Detailed Guide to Making Ornamental Bonsai from African Red Eggplant
As more and more vegetable bonsai are brought into home decoration, the African red eggplant has risen prominently and won people's favor for the ornamental appeal of its scarlet fruit. With the expansion of market demand, how nursery growers can achieve high yield and high quality has become the key to promoting production and cultivation.
1. The Concept of African Red Eggplant
African red eggplant, also known as ping qie and chi qie, belongs to the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and the genus Solanum. It originates from Africa and is an annual herbaceous plant. The plant height is generally 30—40 cm. The leaf shape and size are similar to those of ordinary culinary eggplant, except that there are spines on the veins, and the inflorescences are axillary, with 3—8 flowers. The corolla is white or light purple, about 2 cm in diameter. The berry turns from green to orange or scarlet, is oblate, with young fruit light green and mature fruit red. It can be used for ornament, and the fruit can also be used as cut-flower material.
2. Cultivation Management
2.1 Seed Treatment
Select large, plump, fresh seeds. After natural air-drying, they must not be exposed to the blazing sun; store them properly in a cool, dry container and take care to prevent insect damage. To improve the germination rate, the seeds can be sown directly after drying in the shade. Before sowing, soak the seeds for disinfection in a 0.5% potassium permanganate solution for 2H, then place them in warm water for 24H to promote germination. After the seeds absorb water and swell, remove them and place them on moistened absorbent paper or gauze to dry. Sow when the germination count exceeds 10%.
2.2 Sowing Techniques
Depending on the number of seeds, either bed sowing or pot sowing may be chosen. The seedbed should be dry, level, sheltered from the wind, sunny, and the soil loose and fertile. Sandy soil can be used for sowing, as it drains well while also having a certain water-holding capacity. The covering soil thickness should be about 0.5 cm. After sowing, the seedbed should be kept moist, not alternating between dry and wet, nor overly dry or overly wet. After the seeds germinate and emerge, remove the covering so they gradually receive light, and only after they adapt may they be fully exposed to sunlight. If the seedlings are too dense, thin them immediately, removing the overcrowded and weak seedlings so that the remaining seedlings can absorb sufficient sunlight. After thinning, water immediately so that the loosened seedling roots contact the soil. In about 10 days, about 2 true leaves can grow.
2.3 Transplanting
When the seedlings grow 3—4 true leaves, they can be transplanted and repotted. A sandy loam rich in humus should be chosen. Generally, repot 3 times into small (pot diameter 10 cm), medium (pot diameter 15 cm), and large (pot diameter 20 cm) pots. Before each repotting, let the potting soil dry thoroughly, then gently tap around the pot wall, and after it loosens, carefully remove the plant with the soil. Before moving to a larger pot, do not disturb the original soil ball to avoid damaging the roots. After planting is completed, water thoroughly. After the first watering, before new roots have grown, do not water excessively, otherwise the roots are prone to rot. The root system of young seedlings is relatively small while the aboveground part transpires heavily, so for several days after transplanting, strong sunlight should be blocked to help them recover growth.
2.4 Shaping and Pruning
When the ornamental eggplant plant is about 15 cm tall, pinch off the growing tip to make it produce branches. When the branches grow to about 10 cm, pinch again. Generally pinch 3—4 times to promote multiple branching and a short, sturdy plant shape, forming a spherical plant 40—50 cm tall, which looks very beautiful after bearing fruit. After the leaves become dense, leaves must be picked, and large, yellow, withered old leaves removed, to facilitate ventilation and light penetration and make the leaves fine and thick. When picking leaves, if leggy branches, overly dense branches, dead branches, or diseased and pest-infested branches are found, they should also be pruned to make the plant shape graceful.
3. Conclusion
Through high-yield, high-quality cultivation of African red eggplant, a good and potential market development prospect has been forged. It has the characteristics of low operating cost, simple and easy-to-learn operation techniques, conformity to today's requirements for environmental beautification, good market sales prospects, and the ability to create considerable economic value. The small, red, vivid fruit of the African red eggplant is also quite eye-catching as cut-flower material, giving people a refreshing new look.
Techniques for Making Ornamental Bonsai from African Red Eggplant
As more and more vegetable bonsai are brought into home decoration, the African red eggplant has risen prominently and won people's favor for the ornamental appeal of its scarlet fruit.1. The Concept of African Red Eggplant
African red eggplant, also known as ping qie and chi qie, belongs to the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and the genus Solanum. It originates from Africa and is an annual herbaceous plant. The plant height is generally 30-40 cm. The leaf shape and size are similar to those of ordinary culinary eggplant, except that there are spines on the veins, and the inflorescences are axillary, with 3-8 flowers. The corolla is white or light purple, about 2 cm in diameter. The berry turns from green to orange or scarlet, is oblate, with young fruit light green and mature fruit red. It can be used for ornament, and the fruit can also be used as cut-flower material.
2. Cultivation Management
2.1 Seed Treatment
Select large, plump, fresh seeds. After natural air-drying, they must not be exposed to the blazing sun; store them properly in a cool, dry container and take care to prevent insect damage. To improve the germination rate, the seeds can be sown directly after drying in the shade. Before sowing, soak the seeds for disinfection in a 0.5% potassium permanganate solution for 2H, then place them in warm water for 24H to promote germination. After the seeds absorb water and swell, remove them and place them on moistened absorbent paper or gauze to dry. Sow when the germination count exceeds 10%.
2.2 Sowing Techniques
Depending on the number of seeds, either bed sowing or pot sowing may be chosen. The seedbed should be dry, level, sheltered from the wind, sunny, and the soil loose and fertile. Sandy soil can be used for sowing, as it drains well while also having a certain water-holding capacity. The covering soil thickness should be about 0.5 cm. After sowing, the seedbed should be kept moist, not alternating between dry and wet, nor overly dry or overly wet. After the seeds germinate and emerge, remove the covering so they gradually receive light, and only after they adapt may they be fully exposed to sunlight. If the seedlings are too dense, thin them immediately, removing the overcrowded and weak seedlings so that the remaining seedlings can absorb sufficient sunlight. After thinning, water immediately so that the loosened seedling roots contact the soil. In about 10 days, about 2 true leaves can grow.
2.3 Transplanting
When the seedlings grow 3-4 true leaves, they can be transplanted and repotted. A sandy loam rich in humus should be chosen. Generally, repot 3 times into small (pot diameter 10 cm), medium (pot diameter 15 cm), and large (pot diameter 20 cm) pots. Before each repotting, let the potting soil dry thoroughly, then gently tap around the pot wall, and after it loosens, carefully remove the plant with the soil. Before moving to a larger pot, do not disturb the original soil ball to avoid damaging the roots. After planting is completed, water thoroughly. After the first watering, before new roots have grown, do not water excessively, otherwise the roots are prone to rot. The root system of young seedlings is relatively small while the aboveground part transpires heavily, so for several days after transplanting, strong sunlight should be blocked to help them recover growth.
2.4 Shaping and Pruning
When the ornamental eggplant plant is about 15 cm tall, pinch off the growing tip to make it produce branches. When the branches grow to about 10 cm, pinch again. Generally pinch 3-4 times to promote multiple branching and a short, sturdy plant shape, forming a spherical plant 40-50 cm tall, which looks very beautiful after bearing fruit. After the leaves become dense, leaves must be picked, and large, yellow, withered old leaves removed, to facilitate ventilation and light penetration and make the leaves fine and thick. When picking leaves, if leggy branches, overly dense branches, dead branches, or diseased and pest-infested branches are found, they should also be pruned to make the plant shape graceful.
3. Conclusion
The small, red, vivid fruit of the African red eggplant is also quite eye-catching as cut-flower material, giving people a refreshing new look.