Growing an eggplant can be a difficult challenge even for an experienced gardener. This culture is capricious and whimsical.
It requires careful observance of planting dates, a certain composition of the soil, a strict temperature regime.
They are planted early in February - March, so if there is no suitable greenhouse, it is recommended to start with seedlings.
Before you do seedlings, seed worth checking for germination. To do this, take a small amount of seeds and place them in a fabric bag.
Leave it in warm water for a day, and then keep it constantly wet for five days. If half or more seeds germinate, then you can start sowing. Read more about seed preparation before sowing.
Sowing eggplants for seedlings on the lunar calendar
The lunar sowing calendar is a system that has developed over the years, based on observations of the phases of the moon and their influence on the growth of plants. it quite accurate and useful tool, taking into account the experience of agronomists and their recommendations for the current year.
The calendar is compiled annually. It is more or less detailed.
In the simplest version It is a table in which the best days of the month are indicated in front of each crop for planting.. In the expanded version, the influence of zodiac signs and other similar information are added.
Before turning to the lunar calendar, determine the estimated date of planting sprouts in the ground. There is an easy way to calculate this time. Because culture is very thermophilic, it can be placed in the natural environment only when the danger of spring frosts has passed.
It takes into account the climatic features of the region. Choosing a date in the right range, counting back from it 65-70 days. This is the time that must elapse from the moment of emergence to the actual landing in the ground. Seeds germinate within 5-10 days, respectively, this period is also "rewound" back.
So, we have decided on approximate dates, it's time to use the lunar calendar. It indicates favorable and unfavorable days for sowing, but there are other subtleties. It is recommended to plant eggplants on the growing moon., as it strengthens the stem and crown, and, most importantly, the fruits themselves in the end.
However, landing on a waning moon minimizes the risks to the roots of the plant, which is also important. The full moon and last quarter moon are not suitable for this purpose.. To accelerate the germination of seeds, it is necessary to give preference to the sign of Virgo.
This is the best time for eggplants, which themselves do not have very good germination. As for the quality of the harvest, here the lunar calendar will help at the stage of choosing the date for moving the seedlings to the ground.
Finding the moon in one or another sign of the zodiac also affects what substances accumulate in the fruit, and the properties of the latter depend on it.
For example, the sign of Cancer will help to get more juicy fruits, Taurus and Pisces will soften the taste, and Capricorn will increase their shelf life.
On which days to plant eggplants for seedlings?
Let us give an example of calculation for central Russia. Here, warm weather without frost is established in the second half of May - June. If we plan to plant eggplants in open ground after May 25, then shoots need to be obtained around March 17.
If your calculations were not as comfortable as ours, and favorable numbers are far from the chosen time frame, use neutral days for planting. Adverse and illegal dates should be avoided in any case.!
Favorable days for planting seedlings eggplant:
- 12-15, 18-20 February;
- March 10-13, March 17, 18.
Days when it is forbidden to plant:
- February 8, 22;
- March 9, 23
Care of seedlings
Meeting planting dates is an important component of success, but not the only one. There are a number of helpful tips for caring for seedlings.
To prepare seeds for seedlingsthey are left in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes, then washed with pure water and placed in a nutrient composition.
For example, its composition may be as follows: a spoon of wood ash, suitable fertilizer or nitrophore per liter of water. A day later, the seeds are moved to a saucer for germination.
Eggplant don't like transplant. It is better to place the seeds at a distance from each other or in separate containers. If the seedlings are too close and their roots are intertwined, they will have to pick them, which they often do not survive.
They very sensitive to soil moisture. Both excessive dampness and drying are undesirable. Watered 3-4 times a day at the base of the stem, since the ingress of water on the leaves is fraught with the appearance of rot and mildew.
Worth choose the most nutritious and fertile soil. Ready-made mixtures for seedlings are well suited for feeding plants. It is useful to add phosphorus, coarse grained sand.
Shoots need good lighting for 10-12 hours a day. You can use facing south and southeast windows or LED fitolamp.
Before planting in the garden it is recommended to let the seedlings get used to the sunlight. For this, seedlings are placed for a short time in a lighted spot on the street, each time slightly increasing the duration of their stay there.
Temperature in the room where the seedlings are located, should not fall below 13ºС. The optimum temperature is 22-25ºС during the day and 17-18 ºС at night.
After planting the eggplant in the open ground, the grown seedlings are already able to survive the frost, but if there is a threat of those, it is better to cover the bed with film or spunbond.
Let eggplant is not the easiest to care culture, but home seedlings are always better and safer than the purchase. Therefore, we wish you good luck in this difficult task and we hope that our advice will be of benefit to you.
Useful materials
Read other articles about growing and caring for eggplant seedlings:
- Different methods of cultivation: in peat tablets, in a snail and even on toilet paper.
- Golden rules for growing from seed.
- Features of cultivation in different regions of Russia: in the Urals, in Siberia and the Moscow region.
- How to feed young shoots?
