Why eggplant seedlings dry
Eggplants are very capricious to care for. The slightest violation of the cultivation technology leads to the death of the plant. That is why, when eggplant seedlings dry, gardeners immediately begin to look for the reasons, as well as ways to solve the problem that has arisen.
Features of growing eggplant
Eggplants grow best in soil that has a neutral or slightly acidic environment. That is why, before planting eggplants, you should fertilize the soil and bring it to pH standards.
High-quality soil in which the seedlings can gain strength can be prepared from:
- 40 kg of humus;
- 150 g of magnesium sulfate;
- 300 g of potassium sulfate;
- 300 g of ammonium nitrate;
- 600 g superphosphate.
The soil for planting seeds should be prepared in advance. All of the above components must be thoroughly mixed. It is advisable to leave the mass on the street or in a cold utility room for the winter.
You can also use peat tablets. They contain all the essential nutrients. Before sowing, they just need to be soaked in water and allowed to swell. After that, the plants are transplanted into the soil together with the tablet.
About 3 weeks before sowing the seeds, the soil is brought into a warm room or heated in any other way. It is recommended to hold the seeds in water before planting. To disinfect and enhance growth, you can use a solution of potassium permanganate, a few drops, which must be added to 1 liter of water. It is advisable to water the ground in the greenhouse with potassium permanganate, and then in the holes in a permanent place.
It is necessary to deepen the seeds by about 1 cm. Only in this case the germination will be satisfactory. To increase the number of germinated seeds, it is also advisable to cover the greenhouses with foil. This should be done until the first cotyledon leaves appear above the ground. Watering the seedlings should be done as the soil dries out.
Plants also need hardening. To do this, you need to air the greenhouses. Seedlings in portable beds must be taken out into the air from the moment 3 true leaves appear.
Signs of damage to seedlings
Gardeners very often face a problem when eggplant seedlings dry out or leaves fall off. These indicators indicate that the culture is sick.
Disease symptoms:
- shoots wither or curl into tubes;
- bushes have stopped growing;
- yellow, brown or white spots appeared on the crown;
- seedlings lose the lower leaves, which are not the cotyledon shell;
- bushes unnaturally lean to one side;
- outwardly healthy eggplant seedlings are falling.
Each of the above problems has its own solution and occurs with approximately the same frequency.
Why do leaves dry
If the leaves of eggplant seedlings dry, then there may be several reasons for this:
- Incorrect transplantation into the ground.This can happen when gardeners do not follow the rules for picking plants or plant them in cold or damp soil.
- Completely depleted or nitrogen-poor soil. In this case, drying of seedlings is observed already in the first hours after planting in a permanent place. This is because the plants have nothing to feed on.
- Excessive watering can kill young plants. At first, the seedlings grow quickly, and then, due to the rotting of the roots, they wither and dry.
- When the seedlings are grown in portable containers or planted too early in the open ground, and the leaves have dried up, it means that changes in humidity and changes in air temperature influenced this.
- Eggplant, like other nightshades, is a desirable food for Colorado potato beetle larvae.
- If the air temperature suddenly drops or a cold rain falls, this can destroy the plants even in the fruiting phase.
Why do seedlings fall
Eggplant seedlings are falling for the following reasons:
- Irrational feeding. An overabundance of minerals, as well as a deficiency, do not allow blue seedlings to develop correctly.
- Infection of plants with fungal diseases such as fusarium or verticillosis. These diseases affect the roots. That is why the seedlings stop receiving nutrients and water.
- Scorching sun rays. They cause leaf burns and dry soil. Plants receive less nutrients and moisture. This is the most common reason for the withering of eggplant seedlings.
As soon as the seedlings or their lower leaves begin to change their appearance, gardeners should take immediate measures to eliminate deficiencies in care. This will help preserve the future harvest.
Why did the bushes become bare
- Lack of sunlight. The plant is planted in the shade and feels uncomfortable. It does not seek to develop and stops the growth cycle.
- Lack of water, which led to the drying out of the root system.
- Pests in the ground, gnawing the roots of the plant.
- Lack of minerals.
How to save a plant
Withering control methods are simple, they depend on the degree of plant damage. That is why the seedlings should be inspected daily. Such measures will make it possible to identify inconsistencies in a timely manner.
If the seedlings turn yellow, then feed them with nitrogen fertilizers:
- chemical origin: nitrogen nitrate or urea;
- organic substances: infusion of chicken manure or cow dung;
- humate.
If the seedlings are covered with white spots, then this means that they received a sunburn. Try to cover the bushes with any protective film that does not let in or cut light streams. If the eggplants are not yet planted in the ground and are grown in the room, then try to shorten their daylight hours, and also move the pots away from the glass.
If the leaves are covered with brown spots, then this indicates a lack of potash fertilizers. In this case, feed:
- potassium nitrate;
- potassium magnesium;
- nitroammophos and other complex drugs.
If the soil is not depleted, and the plants in it still die and dry out, then the cause may be its drying out. In this case, you just need to water the plants, and after a day, loosen the soil under them.
Conclusion
Growing eggplants is not an easy job. Caring for them begins from the moment of sowing the grains and ends with the collection of fruits, this requires constant attention from gardeners. The first signal of the onset of the pathological process is manifested in the fact that the lower leaves wither.