Formation of eggplants in the greenhouse: stages, scheme of the formation of a bush

Eggplants are picky about growing conditions, therefore, growing eggplants in a greenhouse gives a better result than in the open field. In the greenhouse, plants are protected from cold winds, it is easier to observe the temperature regime. If you follow the technology of growing eggplants in a polycarbonate greenhouse or in a glass greenhouse, you are guaranteed a good harvest of "blue" ones. Greenhouse eggplants can be grown with tomatoes and peppers, but the height of the bushes must be taken into account. If you are planting low or medium-sized eggplant varieties with tall tomatoes, then the eggplant should be planted from the sunny side, avoiding shading.

General rules for growing eggplants

"Blue" - wayward vegetables, they prefer a lot of sun and heat. To grow a great eggplant crop, it is preferable to plant them in a greenhouse. However, there are species that are resistant to frost, so you can grow eggplants in the open field (Black opal, Diamond).

Experienced gardeners are advised to start planting directly from the greenhouse, alternating blue seedlings with tomatoes or cucumbers.

What every gardener needs to know:

If the days are dry and sultry, then the pinching operation is not performed.
Pay attention to the bushes: when the leaves are persistent and the stems are thick, there are healthy stepchildren, then there is no need to pinch.
When about five fruits appear, the top of the plant must be pinched.
The trunk is free at the bottom, young leaves, shoots must be removed.
Yellow leaves are also removed.
When the fruits ripen, make sure that they are not in the shade: the leaves that cover the fruits must be removed.

How to form eggplants (the secret of a large harvest, how to get fruits - 900-1000gr)

Reviews:

Tatiana Plotnikova
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Fatima Dzeitova
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Valentina Fukleva
writes: Thank you! Today I will go to clean up my stepchildren on eggplants ... I have never done this before ...

Irina Pushkina
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Eggplants are very demanding on the soil, they do not accept acidic soil. Lower it with dolomite flour. Preparation of the land includes digging, removing weed roots, processing with copper sulfate. Before planting, it is worth fertilizing. Organic ones are better suited: manure, compost. From mineral dressings, it is advised to choose an all-encompassing consistency with a phosphorus and nitrogen content.

The need to perform a garter and pinching

During the growing season, eggplant bushes can grow from thirty-five to one hundred and fifty centimeters in height. Depending on the species, they are small, medium-sized and tall. In greenhouses, eggplants form faster than in open soil.

With excellent outdoor care, plants grow densely leafy, with a huge number of lateral shoots and stepchildren. Often, eggplants darken each other, so the plant needs to be sure to remove excess shoots.

As long as there is an increase in the green mass, the development and increase of the fruit is delayed.They begin to mature at the latest.

If you remove the stepsons and leaves, this will not hurt the plant - it continues to form. This will improve the ventilation of the root area and the bush itself, therefore, the threat of damage to plants by various diseases will decrease.

Small-growing types of eggplants, in which the increase in stepsons and leaves, last for a long time, do not need to be thinned out.

Medium-sized and tall plants must be tied up so that they can successfully withstand the mass of pouring and eggplants. Stakes are used as supports, or plants are grown as a trellis culture.

In particular, eggplants need a garter, which grow in a greenhouse. Here they have the most saturated and fragile stems, as a result of which they break more often.

Grasshopping is the elimination of part of the leaves or lateral processes of the eggplant. This process makes it possible to create an eggplant bush, fix it and get the largest fruits.

The need for pinching is determined by the fact that in a warm and humid environment, eggplants will create a very dense green mass with a huge number of lateral processes.

As a result, the plant “throws” all its forces on the formation of foliage, and there are no resources left for the normal formation of fruits.

As a result, vegetables grow small, often misshapen and of mediocre taste. Moreover, in some variants, the ovaries simply do not have time to ripen and fall off.

General information on eggplant care

A kind of perennial plant of the genus Solanaceae, eggplant is cultivated as an annual vegetable crop. Differs in common characteristic varietal characteristics.

The height of the bush is 0.35-1.5 m.
Relatively large leaves with an acceptable purple tint (in some varieties) are arranged alternately. The surface of the leaf plate is rough, possibly a prickly sensation.
The size of bisexual flowers is 25-50 mm. The arrangement is single or in semi-umbellate inflorescences (up to 7 pieces). Flowering time is July-September.
The fruit is a rounded berry. The shape, size and color are determined by the characteristics of the variety. The surface of the fruit is glossy or matte, with a rich shade. Harvesting at the stage of technical maturity is recommended. In the later stages of ripening, taste is lost, the pulp becomes coarse.

Eating eggplants stimulates the proper functioning of the kidneys and normalizes the water-salt balance.The predominant content of potassium affects tissue and extracellular fluids, helps to maintain acid-base balance in the body. the product contains only 24 kcal, which made "blue" a popular component of weight loss systems and therapeutic diet programs.

Eggplant contains vitamins of groups A, B, C and contains elements of chlorine, phosphorus, sulfur, calcium, magnesium and sodium.

Photo 1. Eggplant does not contain an impressive set of nutrients and vitamins, but due to its low calorie content and balance of elements, it is well absorbed by the body

Growing eggplant in infographics

You can see general information on eggplant growing in our infographic.

Eggplant pickling, scheme

An important circumstance in courting "little blue" is the pinching. This simple process involves removing unnecessary scions. It is especially advisable when the plant grows in climates with excessive air humidity, in circumstances of heat.

Many experienced gardeners claim that you can grow gorgeous eggplants without pinching. Is it so?

This is quite possible when eggplants are grown in dry, sultry climates. Then the leaf mass perfectly protects the soil under the plant from drying out and stores water.In other versions, pinching is mandatory.

The procedure itself is performed in the interval of 14-20 days from the day the seedlings are planted in the soil. You can wait up to 20 days if the plants are weak and poorly take root, however, for strong, well-established seedlings, 14-15 days from planting will be suitable, since it is necessary to meet the deadline, carry out pinching before buds appear.

Formation of plants in open ground

Many gardeners are engaged in pinching eggplants in the open field. But they do it according to a modified scheme:

Removing excess shoots.
On strong shoots with an ovary, the tip is pinched.
Systematic removal of stepchildren that interfere with the development of the main shoots.

Grasshopping of open field eggplants should be very selective. Your main goal here is to prevent the bushes from interfering with each other's development, as well as to ensure free air circulation between them.

On this, our story about how to pinch eggplants of open ground and greenhouse varieties has come to an end. The formation of a bush is an important and in some cases necessary procedure, but its success is determined by the correct timing and correctly chosen scheme for each plant.

Formation into one stem

This method of shaping is more suitable for use in greenhouses, if there is a lack of space, and also for the extraction of large fruits. Experienced gardeners act according to the following scheme:

When the plant grows up to 30 cm, all leaves and stepchildren are removed until the fork, one leaf is saved to feed 1 ovary.
Among 2 or 3 stems in the branch, a strong one is selected, others are removed.
Passing and removing unnecessary leaves is carried out every 7 days.
The leaf near 1 ovary is removed after the beginning of its intensive increase (after 5-7 days).
A month before the arrival of frost, the top and flowers are removed, and besides, small ovaries, they will not ripen in time and interfere with the ripening of large fruits.

This method of formation is also used for plants with a weak, thin stem, it will not be able to bear the weight of the fruit in a branched trunk.

In addition to unnecessary stepsons, leaves and flowers, do not forget to remove dried corollas from the growing ovary, which, under conditions of high moisture in the greenhouse, become a decay factor.

Greenhouse preparation

An important factor in the formation of the crop is the absence of diseases and pests in the greenhouse. To get rid of pathogenic microorganisms and pests, it is necessary to disinfect. Disinfection is best done in the fall, especially if you expect early sowing in the greenhouse.

Greenhouse structures must be treated with bleach to destroy the spores of pathogens and various pests wintering in the greenhouse. The solution for processing is prepared as follows: stir 400 grams of bleach in 10 liters of water, leave for 3-4 hours, drain the settled liquid and spray it on all greenhouse structures. With the remaining residues, coat the wooden parts of the greenhouse with a brush. If there are mosses and lichens on the wooden parts of the greenhouse, then they should be scraped off to cleanliness and treated with a 5% solution of ferrous sulfate to destroy spores.

How is the formation of a 2-stem bush carried out?

Formation in 2, 3 or even 4 stems - the gardener decides. It depends on the density of plantings, the height of the plant, the quality data of the variety. Gardeners are advised to leave 2 stems, this guarantees a high yield with the full return of the plant to all its forces.

Vegetable growers perform pickling in 2 stems in the following order:

When the plant reaches a height of 30 cm, the growth point is removed.
Among the lateral processes that have begun to grow rapidly, 2-5 of the most durable remain, others are removed with pruning shears.
In parallel with these manipulations, regular elimination of all processes below 1 ovary is carried out, and in each abandoned process, additional ovaries are removed and eliminated.
To obtain the largest fruits, it is recommended to leave no more than 5-6 ovaries on the plant, with ordinary formation it is preserved up to 20;
Regularly, as the fruit grows, unnecessary and unhealthy leaves are removed;
If the seedling is weak, it is recommended to lay as many shoots as possible.
To protect against drying out of the land in dry weather, it is recommended to leave the lower leaves and shoots.

Growing seedlings

Before planting in the greenhouse, eggplants must go through the seedling stage, which lasts depending on the ripening period of the variety.

Seed preparation

The preparation process consists of three stages:

hardening by alternating temperatures;
disinfection in potassium permanganate;
stimulation - soaking in a weak solution of compost, 3% solution of potassium humate.

Then the seeds are germinated between two layers of damp cloth and planted in cups. Seedlings should germinate from the ground in a dark place at an air temperature of 26 to 28 C.

Infusion of willow branches is the best natural growth stimulant. To do this, grind 2 kilograms of young willow branches and fill them with 10 liters of water for a week. In such an infusion, you can soak the seeds, water the seedlings diluted with it.

Soil preparation for seedlings

The following composition is well suited for sowing seedlings: peat, sand and forest land in a ratio of 1/1/1.

You can also enrich seedling soil with sunflower or buckwheat husks.

It is better to sow seeds in separate cups.

Peat pots for seedlings filled with soil are poured with boiling water so that the peat becomes limp, allows water to pass through better and more actively gives microelements to the substrate. This procedure promotes decontamination. You can start planting only after it has completely cooled down.

Sowing dates for eggplants

The maturation period of different varieties of eggplant varies from 80 to 150 days. Seedlings from seed to adult plant develop for two to two and a half months. In peat pots, you can plant seedlings in a greenhouse without reloading, a little earlier, after 1.5 to two months.

Its growth and development in natural conditions will depend on the length of the day, the natural change in temperature during the day. The peculiarity of greenhouse cultivation is the possibility of organizing artificial twelve-hour lighting and temperature conditions.

In an unheated greenhouse, a transplant may be scheduled for the end of April, respectively, the sowing date of seedlings falls in February.

We observe the temperature regime

For successful development, a temperature from 23 to 28 C is suitable. The interaction of lighting and temperature conditions is carried out in such a way that with the beginning of daylight hours, the air warms up by 2-3 C, and after turning off the fluorescent lamps, the room becomes cooler. This will bring the seedlings closer to natural conditions and increase their endurance.

A mirror installed opposite the light source will illuminate the seedlings from all sides. If there is little light, the temperature is lowered by a couple of degrees and the amount of dressing is increased.

How often to water seedlings

Water the eggplants as needed, without allowing the soil to dry out. You can combine watering with loosening, only this must be done very carefully.

Watering is applied at the root, with warm soft water. Can be watered with slightly diluted herbal or willow infusion, crystalline or other growth stimulants.

Top dressing is required only if the appearance of the seedlings inspires concern - the leaves turn yellow and wither.

What does a gardener need to know?

Passionking is not the most difficult procedure in gardening. However, to achieve excellent results, you need to understand the following about how to pinch an eggplant:

Do not use scissors in your work, work exclusively with your own hands. When you do use a garden tool, in this case, be sure to disinfect it before pinching, otherwise there is a threat to introduce an infection into the wound on the stalk.
A consequence of the previous paragraph will be a mandatory procedure for disinfecting both hands and devices after working with each of the bushes.This is done so that, in the event that one plant is shaken by a disease, it does not bring this infection to others.
Did you see that the plant got sick or suddenly went limp? In this case, bypass it with the pinning procedure - it will weaken even more from it. Switch to the formation of a bush only when the bush is completely renewed.
If the climate in the greenhouse is rather dry, then the lower leaves do not need to be removed - they can help retain water in the substrate.
Deformed leaves and ovaries must be removed without regret - this may be an indicator of the formation of a disease in a plant.
If you are an adherent of organic fertilizers, in this case, try not to overdo it with eggplants - the bush responds to such feeding with a violent growth of additional stems and leaves, and only then - the development of ovaries.
If you saw that you overdid it with pinching the lower leaves, in this case, the soil around the plant should be mulched, so that now the mulch protects it from drying out.

Follow the link to watch a video on how to pinch eggplants:

Frequent formation errors

The most common mistakes made by vegetable growers during the formation of bushes:

refusal to form: this leads to the development of ineffective shoots and extra leaves, as a result of which the bush spends all its energy not on filling the fruit, but on maintaining the green mass. This dramatically affects the activity of eggplant fruiting and fruit ripening. Therefore, pruning of eggplant must be carried out without fail, with the exception of only undersized early ripening varieties;
refusal to pinch stepchildren (since this inhibits the growth of the bush): indeed, pruning the stepchildren causes stress in the bush, however, without this, it becomes difficult to pour the fruits or may even stop altogether. The stepsons are removed even in the first pruning, while you need to regularly monitor the appearance of new unwanted branches;
neglect of cutting leaves and side shoots on the lower part of the bush when 2 or more stems are formed: as a result, excessive shading of the soil is observed, which provokes slow evaporation of moisture. This often creates a favorable environment for the development of putrefactive infections or wilting of the root system. The fallow layer below the main lateral shoots is necessarily removed, with the exception of 1-2 basal leaves, which protect the soil from drying out. Do this as early as possible, during the 1-2 formation;
Did you know? Eggplants are considered one of the oldest fruit crops. The plant first began to grow 1.5 thousand years ago, in the territory of the modern Middle East, southern Asia and India.
at the apex sharply reduce the number of ovaries: This is often considered a requirement, since nutrients hardly reach the upper zone of the bush. However, this statement is false, since it is at the top that the largest and highest quality fruits develop. A timely assessment of the state of the forming bushes and the number of ovaries on them will help to avoid this;
untimely pinching of the bush: this error leads to excessive stretching of the plant, which threatens the stem with deformations and damage. In addition, this often leads to a deterioration in the growth of fruits. To avoid this, after the bush has reached the average size of the variety, pinch the top and all points of growth.

The main miscalculations when pinching eggplants in a greenhouse

When growing and pinching eggplant, inexperienced gardeners often make certain errors:

the lack of tying up and removing additional leaves becomes a factor in the shading of each other by plants and a decrease in the quality of illumination;
the tying of plants must be realized directly near the branches, where the most fragile stem part is located;
it is not recommended to create eggplant bushes in too dry weather or in the rain, since in this case, the destruction of the plant by diseases through damaged areas is often traced;
eggplant pinching is preferably carried out in the early morning time, which will enable the plant to resume before nightfall;
after pinching in the open field, the plants may need shading from hot sunlight.

When is pinning not needed?

Let's list the cases in which the pinning procedure will be superfluous:

Low-growing varieties. These types of eggplants, by their nature, have an average leaf mass and are able to form a bush on their own.
Open ground. Some gardeners are interested in how to pinch eggplants outdoors. We do not advise you to resort to this procedure - additional leaves do not interfere with the development of plants in the beds, on the contrary, they protect the topsoil from rapid drying. Yes, it should be noted that the moment that plants planted in open ground, the leaf mass is not very intensively formed.

Tips & Tricks

Despite the fact that the procedure for removing excess organs from eggplant is quite simple, mistakes are often made in its implementation, especially by inexperienced gardeners. Therefore, before starting to remove "everything indiscriminately", it is worth studying the recommendations and advice of experienced gardeners. This is the only way to prevent the admission of common mistakes and achieve the most positive result.

For example, removing the appendages should only be done manually. It is better not to use pruning shears and even more so scissors for these purposes. If you avoid using garden tools, they need to be thoroughly treated with disinfectants before use. Otherwise, through the wound formed on the plant, an infection can be introduced into the culture organism.

After carrying out the procedure for each bush, it is worth treating your hands and tools with special substances with disinfecting properties. Such actions prevent the spread of the disease from one individual to all others.

If the greenhouse where the eggplant grows is excessively dry, the lower leaves should be left on the bush. After all, these organs will keep water close to the stem, preventing the soil from drying out. In this case, it is worth removing dry or reshaped leaves and ovaries. After all, such organs can be signals of an illness.

When growing a vegetable in greenhouse, you should not add organic matter to the soil too often. After all, blue, even when fertilized with organic matter in small quantities, begin to actively form a green mass, which negatively affects the formation of fruits.

Grasshopping is a necessary element of vegetable care. As a result of its implementation, large healthy fruits can be harvested. The correct procedure, carried out at the right time, has a positive effect on the development of the crop and its yield. Without the procedure, eggplant bushes actively grow, creating a shadow for each other. As a result, the fruits will not be able to ripen properly, and the plants themselves may be subject to various ailments.

Each gardener makes the decision on the need for pinching himself. In doing so, he takes into account the growing conditions and varieties of the vegetable. In any case, if you ignore the procedure, you cannot hope to get a rich harvest.

Rules of procedure

Before pruning excess shoots, it is useful to read the following guidelines:

Eggplant grazing should be done in moderate humidity. It is important that the plant does not suffer from waterlogging, but also does not dry out from moisture deficiency.
Mandatory actions, with which pinching begin, are pinching the top of the main shoot and trimming the lower excess leaves.
If the leaves interfere with the good lighting of the fruit, then some stepsons will have to be removed.The stem below the fork line must be regularly cleaned of leaves and emerging flowers.
Passynching is allowed only when the sprouts are up to five centimeters long. If the shoot has exceeded this value, and the bush itself is not strong enough, then the stepson is left so as not to injure the plant.

It is useful to pay attention to the following nuances:

Plants should not shade each other.
The branches should not intertwine, this interferes with the normal growth of plants.
As soon as the branching of the bushes has begun, skeletal branches need to be formed.
From the branches, you need to choose one main stem, and pinch the other above the second leaf above the ovary. This technique will leave one fruit.
We do the same with each branch, trying to form from five to twelve eggplants on one bush.
As the plant grows, we examine it and remove the sterile shoots on which the fruits have not set (what to do if the fruits are not tied?).
Shoots and ovaries growing on the main stem below the bifurcation are also removed.