When is the best time to grow eggplant seedlings?

Eggplant has become one of the important ways for farmers to increase their economic benefits because of its easy cultivation, abundant yield and broad market demand. The yield of eggplant is closely related to the quality of seedlings, so cultivating strong seedlings is extremely important for increasing yield. So when is the best time to grow eggplant seedlings?

When is the best time to grow eggplant seedlings?

Eggplant prefers warm climates and is sensitive to low temperatures. Seeds germinate most quickly in a temperature range of 30 to 35 degrees Celsius, while the suitable growth temperature for seedlings is between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius, and night temperatures should not be lower than 17 degrees Celsius.

Because eggplant has a large leaf area and a more active transpiration, it has a higher demand for water. However, eggplant is sensitive to water tolerance, and excessive water can easily lead to the occurrence of diseases.

For eggplant grown outdoors in spring, the key is to cultivate strong seedlings, which usually take 80 to 90 days. When transplanting, soil temperatures are best between 10 and 13 degrees Celsius, which usually occurs in early April. Therefore, in order to ensure that the eggplant seedlings can be transplanted in the best condition, seedling raising work should start in early January, that is, the best time for seedling raising is early January.

How to grow eggplant seedlings?

1. Preparation work before sowing

Seedbed layout: For spring seedling raising, a location that is sheltered from the wind and facing the sun should be chosen to help increase the temperature of the seedbed, making it easier to manage and transplant the seedlings. Make sure you have all the necessary facilities such as tarpaulin.

Preparation of nutrient soil: Use fertile field soil and fully decomposed organic fertilizer as the main raw materials, mix them in a ratio of 6:4, add 0.5 kg of diammonium phosphate per cubic meter of soil, mix well to make nutrient soil.

Pot making process: Prepare a 30 square meter seedling bed area according to the required transplanting area per acre (100 pots per square meter), first lay a layer of compacted field soil, place the seedling pots on it, and water it thoroughly. Build a small arch shed and cover it with film to increase the ground temperature and prepare for sowing.

Seed treatment:

Soaking: Soak the seeds in warm water at 50 to 60 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes, then soak them in water at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours, changing the water once in the middle, until the seeds are washed clean and free of mucus.

Germination: Place the seeds in a cloth bag and germinate in an environment of 30 to 35 degrees Celsius. Turn the cloth bag over every day, and wash the seeds once on the third day when they are about to germinate. Drain the water after washing, and place them at 25 to 30 degrees Celsius for about 4 days for them to germinate.

2. Sowing method

Variety selection: Choose varieties with strong resistance, moderate growth period and market popularity. The specific selection can be determined based on local planting habits and market demand.

Seeding amount: Sow 2 seeds per pot. About 30 to 50 grams of seeds are needed per acre of transplanting land.

Sowing operation: After the seedbed is watered thoroughly, sow the germinated seeds evenly in each seedling pot, cover with 0.8 to 1 cm thick wet soil, and then cover with film to keep warm.

3. Seedbed management

Temperature control: From before sowing to germination, keep the temperature inside the film at about 30 degrees Celsius during the day and 15 to 18 degrees Celsius at night. After the seedlings emerge, choose a sunny noon for proper ventilation to prevent damping-off disease. After germination, maintain 25 to 28 degrees Celsius during the day and 15 to 18 degrees Celsius at night. As the seedlings grow, the daytime temperature is controlled at 25 to 26 degrees Celsius and the night temperature is about 15 degrees Celsius. 15 to 20 days before transplanting, harden the seedlings, with the temperature at 15 to 20 degrees Celsius during the day and about 1 degree Celsius at night.

Water management: Water thoroughly before sowing, and generally do not water before 2 true leaves to reduce the risk of disease. After 2 true leaves appear, water the seedlings according to soil moisture and seedling condition, usually in the morning.

Fertilization: If the nutrient soil is fertile, generally no additional fertilizer is required. If the seedlings are light green and thin, spray them with 0.05% urea solution and then rinse them with clean water to prevent leaf burn.

Hardening of seedlings: Within a week before transplanting, remove the film during the day for the first two days and cover it at night. Then, remove the film all day for the next few days to allow the seedlings to adapt to the external environment. Hardening of seedlings should be carried out in sunny weather and postponed in bad weather. Eventually, strong seedlings with 5 to 6 leaves, 15 cm in height, 0.4 to 0.5 cm in stem thickness and flower buds were cultivated.

In short, in terms of eggplant cultivation methods, most farmers choose to plant them in a scattered manner on open land, while some larger farmers tend to plant them in a concentrated manner in facility agriculture to achieve more efficient production management. Regardless of the planting mode, high-quality seedling cultivation is a key step to ensure the healthy growth and harvest of eggplant.