Eggplant

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 15:51

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Latin name: Solanum melongena Family: Nightshade Categories: Vegetable crops

Eggplant, or badrijan (Solanum melongena) Is a popular vegetable, belongs to the genus Solanum.

History

The homeland of eggplant is India, from where it was brought to China. The Chinese have been growing eggplants for another 500 years BC.

general characteristics

Eggplant is a perennial herb. It has a tall stem, rather large leaves, purple flowers and round or pear-shaped fruits - purple, white, green or striped.

Eggplant is very fond of warmth, so it is common in the south of Russia, as well as in Ukraine, Moldova and Central Asia.

The most popular varieties are mid-season, in particular, Almaz, Universal, Bataysky, Begemot, Bernard, Donetsk yielding. All listed varieties are mid-season.

Care rules

Temperature … The most favorable temperature for plant development and growth is 22-28 ° C. Already when the temperature drops to 20 ° C, fertilization, fruit setting and development slows down. If the temperature drops another five degrees, the leaves will begin to fall off and the plant will stop growing. If the low temperature continues, the plant will simply die.

Humidity … Eggplants are demanding not only in terms of temperature, but also humidity. The result of a decrease in humidity is the fall of flowers, ovaries, and the suspension of fruit growth. The lack of moisture is especially negative during fruiting.

The soil … Eggplant grows well in highly fertile, structural soils. Unsuitable soils are cold, heavy soils and soils near groundwater.

Seat selection … The choice of location must be made taking into account the predecessors. So, best of all "blue" grow after onions, cabbage, melons and root crops. The location must be changed as fungus and infections remain in the soil and threaten the eggplant yield. So, in the same place, eggplants can be grown only after two to three years.

Sowing … As a rule, the vegetable is grown in seedlings. It is recommended to grow seedlings in pots. This allows you to preserve the root system as much as possible, thanks to which the plants take root very quickly.

Growing seedlings is possible with or without picking seedlings (you can sow directly into pots). Eggplants are sown in the first weeks of March. The best temperature for seedling germination is 26-30 ° C. Seedlings can be expected on the seventh to eighth day after sowing. When the temperature drops to 20 ° C, germination is delayed. When sowing selected seeds, the yield is significantly improved.

If you choose a picking method, then the seeds are sown in boxes with nutrient soil - two parts of sod land and part of humus, plus a little sand. A distance of three centimeters is left between the rows. The seeding rate is 10-12 grams per meter.

Water at room temperature is used for watering crops. From above, the box is covered with plywood, film or glass and the temperature is maintained at 23-25 ° C. After the shoots appear, the boxes should be placed in a bright place and the temperature should be reduced for five to seven days. This measure allows the seedlings to grow stronger. As soon as real leaves appear, you can start picking. You can choose to use plastic or paper cups, or nutrient pots filled with a mixture (the same as for sowing).

Pots or glasses are placed in a box and filled with soil, leaving a couple of centimeters for watering and adding soil. You can plant two seedlings in each pot, since the eggplant seedlings do not stretch.

After sowing, it is important to monitor the moisture content of the soil to prevent it from drying out. For irrigation, it is optimal to use heated water (18-20 ° C).

If the growth of seedlings is delayed, and the leaves have a pale green color, the plants need feeding. Better to use organic fertilizers.

10-11 days before planting, you can begin to harden the seedlings, resorting to intensive ventilation. When grown in a room, seedlings are taken out to the balcony. In this case, wind and drafts should be avoided, and the temperature should not fall below 15 ° C.

Landing … As soon as there is a steady warming, the eggplants are planted in open ground. This usually happens after the tomatoes are planted, usually in mid-May.

Eggplants respond well to carefully cultivated, deeply plowed soils. Therefore, a few days before planting, do not be too lazy to loosen the soil. Plants are planted in a row at a distance of 26-30 cm. When planting, it is important to keep a clod of earth out of the cup. The introduction of humus is encouraged. Immediately after planting, the plants are watered. Two or three waterings are needed, and after the soil dries up, the soil should be loosened between the rows and in the rows.

Watering … Eggplants need regular watering, otherwise the ovary will fall off, the fruits will grow slowly, the plant will begin to ache.

Top dressing … It is necessary to feed eggplants during the most important periods for the life of the plant. For the first time - after the seedlings were planted in open ground, the eggplants took root and began to grow. Nitrogen fertilizers will help in this. After adding them, it is necessary to water the eggplants with clean water to avoid scalding. The second feeding is necessary when fruiting begins (potassium and phosphorus).

Pest control … Care should also be taken to protect against pests. The main enemy of the "blue" is the Colorado potato beetle. It is most effective to get rid of beetles by hand, and do it in sunny weather. If there are too many beetles and larvae, it is better to treat with insecticides. The last stage of processing should be carried out three to four weeks before the start of harvest.