Eggplants for seedlings: how to grow healthy and strong plants

Eggplants are a tasty and nutritious plant that can be grown in your garden or even on your windowsill.

However, to get a good harvest, it is necessary to grow the plants from seedlings correctly. Let's consider the main steps for growing healthy and strong eggplant plants for seedlings.

Anastasia Kovrizhnykh , an expert of the online publication "BelNovosti", an agronomist and landscape designer, reminded us what you should not fertilize potatoes with.

You will learn about choosing a variety, preparing the soil, sowing times, the necessary conditions for growing seedlings and their subsequent transplantation into open ground.

By following our recommendations, you will be able to obtain high-quality seedlings and get a bountiful harvest of eggplants.

When to plant eggplant seedlings

The optimal time for planting eggplant seedlings depends on the region and climate conditions. In the southern regions, you can start sowing eggplant seedlings as early as February, and in the northern regions - in late March - early April.

In any case, before sowing, it is better to look at the planting calendar and select a date so that the plants are ready for transplantation.

How to Choose Eggplant Seeds

When choosing seeds, you should pay attention to the plant variety, ripening time, resistance to diseases and pests.

It is best to buy seeds from trusted producers who have passed all the necessary certification tests.

Also, before purchasing, you should check the production date of the seeds to ensure they are not old.

How to plant eggplant seedlings

To germinate eggplant seeds, it is necessary to prepare a special soil consisting of sand, humus and garden soil in equal proportions.

Then the seeds should be distributed over the surface of the soil and lightly covered with a thin layer of soil.

The container for seedlings should be prepared in advance and should have drainage holes to avoid stagnation of water, which can lead to root rot.

Planting of seeds occurs at a depth of 1-1.5 cm. After planting, the container should be covered with film or glass and placed in a warm place.

It is important not to forget about regular watering so that the soil is always moist, but not oversaturated with moisture.

As soon as the first shoots appear, it is necessary to reduce the temperature to +18-+20 degrees and provide the seedlings with additional lighting. During the day, it is necessary to light the seedlings for at least 12 hours.

How to care for eggplant seedlings

Eggplant seedlings require regular watering, loosening and fertilizing. Plants need to be watered 1-2 times a week, while avoiding stagnation of water in the soil. Loosening will help improve root ventilation.

In addition, seedlings need to be fed with complex fertilizers several times a month.

When to plant in open ground

The seedlings should be planted in open ground 60-70 days after the shoots have appeared. At this point, the plants should have at least 6 leaves and a good root system.

Before planting, you should prepare the soil by adding compost or humus. It is better to plant plants at a distance of at least 40 cm.

Growing eggplants for seedlings is a process that requires patience and attention. If you do everything right, the harvest will definitely please you.

Previously we talked about how to collect pepper seeds .