Growing eggplants in the open field: picking, shaping and care with photo

Culture lovers strive to get a harvest without putting in much effort. Growing eggplants is a troublesome process, but if the requirements and rules for care are followed, they get the declared harvest.

Description of the plant

The culture itself is a wild plant from India. There, its fruits have been eaten for a very long time. In Europe, for a long time, they were wary of the fruits of this culture. And grown only as an ornamental plant. But gradually the vegetable tightly entered the diet and began to gain popularity. Everywhere eggplant is grown as an annual crop, but few people know that it is actually a perennial.

The fruits of the plant are used for any cooking method. They prepare hot dishes, cold appetizers, salads and all kinds of winter preparations from them.

At the initial stage of development, a weak root system develops over time and penetrates 0.4-0.5 m deep.

The stem is very strong, at the age of 2 months it becomes stiff and becomes able to independently support the weight of the fruit without tying it to the supports. The color of the stem depends on the variety and varies from green to purple. Eggplant flowers are arranged singly or in curls of 3-5 pieces. Their color also varies depending on the variety. Belong to the category of self-pollinated.

The fruits of the plant differ from each other in the following ways:

Length varies from 12 to 30 cm.
Diameter 5 to 15 cm.
Shape: cylindrical, oblong, pear-shaped, rounded, round.
Weight from 50 g to 2 kg.
Color: white, green, purple, lilac, red, yellow, orange and other shades.

The pulp of the fruit is also of different colors. Taste characteristics depend on the type of culture, some are bitter, some are not. There are about 200 seeds in one vegetable. Their germination lasts from 3 to 8 years.

Varieties of eggplant

The variety of choices is amazing. A wide range of types of culture is presented to the dacha residents. Thus, the vegetable grower selects for himself a plant that meets the needs of the family.

The variety is selected according to the following criteria:

The appearance of the fruit. A choice is made between small or large fruits, purple, red, green and other colors. Taste characteristics from these signs practically do not change.
View of the bushes. Choose among tall and short, compact or sprawling.
Crop volume. Different species give different rates from 1 to 17 kg of fruit per 1 m^2.
Ripening terms. Early maturing, early, middle and late crop varieties.
Species for any growing method. In open or protected field, for direct seeding in the field or seedling method of cultivation.
Other related factors: immunity, cold resistance, heat resistance and more.

Now the choice is only for the vegetable grower, you should read the description and choose varieties that are suitable for growing in a particular region.

Basic Growing Requirements

Following the rules and requirements will help to get the declared eggplant crop. With proper care and the creation of the necessary conditions, record harvests are obtained. The main thing is diligence and patience.

Heat-loving culture does not tolerate cold weather, lack of sunlight, wind and frost.

Growing Requirements:

Selection of a site. The place should be well lit, without drafts and strong winds. It is recommended to plant eggplant bushes for raspberries or currants. Dense plants will shield delicate plants from the wind.
With a lack of light, eggplants lose color, the fruits do not set at all. The same plant behaves when the temperature drops. It is recommended to install arcs and cover the beds with polyethylene.
Nutritious soil. Mandatory application of manure, compost, humus and other substances that can make the soil composition more fertile.
Proper fit. Grown by direct sowing in the ground or seedlings. It is important to sow immediately in separate containers so as not to injure the root system.
Agricultural practices. Timely removal of weeds, proper loosening and top dressing will increase the yield.

There are few requirements, but they are all significant and their fulfillment is mandatory.

Features of agricultural technology when growing eggplant

Growing culture, the main thing is not to be disappointed. If you know certain features of agricultural technology, errors should not occur. Following the rules will lead to positive results. Properly planted eggplant will delight you with a bountiful harvest.

Preparing the beds

First of all, they select a place for landing. The site should be in the sun, closed from wind and drafts, and the composition of the soil should be fertile. Agrotechnics for growing crops warns that planting for several years in the same place is undesirable. Plants will get sick and yields will drop significantly.

Fresh manure is added to the soil in autumn, dug up and left for the winter. In the spring, before digging, mineral fertilizers and wood ash with humus are added. Everything is mixed well and eggplants are planted in prepared holes.

Preparation for growing seedlings

When a crop is planted in this way, the soil for seedlings has been prepared since autumn. Soddy soil, peat, sand and humus are mixed in a ratio of 2:2:1:2. Everything is thoroughly mixed and mineral fertilizers, potassium, superphosphate and urea are added. Wood ash is added in small quantities.

With the onset of the time for planting seeds, the earth is watered with boiling water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The soil is ready, now you should prepare the seeds of the crop intended for planting.

The optimum temperature for seed germination is +20…+23 ⁰С. At lower temperatures, eggplant may not sprout.

A week in advance, eggplant seeds are checked for germination. To do this, part of the planting material is wrapped in a damp cloth or a piece of gauze. Keep warm until sprouts appear. Then the result is calculated. The higher the percentage of germinated seeds, the better the planting material.

Before sowing, planting material should be disinfected. To do this, it is enough to withstand the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. No more than half an hour, then they are washed and allowed to dry. After that, at the request of the grower, they keep the seeds in a growth stimulator.

Sowing seeds

First, the timing is determined, then the planting material is sown in the prepared containers. The day is determined based on the climate of the growing region and the manufacturer's recommendations.

Landing is carried out as follows:

watering the soil;
seed spacing 2cm;
3-4cm row spacing;
if cultivation is carried out without picking, then 2 seeds are sown in one container;
sprinkle with a 1 cm layer of earth;
tighten with polyethylene or covered with glass;
before germination, leave in a dark place, the temperature of which is 30 ⁰С;
after germination set on a sunny windowsill.

The first time, before the appearance of the first true leaves, watered using a spray bottle.

Seedling care

The air temperature in the room with eggplant seedlings should be at least +17 ⁰С. After a few days, the temperature should be raised to +26 ⁰С. Light day should be at least 10 hours. Therefore, with a lack of sunlight, additional illumination lamps are installed.They are placed at a distance of 20 cm from the tops of the seedlings.

Grown plants are watered very carefully, under the root. About once a week. Water for irrigation is taken warm or settled.

Feed the plant several times during the growth period at room conditions:

2 weeks after germination;
after the pick, if any;
a few days before moving to a permanent location.

This care will allow you to grow high-quality, strong seedlings that will give a good harvest.

Seedling dive

After the appearance of the second true leaf, the seedlings are dived. To do this, they are placed in separate containers. This is necessary so that the plants form a strong root system and do not stretch. The soil for transplantation is taken fertile, well-heated and disinfected.Plant one eggplant in a container, water well and set in a lit place.

Transplanting in open ground

At the time of transplanting into open ground, 6-7 true leaves should be formed on eggplants. The bed is prepared high, the distance between the rows is at least 1 meter. Between the bushes leave 40 cm.

In the garden, holes are made 15 cm deep, watered, and eggplants are planted in them. Transplant only with soil or a peat pot. Plants are buried to the first leaves, this will make it possible to form additional roots.

Crop care

When a planted eggplant grows, it needs attention and care. It consists in observing simple agricultural practices that are performed for any crop. Proper adherence to them leads to a positive result. Caring for a culture is not as difficult as it seems at first glance.It is important to understand the subtleties and put them into practice.

Fertilization

How quickly the plant will develop depends on the correct feeding of eggplant. Compliance with the dosage will help grow the crop, not the green mass. The culture loves top dressing, it is better to combine organic matter and mineral fertilizers. The poorer the land, the more often top dressing is applied.

Plants need:

nitrogen;
phosphorus;
magnesium;
calcium and other trace elements.

Alternating chemical and organic fertilizers is the best option. Complex mineral fertilizers are easier to calculate, and organics are safe for human he alth. With organic fertilizers, you should be extremely careful. It's important not to overdo it. Excess nitrogen contained in their composition greatly affects the growth of green mass.Apply fertilizer mainly under the root, this helps to avoid burns on plants and speeds up absorption.

Water and loosening

Watering eggplant bushes is required regularly. Watering is not necessary immediately after transplantation, as eggplants are planted in watered holes. After 5 days watered for the first time. If the weather is rainy, it is watered once every 10 days, if it is dry sunny, then more often - once every 3 days. Watered with warm water, in the morning, strictly under the root of each plant.

Loosen the ground around the eggplants after each watering, at first by 4 cm, during flowering by 6 cm, after the appearance of the ovaries by 7 cm. It is impossible to go deeper, because the root system is too close to the surface. If, after each loosening, the bushes are slightly spudded, this will ensure the preservation of moisture and the supply of oxygen to the roots. In addition, weed growth will slow down.

Shaping a bush

If the plants are not standard, they must be tied to supports. This will reduce the risk of breaking the stepson with fruits. In addition to the garter, some eggplant varieties require shaping. All stepchildren are removed to the fork, they only draw out useful substances, but do not bear fruit. But there is a plus from them, in the heat they cover the ground, preventing it from drying out quickly.

Staging plants or not is a private matter for every vegetable grower. But all yellowed leaves and fruits that are deformed are removed from the plants. Many summer residents do not form eggplants in the open field; with proper care, they give an excellent harvest.

Possible growing problems

It's hard not to run into some problems when growing a crop. The most common is that eggplant grows bitter. The reason for this is that plants lack heat, moisture and sunlight.Overripe fruits are also very bitter, it is important to harvest on time, during the period of technical maturity.

If there is no fruit, which happens during a drought, then it is recommended to increase the amount of watering. And be sure to loosen after drying.

It happens that the color falls off the bushes, the fruit is not tied. There are several reasons, and the solutions are also different:

Irrigation with cold water.
Stably hot weather, temperature above +30 ⁰С. By irrigating the top layer of the earth, they bring down the temperature.
Reduced temperature for a long time. Plants are fed with calcium nitrate.
Banal drying of the soil. Watering required.

If the plant grows green mass, and there are no fruits at all, then there is an excess of nitrogen.

Disease and pest control

How to deal with eggplant disease, it is better to take timely preventive measures. Crop rotation is the first and most important measure for disease prevention. The use of high-quality planting material leads to the fact that the plants initially grow he althier. Some summer residents are wondering why eggplants do not turn blue, the reason is that the plants do not have enough light. The skin on the fruit becomes pale.

Processing of plants from diseases is carried out chemically, or folk remedies are used.

The first are more efficient and effective, but dangerous for the human body. The latter are completely safe, but have a short-term effect. Summer residents advise taking better care of plants, then they will not get sick.

Harvesting and storage of crops

Eggplants are harvested at the stage of technical maturity, they are suitable for cooking and processing for the winter.It is very difficult to determine the maturity of a vegetable by appearance. Therefore, they are guided by the data from the manufacturer. Store the collected fruits in a dark, cool room, which is protected from temperature extremes. Selected ripe eggplants are put in boxes and shifted with straw. In this form, they lower it into the cellar and store it for several months.

Growing eggplant on the site is a laborious process, as the culture is mostly capricious, loves heat and moisture. But an attentive attitude towards her, the fulfillment of all requirements pays off with the harvest.