How to Grow Eggplants in a Greenhouse? Key Points of Cultivation Techniques Explained

Eggplant is a common vegetable in daily life. It can not only be cooked but also used for barbecue, and it is very popular among people. Most importantly, its price is very affordable, so the cultivation prospects are still good. So what are the greenhouse eggplant cultivation techniques?

1. Site selection and land preparation

Greenhouse cultivation land is generally required to be relatively flat, which facilitates greenhouse construction and later cultivation management. After selecting the cultivation site, the land should be improved and prepared according to the terrain of the site and the growth habits of eggplant. Level the cultivation land, break up the soil clods, apply sufficient fertilizer, open drainage ditches, and make flat beds about two meters wide.

2. Seed selection and seed treatment

Seed treatment usually adopts the following methods: first, sunning the seeds, drying them in the sun for one or two days; second, disinfection, usually soaking the seeds in a 0.100 trisodium phosphate solution or a 0.001 potassium permanganate solution for 10-20 minutes; third, soaking the seeds, first soaking the seeds in warm water at 50-55°C, then removing and drying them after the water temperature drops to 30°C; fourth, germination acceleration, sealing the seeds and placing them in an environment of 25-30°C to accelerate germination, with appropriate water supplementation. When more than 2/3 of the seeds have sprouted roots and buds, they can be sown.

3. Sowing

(1) Sowing time: Sow greenhouse eggplants from mid-July to the end of August. Planting usually takes place from early October to early November, and the market period is from December to June or July of the following year. Alternatively, choose a suitable time for planting according to local actual conditions.

(2) Sowing method: When sowing eggplant, irrigate the seedbed thoroughly with sufficient water; usually the 10 cm soil layer should be soaked through. After the water has completely infiltrated the soil layer, spread a 1 cm layer of nutrient soil, then scatter the seeds, and cover with another 1 cm of nutrient soil. In addition, spread fine soil mixed with 2 grams of Lvheng No. 1 wettable powder over a 1 sq m seedbed.

4. Management techniques after sowing

(1) Temperature control: When sowing eggplant, the soil temperature should be controlled at 14-16°C. After eggplant seedling separation, the daytime air temperature should be controlled at around 30°C, and at around 24°C at night. After eggplant seedlings recover, the daytime air temperature should be controlled at around 24°C, and at around 16°C at night. During the low-temperature hardening period, the daytime temperature should not exceed 20°C, and at night it should be below 15°C, with 10-12°C being ideal.

(2) Fertilizer and water control: Carefully observe the growth status of eggplant seedlings, and manage water and fertilizer according to seedling color and growth status. If the seedling color is normal and growth is vigorous, do not fertilize; if the seedling color becomes lighter and growth slows down, apply additional fertilizer. During eggplant seedling raising, there is no need to water excessively; it is enough that the seedbed soil is not dry.

5. Transplanting and planting

(1) Preliminary preparation work: Usually, land leveling and fertilization should be carried out first. Apply 150 tons of farmyard manure and 850-1000 kg of compound fertilizer per 1 hectare of land. After leveling, carry out ridging. Then cover the greenhouse 2 weeks before eggplant planting to raise the temperature inside the greenhouse, keeping the soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm inside the greenhouse at 10-12°C.

(2) Planting method: When planting eggplant, choose a sunny morning for planting. First dig holes on the high ridges, then water, and when the water is about to seep away, place the eggplant seedlings with soil, then cover with soil to fix them, and finally cover with film. Note that holes should be cut to let the eggplant seedlings out of the film, and then cover the film holes firmly with soil. The plant spacing of eggplant seedlings should usually be maintained at 40 cm, with 50 cm between rows, and 3000-3500 eggplant seedlings planted per mu.