How often to water eggplant
Content:
Many summer residents grow eggplants so that throughout the summer season you can cook delicious eggplant dishes and prepare them for the winter. But for good and healthy growth, it is important to provide proper watering for the eggplant.
Watering eggplants: choosing the right water
Watering eggplants is carried out only with warm water, which has been warmed in the sun. It is best to choose soft rainwater. Or take water that has stood for several days.
If you want to collect rainwater, you can place cans near drains. And this way you can get enough rainwater. The most important condition is not to use cold water.
It is best to fill large containers with water and leave them out in the sun to warm them up. Before you start watering, you can measure the temperature of the water by taking a thermometer. The most optimal value will be + 25 ... + 27 degrees.
During watering, fertilization can also be applied if the eggplant does not grow very well: the eggplant has pale foliage, the roots are poorly developed, the stems are fragile and brittle. It is best to use ammonia, it is ideal as a top dressing.
For 10 liters of water, you need to take 3 tablespoons. ammonia, mix well and add to the root. Watering should be done in the morning or evening. This is due to the fact that drops that may remain on the leaves while under the sun will burn the leaves.
How to water eggplants and how much you need to do it
Eggplant is a moisture-loving crop. Therefore, it needs frequent irrigation. Watering eggplants is necessary every 2-3 days. If the weather is hot, then it is required to water the plant abundantly so that the moisture soaks the soil 10 cm deep.
Do not think about the fact that you can often, but little by little, water. This can adversely affect the quality of the root system. Water on the surface of the soil can quickly evaporate. This means that moisture will simply be lost and will not be able to reach the very roots.
Watering methods
There are several ways to water eggplants:
· Manual way... This method is good for watering a small area, using a bucket or hand watering can. Such containers can hold about 10 liters of water. This is quite enough that it is good to spill the eggplant bed.
This volume is enough to irrigate a plot with an area of 1 sq. M. This method is also well suited when fertilization is needed. Fertilizers are diluted in irrigation containers.
As a fertilizer, you can take: bird droppings, mullein, ammonia. Among the disadvantages of this method is that the process will be long and rather laborious. Summer residents advise adding mulch between the beds so that there is no closed ground.
· Hose... Of course, using a hose will greatly simplify the watering process. Eggplant helps to moisturize the root layer well.
But when using a hose, keep in mind that you should not use well water. Since the water will be very cold, which will lead to various plant diseases. Do not water the eggplant under strong pressure. This will damage the leaves.
It is best to put a diffuser on the hose to create a shower effect. Do not water the eggplant leaves; it is best to hold the hose towards the roots and between the rows. The hose can be used all season long. And then it is washed and put away in a dry place for storage.
· Drip... This is perhaps the best way to water an eggplant. In garden stores, you can find any tape for the production of drip irrigation. Tapes may vary in hole size and hole spacing for irrigation.
Also, an important function of such a tape is that it has a special system. It is designed to stabilize the water flow.
Drops of water will flow with the same frequency and quantity to each bush, regardless of where each of the bushes is located.
If you think that such a tape costs a lot of money, then you are mistaken. Such a system is inexpensive and if you use and care for it correctly, it can serve you for a single season.
In addition to the tape, you will need to bring additional small materials to install it. This system must be connected to the central water supply tap. Many summer residents say that it is possible to use such a drip system if there is no water supply nearby.
The system can be connected in a large metal container, which must be raised to a height that will not exceed 1 m. In essence, this is the most profitable installation for watering.
If you fit correctly: between two rows. You will be able to reduce water consumption sufficiently. You can also apply fertilizers in liquid form.
How much should be watered
For each bush, you need about 2 buckets, or 10-12 liters per 1 sq. M. There is no need to change the amount of watering. Eggplant loves moisture very much. You can only slightly adjust the amount of watering if the weather is very rainy.
How often to water eggplant: schedule
Depending on the stage of development of the eggplant and on their age, the frequency and volume of watering may vary. Young bushes do not need to be watered often. But already those that have taken well, then they need frequent watering.
During the first shoots. When the first shoots appear, you do not need to moisten the soil too much. At such a moment, with an abundance of moisture, the plant can become infected with a disease such as a black leg. Too wet soil can serve this.
This disease can destroy all seedlings in just 1 day. From the moment the first shoots appear until at least 2 petals appear on the stems, the following should be considered:
· Irrigation of the soil should be carried out between the rows, under the root of the eggplant.
· Watering should be done so that no water gets on the leaves and stems.
· Watering is necessary in moderation, it is not necessary to have a condition of dirt.
· Between waterings, the topsoil should be slightly dry.
· If you want to reduce the frequency of watering, then the container in which you grow eggplants must be covered with foil, creating a mini-greenhouse. And then from time to time (about 2 times a day) you will open the film to let the plant air.
Seedlings should not be watered with strong water pressure. Otherwise, the leaves and stems can be damaged, which can lead to the appearance of fungal diseases.
In order to water delicate seedlings, it is best to use the manual method of watering using a watering can with a showerhead to create a shower effect. Let it be a little hard, but the plant will remain healthy.
After planting the eggplant in a permanent place. When you transplant the seedlings to a permanent location, you will need to ensure that the soil remains moist until the seedlings are fully established in the new location.
As soon as the soil dries up, it will be necessary to moisten. You can understand that the eggplants have already taken root in a new place by the fact that new leaves will begin to appear on the stems.
During the flowering period. Do not forget that eggplant leaves should never be watered. All watering should be done strictly at the root. Water for irrigation is taken warm, it can be at room temperature.
Cold water can adversely affect the development of the plant, and it can become sick.When flowering begins, it is necessary to water the bushes once every 3 days. If the weather is very hot, then water it every day, adding 2 liters of water under each bush.
During the formation and growth of the eggplant... In July, you need to water about 2 times a week. In early July, ovaries begin to appear and plant formation ends. The bushes are watered until the end of the season, throughout July and August.
In August, you can already slightly reduce watering, about 1 time per week. During flowering and fruiting, the bushes need to be fed. Well suited for this: mullein, chicken droppings, ammonia and nettle (it is necessary to prepare solutions from these substances).
If you do not do this, then the plant may slow down its development and this will affect the quantity and quality of the fruit.
Nuances to consider when watering
Watering can vary significantly for those eggplants grown in a greenhouse or grown in open beds. It's all about the roof. Some eggplant have it, and some get water naturally in the form of sediment. But they also have some common features.
How to properly water:
· It is best to choose the morning or evening time for watering any crops, including eggplant. You can avoid a situation where water droplets remain on the leaves and the possibility of sunburn.
· It is best to use drip irrigation or another method, but always at the root. No need to water the leaves of the crop.
· Choose an area for planting eggplant where there is sufficient light and the soil is loose and sandy. This will improve the drought resistance of the eggplant.
· Be sure to add organic fertilizers to the soil: humus or manure. This trick will improve soil absorbency and allow moisture to be trapped better in the ground.
· Carry out mulching between rows. You will be able to reduce the process of evaporation of water from the ground.
Watering eggplants in the open field
In this case, you must proceed from how much precipitation has fallen over a certain period. If there was a lot of rainfall, therefore, the frequency of irrigation needs to be adjusted. If there has been no precipitation for a long time, then you need to water the beds 2 times a week with 2 liters of water for each bush.
Watering eggplants in a greenhouse
If you are going to grow eggplants in a greenhouse, then you must be prepared for the fact that there will be a lot of humidity there. Therefore, it is necessary to irrigate only in the morning or in the evening, while the drip irrigation method will be ideal.
Also, sometimes during drip irrigation, you need to apply nitrogen and potash fertilizers. Just as for open beds, water the eggplants in the greenhouse with only warm water. If you want to reduce the amount of watering, you can mulch the soil. This will help the moisture stay in the soil longer.
Eggplant can produce a good and rich harvest. But this is only possible if you can provide him with full and stable watering. If you do this, the eggplant will repay you with beautiful and healthy fruits.