How to plant eggplant seedlings in open ground

Eggplant is a nightshade vegetable crop that will delight you with a large number of fruits in any soil. But in order for these fruits to ripen in time, it will take time! So, eggplant seedlings should be grown and not identified with planting it in the garden. How to plant eggplant seedlings in open ground correctly and when is it best to do? You will learn the answers to these questions from our publication.

How to grow eggplant seedlings?

It is quite convenient to grow eggplant seedlings: sprouts grow small and stretch upwards, so pots or crates with such seed can be transported to the cottage (unlike pumpkin seedlings or zucchini seedlings that “creep” out of the container with the ground). Therefore, do not be afraid and be sure to try to grow eggplant seedlings at home!

Be sure to look when to plant eggplants for seedlings in 2017 according to the lunar calendar

When do you need to sow the seeds of these vegetables for seedlings? The approximate date is the beginning of March, although this time depends on your climate zone. In any case, sowing eggplant seeds for seedlings is necessary 2 months before planting sprouts in open ground. In order for the eggplants to ripen in the garden, they are planted in May: therefore, seeds for seedlings need to be sown in March.

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Prepare the ground in seedling drawers: just moisten it enough to make it wet. Make furrows in the soil about 2 cm deep and place the seeds in them at a distance of 3 cm from each other. Cover the seed box tightly with a transparent film to create a small greenhouse. Do not remove the film until the seeds “peck” through the ground and grow to 2 cm in height. Until that time, you do not need to water the earth additionally: thanks to the greenhouse, there will be enough moisture for the first time. Well, when on eggplant seedlings form 4 real leaves, it will be possible to plant it in the garden.

When to plant eggplant seedlings in open ground?

As already mentioned at the beginning of the publication, the ideal time for planting eggplant in open ground is May. Moreover, the sooner the better: the eggplants are lovers of "think" and ripen for a long time. So for planting seedlings, the first day of May, not burdened by the threat of night frost, is suitable. Landing is best done either in the morning or in cloudy weather so that the sun's rays do not oppress the young shoots.

How to plant eggplant seedlings in the holes?

1. Dig a bed: before planting seedlings, the ground should be soft. Make holes in the ground to a depth of 15 cm and a diameter of about 20 cm. Completely fill these holes with water and wait for the soil to absorb the liquid.

2. Moisten the soil in a box with seedlings so that you can easily remove the eggplant bushes from there without damaging their roots. Lay out the seedlings in the holes: in each place one bush of eggplant.

3. In the center of the hole, make a small depression and lower the roots of the eggplant bush there. Dampen the base of the bush with wet soil so that the plant can stand straight and not fall to the side.

4. Top the eggplant base with dry, crushed soil. It will be a kind of mulch - a material that prevents the rapid evaporation of water from the earth. Consequently, seedlings will be able to feed on liquid from the soil longer and take root more quickly.

Find out, how to care for eggplant in the open ground
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For the first two weeks, leave the eggplant seedlings in the ground without watering. They will have enough moisture from the soil, because seedlings are planted in the spring (when the earth is not yet dried by the heat of the sun), and the holes are watered additionally before planting. Well, after two weeks, you can begin to water the eggplants with plain water and organic dressings.

We also recommend that you watch a video on how to grow eggplant in the open ground.