Starting from the planting period, it is not always possible to obtain eggplant seedlings with healthy, strong and powerful tops.
We offer short and simple tips on important agronomic practices that need to be carried out in a timely manner.
Tip 1
Remove glass or film from containers in a timely manner where seedlings have been sown and which have already sprouted by 70%. Do not wait for the lagging ones to sprout, because the ones that have sprouted will stretch out a lot, and the others will simply rot and die.
Tip 2
Reduce the temperature. The optimal temperature for eggplants is 18... 20 C for 3-5 days after the first shoots, and then reduce by 5 °C to prevent stretching and to further enhance the intensive growth of seedlings.
For seedlings to sprout quickly, they need a temperature of 25...28 °C. On constantly sunny days - 24...26 °C, and 18...20 °C when the weather is cloudy. At night, reduce the temperature by an average of 5...7 °C.
Tip 3
Eggplants are a crop with short daylight hours, so their seedlings need additional lighting.
In order for the plant to fully develop in the first decade of growth, daylight should be up to 13-14 hours per day. At the very beginning, provide it with red spectrum illumination so that the green mass grows. After that, it requires blue spectrum so that the plant stems grow well, develop, and phosphorus and other necessary elements are well absorbed.
At the beginning, provide additional light for 14-16 hours. Inside the growth zone, up to 13-14 hours. At the end, you can leave the seedlings under natural light, provide additional light only up to 12-14 hours. On windowsills where there is a lot of sun, slightly shade the seedlings during the hottest time, make a light paper screen or slightly lower the window blinds.
Tip 4
Over time, eggplants grow long taproots, powerful, adapted to searching deep in the ground for nutrition and moisture.
By growing eggplants through seedlings, the owners get short main roots, which have many lateral and adventitious roots.
This reduces its drought and heat resistance.
Therefore, grow eggplant seedlings in a disposable individual container, when transferring to a larger container, do not pinch the root tip and do not allow them to rest against the walls. Do not feed the eggplant seedlings before picking.
