Eggplant Cultivation Methods and Suitable Plant Spacing

SummarySowing time: July-August in Hunan, December to February of the following year in North China. Timely planting: the suitable row spacing is 50 cm and plant spacing is 40 cm. Temperature management: the suitable daytime temperature is 25-30°C and the suitable nighttime temperature is 15-20°C. Light management: provide sufficient light. Water management: pay attention to drainage and irrigation. Fertilization: apply nitrogen and potassium fertilizers reasonably. Pest and disease control: use wettable powders, trichlorfon and other agents for control.

I. Sowing Time

1. Hunan generally practices autumn sowing, that is, July-August every year, but most places can sow in two alternating seasons; for example, in North China, sowing can be done from December each year to February of the following year.

2. The temperature in these two periods is generally around 15°C, so it is relatively suitable for eggplant growth, and the temperature during the flowering and fruiting periods should also just reach about 15-25°C; at this time the eggplants produced taste better, and the yield is also very high.

II. Timely Planting

Before planting eggplants, 5000-6000 kg of farmyard manure and 40-50 kg of compound fertilizer per mu can be applied together with land preparation. Close the greenhouse 7-8 days before planting. The suitable row spacing is 50 cm and plant spacing is 40 cm, and 3200-3300 plants can be planted per mu.

III. Temperature Management

Eggplant likes high temperatures. The temperature generally suitable for seed germination is 25-30°C. During the seedling stage, the suitable daytime temperature is 25-30°C and the nighttime temperature is 15-20°C. Growth is generally slow below 15°C and flower drop may be caused, while below 10°C it can lead to metabolic disorders.

IV. Light Management

Eggplant has relatively high requirements for light duration and intensity. It generally grows vigorously under conditions of long sunshine and high intensity, with good flower bud quality, high fruit yield and better coloring.

V. Water Management

Eggplant likes water but is also afraid of it. Under conditions of moist soil and poor aeration, root rot is likely to occur, and high air humidity makes diseases likely to occur, so water management should be strengthened, with attention paid to drainage and irrigation.

VI. Reasonable Fertilization

Eggplant has very high requirements for nitrogen fertilizer. When nitrogen is deficient, flower bud differentiation is delayed and the number of flowers is noticeably reduced, especially at the peak flowering stage. Under conditions of low nitrogen level, the effect of phosphate fertilizer is generally not very obvious, and the absorption of potassium increases sharply in the later stage.

VII. Pest and Disease Control

1. Common eggplant diseases include phytophthora fruit rot, brown spot and verticillium wilt. For phytophthora fruit rot, Propamocarb aqueous solution can be used for control, while for brown spot, metalaxyl-copper wettable powder can be used, sprayed continuously for 3-4 days for control.

2. For verticillium wilt, carbendazim or benomyl can be diluted with water and sprayed on the plants. Of course, eggplants also suffer from many insect pests during growth, such as aphids, slugs and cabbage worms. These pests can all be controlled by spraying trichlorfon.