All about growing eggplant in a polycarbonate greenhouse ⋆ 👨‍🌾 Farmer-online ⋆

With the right approach to growing eggplant, you can get a large crop of ripe fruits. Due to the whimsicality and peculiarities of care, this plant does not take root well in the open field and requires special attention. To get a more voluminous crop, most gardeners grow eggplants in greenhouses. However, due to improper care, watering, and even just planting, they often lose their tasty and healthy fruits.

Planting material

One of the most necessary processes is the preparation of soil, seedlings or seeds for planting. Here everyone can go their own way and choose the most suitable landing method for them. Every experienced gardener knows that in no case should plants be planted in the same soil for several years. This can lead to low yields and to the fact that the plant simply does not take root in the ground.

Before planting, it is necessary to prepare the soil:

update;
fertilize;
leave for a few days in complete peace, so that the soil rests.

Only with such preparation, the soil will be fertile, and as a result, you will get a good harvest. Since eggplants do not like the same soil, they need to constantly change the landing site.

One of the most important stages of soil preparation is harvesting. The first thing to do is to clear the soil of plant debris. Plant debris includes: old roots or branches of plants, weeds, rotted or dried stems, leaves, tree branches and even stumps. After harvesting plant debris, it is necessary to loosen the soil so that air passes better into its lower levels, and then water the soil.

Why is it necessary to water the soil without plants? This stage, oddly enough, is very important in the process of planting eggplant. Since other plants could have been in this area before planting, as practice shows, they were necessarily fertilized with one or another chemistry. To wash all these chemicals and fertilizers from the soil, it is necessary to thoroughly fill the area for planting and leave the site alone for several days.

During this time, the soil will absorb all the moisture, and also have time to rest, after which you can start planting. As many gardeners and plant experts advise, the disinfection process positively affects the condition of the soil. This is especially true of the soil for planting eggplant. To do this, you need to make a solution of copper sulphate – 2 tablespoons of vitriol in a bucket of hot water. Having processed the soil, it is required to give time for the soil to dry out, after which, dig up the soil.

Video “Growing eggplant in a greenhouse”

How to grow eggplant in a greenhouse is described in this video.

Preparing the plant for planting

There are two ways of planting: seeds, cuttings. Many gardeners plant eggplants with cuttings, because, as practice shows, the plant takes root faster, begins to grow and yields better. To do this, it is necessary to prepare seedlings in advance, in winter.

Many gardeners recommend choosing fairly voluminous pots for planting plants for seedlings. This is due to the fact that eggplant roots are quite sensitive to damage. If it is not possible to buy pots, then you can use half-liter jars or plastic containers. The most optimal bottom size in a container is 8 cm. If you plant eggplant with seeds, then the seeds also need to be prepared.

Greenhouse preparation

Preparing the greenhouse is one of the most important steps in the eggplant planting process. In addition to soil preparation, this process includes:

checking the correct operation of ventilation, if any, or the correct operation of windows;
preparation of the temperature regime;
preparation of the irrigation system;
air humidity check;
greenhouse lighting.

Polycarbonate greenhouses are one of the highest quality structures for planting a variety of plants. Therefore, with proper preparation of a polycarbonate greenhouse, the yield of any plant, even requiring special care, is at the highest level.

One of the most important issues in preparing a greenhouse is the irrigation system. Since today there are already special systems, you don’t have to think much about watering eggplant. The best choice for a polycarbonate greenhouse is a drip irrigation system. Firstly, the cost of the system is at the budget level, moreover, it can be done independently. Secondly, using a drip irrigation system can save a lot of water and time.

Also, the drip irrigation system is great for growing eggplant and caring for them. The temperature in the greenhouse is the second thing you should pay attention to. If your greenhouse does not have a special thermometer, then be sure to acquire one, since the correct air temperature only positively reflects on plant growth.

An air humidity sensor, perhaps, will also not be superfluous, as this will allow you to carefully monitor the level of humidity in the greenhouse. And lastly, the thermostat. With the help of such a device, you can easily ventilate the greenhouse with a certain regularity.

Transplanting

Planting seedlings is the most important stage, making a mistake during its implementation, you can not wait not only for the harvest, but also for the plant itself to take root. Before planting seedlings, the soil must be prepared. What is included in the preparation of the soil at this stage:

the soil must be leveled;
mark the holes.

The optimal distance between the holes, and later between the bushes of plants should be no less than 45 cm, and the distance between the rows should be about 60 cm. After you have marked the holes, they must be sprinkled with ash, which must first be thoroughly mixed with the planting earth. After fertilizing the soil with ash, each hole is watered. On average, one hole takes about 1,5 liters of water.

When planting seedlings, you must be very careful, since the main task is not to damage the roots of the plant. To make it easier to plant seedlings in the ground, it is recommended to fill it with water for several hours before planting, so that the earth does not crumble from the roots. The main rule for planting seedlings is to plant a plant about 1-2 cm deeper than it was planted in a pot for seedling growth.

After planting seedlings in the soil, it is necessary to compact the earth a little, for this you need to spill it with water. To avoid the formation of an earthen crust, it is necessary to sprinkle the top layer of soil with a layer of humus or peat. In order for the seedlings to take root and grow stronger, for the first few days, especially if they are hot, it is recommended to stretch the fabric over the greenhouse to create a shadow.

Care

Eggplants are quite whimsical plants, however, if you follow most of the standard rules, then the yield will quickly please you. Growing eggplant in greenhouses, you must remember that these plants are very fond of moisture and water. Since the polycarbonate greenhouse is quite dense and does not allow air to pass through, watering should be thorough. It is recommended to water the plants only with warm water. The basic rule of watering is that it must be regular. It is better to water the plant in the morning and then ventilate the polycarbonate greenhouse to achieve moist soil, not air.

28 degrees is the most optimal temperature for growing eggplants in a polycarbonate greenhouse. In order for the temperature to be approximately at the same level, the greenhouse must be constantly ventilated. In order to constantly see the current temperature in the greenhouse, it is recommended to hang thermometers, preferably two – at one and the other end of the polycarbonate greenhouse.

Eggplant care also includes plant nutrition. It is recommended to feed the plants at least three times per season. The best way to fertilize a plant is to use:

mineral and complex fertilizers, such as Kemira, Rassvorin, it is better to use them in the period before fruiting;
nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers, such as Superphosphate, Ammonium nitrate, after the appearance of the first fruits.

Another important element of care is the eggplant garter. Since in a polycarbonate greenhouse, unlike growing in an open area, the plant stretches upwards, the tying process is necessary. You need to tie up each plant, sometimes even in several places. Also, for better growth, it is recommended to remove the lateral fragile processes.

Even with proper care, growing eggplant in a greenhouse can cause various diseases and pests. The most common are aphids, spider mites and whiteflies. The diseases of eggplant grown in a polycarbonate greenhouse include tobacco mosaic and late blight.

Fruit collection

The collection of eggplants in the greenhouse can be started 3035 days after their flowering, this is called the phase of technical ripeness. During this period, they reach the size and color that are characteristic of the variety. You can collect fruits with a break of 5-6 days.

The best way to harvest fruit is to cut with a pruner. Since, using this tool, there is no way to spoil the plant, which should continue to bear fruit. In no case should you pick the fruits with your hands, as this is traumatic for the plant.

Do not forget that it is not recommended to store eggplants raw for a long time or without freezing them, as they quickly lose their quality, taste and appearance. In a dry place with a relatively cool air temperature, eggplant fruits can be stored for several months. It is also not recommended to store eggplants in the refrigerator for a long time (in order to avoid poisoning), as eggplants deteriorate quite quickly and easily. Remember that with proper care, a very good eggplant crop can be grown in a polycarbonate greenhouse.