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Eggplants are versatile vegetables that can be used in many dishes. Various stews and salads are prepared from blueberries, added to first and second courses, pickled, preserved and fermented. Therefore, every summer resident dreams of growing eggplants on his own plot. However, this culture is quite capricious, so all stages of its cultivation must be carried out with strict adherence to the rules.
Greatly increases the chances of success when grown eggplant seedlings at home. After all, when buying seedlings, you can never be 100% sure of its quality.
In addition, tender eggplants need to be transplanted from one place to another as quickly as possible.
Find out how to grow eggplant seedlings at home and get an excellent harvest of blue ones at your own dacha in this article.
Preparing seeds for sowing
Deciding on the type of eggplant is only half the battle. Although there is a small nuance - only varieties with early ripening periods are suitable for domestic climatic conditions; the rest simply do not have time to ripen.
It is much more responsible to properly prepare the seeds for planting. First of all it is necessary to reject unsuitable seed material. One way is to place the seeds in water with the addition of table salt. Dilute 5% salt in warm water and dip eggplant seeds into this solution for a couple of hours. Those seeds that float to the surface can be collected with a spoon and thrown away - they are neither empty nor will they sprout. The remaining seeds are caught and further processed.
To disinfect eggplant seeds, a solution of potassium permanganate is suitable, at the rate of 1 gram of manganese per 100 grams of water. That is, the solution should be strong enough and have a dark purple tint.
It is more convenient to place seeds in a container with a solution after pouring them into a linen bag. The bag can be attached to the edge of a jar or glass of manganese with a regular clothespin. The seeds are left in this position for 20 minutes, after which they are thoroughly washed under running tap water.
Under natural conditions, eggplant seeds germinate very slowly; this process can take up to three weeks. To speed up the growth of seedlings, it is recommended to first soak the seeds in warm water for about 12 hours, after which the seeds are laid out on a cloth and moistened with water. The saucer with cloth and seeds is placed in a warm place (25-28 degrees), constantly moistened and waited for several days to hatch.
Eggplants do not tolerate any transplantation well, in order to reduce the loss of seedlings, it needs to be hardened. The first stage of hardening occurs when the seeds hatch. There are two hardening methods:
- For several days, keep the sprouted seeds at a temperature of 20 degrees during the day, and at night lower it to +5 degrees.
- Place the swollen seeds in the zero chamber of the refrigerator, where they are kept for 1-3 days.
Where to get soil for seedlings
Soil for growing eggplant seedlings at home can be purchased at a specialty store. But It is much cheaper and more reliable to prepare the substrate yourself.
Every experienced gardener already has his own, best, recipe for preparing a soil mixture for blueberry seedlings. Here are some of the most common recipes:
- turf soil, humus, superphosphate, wood ash;
- turf soil, peat, sand;
- mullein, sawdust, peat.
Ready mixture before application fertilizers needs to be disinfected. There are several ways to do this:
- soil freezing;
- baking soil in the oven;
- watering the ground with boiling water;
- adding a solution of potassium permanganate.
Fertilizers are added to the disinfected soil, mixed thoroughly and laid out in containers for seedlings.
Choosing the timing of sowing seeds for seedlings
The timing of sowing eggplants depends on several factors:
- Eggplant varieties and their growing season.
- Planting method (greenhouse, heated greenhouse, open ground).
- Climatic features of the region.
- Weather conditions.
As a rule, eggplant seedlings are brought into open ground 65-70 days after the first shoots appear.Considering that the seeds will take from 5 to 12 days to germinate, we can calculate - plant Eggplants are needed on the 80th day after sowing the seeds in pots.
Of course, a lot depends on the region in which the garden is located. In central Russia, for example, eggplants are brought out into the garden around mid-May.
Most summer residents and gardeners are of the opinion that the best time for sowing eggplant seeds is the end of February and the beginning of March.
Growing seedlings at home
The eggplant root system is very fragile; even one damaged shoot will inhibit the growth of the entire plant. To minimize the loss of seedlings, it is better to plant them immediately in separate containers, then diving will not be necessary.
Round pots with a diameter of 7-10 cm are suitable as containers for seedlings. These can be plastic or peat cups. It's good if it's possible eggplant transplants with a clod of earth (a peat glass or a cut plastic container).
The pots are filled with substrate to about 23 degrees and watered with warm water. Seeds are placed on the ground - three in each pot. The seeds are not buried in the soil, but sprinkled with dry and loose soil - eggplants need oxygen.
If the seeds were previously germinated, the first shoots will appear on the 5th day after sowing; ungerminated seeds will sprout only after 10 days. During this time, the plants should be kept in a warm place - 25-28 degrees.
After 10 days, the pots are placed in a cooler room (about 16-18 degrees). At this time, the root system of eggplants is forming; in order for it to be strong and powerful, the plant must be placed in the cold.
After 7-10 days, during the day the seedlings are kept at a temperature of 23-26 degrees, at night it should be a little cooler - about 18 degrees.
Eggplants need to be watered regularly - the soil should not dry out or crack. Also, the soil must be carefully loosened - a dense crust should not form around the stem. Water for irrigation should be warm.
How to highlight eggplant seedlings
Little blue ones love the sun very much; they need light as well as warmth. Considering the fact that the seeds for eggplant seedlings are sown at the end of February, it is easy to guess that the seedlings will not have enough sunlight.
That's why artificial lighting of plants is used. This is done with powerful fluorescent lamps (70 watts). Fluorescent lamps are excellent for these purposes.
Lighting devices are placed at a height of about 50 cm from the eggplant seedlings. The daylight hours of this crop depend on the age of the seedlings:
- after the first shoots appear, eggplant seedlings are illuminated with lamps 24 hours a day for the first three days;
- the following days, daylight hours should be about 15 hours;
- after the seedlings are planted, or two or three true leaves appear on the plants, the lamps can be turned on for 12 hours a day.
How to feed and harden eggplant seedlings
The little blue ones are among those crops that really love fertilizing. That's why, if the plants develop poorly and have insufficient foliage, they are fed with mullein or chicken droppings.
When the seedlings feel good, you can apply fertilizer for the first time 10 days after picking (or after the third leaf appears). Repeat the procedure after another 20 days.
The best mixture for feeding eggplants is considered to be:
- potassium salt – 3 grams;
- ammonium nitrate – 5 grams;
- superphosphate – 12 grams.
After applying fertilizer, the seedlings must be watered well with clean water so that the eggplants do not burn.
Blue seedlings need to be hardened off two weeks before planting in a permanent place. The procedure includes reducing watering and ventilating the plants.
When the outside temperature stabilizes within 20 degrees, the eggplant seedlings can be taken out for ventilation. Hardening begins with a few minutes, gradually increasing the time to a whole daylight hours.
Such conditions contribute to the gradual adaptation of eggplant seedlings to their natural environment; the plants quickly adapt to their permanent location after transplantation.
When to transfer seedlings to a permanent place
Eggplant seedlings should be stocky and strong.The bushes can reach 15-20 cm in height, have 7-8 true leaves, and the first few buds. Moreover It is necessary to plant taller seedlings in the greenhouse, and for open ground eggplants should be short and stocky.
Eggplant seedlings are transferred to greenhouses at the end of April. For film shelters, the beginning of May is suitable, and blue ones are transplanted into open ground in the middle or end of May (depending on the region and weather conditions).
What not to do when growing eggplant seedlings
There are several mistakes that inexperienced gardeners regularly make:
- sowing ungerminated seeds;
- using gauze to germinate seeds can break the tender sprouts;
- planting seeds too deep into the ground (planting depth should not exceed 2 cm);
- installing boxes with seedlings on uninsulated window sills.
By growing eggplant seedlings at home, you can be absolutely confident in its quality. There won’t be any surprises, like a different variety, when you germinate the seeds yourself. But in order to obtain high-quality planting material, you will have to comply with all the rules and requirements of this fastidious crop.
