When to plant eggplant seedlings: timing and care at home

Eggplant is a heat-loving vegetable from the Solanaceae family. However, despite this, it is successfully cultivated by farmers and summer residents not only in the southern regions, but also in the middle zone, and even in Siberia. The main thing in the successful cultivation of blue ones is to observe the timing of planting seedlings. When and how to plant eggplant for seedlings depends on the region and its climatic features.

The timing of sowing eggplant for seedlings

The specific time for sowing blue seeds directly depends on the climate of each region. If the gardener does this early, the seedlings will overgrow, stretch out and not adapt to the beds after planting.Late work will lead to the fact that the vegetables will not be able to ripen, for their full development they will not have enough sunlight and warm days.

In the suburbs, the middle lane

The first warm days in the Moscow region come only at the end of March, it is on the 20th of this month that the sowing of seeds begins. They do this either in greenhouses, where a heating system is equipped, or in an apartment, growing seedlings on the southern windowsills.

The deadline for carrying out work is until April 10, otherwise the sprouts will not have time to form before transplanting to the beds.

For the middle lane, there are two options for work:

1. If the little blue ones are planned to be grown in the future in open beds without using shelter, work is carried out from the middle to the end of the first month of spring, in the first days of June, the blue ones are transferred to the prepared beds.
2. If vegetables are planned to be grown in insulated rooms, the seeds are sown on the 15th-20th of February, and not later than the 20th of May, the seedlings are transferred to a permanent place.

In Siberia

Usually in Siberia, eggplants are grown in closed heated rooms, as the harsh climate makes its own adjustments to the vegetation of plants. But there are daredevils who do it in the open field, collecting decent harvests. In order for the cultivation of heat-loving vegetables to be successful, they adhere to the recommended sowing dates for seeds.

Consider before planting that it takes at least 90 days to obtain high-quality seedlings. The blue ones are transferred to the greenhouses in mid-May, and to the beds - when the air temperature is at least 20 degrees, this is approximately the middle of June.

In the Urals

Since the Ural region belongs to areas with risky farming and short summers, it is important to correctly calculate the timing of sowing seeds for seedlings. In addition, the blue ones are cultivated here only in heated rooms, otherwise the vegetables will not have time to ripen before the onset of the first cold days.

Sowing blue seeds is carried out in the last days of February. It is not recommended to be late with the work, since this representative of the Solanaceae family has a long vegetative period, and the vegetables will not have time to ripen. At the end of May, seedlings are moved to greenhouses.

In the Leningrad Region

The Leningrad region is similar in climate to regions such as the Urals and Siberia, so summer residents here have the opportunity to grow eggplants mainly in insulated structures. Seedlings begin to be grown from the first days of May, so that, as soon as the threat of nighttime drops in temperature has passed, it will be ready for transplanting to a permanent place. This procedure is carried out at the beginning of the first summer month.

According to the lunar calendar

Often, when growing blue ones, gardeners take into account the recommendations of the lunar calendar, which indicates favorable and unfavorable days for sowing seeds. If you start this on bad days, the eggplant will sprout poorly and the sprouts will be weak.

In February:

1. Auspicious days: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 14, 15, 25, 28, 29.
2. Wrong numbers: 9, 22, 23, 24.

For March, the recommendations are:

1. Recommended to sow 1, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 22, 27, 28.
2. Doing work is not worth it 9, 23, 24, 25.

In the southern regions, gardeners have the opportunity to grow seedlings in April due to climatic features. For them, the recommendations are as follows:

1. Applicable days: 1, 2, 9, 10, 18, 19, 28, 29.
2. Unfavorable dates: 8, 22, 23, 24.

Basic growing rules

In order for the seedlings to grow he althy and strong, and many fruits to grow on the bushes in the future, it is necessary to follow the recommendations of experienced gardeners for sowing seeds and further agrotechnical care for the sprouts.They select soil with a balanced composition, sow seeds on time and provide blue seedlings with the necessary conditions for full development.

Soil selection

It is recommended to prepare the soil for sowing seeds yourself, then there will be confidence in its quality and nutritional value. Mix the components in the following proportions:

• humus (8 parts);
• potassium s alt (1 part);
• mullein (1 part);
• turf land (2 parts);
• superphosphate (1 part).

To increase the nutritional value of the soil, a teaspoon of urea and half a glass of wood ash are also added to it, if necessary. There are several more recipes for creating a soil mixture for sowing eggplant seeds. In the first case, it is recommended to mix 1 part of soddy land with 2 parts of humus and add 0.5 parts of sawdust and 1 part of non-acidic peat to them.In the second recipe, 1 part of sawdust and 3 parts of peat are prepared, which are watered before planting with any composition for the speedy germination of seedlings.

Regular soil from the garden is also suitable for growing eggplant seedlings, it is preferable to take the one that grew cucumbers or cabbage last year.

Preparation of planting material

The main requirement for obtaining high-quality, strong and he althy seedlings is the right choice of seed material. Purchase seeds from trusted manufacturers in gardening stores. Hand-bought material will not guarantee 100% germination.

Before sowing, the seeds are prepared, do it in compliance with the step-by-step instructions, including 4 stages:

1. Warming up the material. You can do this in two ways: dry and hydrothermal. In the first case, the oven is heated to 55 degrees and the seeds are kept in it for 2-4 hours.Or lay out on a towel on a battery and warm up the material for 2.5-3 months. The second method involves soaking the seeds in a jar of water (temperature - about 45-50 degrees). The container is covered with a lid and the material is kept for 5 minutes. Such seeds demonstrate increased germination and immunity to diseases.
2. Seed dressing. To do this, take a 10% solution of hydrogen peroxide and lower the material into it for 15-20 minutes. Instead of peroxide, you can take a non-concentrated solution of potassium permanganate.
3. Hardening the material. Take two cuts of cotton damp cloth and seeds are placed between them. They are kept there for at least 20 hours (temperature in the range of 20-22 degrees). After that, the seeds are placed in the refrigerator for 8 hours, then again kept for 20 hours at room conditions. This procedure is carried out for 7-8 days.
4. Soaking. 2-3 days before the intended planting, the seeds are soaked in water (preferably rain or melt). Please note that the liquid should not completely cover the seed. After the seeds are dried and planting begins.

Capacity selection

The following containers are taken for growing seedlings: plastic and peat pots, cut bottles, cups left after yogurt or sour cream. The main requirement is sufficient height and drainage holes.

Sowing process

When planting seeds, follow the instructions, then the sprouts will quickly appear from the ground, and the germination of seeds will be at a high level.

The master class looks like this:

1. Soil is poured into prepared containers by 2/3.
2. Irrigate and wait for the moisture to be completely absorbed.
3. Seeds are deepened by 2-3 cm.
4. A small layer of earth (1 cm) is poured on top.
5. Compact lightly and water again.
6. Cover with plastic wrap or glass and put in a warm place where the rays of the sun do not fall until germination.

It is recommended to sow blue seeds in the morning.

Seedling Care Tips

After the sprouts have appeared, it is important to provide them with competent care.

Lighting

After the seedlings have sprouted, provide it with full coverage, which should last at least 10 hours a day. However, from the hot midday sun, young sprouts must be shaded so that they do not burn out. If the weather is cloudy, install fluorescent lamps for additional illumination. Every 2 days, turn the seedling pots with the other side towards the light so that they develop evenly.

Temperature

After the film is removed from the germinated shoots, the temperature is reduced to 16 degrees. A week later they are raised to 20-22 degrees. At night, you can reduce to 14 degrees, this difference helps to strengthen the immunity of plants.

Water and fertilize

Moisturize the sprouts moderately so as not to cause rotting of the roots and an outbreak of fungal pathologies. Pour water gently under the root, using a fine-meshed watering can. It is only necessary to feed the seedlings if the sprouts look weak and thin. A mixture of superphosphate and potassium sulfate in equal proportions is well suited for this. But it must be remembered that excessive application of nutrients adversely affects young sprouts.

Living space

If blue ones are grown in separate cups at home, picking is not required. If not, then the eggplants are planted in separate cups and immediately shed the soil with Kornevin so that they take root better. Many gardeners practice planting 2-3 seeds in one pot, after they have sprouted, leave the strongest, and remove the rest.

Disease and pest prevention

The best measures to prevent diseases and pests are considered to be proper care of seedlings. Observe the irrigation regime, as excessive moisture causes outbreaks of fungal diseases. Also, as a preventive procedure, sprouts are sprayed with Fitosporin solution.

Possible problems

To grow full-fledged seedlings and avoid any problems, you must strictly follow the recommendations of experienced gardeners. Insufficient amount of sunlight falling on the seedlings throughout the day and non-compliance with the feeding schedule leads to the fact that the little blue ones are drawn out, and the low temperature in the room slows down growth.

When and how to plant seedlings in a greenhouse or open ground

You should not allow the seedlings to outgrow, otherwise it will be quite difficult for the blue ones to adapt and take root in the beds.It is preferable to plant the sprouts in the soil of the same composition that was used for sowing the seeds. It is not recommended to plant vegetables in those places where other representatives of the Solanaceae family were previously grown. Legumes, carrots or cabbage are considered ideal predecessors for eggplant.

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