How to plant and manage eggplant?

As a common vegetable , eggplant is a frequent visitor in vegetable gardens, vegetable fields or vegetable greenhouses for many farmers. Although eggplant field management may be relatively complicated, as long as you master the correct methods, planting and management work can be greatly simplified. Let’s learn how to plant and manage eggplant.

1. Eggplant planting time

Eggplant prefers warm climates and is afraid of cold. Eggplant seedlings grown outdoors should be sown after the late frost in spring, approximately between January and March. If the climate is cold, remember to cover the seedbed with mulch to keep it warm. Eggplants sown in spring are generally transplanted in April and May and harvested in summer; those sown in autumn are raised in July and August, transplanted in September and October, and harvested from December to February of the following year. Farmers who are engaged in small-scale planting or find raising seedlings cumbersome can choose to purchase ready-made seedlings for planting, but they should select strong seedlings with thick stems and well-developed root systems.

2. Eggplant Planting Site Selection

Eggplant is not very demanding on the soil, but to ensure good growth and high yield, you should choose flat, permeable, sunny land, preferably sandy soil. The soil should be deep and fertile, and sufficient well-rotted farmyard manure and chemical fertilizers should be applied during land preparation. Avoid repeated cropping and choose land that has not been planted with nightshade vegetables in 2 to 3 years. The soil pH should be slightly acidic or neutral.

3. Eggplant variety selection

Choose eggplant varieties that are adaptable, resistant to diseases, and high-yielding.

4. Seed Treatment

Before sowing, the seeds should be soaked, disinfected and germinated to awaken their dormancy and increase the germination rate. Soak the seeds in 50-55 degree warm water for 15 minutes to disinfect them, then soak them in 28 degree warm water for 6 hours, and finally rinse them with clean water and germinate them in a 25 degree environment.

5. Sowing temperature and method

When sowing, the soil temperature should be stabilized at around 15 degrees to avoid low temperatures affecting germination. After the seedbed is watered thoroughly, sow the seeds, cover it with 1-1.5 cm of fine soil or fine manure, and cover it with mulch to keep warm and moist.

6. Seedling density

When the eggplant seedlings grow two true leaves, thinning and dividing are carried out, and the density is controlled at 8-10 cm between rows and plants.

7. Low temperature hardening

Before transplanting, carry out low-temperature hardening of the seedlings, lowering the temperature of the seedbed to 15-18 degrees during the day and 10-12 degrees at night to enhance the adaptability and survival rate of the seedlings.

8. Transplanting density and depth

Plant 2000-3000 trees per acre, and adjust according to the variety and soil fertility. The planting depth follows the principle of "not burying the center of the leaves and not exposing the roots of the seedlings".

9. Water and fertilizer management

Keep the soil moist after sowing, and control the amount of water before and after transplanting. After fruiting, increase the supply of water and fertilizer to meet growth needs. Use foliar fertilizers such as potassium dihydrogen phosphate to spray to promote flowering and fruiting.

10. Plant arrangement

Carry out pruning, pinching and leaf picking to promote ventilation and light transmission of the plants and concentrate nutrients to supply the fruits. Be careful to pick leaves moderately to avoid affecting fruit development.

The above are the methods and key points of eggplant management. Through the above points, farmers can efficiently plant and manage eggplants and harvest high-quality eggplants.