Cultivation of aubergine seedlings

Eggplant is a plant that loves heat, light and moisture. His native land is India. Therefore, special attention is required when planting and caring for seedlings.

Sow seeds should be in January - early February. Remember that the period when planting eggplant seedlings , begins earlier than pepper and tomatoes. Therefore, if you want to please yourself with your own grown vegetables, you should hurry.

The minimum temperature at which seeds germinate is +13 degrees. Approximately one and a half weeks, the first shoots should appear, if you keep the temperature about 22-25 degrees above zero. Further cultivation of eggplant seedlings and its development should occur at a temperature of about 25-30 degrees. If, as a result of any circumstances, the temperature regime is within 15-17 degrees, the plants will simply cease to grow, and at lower readings of the thermometer they will completely die.

Cultivation of a seedlings of eggplant can be made both in special pots and in boxes. And the pot is better to take a small size. After about 56-57 days, seedlings need to be dived in a 200 ml tank.

Before planting in the soil, the seeds must be etched. To do this, they should be immersed for about 15-20 minutes in a 1% aqueous solution of potassium permanganate, then hold the same amount under hot water.

Soil for planting should be prepared by mixing the following ingredients: turf ground, humus and sand (5: 3: 1). It is better to fill the soil with mineral fertilizers immediately before sowing the seeds: take 5-7 g of potassium and nitrogen fertilizers and about 20 g of phosphorus fertilizers (calculation is done on a bucket of soil).

You will notice the first shoots in about two weeks. Cultivation of eggplant seedlings is performed at a temperature of 23 to 27 degrees Celsius (as well as growing pepper seedlings). At night, it is permissible to reduce the temperature to + 15-16 degrees. In addition, when the first shoots appear, you need to lower the temperature for better growth, and after 5 days, increase again.

Especially need to monitor the moisture of the soil. Do not allow it to dry out, and you should regularly make soil fertilization. When you notice the appearance of 2 true leaves, you need to use a solution of potassium monophosphate (125 g to dissolve in 10 liters of water) for top dressing.

Remember that growing a seedlings of eggplant is much like growing a sweet pepper. But it requires compliance with some separate rules of care and transplant. So, the planting time for eggplant in the ground is the time after spring frosts, when the warm weather is already fully established (late May - early June - the period of planting in the greenhouse). When the risk of recurrent frost disappears, the eggplant can be transplanted into the open ground. It is best to start landing in the afternoon, with cloudy weather. So the aubergines get better. The distance between the rows should be about 65-70 cm, and between the bushes in one row - about 35 cm. Water the plants in 5-7 days. The first top dressing should be carried out not earlier than in two weeks (100 grams of urea). The next approach - after three weeks after the first (100 g of urea and 150 g of potassium monophosphate). When the eggplants start to bear fruit, it is best to fertilize with a mullein (6-9 kg), mixed with water for irrigation. In a couple of weeks, the same option can be repeated.

If the aubergines are attacked by the Colorado potato beetle, an insecticide solution, for example chlorophos (30 g per 10 liters of water), can be used. They need to be used when you see the deposition of the larvae of this pest.

Naturally, growing a seedlings of eggplant requires special attention, careful watering and proper timely feeding. But with proper care, you will get a wonderful planting material, and a good harvest awaits you.