie up all the branches, since they bear the greatest load. It is best to make a support system using wires. But if this is not possible, you can stick strong wooden or metal pegs into the soil.
How to properly form an eggplant bush in a greenhouse
The formation of a bush is possible in one, two or three stems. Sometimes they even lead to 4-5 branches, but these are rare cases. To get a good bush, it is recommended to leave 1-2 of the strongest shoots and pinch the rest. This will allow the plant to concentrate all its nutrients and water on these branches.
Stepping is carried out manually, preferably weekly. Formation is done so that the stepsons do not grow more than 5 cm. First, branching is planned, and then all young foliage and shoots below this point are removed.
Pinching should be done no later than one month before the end of the growing season. The fact is that after pruning, the plant spends quite a lot of time recovering. If pinching is done later, it may have a bad effect on the yield.
Proper formation will ensure a good harvest even in a small bed.
After trimming eggplants in the greenhouse, it is recommended to organize enhanced care. It boils down to the following actions:
- Regular watering at least twice a week. Water is taken that has been settled and prepared in advance. It is most effective to water using a drip system, but you can use a watering can or hose. The consumption rate is 1.5-2 liters per adult bush.
- In order for the formation of eggplants in the greenhouse to proceed correctly, it is recommended to apply fertilizing. During flowering and ovary formation, superphosphate (40 g per 10 l) and potassium sulfate (30 g) are given. Mineral fertilizing can be alternated with organic matter (mullein 1:10 or bird droppings 1:20).
- The soil should be periodically loosened with a fork or rake to a depth of 5 cm. At the same time, weeds are removed.
- To prevent the soil from losing moisture, it is recommended to mulch the plantings with straw, sawdust, peat or other “breathable” materials. They maintain soil moisture, and also inhibit the growth of weeds and even repel pests.
- During formation, eggplants in a greenhouse are especially vulnerable because pests, fungi, bacteria and other pathogens can enter through wounds. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor the plants and, if necessary, treat them with drugs. Insecticides are used against insects, for example, “Agravertin”, “Inta-Vir”, “Fufanon” and others. Fungicides, for example, “Maxim”, “Skor”, “Bordeaux mixture”, “Tattu” help to cope with fungi.
Types of shaping eggplants in a greenhouse
The formation of eggplants in a greenhouse is carried out according to different schemes. Most often, bushes lead to one or two stems. But there are also cases when plants have to be formed into three shoots or even more.The choice is made depending on the characteristics of the variety and growing conditions. Each technique is described below.
Scheme for pinching and removing stepsons
One stem
This scheme for forming eggplants is used in cases where there is very little space in the greenhouse. It is necessary to choose the strongest and strongest branch and tie it vertically to stimulate growth processes. The angle should be as sharp as possible, but at the same time not such that it breaks. All other shoots are removed from the bush. At the same time, it is necessary to tear off all the lower leaves of the eggplants in the greenhouse.
Next, 1-2 times a week it is necessary to pinch the newly formed shoots along with their foliage and inflorescences. The plant will direct all its forces to only one main branch, resulting in really large fruits.
Two stems
The technique is the same, but now it is necessary to leave not one, but two of the most developed shoots. As soon as the bush reaches 35 cm in height, you need to pinch the top and wait a few days until the side stems form.
Several of them will appear. Among the shoots, the two strongest ones with a powerful “trunk” are selected, and the rest are cut off. Then the sections are treated with charcoal powder or wood ash.
Using the same scheme for forming eggplants in a greenhouse, you should pinch all shoots to a height of 50 cm. There is no need to completely remove them. It is enough to remove the growing point and leave 1-2 leaves. When the plant enters the flowering phase, it is necessary to continue its formation, leading into two stems. 20-25 buds are left on each bush, the rest are removed.
More than three stems
If it is necessary to form three or more stems, the technique is exactly the same.During pruning, 2-3 more shoots are left along with the main stem. They should be the most fleshy - then the probability of survival is close to 100%. All other processes going below are removed.
Comparison of three methods for shaping eggplants in a greenhouse
Common Mistakes
As can be seen from the description, the formation procedure is quite simple. But on the other hand, beginners and even experienced gardeners often make mistakes, which leads to a decrease in yield. To prevent them, it is recommended to follow these rules:
- You can pinch plants manually or with pruning shears or scissors. The blades should first be sharpened and disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate or other antiseptic.
- Pinching is done so that small stumps remain. There is no need to remove shoots “at the root”, since this formation can damage the main stem, which can lead to infection.
- All cuts should be treated with charcoal powder or wood ash. Otherwise, bacteria, fungi and other pathogenic microorganisms may penetrate them.
- Summer residents often leave too many ovaries, believing that the more there are, the higher the yield. In fact, when forming, you should leave only 20 ovaries on each plant. If there are too many of them, the bush will become depleted and the fruits will be crushed.
Conclusion
Forming eggplants in a greenhouse is not very difficult, since the principle is the same. It is necessary to pinch the growing point, pinch it and wait for several shoots to form. Among them, 2-3 of the strongest are left, and the rest are removed. Stepchildren should also be removed regularly. If you pay enough attention to this procedure, the harvest will turn out really good.
