Feeding eggplant in the open ground or what is missing in the garden
Get a good crop of eggplant, without applying fertilizer to the soil, practically impossible. But as in any case, here is an important measure: lack of nutrients will inevitably affect the taste of future fruits, and their excess, vice versa, will deprive you of part of the harvest, forcing plants to actively grow green mass.
How to feed
Before dealing with the frequency and patterns of fertilization, important to understand, when and how to feed eggplant so, that plants took a maximum of nutrients. Like all solanaceous crops, eggplant need nitrogen (without it, the normal growth of eggplant bushes is impossible), phosphorus (is responsible for the development of the root system of the plant), potassium (with his participation the fruit is formed), as well as in manganese, fight, gland (these elements have a positive effect on yield, as well as improve fruit quality). Chemicals can be used to feed eggplants (superphosphate, potassium nitrate or nitrophosphate) or organic (mullein, bird droppings or compost) fertilizers. At the same time, it is strongly recommended to dilute organic matter - it contains a lot of nitrogen when fresh.
It is best to alternate chemical and organic fertilizers. You, Of course, remember, that eggplants are fed only by the root method - foliar feeding for this culture is practically not used. An exception is a solution of boric acid (1g of the substance is diluted in 1 liter of water), which can be sprayed beds to improve flowering, as well as the formation of ovaries. Never increase concentration, as you risk burning leaves and disrupting the natural development of plants.
And yet the main fertilizers are brought to the root. Each bush will need about one and a half liters of nutrient solution at room temperature. Try not to let the mixture get on the eggplant leaves. If this happens, rinse them with clean water.
Video "How to feed eggplant"
You will learn from the video, than it is necessary to feed eggplants.
When to feed
When growing eggplant fertilization in the open ground and in greenhouse conditions, must be made in due time. Gardeners with extensive experience in growing vegetables recommend doing it twice:
- for the first time after planting eggplants need to be fed, as soon as the first true leaves appear - the future bushes should get enough potassium and nitrogen;
- the second time the seedlings are fed ten days before planting in a permanent place. Now it's important, to in addition to the above potassium and nitrogen, the nutrient mixture contained phosphorus. Superphosphate can be used at this stage.
Seedlings, survived the pick, must be supported by fertilizers, so that it can grow a healthy root system, thanks to which the process of rooting in a new place will be painless, and the plant itself will grow well and harmoniously. When your bugs finally settled in the garden, they will have at least three more feedings:
- Across 14 days after transplantation. Eggplant roots have become quite strong and adapted to new conditions, so it's time to add the mixture again, containing potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus.
- When the ovary of the future fruit appears. When plants begin to form ovaries, they are in dire need of extra food - help them, by applying a standard dose of nitrogen, but potassium and phosphorus need to double.
- The next stage is the fertilization of eggplant beds at the time of fruit formation. Now you need connections, containing potassium and phosphorus.
When plants are actively fruiting, you can once again make a portion of phosphorus and potassium, to extend the harvest period and improve fruit quality.
The specified feeding scheme is applicable in that case, if your eggplants grow on nutritious soil. If you understand, that the beds are quite depleted, you can fertilize more often - about once every two weeks, alternating organic mixtures and mineral compounds.
What is missing in the garden
If you neglect the application of fertilizers, plants will respond immediately to a lack of nutrients. Fruits suffer first of all: they take on an irregular shape, become smaller or completely absent. Let's look at the main problems, associated with nutrient deficiencies, in more detail.
Nitrogen deficiency
If the eggplant bush does not receive the required amount of nitrogen, he signals this by changing the color of the leaves - it becomes dull, brightens, and the leaves themselves become smaller. It will take very little time, and the plant will begin to shed green mass, in accordance, ripening of fruits will be considerably slowed down. But even those vegetables, who will be able to grow, will be small, deformed and, probably, will fall unripe. To save the harvest, was threatened with extinction, it is necessary to make a nitrogen-containing substance, example, urea.
However, do not try and exceed the prescribed dose - excess nitrogen, instead of the intended benefit, can cause equivalent damage to the crop: plants will begin to actively grow green mass, ignoring its direct purpose - to bear fruit.
Potassium deficiency
About that, that there is not enough potassium in eggplant beds, evidence of plant growth arrest. It is important not to miss the feeding of seedlings after picking potassium-containing mixtures - this stage is especially important for the harmonious development of culture. If potassium is not enough for adult plants, their leaves are covered with brown spots and inevitably reduced yields.
Keep that in mind, too, that on cloudy days eggplants need more potassium, try to bring wood ash to the beds, it is able to partially solve the problem: about one and a half cups of fertilizer will be needed for each square meter of soil.
Phosphorus deficiency
The easiest way to recognize the lack of phosphorus in the eggplant bed - the color of plants changes from lush green to purple-purple. If no action is taken, the leaves begin to curl and fall off, the number of buds and ovaries decreases, and already formed fruits develop very slowly.
Applying complex fertilizers can save the situation, as an option - superphosphate.
What to feed
The decision, which fertilizers to use, organic or complex mineral, each gardener decides for himself, based on their own experience and cultivation technology. Some prefer organic mixtures, others use mineral compounds. But, as already mentioned, the option with alternation proved to be the best.
Growing seedlings, make fertilizer, using potassium sulfate, superphosphate or potassium salt. For the primary fertilizer seedlings use a solution of 30 g of potassium nitrate and 10 liters of warm water. For the second feeding you can prepare a composition of 70 g of superphosphate, 25 g of potassium salt and 10 And water. After, as your eggplants will be planted in the garden, you can gradually increase the concentration of nutrients. Now you can start using nitrophosphate, superphosphate or potassium sulfate. Organic substances - chicken manure - have also proved themselves well, mullein or compost (do not forget about the need to pre-prepare organics).
Thanks to our tips, you will definitely grow an unprecedented harvest of delicious satin dark blue fruits, to the envy of all neighbors.
Video "Feeding eggplants in the open ground"
You will learn from the video, how to fertilize eggplant in the open ground.