To form a compact bush with well-developed side shoots, it is necessary to remove the top of the main stem when the pepper plant reaches a height of 20 - 25 cm, and eggplant - 25 - 30 cm. Pinched plants will quickly begin to branch.
Of all the shoots that appear, only the top 4-5 (stepchildren) are left, and the rest are removed. A harvest will form on the shoots left behind.
At the same time, 20 - 25 fruits are left on pepper plants, and 16 - 20 on eggplant plants. You don’t have to pinch them, but remove excess shoots. In hot, humid weather, pinching, especially the lower stepsons, is a mandatory event, and vice versa, in hot weather, dry summer plants do not shoot.
The printed leaf mass protects the soil under the bush from moisture evaporation. Insufficiently complete pollination of flowers can cause the appearance of non-standard (crooked) fruits. To prevent this, artificial pollination must be used. flowering plants, i.e. In hot, sunny, calm weather, lightly shake the plants.
We form tomato and eggplant bushes.
Most varieties of tomatoes and eggplants require bush formation to obtain a good harvest. From the axils of the leaves located on the main stem, numerous shoots - stepsons - strive to grow. If they are not removed, the plants will turn into multi-stemmed bushes, and the fruits that have set will not have time to ripen and will fall off.
How to form tomatoes in a greenhouse?
So that growing tomatoes in protected soil does not give negative results You need to follow a few rules. These recommendations are aimed at how to properly form a tomato bush in a greenhouse.
All actions should be aimed at forming 5-6 clusters of fruits on the plant. This is done using pinching. Because forming a tomato bush means removing the shoots. Rules for planting tomato bushes:
- start pruning the plants as soon as they begin to grow intensively; the stubs are removed, leaving a small stump.
Several methods are used to carry out activities aimed at the formation of a tomato bush.
- On one stem.
In this technique, it is necessary to remove all the stepsons from the main stem so as to leave 5-6 clusters with fruits on it. You need to leave a few leaves behind the tassels with future fruits. This is necessary for proper circulation of juice in the stems of the plant.
- On two stems.
This method indicates that you need to leave a stepson that will grow under the first raceme with flowers. All other stepsons are removed so that 4 fruit clusters remain on the stem. The stepson is formed so that 3 clusters with fruits are formed on it.
- On three stems.
By analogy with the second method, you need to leave two stepsons, which will each have 2 clusters with fruits. The main stem will receive a load of 3 fruit clusters. An ideal tomato bush consists of 5-6 clusters of fruit and about three dozen leaves.
Such a plant will allow all nutrients to be directed to the growth and ripening of tomatoes. To reduce the number of leaves on the plant, you need to gradually remove them. It's better to have a few sheets a week.
Otherwise, the tomatoes will become stressed and grow slower. How to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse.
In order to receive high yields To grow large tomatoes in a greenhouse, you need to correctly form the stem of the tomato bush. To form tomato bushes you need only 1 stem - the main stem goes up, and it is also tied up. The leaves of the plant are also on the main stem, and then flower tassels will grow on it, which then turn into fruit tassels.
And there should not be a single stepson (additional stem). It’s especially scary when the stepsons come out of the ground, next to the main stem. These are wild stepchildren and need to be removed.
Therefore, after forming a tomato bush, you should have a stem, leaves and subsequently flower clusters on it. Nothing else.
Formation of a low-growing tomato bush: Low growing varieties Tomato plants do not need pinching or pruning. TO rapid growth Tall tomatoes of indeterminate and hybrid varieties are prone. It is the low-growing tomato varieties that are recommended for growing in greenhouses for more effective use area of protected soil.
How to shape eggplants in a greenhouse?
Demanding and tender eggplants For full growth they need special conditions:
- enough heat, which remains at a constant level; extended daylight hours; regular application of nutrients due to the shallow root system; good and timely watering; constant humidity, which is achieved by mulching the rows; and the mandatory formation of the plant.
The plant is left with only one stem if it is weak or there is not enough space in the greenhouse. In this case, you need to leave one strong shoot, which mandatory tied to a wire or stick.
The ovaries that the plant produces need to be thinned out, and the tops of the shoots with fruits must be pinched. All newly appeared shoots and buds are immediately removed. A strong plant, with sufficient space in the greenhouse, is given the opportunity to grow into several branches, and this will correct formation eggplant bush. In order to grow a compact eggplant bush with well-developed side shoots, it is necessary to remove the top of the main stem.
It is best to do this when the plant has grown to about 25-30 cm. Bushes with pinched tops begin to branch quickly. Of all the shoots that appear, it is most reasonable to leave only the 4-5 upper branches (stepchildren) and remove the rest.
A harvest will form on the shoots left behind. At the same time, 16-20 fruits are left on the eggplant plants. The plant does not need to be pinched, but excess shoots must be removed. Removed shoots can be placed in compost heap in the country or mulch the soil with them in berry beds or under fruit and berry bushes, black currants will especially appreciate this. Formation of an eggplant pepper bush in Kuban.
- Astrakhansky 147, etc.
Secrets of growing peppers and eggplants in the garden.
Pepper And eggplant- the most thermophilic vegetable crops, grown in Ukraine and Russia. Eggplant is native to India, and pepper is native to tropical America.
In nature, they grow in mild climates with abundant rainfall and in light, nutrient-rich soils. Temperature for growing peppers and eggplants. Both peppers and eggplants require constant heat throughout their growing season.
The formation and beginning of the formation of inflorescences, elongation and swelling of the growth point in these plants occur when 3-4 leaves are formed and when the ambient temperature is not less than 160C. When it decreases to 150C and below, the development of the growth point is inhibited, which leads to the shedding of not only flowers and buds, but also ovaries and fruits.
This decrease in temperature leads to the formation of so-called “abortive” flowers. Knowing these features, you will be able to consciously manage the development of your eggplants and peppers, correctly influencing seedlings and adult plants in the process of growing them.
Soil for eggplants and peppers. The soil for peppers and eggplants must be prepared in the fall. Light soils on a southern slope are best suited for this purpose.
It is not recommended to grow these crops on clayey, saline and acidic soils with increased level groundwater. In the absence of a southern slope and/or fertile soils, you need to prepare the ridge in the summer by adding fertilizers for this: for every 10 m2, add 70-80 kg of old humus, as well as 20 g of ammonium sulfate and 30-40 g of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Under no circumstances should these crops be applied fresh manure and/or mineral fertilizers that contain chlorine.
Planting eggplants and peppers.
Eggplants and peppers can be planted in rows, between which there will be paths for caring for them, or alternate 2 rows - 1 path - 2 rows - 1 path and so on. When planting eggplants, it is necessary to maintain the following distance:
- the distance between rows (path) is 50cm; the distance between bushes in rows is 25-30cm.
- two rows at a distance of 25-30cm from each other, and then a path - 50cm; the distance between bushes in rows is 25-30cm.
When planting peppers, it is necessary to maintain the following distance:
- the distance between rows (path) is 50cm; the distance between bushes in rows is 15-20cm.
- two rows at a distance of 15-20cm from each other, and then a path - 50cm; the distance between bushes in rows is 15-20cm.
Feeding peppers and eggplants.
Immediately after planting eggplant and pepper seedlings, there is no need to feed them, as this can cause more harm to the plants than good. The first feeding of the bushes should be carried out 1.5-2 weeks after planting. They need to be fertilized the second and third time 2-2.5 weeks after the previous feeding.
Watering peppers and eggplants.
Eggplants and peppers need to be watered quite often. In order for the seedlings to take root well in a new place, they should be watered every 3-5 days, until large harvests - every 8-10 days. After the start of harvesting, watering should be increased, and after each harvest, watering should be carried out, preferably by sprinkling.
Growing eggplants.
If you want to get an early harvest of eggplants, then the plants need to be pinched in the same way as tomatoes.
Pests of peppers and eggplants.
Pests on eggplants. Throughout the growth and development of eggplants, especially after planting and until the plants get stronger, it is necessary to constantly fight Colorado potato beetles, which can completely cover the plants and eat them, leaving only the roots.
These beetles do not even disdain the flowers and fruits of eggplants. During the flowering period for the feast Colorado potato beetles Bugs also join in, severely infecting eggplant buds.
In dachas and gardens, beetles, larvae and eggs hidden under leaves are removed manually by knocking them into a bucket or bending a leaf, crushing the eggs. They are dealt with more effectively using a 0.2% solution of chlorophos or other insect poisons sold in flower shops and in the markets.
Pepper pests. Peppers are most often attacked by spider mites and slugs. Spider mite on pepper. To win spider mite You can spray the plants with a solution of onion or garlic minced in a meat grinder (1 cup), dandelion leaves and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
The ingredients are mixed with 10 liters of water, and then the infected plants are sprayed (you can use a broom for this). Slugs on peppers. If naked slugs appear on the pepper eating the leaves, then you can fight them by removing them manually, but the drug “Strela” is more effective for this, which is diluted according to the instructions and the resulting solution is sprayed on the pepper leaves.
Harvesting peppers and eggplants.
Eggplant fruits should not be picked. The right thing to do is to cut them off and immediately eat them or preserve them so as not to lose a number of valuable substances. It is advisable to collect pepper fruits at the very beginning of their biological ripeness (beginning of redness). During this period they contain greatest number phytoncides, vitamins, essential oils, carbohydrates, inorganic chlorine, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, silicon, etc.
P.S.Control the entire process of growing peppers and eggplants from sowing seeds to harvesting, and they will delight you with delicious fruits. Have a good harvest!
Stepsonhood will give good harvest A master class on pinching tomatoes especially for Komsomolskaya Pravda was conducted by Leonid Mishin, Candidate of Biological Sciences of the Republican Unitary Enterprise "Institute of Vegetable Growing"
Almost every summer resident grows tomatoes in his garden. But it’s not always possible to achieve a good harvest. It happens that the tops are the envy of everyone, but the harvest makes the cat cry.
One way to get an enviable tomato harvest is by pinching. However, even here you need to know when to stop and a couple of tricks.
We form tall tomatoes into one stem In order to properly form a tall tomato bush, we remove all the stepsons to the central growth point and lead the plant into one stem. We break off the shoots with our hands. But whether to leave the stump or not is up to you.
The fact is that leaving a stump runs the risk of severe damage to the plant by gray rot, especially in wet years (it seems like this is the case now). If you do not leave a stump when planting, then there is a possibility that with good agricultural technology a new stepson will appear in this place.
But it won’t be difficult to break it off again. In addition, the tops of the plants should be twisted around the trellis in a clockwise direction. Since the plant itself turns clockwise, following the sun, we twist the stem in a natural movement.
We form medium-sized tomatoes into two stems For medium-sized tomato varieties, all stepsons are removed and one continuation shoot is left. And then we look at the plant: will the central stem grow, and whether an additional shoot has formed on it.
If a side shoot has formed, then remove the one previously left - and repeat this until the end of summer. If the central growth point has not formed a stepson, then we tie the previously abandoned stepson to the trellis and lead it as the main stem.
If you know the secrets of pinching, you can count on a good harvest of tomatoes Photo: Ekaterina MARTINOVICH
Low-growing tomatoes form three stems When planting short-growing tomatoes in open ground, remove all the stepsons except the top three. It may happen that when good feeding the stepchildren will begin to grow further.
Then you will have to periodically trim the bushes again. Leave low growing tomatoes without pinching it is dangerous: in August, bushes that are too thick will become easy prey for late blight and other diseases.
Peppers and eggplants also need pinching If the pepper does not have lateral stepsons, then there is no need to root it. If there is, then all are deleted side shoots until the main branching - and that’s it. But with eggplant, just like with a tomato, you need to remove the side shoots and leave three stems (like low-growing tomatoes).
Moreover, over time, eggplant, especially with good agricultural technology, may develop second-order shoots, and they will need to be pinched again. Tomatoes are pinched not only so that the fruits grow larger, but also so that there is no stagnation of air, especially damp, and the bush the whole thing was blown away. This prevents the accumulation of fungal diseases.
Tomatoes that grow in poor soils do not need pinching. Due to lack of nutrition, the bushes simply will not grow. In order for a lot of iodine to accumulate in the pepper fruits, it must first be fed with it! Do not be afraid mineral fertilizers.
The plant will only take what it lacks. For example, if our soils are poor in iodine, then it will not accumulate in plants. Let's say it is believed that peppers gain a lot of iodine.
But if there is little of it in the soil, then you won’t find it in the pepper either. Therefore, when you deposit mineral supplements, add a couple of drops of iodine to them and the plant will snatch it from the solution and integrate it into its protein structure. As a result, a person will consume iodine in a biologically active form.
Do eggplants grow: mistakes made by summer residents
The question of whether to plant eggplants is asked by almost every novice amateur gardener who has decided to grow this vegetable on their plot for the first time. Many people know how difficult it is to grow eggplants, which is why not everyone grows them. In some it drops the ovary early, in others it refuses to bear fruit at all. Are eggplants growing - mistakes made by summer residents?
- The first mistake concerns the question of whether it is necessary to cut off excess shoots. It turns out that the answer to the question of whether eggplants grow is affirmative. Yes, they do take stepsons without fail. Before the first flower, all stepsons are removed, and by the end of summer, all excess non-fruitful shoots are removed. Only if the bush is strong, is it allowed to leave one or two stepsons. A weak bush requires leaving only one stem. In unfavorable weather, the same is done with numerous flowers. If the weather is good, you can leave a little more ovaries. It is known that the harvest largely depends on the well-chosen time of planting. But, as it turned out, not only early disembarkation is disastrous. Too much late boarding eggplant results in a 60% reduction in yield. Optimal time planting for seedlings is 60 days from the date of sowing. Eggplants generally do not tolerate transplantation, so it is better to immediately sow them in peat pots. For ideal seedling growth, eggplants require short daylight hours. 24-hour illumination is destructive for this plant. Covering seedlings with cardboard boxes from 6 pm to 8 am leads to early harvest It is not advisable to plant eggplants even with related plants, tomatoes, both as seedlings and in beds. Eggplants like to be fertilized with mullein infusions, compost; it is good to scatter ash around the plants during the cold period or charcoal.Eggplants are plants sensitive to high humidity. From excess moisture they develop fungal diseases, pollination becomes difficult, resulting in crop failure. Lack of moisture is no less harmful, since root system these plants are located high. That's why the eggplants are watered warm water abundantly, but avoiding stagnation of moisture and wetting of the leaves. Eggplants love loosening, but you should not loosen deeper than 3-5 cm. They are usually loosened after watering. It is better to remove fruits, not by picking them, but using pruning shears. It is also necessary to remove them regularly diseased leaves, yellowed and those that touch the ground. When the first flowers appear, it is better to remove those leaves that are located below the buds.
The diet and feeding regime for tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are given in the table (for cultivated soils). Planting: In newly developed uncultivated areas, it is necessary to carry out initial liming - 150 - 250 g dolomite flour per sq.m. If the soil is poor (podzol, sand, sandy loam), a primary addition of organic matter is also necessary: 4-6 kg of manure, compost, deoxidized peat or 6-10 kg of plant residues per sq.m.
This work can be done in the fall. On cultivated soils you can only manage mineral nutrition in accordance with the table. Seedlings of these crops are planted in a greenhouse or hotbed after spring frosts have passed. For 1 sq. m. 4 plants are planted.
Planting pattern - row 70 X 50 cm (for tall varieties) and 70X30 cm (for those with low stature). Stocky seedlings are planted vertically in holes up to the cotyledon leaves, elongated ones - obliquely in furrows 12-15 cm deep, sprinkling soil on part of the stem with 2-3 leaves.Crop care:
Loosening the soil, weeding, tying up tomatoes, and then lightly hilling them is repeated 2-3 times a season. Water as the soil dries, wetting the humus layer to the full depth. Formation of tomatoes: During the growing season, tomato plants are formed by pinching.
Indeterminate* varieties are grown in one stem, determinate** - in 2-3 stems. *Indeterminate or climbing hybrids have unlimited growth in height, are grown in one stem, fruiting is long and uniform throughout the season. **Determinant or bush hybrids have limited growth, are grown in 2-3 stems, short fruiting, the crop ripens en masse, almost simultaneously from a whole bush. In regions with short, cold summers, bush tomatoes may be preferable to climbing tomatoes.
Stepchildren must be removed in a timely manner, with a length of no more than 5-7 cm. In mid-August, the plants are pinched, that is, the tops of the fruiting shoots are removed to accelerate the growth and ripening of the set fruits.
At the same time, remove all flower clusters with unset fruits. Stepchildren and pinching peppers: On pepper bushes, as well as on tomatoes, it is necessary to remove the stepsons and part of the upper flowers. When the pepper plant reaches a height of 20-25 cm, it is necessary to remove the top of the main stem - this will form a compact bush with well-developed side shoots.
Pinched plants will quickly begin to branch. Of the many shoots that appear, only the top 4-5 (stepchildren) are left, and the rest are removed. A harvest will form on the shoots left behind. At the same time, 20-25 fruits are left on the pepper plants.
You don’t have to pinch, but you can still remove the extra shoots. The greatest damage to the nightshade crop is caused by diseases: late blight, which mainly affects the fruits, causing them to rot; septoria and macrosporiosis, which affect the leaves of plants, which quickly die. To combat these diseases, tomatoes are systematically treated with Bordeaux mixture starting in the second half of July.
Growing eggplants is one of the main secrets to getting a decent harvest. Read our article about how to carry out this procedure in a timely and correct manner and avoid the most common mistakes.
The desire to get beautiful, large fruits is so natural for every gardener! But its implementation directly depends on the correctness of agricultural technology. One of its aspects is pinching or removing unnecessary side shoots, as well as parts of the leaves. The procedure allows you to correctly form the bush, strengthen it, as well as increase the size and significantly improve the quality characteristics of the developing fruits.
Eggplants are a rather finicky crop. Like, it is considered perennial, but in our area the cultivation in a similar way impossible. Stepping eggplants – important stage cultivation of this nightshade crop. And its correctness and timeliness are often the key to obtaining high-quality fruits.
Do I need to peel eggplants?
Many vegetable growers ask this question, especially if they are starting to grow “little blue” vegetables for the first time. In most cases, varieties of low-growing, dwarf eggplants cannot be planted: their lateral shoots are not so strong and often do not form fruits. Tall, as well as medium-sized bushes, almost always need shaping.
in the greenhouse
This is especially true for crops cultivated in conditions of high temperatures and high humidity. Such a microclimate perfectly promotes the growth of green mass. Many side shoots are formed, which absorb most of the nutrients. The process of fruit development is suspended because the bush simply does not have the strength left for it.
To prevent our eggplants from turning into dense thickets with low yields, competent regulation of the ground part is necessary. It allows you to slow down the excessive growth of this nightshade crop and stimulate fruiting. Maximum benefit from the procedure is obtained in cases where it is carried out before the formation of buds begins.
The sooner you remove the stepsons, the better - they will not have time to absorb a lot of nutrients.
in open ground
In open ground conditions, pinching eggplants is done quite rarely. First of all, this is due to the fact that tall varieties are rarely planted here. Such a microclimate sometimes greatly complicates the process of obtaining fruits with the proper quality characteristics.
In the case of medium-sized, short or hybrid varieties eggplants, such a need often simply disappears. The bushes of these plants, most often, do not have at all or have only a small number of stepsons that protect the soil from drying out. And thanks to constant ventilation, excess moisture evaporates easily from green mass.
Stepsonning pros and cons
Any intervention by a gardener in the development of a plant is certainly positive. But it is important to remember about the share that falls on shortcomings. And the procedure for pinching eggplants is no exception.
So, among the unconditional positive aspects, gardeners note:
- improvement of eggplant growth rates;
- increasing the amount of harvest;
- significant improvement quality characteristics fruits (weight, color, taste);
- simplifying the care of nightshade crops.
But we cannot discount reverse side medals: the possibility of an incorrect operation. And it, in turn, can weaken the plant, provoke a decrease in the quality and quantity of fruits, and even provoke premature wilting and death of the plant as a whole.
Removing excess parts of a plant can cause deterioration in its development and even death.
Formation of an eggplant bush in a greenhouse
They start planting nightshades with the beginning of the third week of their “residence” on permanent place. By this time, the crops have already managed to get comfortable, become sufficiently strong and begin to grow. It is advisable to carry out the operation itself in the morning, so that the plants can regain strength and acclimatize before the evening temperature drops.
Important!
It is extremely undesirable to combine the pinching procedure with watering: the leaves become more fragile, which increases the possibility of breaking the excess.
Features of the procedure
The formation of a bush in nightshade crops must be carried out taking into account that the flowers, and then the ovaries and fruits, are well illuminated. After all, if sunny color does not fall on the flower stalks, they cannot develop further and fall off. Therefore, it is very important to choose the correct stepsoning scheme. We will talk about them in more detail below.
Removing excess stepsons can be done by hand. If tools are used for this, they must be disinfected. By plucking shoots on time, we do not allow them to outgrow and take on a critical mass of nutrients. Otherwise, this is fraught with crushing of the fruits, their underdevelopment, deterioration taste qualities, distortion of shape.
the instrument must be disinfected
First of all, remove the stepsons up to the first fork. You can do the same with leaves. But if they look good, they can still feed the plant. Therefore, it is better to postpone the operation to remove the leaves until they turn yellow and lose this ability. After this, they move on to the first flower and then carry out pinching according to the chosen pattern.
No more than three sheets are removed at a time.
first peduncle
The first flower of an eggplant most often appears on the fork. It is always the most powerful, since it absorbs the maximum energy aimed at the development of culture. This peduncle is left on the bush only when the plant is tall enough, powerful and can afford to grow it.
first peduncle on the fork
But if the sprout is small, thin and weak, it simply does not have enough strength to develop. Then the peduncle must definitely be removed to allow the bush to grow and get stronger. As a result, the yield obtained from the flowers formed in the upper part of the plant will be greater.
Important!
It is advisable to leave the first peduncle when you plan to grow seeds yourself. The fruit obtained from this flower will provide the best planting material.
general rules
When forming an eggplant bush, it is very important to consider the following recommendations:
- How stronger plant, the easier it is for him to provide necessary nutrition their fruits and vice versa. The weaker the eggplant bush, the fewer stems are left for it.
- The higher the humidity, the more sprouts are removed when forming an eggplant bush.
- The trunk of an eggplant growing in a greenhouse should always remain clean.
- Growing eggplant fruits cannot be shaded under any circumstances.
- Removing excess green mass is a multiple-use procedure. From time to time
- Before the end of the growing season, pinch off the tops of the eggplants. If new flower stalks appear after this, they are also removed.
- As the bush grows, the procedure for removing unnecessary green mass is repeated.
It is advisable not to remove missed stepsons that have outgrown the length of 5 cm from the bush.
Growing eggplant in a greenhouse scheme
When starting to form an eggplant bush, it is important to choose the right pinching pattern: one, two or three stems. Sometimes, under optimal conditions for successful growing season, even up to five shoots are allowed. But to do this, you need to correctly determine the potential capabilities of the plant itself and the microclimate in which it grows.
Schemes for the formation of an eggplant bush
In one stem form tall nightshade varieties that they plan to grow in cramped circumstances. During the procedure, only one, the most powerful branch is left, on which the ovaries will develop. Forming a crop in this way helps to obtain the largest fruits.
In addition, this scheme is also chosen for weakened plants that have not yet developed to their full potential. At the same time, the ovaries are regularly inspected and only the largest of them are left. The method allows you to achieve the best quality characteristics of fruits: large sizes, intense coloring, rich taste.
Scheme of forming an eggplant into two stems is considered the most optimal, since it often allows you to find a balance between high yield and potential capabilities of plants. It is most popular among gardeners.
When forming a bush using it, after pinching the growth point, only two skeletal branches are left on it, coming from the branch. The remaining shoots are removed. As the ovaries form, they get rid of the defective ones. Leaves are plucked to the extent they turn yellow or are unnecessary.
Scheme of 3-5 stems is formed similarly to the previous one, but in addition, several more powerful stepsons are left on the bushes. It is practically not used in greenhouses, since such an application requires the presence large areas for growing crops. The technique is suitable exclusively for powerful plants that have developed well in a new location.
The formation pattern of an eggplant bush is selected for each plant individually.
Video of pinching eggplant in a greenhouse
Growing eggplants in open ground
The need to remove green mass from an eggplant bush open ground determined by several criteria:
- features of the climatic zone;
- established weather conditions;
- planting density;
- specificity of the variety.
So, stepsoning is prerequisite to obtain an eggplant harvest under conditions short summer. It allows you to harvest not only a higher quality, but also an earlier harvest. But you should definitely refrain from the procedure both in very dry weather and in conditions of excessive humidity.
About low-growing eggplants, in which the formation of a bush occurs exclusively under the influence external factors, has been said before. In this case, gardeners can only thin out the plant, as well as control the quality of the ovaries and remove excess.
Tall crops that necessarily require pinching require more care. Thus, high density of plantings requires constant thinning of bushes and vice versa: an abundant amount of free space makes it possible to form on the plant more stems. You can also leave more stepsons in dry and hot summer conditions.
Forming a bush into one stem is used here exclusively for weak plants that have not had time to grow stronger. In other cases, a more branched bush is left.
In general, it looks like this:
- All stepsons located before the branch are removed. The exception is when it is necessary to prevent the soil from drying out.
- Leave 2-5 of the most powerful shoots. The rest are deleted.
- Stepping is carried out on each of the skeletal branches.
- Remove yellow and disturbing leaves regularly.
- Before the end of the growing season, in order to allow the fruits to ripen normally, each of the branches previously formed on the plant is pinched.
Do I need to tie up eggplants?
The feasibility of carrying out this procedure, as in the case of pinching, primarily depends on the height of the plant. There is no need to tie up low-quality crops, but above-average varieties simply cannot do without it.
The branches fall to the ground and become shaded, and this leads to the plant weakening, flower stalks forming poorly, and the ovaries often fall off. In addition, they are easy to break or trample during agricultural work.
Therefore, before you start pinching, each bush must be tied up. The need for such a procedure applies to both greenhouse plants and eggplants growing in open ground. By the way, in the second case, the presence of wind also testifies in favor of tying.
How to properly tie eggplants
There are several ways to tie up plants:
- A wire is stretched over the rows of eggplants, to which plant branches are tied using twine;
- Install a trellis on which the stems are laid out;
- Long stakes are driven in and the plant is tied to them.
The plant is tied to supports in several places.
The first and second methods are most suitable for greenhouse crops. The third is a little unsafe due to the threat of excess shading, but is well suited for plants formed into one stem, as well as bushes growing in open ground.
The installation of such structures must be carried out very carefully so as not to harm crops. This video will help you understand how this happens in practice:
Pinching eggplants is a procedure during which most of the leaves and young fruitful shoots are removed. A stepson is a shoot of a plant located at an acute angle to the stem on which it grows. Subsequently, it forms a new stem on which young ovaries (vegetable embryos) will develop.
If you do not prune and care for eggplants grown in a greenhouse, they will form many stepsons. As a result, young shoots on the plant will develop worse and fall off before ripening, since less nutritious juice is released onto them.
Growing eggplants in a greenhouse may not be necessary if a low-growing variety of eggplants is used. Such bushes are capable of independently forming well under the influence of gravity and growing large fruits without outside help. They only need to periodically thin out the foliage.
A greenhouse eggplant with a tall stem necessarily requires periodic pinching and gartering to form the right bush and getting a good harvest.
When grown in open ground or in a greenhouse with low humidity, you need to leave the lower foliage, because the bush, thanks to its leaves, is protected from sun rays and retains moisture inside.
Preparatory work
Before you start pinching, eggplants in a greenhouse or in open ground need to be tied to some kind of support. This is necessary because as the fruits ripen they become heavier and bend the stems, and additional support will give the bush a vertical position.
Initially, you need to tie up all the branches, since they are most loaded during horizontal formation. If it is not possible to create hanging support in the form of wires, then you can tie the stem of the plant to a peg from the ground.
How and when to stepchild
After you have figured out whether it is necessary to prun eggplants, you can begin to consider the pruning technique and the timing of it. Growing eggplant needs to be planted for the first time 2-3 weeks after planting the seedlings.
The procedure is delayed until the last date if the seedlings do not take root well in new soil. The main thing is to prune before the first ovaries appear.
Stepsoning is carried out by hand every week, preventing young stepsons from growing more than 5 cm. Initially, you need to remove all young leaves and shoots on the stem located below the main branch.
To stop the main stem from growing upward, you need to pinch, that is, trim, its upper shoot. This procedure also allows you to redirect the nutritious juice of plants to the development of ovaries.
Pinching is carried out 30 days before the end of the plant's growing season, because after pruning the green plant needs some time to recover. If you do this later, then at the time of fruit ripening, part of the energy will be spent on healing the wound, and this will worsen the growth of eggplants.
The growing season for eggplants lasts from 80 (for early varieties) up to 150 days (for late varieties). The period may vary depending on external conditions growing.
Exists various schemes pinching: into one or several stems. They differ only in the number of processes that are left during the shaping procedure. If space for growing vegetables is limited, it is recommended to use a single-stem arrangement, as it takes up less space.
Sewing into one stem
How to plant eggplants using a single stem pattern? To do this, you must first wait until the plant grows to 30 cm in height and produces its first shoots. They must be completely removed and only the bare stem left. Eggplants will grow on it in the future. This method saves greenhouse space but has lower yields.
Sewing into several stems
Beginner gardeners are also interested in how to properly plant eggplants using a multi-stem pattern. In essence, this method is no different from the previous one, except that during pruning, in addition to the main stem, an additional 3-5 largest stepsons are left. All shoots below them are removed. The multi-stem arrangement brings more yield and can be used for growing both in the garden and in the greenhouse.
Care after pruning
After pinching and pinching, caring for eggplants involves increasing the supply of nutrients to the plant in order to speed up the healing of emerging wounds and have a positive effect on the maturation of the ovaries. The soil needs to be watered more throughout the week, it is advisable to further enrich it with various minerals.
The optimal temperature for growing eggplants is 26-28 degrees.
If you lower it, the plant will stop developing. When it rises, greenery grows. It is also necessary to provide good ventilation greenhouses and enough high humidity at 60-75%.
If greenhouse eggplants are kept in conditions of high humidity, they grow several times more intensively. To stop them growing upwards, in addition to plucking, you will also need to periodically trim leaves and side shoots. If this is not done, the stem will be weak and will not be able to hold the eggplant.
Growing eggplants in a polycarbonate greenhouse necessarily requires pinching. Thanks to this simple procedure, the plant will produce large and bountiful harvest. The main thing is to carry out plucking and circumcision before the end. active growth and plant development.
Need proper care. An important role in this matter is played not only by fertilizing and watering, but also by pinching. Our article will help you obtain complete information on the formation of eggplants in a greenhouse with a video and diagram.
Caring for young eggplants
Formation is one of important processes, which, like watering, is carried out throughout the entire growing season of the plant. But before its implementation, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for the growth of seedlings.
The beginning of eggplant flowering
Landing
When moving a young crop to a greenhouse, the planting pattern must be followed: from 30 cm between bushes and from 60 cm between rows. This way, the plants will not shade each other, and the gardener will have enough space to plant crops.
Not allowed deep penetration plants when planting. It is best to plant seedlings together with a peat pot. The soil level should exceed the initial level by only 10-15 mm.
Eggplant in a greenhouse
Watering
The first watering of young eggplant is done 4 days after planting in the greenhouse. Water is applied at the root, try not to wet the leaves. Be careful not to form an earthen crust. To do this, loosen the soil in time.
It is very important not to overwater the eggplants. High humidity will definitely lead to fungal diseases. But a lack of water will also negatively affect the ovaries of the crop. The fruits will be small and tasteless.
Tip: Water your eggplants in the morning. Be sure to mulch the soil with straw.
Top dressing
The first fertilizer is applied 14-18 days after planting. Use complex fertilizers mineral character. During the fruiting period, the plant is fed with fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus.
Eggplants need to be watered only at the roots.
Conditions in the greenhouse
Love eggplants warm weather. For wellness they need 26-28°C. When the temperature drops, the crop slows down or stops growing, and when the temperature rises, it can even lose flowering and ovaries.
The greenhouse should be well ventilated throughout the entire period of plant growth, flowering and fruiting.
If all conditions are met, the young plants have become stronger, you can begin the formation of eggplants in the greenhouse.
Planting eggplants in a greenhouse should under no circumstances be thickened
Do eggplants need staking and pinching?
The conditions available in the greenhouse give the eggplant the opportunity to increase its growth rate. Greenhouse plants are taller, bloom and bear fruit more abundantly than in open ground. Therefore, they need gartering and shaping even more.
The garter is made using a trellis method. So, plants do not shade each other wide leaves. Trellis are made of strong twine, stretched across the bed in several steps. The rope is attached to stakes dug along the edges of the rows.
The plant should be tied directly next to each branch; there is the most fragile part of the stem, which can break under the load of its own fruits.
Pinching is necessary so that the crop directs its forces not to extra leaves, but to the ripening of fruits
The garter scheme used for growing tomatoes is best suited for eggplants.
It is also extremely necessary to plant eggplants growing in a greenhouse. This is especially true for tall varieties. IN favorable conditions In a greenhouse, the bush can grow and create shade for a neighboring plant. Also, the large growth of the green part of the crop affects the quantity and quality of ovaries.
Important! In order to properly pick eggplants, use the video tips.
How to shape eggplants in a greenhouse?
This is the most frequently asked question among beginning gardeners. In order to correctly grow this crop, it is necessary to take into account several nuances.
- It is necessary to correctly determine the time of the first stepsoning.
- Select the optimal formation scheme for each growing variety.
- Do not spare extra ovaries in favor of ripening the existing ones.
- Do not pluck a weak or diseased plant.
To stop the growth of the crop, you need to pinch off the top of the bush
When forming an eggplant bush, all unwanted shoots, flowers and ovaries are removed from it. This is done to redistribute the plant’s nutrients and prevent the growth of green mass. Low-growing varieties can be left to self-form; they form into a low spreading bush that does not need a garter. But it is also not advisable to ignore them, so that they do not grow into neighboring plantings.
In the third week after planting the seedlings in the greenhouse, it is necessary to begin the formation of the bush. To do this, you need to carefully examine the plant and, based on which scheme was chosen, cut off the extra stepsons.
It is not recommended to shape eggplants in dry or, conversely, too humid weather. This may affect development in the damaged area infectious disease. It is correct to plant eggplants in the morning so that the plant has time to restore the damaged area before the cool of the evening sets in.
It is advisable to tie the stem in the places where the fruits are located
Important! Form the eggplant bushes with your hands, so you do not damage important parts of the plant.
Sunlight is very important for eggplants. Carry out the formation in such a way that each ovary and fruit is well illuminated. This will speed up the ripening process. Some gardeners do not allow bushes to grow higher than 30-35 cm. To make the bush compact and convenient for shaping, the main stem is pinched, thereby stopping growth. The plant begins to produce stepsons abundantly, which allows you to choose the strongest one.
At the end of the growing season, all new flowers and ovaries are removed from the eggplant. This allows the plant to direct all its energy to ripening the existing fruits. It is also necessary to pinch each shoot to stop the growth of the plant.
Choosing a bush formation scheme
The formation of an eggplant bush can be of two types:
- in one stem;
- into several stems.
Bush formed into 2 stems
Choosing the right scheme is quite simple. It depends on the variety and quality of the seedlings.
The scheme for forming a bush with one stem is applied to visually weak plant. This method is also chosen if the greenhouse is small - to save space. For such a bush it is used vertical method garters using twine attached to a horizontally stretched wire. The ovaries are also thinned out. Only the largest ones are left.
A more effective scheme is the formation of 2 or more stems. After pinching the growing point, several upper shoots, the strongest, are left on the stem. The rest are deleted. The gardener decides how many shoots to leave after assessing the condition of the plant. On a strong stem, you can leave from 2 to 5 top shoots, and if it is thin and weak, then leave 1 shoot or remove all of them.
Eggplant ovaries
If selected correct scheme formation, then from each bush you can get about 20 fully ripened fruits per season.
For achievement good results It is very important to turn to the experience of people who know a lot about this difficult matter.
For clarity, use the video instructions.
Formation is a very important stage in growing eggplants; if it is not completed, you will get a small harvest with small-sized fruits. The bushes will grow and shade each other. This also threatens an increase in humidity and the spread of various diseases, such as white and gray rot.
Follow the advice experienced gardeners, and you will get a gorgeous healthy harvest at the end of the season.
Forming eggplants: video
Formation of an eggplant bush: photo
In our latitudes, eggplants are often grown in open ground. How to grow eggplants from seeds so that they bear fruit? How to shape eggplants, care for them and feed them in open ground - read our article.
How to grow eggplants in open ground correctly - planting eggplants
Photo: Seedlings for planting eggplants in open ground
Eggplant seeds germinate 10-15 days after planting. The duration of growing eggplant seedlings without picking is 40-45 days, and with picking into pots it is 50-60 days. During germination of eggplant seeds optimal temperature is 22-26 degrees. After the eggplant shoots have appeared, it is better to lower the temperature to 13-16 degrees (they can be placed closer to the glass, on a cold windowsill). This is necessary so that the eggplant seedlings do not stretch before planting in open ground, but the root system develops better, then it will be much easier to grow eggplants. After 5-6 days, the temperature should be raised again to 20-25 degrees. After the first true eggplant leaf appears, the seedlings need to be planted in pots. At the same time, it needs to be shaded from bright sunlight until she takes root. Over the next 4-5 weeks, eggplant seedlings should be illuminated with fluorescent lamps - this will help speed up the development of eggplants before planting in the ground. At the time of planting eggplant in open ground, it is necessary that standard eggplant seedlings have 5-7 true leaves and a height of 20-25 cm.
How to care for eggplants when planted in open ground
IN middle lane In Russia, seedlings can be planted in film greenhouses in the second half of May - early June - it is during this period that there is no longer any danger of spring frosts. After the tenth of June, eggplants can already be planted to grow in open ground. They are planted on warm bed, which is located in a sunny place, or better yet, on a southern slope. They need to be covered with some kind of covering material.
Eggplant is a moisture-loving plant. Therefore, subsequent plant care involves constant watering. In addition, eggplant needs fertilizing with nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. You will also need to loosen the soil and fight diseases and pests.
Growing seedlings for planting eggplants in open ground
Photo: Flowering eggplants in open ground
Eggplant has a long growing season (even for early-ripening varieties, more than a hundred days can pass from the moment of germination to the beginning of flowering), so it is necessary to sow seeds for seedlings earlier than the seeds of tomatoes and peppers - around the beginning of February. But before that, about 2-3 weeks before growing eggplant, you can also check the seeds for germination. It is necessary that it be at least 50% - it is in this case that the seeds are suitable for sowing.
The eggplant root system does not tolerate transplantation very well, so it is preferable to immediately plant the seedlings in peat pots. You shouldn’t do a pick, but if you decide to dive, then you need to do it as carefully as possible.
Growing eggplants in open ground - caring for eggplants
- Before the first flower, all the stepsons are removed; by the end of summer, all the extra non-fruitful shoots are removed for growing eggplants in the open ground. Only if the bush is strong, is it permissible to leave one or two stepsons when caring for the eggplant. A weak bush requires leaving only one stem. In unfavorable weather, the same is done with numerous flowers. If the weather is good, you can leave a few more ovaries to grow eggplant.
- It is known that the harvest largely depends on the correctly chosen time of planting eggplant in open ground. But, as it turned out, not only early boarding eggplant is destructive. Planting eggplants too late results in a 60% reduction in yield. The optimal planting time for seedlings is 60 days from the date of sowing.
- Eggplants generally do not tolerate transplantation well, so it is better to sow them immediately in peat pots. For ideal seedling growth, eggplants require short daylight hours. 24-hour illumination is destructive for this plant. Covering the seedlings with cardboard boxes from 6 pm to 8 am results in an early harvest.
- It is not advisable to grow eggplants even with related plants, tomatoes, both as seedlings and in beds. Eggplants like to be fertilized with mullein infusions, compost, and it is good to scatter ash or charcoal around the plants during the cold season.
- Eggplants are plants that are sensitive to high humidity. From excess moisture, they develop fungal diseases, pollination becomes difficult, and as a result, crop failure. Lack of moisture is no less harmful, since the root system of these plants is located high. Therefore, eggplants are watered generously with warm water, but avoiding stagnation of moisture and wetting of the leaves.
- Eggplants love loosening when growing, but you should not loosen them deeper than 3-5 cm. They are usually loosened after watering.
- It is better to remove fruits without picking them, but using pruning shears.
- It is also necessary to regularly remove diseased leaves, yellowed ones and those that touch the ground. When the first eggplant flowers appear, it is better to remove those leaves that are located below the buds.
Video: Growing eggplants in open ground
Formation of eggplants in open ground - caring for eggplants
It is very important to form the eggplant bush correctly. The formation of eggplants in open ground occurs in no more than three stems; for this purpose, the three strongest shoots are selected. Eggplant shoots are very fragile, so, as a rule, over each row of plants you need to stretch a wire with which to tie the eggplant. After three shoots have been formed, all new shoots must be removed after they have reached 5-8 cm in length. Eggplants set fruit only if their flowers receive direct sunlight, so the leaves that shade them must be removed.
Photo: Setting eggplant fruits in open ground
Feeding eggplants in open ground
To grow eggplants, when you first feed the eggplants, you should apply mineral fertilizers for several weeks until the eggplant seedlings appear in the garden. IN in this case Dissolution of mineral fertilizers occurs as follows: take ten liters of water and dissolve half a liter of fertilizers in them. Next, water each plant so that it all goes to the roots. Next time, it is necessary to fertilize the eggplants within two weeks and feed them with organic matter: chicken droppings or mullein. It should also be noted that one kilogram organic fertilizers and dilute them in ten liters of water. At the same time, we insist for a week. Next, stir it and add about half a liter of vinegar to feed the eggplants.
Photo: Ripe eggplant fruits in open ground
For third feeding of eggplants, it is necessary to use urea. It should be used about a liter per bush. Feeding when using this drug must be done within two weeks. It is this feeding that provides everything necessary to stimulate abundant ovary and grow eggplants. Also, the bushes will develop very well, and the fruits will ripen in a timely manner. We have already figured out how to feed the eggplants; now all that remains is to hill them up, weed them, and water them. Watering should be done approximately once a week. If the first flowers appear, then watering should be done with the “ovary” preparation. This is done to ensure faster fruit set. After a couple of days, feeding with this drug must be repeated. Now you know how to fertilize eggplant, this process and you can do it yourself.
Now you know how to grow eggplant in open ground, all the stages from planting the eggplant to forming and feeding the eggplant bush and harvesting.
Video: Feeding eggplants when grown in open ground