How to care for eggplants in open ground?

You planted eggplant seedlings in the groundWe waited two weeks for the seedlings to take root and grow, and then began slowly watering the holes. But what next? What's the proper way to grow eggplants outdoors? How can you ensure that the plants not only grow but also yield a bountiful harvest? To achieve this, you need to help the eggplants—water them properly, feed them, remove excess leaves promptly, and prune out side shoots.

How to care for eggplants in open ground?

Pinching out eggplants in the garden

The word "side-sonning" is most often heard in conversations among gardeners about growing tomatoes. But this term also applies to eggplants, as they, like tomatoes, are members of the nightshade family (meaning they grow in a similar manner). So, what exactly is side-sonning? It's part of vegetable gardening that involves removing "parasite" shoots. These don't provide any benefit to the plant, but they do drain vital juices and nutrients. After removing the side-sons, the vegetable plant devotes more energy to the growth of the remaining leaves and branches, which accelerates flowering and fruit set.

A side shoot is an extra branch growing from the base of an existing leaf on an eggplant plant. It's very easy to spot, as it looks truly "out of place," as in this photo:

Simply press your fingernail at the base of the side shoot, and it will fall off on its own. Removing the side shoots is a fairly simple procedure that doesn't require much time. But the results will be obvious: the plant will begin to grow faster and will soon delight you with fruit. Removing the side shoots should be done throughout the summer, as new side shoots may appear from time to time on all eggplant plants.

Proper watering of eggplants

Stubbornness is very common among eggplants. Seriously: some plants are even called "stubborn"! But this only applies to those eggplants that are slow to grow tall: at some point, their growth simply stops, and the plants remain short until the end of the season. The fact is, "stubbornness" is the result of improper watering. This "deviation" occurs when the eggplants are overwatered—watered too often and too deeply. Therefore, it's important to remember: eggplants love to drink water, but they don't respond well to excess moisture.

How should you water eggplants? Throughout the summer, they should be watered, filling their holes completely with water. However, don't do this too often—once every two days (if you have black soil) or once on a hot day (if you have sandy loam soil) is sufficient. Watering eggplants twice a day isn't recommended, even during very dry periods.

Fertilizing eggplants during outdoor cultivation

Fertilizing is a beneficial activity that can strengthen plants and accelerate their growth. Eggplants, like tomatoes and other nightshade crops, thrive on organic fertilizer—a mixture of water and fermented organic matter. This includes various grasses (weeds), chicken manure, cow dung, and manure.

You can add a half-liter jar of the following infusions to the eggplant holes every two weeks:

• 1 kg of mullein + 30 l of water;
• 1 kg of chicken manure + 30 l of water;
• 0.5 kg of mullein + 0.5 kg of manure + 30 l of water;
• 3 kg of nettles and weeds + 30 l of water.

But the liquid in the container must be suitable—the organic matter should ferment and release foamy bubbles to the surface of the water. Both healthy plants and those with yellowing leaves for no apparent reason require this type of feeding.

How to speed up the ripening of eggplants?

Besides fertilizing, you can speed up the ripening of eggplants in one simple way. If it's already autumn and the vegetables are slow to gain weight, simply break off all the excess leaves from the plant! First, break off all the lower leaves (they're usually the first to turn yellow and spoil anyway) – let the plant's energy go toward ripening the fruit. Second, break off any leaves that block sunlight from reaching the fruit. The more sun the unripe fruit gets, the faster they'll grow and turn dark blue!

Now you know that caring for eggplants in your garden for a bountiful harvest is very simple, and it doesn't require a lot of money or store-bought chemicals. We wish you healthy vegetable plants and a successful gardening season!

Last time we discussed the subtleties growing eggplants in a polycarbonate greenhouse.