High-yield cultivation technology of eggplant

When choosing eggplant varieties, you can distinguish them according to their shape and color. Eggplants come in three shapes: long, short and round, and four colors: purple, red, white and green. Before you grow eggplants, you should decide which type to grow based on your needs and preferences. Let’s learn about the high-yield cultivation technology of eggplant.

1. Planting season

Eggplant can be planted in two types: spring and autumn. The seedling period of spring eggplant is longer, taking about 60 to 70 days. It is usually sown between November and December, transplanted from March to April of the following year, and harvested from May to June. The seedling period of autumn eggplant is shorter, about one month. It is usually sown in early June, transplanted in early July, and harvested in autumn.

2. Seed preparation

Before sowing eggplant, soak the seeds in hot water at 50 to 55 degrees Celsius and stir for 15 minutes to sterilize them. When the water temperature drops to 28 to 30 degrees Celsius, continue soaking for 8 to 12 hours. After that, place the seeds in an environment of about 30 degrees Celsius, wrap them with wet gauze or a wet towel, spray and rinse the seeds 1 to 2 times every morning and evening, until most of the seeds reveal white embryos, then they can be sown.

3. Seedling cultivation process

Before sowing, the soil in the seedbed should be sterilized and disinfected using 1000 to 1500 times the concentration of 30% carbendazim-methyl spray. When the temperature is low in spring, choose to sow in the morning and cover the ground to keep warm; when the temperature is high in autumn, choose to sow in the evening and set up a shade net. When sowing, water the bottom thoroughly, sowing to a depth of 1 to 2 cm, and keep the soil moist. Before germination, the daytime temperature should be maintained at 15 to 28 degrees Celsius and the night temperature should be maintained at 15 to 18 degrees Celsius; after emergence, the daytime temperature should be maintained at 23 to 25 degrees Celsius and the night temperature should be maintained at 15 to 17 degrees Celsius.

4. Water and fertilizer management

After the eggplant seedlings survive, if the soil is poor or the seedlings are weak, you can apply an appropriate amount of high-nitrogen compound fertilizer or urea water + potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer solution. Before transplanting, apply sufficient base fertilizer and water thoroughly for planting and seedling growth. It is not advisable to water and fertilize frequently before flowering and fruiting. After the eggplant blooms, water it every 7 to 10 days depending on the weather and soil moisture, keeping the soil moisture at around 80%. Boron and phosphorus can be supplemented in the early stage of flowering, boron, calcium and potassium can be supplemented in the early stage of young fruit expansion after flowering, and potassium and calcium can be supplemented in the young fruit expansion period. After flowering and fruiting, water every 7 to 10 days.

5. Pruning and pruning

Eggplant has a strong ability to grow side branches and needs to be pruned to concentrate nutrients. After the eggplant is established, keep the two strong branches above it and cut off all the side branches below it. After each layer of branches grows, retain up to 10 layers. In each layer, only keep 2 strong branches to bloom and bear fruit, and cut off the rest. At the same time, each layer of branches only produces 2 fruits, and the excess ones are removed. The time to pick the eggplant depends on the growth of the plant. Pick it late when it is growing vigorously, and pick it early when it is growing weakly.

In short, if you want to achieve high yields in eggplant cultivation, all of the above aspects are very important. You should choose suitable varieties for planting based on regional climate conditions, planting time, and market demand.