Eggplant in a greenhouse

How hard it is to grow eggplant outdoors. To do this, you need to constantly look after this culture and not take your eyes off it. But how delicious this fruit is! It is very often used boiled, fried. And also pickled, make salads. And every time buying eggplants for eating is quite expensive. It is much easier to grow an eggplant in a greenhouse.

Young eggplants

Eggplants are usually planted for seedlings in February, March. Eggplant seeds germinate very hard. And the seedlings require special care. Remember that you will need to constantly water and add soil in order for the root system to develop.

After the seedlings get stronger, they must be moved to the greenhouse. In this case, the distance between the bushes in a row should be at least 30 cm. And the distance between the beds is from 60 cm. This will allow the eggplants to develop correctly and not shade each other. When planting, the roots should not be buried very much. It is recommended to plant seedlings together with a peat pot.

If you plan to plant eggplant in a greenhouse, then the soil for planting must be prepared in the fall. Namely: You need to remove weeds, water the soil abundantly with water. And also get rid of excess organic matter. It is possible to disinfect before direct planting of eggplants.

For greenhouses, it is recommended to choose early maturing eggplant varieties. Moreover, when choosing a variety, be guided by the fact that eggplants are tall and short. Usually in tall ones, the fruit is oblong and ripens a little earlier.

Low-growing plants have a thorny stem, and the fruit resembles a ball rather than a cylinder. In short plants, the ripening period is slightly longer than in their tall counterparts. There are also white eggplants of a wide variety of varieties.

Before planting seedlings, it is recommended to make a test sowing and determine the germination of seeds. For this, the seeds are placed on a damp cloth or cotton wool. And watch for the emergence of sprouts. Good seeds should have their first shoots in 4 or 5 days. If 50% of the seeds have sprouted, then you can sow.

Eggplant in the greenhouse: watering

Watering eggplant seedlings after transplanting into a greenhouse is necessary after 4 days. When doing this, try not to wet the leaves and make sure that no crust forms on the surface. Therefore, in the evening, after watering, always loosen the earth as well.

Eggplants really love water. However, you should not fill them in after all. This can lead to decay of the root system or fungal diseases. Eggplants are watered especially intensively during flowering and fruit set. It is advisable to water the eggplant early in the morning.

Top dressing

Many gardeners recommend feeding eggplants 2 weeks after planting. For this, complex fertilizers are used. And when the culture begins to bear fruit, they are fed with fertilizers with nitrogen and phosphorus.

Eggplant in a greenhouse

Remember that eggplants are very fond of warmth and light. For good development, the plant needs more than 25 degrees Celsius. At low temperatures, plant growth slows down, and the eggplant does not bloom.

The air in the greenhouse must be constantly changing. Therefore, ventilate the room well. By nightfall, the air temperature should be +13 - +15 degrees. Daylight hours for eggplants should be within 12 - 14 hours.

Watering should also be done with warm water, since eggplants are afraid of the cold. When watering, also pay attention to the fact that over time the roots of plants can become bare, so over time, add soil and mulch the soil.

Formation of bushes

In greenhouse conditions, of course, even undersized varieties will be higher than when grown outdoors. Therefore, the eggplants should be tied up in a timely manner. Use pre-prepared wooden pegs or trellises for this. It is especially important to tie up tall plants, since, unlike undersized plants, they have a less powerful stem. This means that they are more susceptible to external influences.

In addition, pay attention to the fact that with the formation of fruits, the eggplant bushes will bend to the ground. Since the eggplant itself grows quite heavy. Therefore, during the fruiting period, carefully monitor the supports of the plants. Also at the bottom of the eggplant, yellow leaves may form, which will create a shadow. Therefore, they must be removed in a timely manner.

Avoid the formation of too many fruits on the plants, as they are unlikely to ripen. Form a plant bush in time. Pinch unwanted shoots in order to stop the growth of the crop in time.

Protect eggplants from Colorado beetles. Of course, they are unlikely to enter the greenhouse. But remember that these insects are crazy about delicate eggplant leaves. And also from black fruits and flowers of plants, so check the culture for pests. Take care of your eggplants properly and harvest on time!