Eggplants are tasty and healthy vegetables. They are always on sale in the supermarket, but what distinguishes an avid gardener from an ordinary buyer is the desire to grow vegetables on their own plot. Greenhouse eggplant can please you with a luxurious harvest, but if you do not adhere to the rules, disappointment cannot be avoided.
We solve the problem of lack of ovary depending on the cause
Eggplant is a capricious crop that loves warmth and light. Therefore, in cool areas, for example, such as the North-West region or the Non-Black Earth zone of Russia, the fastidious vegetable is best grown in greenhouses. Growing eggplant requires patience and care from the gardener. And how frustrating it can be when you try to follow all the rules of agricultural technology, but there is no harvest.
A real gardener would prefer to grow his own eggplant crop.
Very often in greenhouse conditions this problem occurs - the crop blooms very profusely, but the fruits do not set. What interferes with the process of crop formation?
- Temperature in the greenhouse during planting of seedlings. It is necessary to plant eggplant seedlings in protected soil when the temperature in it is not lower than 16°C. In a heated greenhouse there are no problems. But in an unheated room, difficulties may arise due to fluctuations in day and night temperatures. Therefore, seedlings should be planted in such a greenhouse at the end of May, when the threat of return frosts has completely passed.
- Temperature during flowering and ovary formation. In order for the crop to set fruit safely, it needs a comfortable temperature - 25 – 28°C. If there is an increase in these indicators, pollen viability decreases. At 35°C it becomes completely sterile, and the plant can shed the formed ovaries. When the thermometer drops sharply to 8°C, you can also forget about a good harvest.
In order for the eggplant to bloom normally and form ovaries, it is necessary to observe temperature regime
- Watering. Eggplant is a crop that loves abundant watering. But overwatering and drying out of the soil lead to shedding of flowers.. When moisturizing, use only warm water - about 25°C. The plant experiences shock from cold moisture, which can cause the ovaries to fall off.
To heat water for watering eggplants, just place the bucket in a sunny place
- Humidity. High humidity environment (above 80%) has a detrimental effect on productivity. Therefore, when watering, try to prevent moisture from getting on the leaves and flowers of the eggplant.
- Feeding. There is no way to do without fertilizer when growing eggplants. But excess nitrogen during seedling growth will lead to excessive growth green mass to the detriment of fruiting.
- Neighborhood. Many sources advise growing eggplants in a separate greenhouse. But not everyone can afford this. Therefore, try to maintain crop rotation. Do not plant them after nightshades, tobacco and physalis. Cucumbers, legumes and cabbage are good predecessors. A wonderful neighbor to eggplant is bell pepper.
Eggplant and pepper in one greenhouse - a great combination
- Pests. If the eggplants bloom well, the ovaries begin to appear, but then, suddenly you discover that the flowers and the ovary have fallen off, check the bushes for the presence of the Colorado potato beetle. This pest loves to nibble on the peduncle.
Nuances with which you can increase the formation of ovaries in a greenhouse
In addition to following the rules listed above, there are some more nuances, the observance of which will help you get a good harvest.
- variety selection - for greenhouse cultivation try to choose only hybrid varieties of early and medium ripening;
From the many varieties of eggplant, choose those that are suitable for greenhouses
- before planting, be sure to check the seeds for germination and treat them;
- prepare the soil - eggplant will not grow in acidic, heavy and infertile soils. Therefore, before planting you need to carry out preparatory work:
- reduce acidity;
- increase looseness by adding coarse sand or peat for digging;
- increase nutritional value by adding balanced fertilizers to the soil, including nitrogen, boron, potassium, phosphorus, iron and manganese;
- plant strong and hardened seedlings - weak plants usually drop flowers and ovaries. If this happens, you can increase the eggplant’s immunity by treating the bush with Epin Extra solution or Novosil;
- increase the level of flowering and fruit set by spraying with one of the fruit formation stimulants - Ovary or Bud;
To increase fruit formation, you can treat eggplant with a special preparation.
- To reduce the temperature in the greenhouse and normalize the humidity level, it is necessary to carry out ventilation. But make sure that the eggplant is not in a draft;
- despite the fact that eggplant is a self-pollinating plant, in a greenhouse you can observe poor fruit set due to the lack normal movement air masses To help the plant, carry out artificial pollination - to do this, lightly shake the flowering branches, then the pollen can move from one flower to another. You can also use a soft brush to transfer pollen;
The eggplant flower is bisexual, that is, self-pollinating
- Lighting is another factor influencing fruiting. In dense shade, the plant blooms late, and the fruit may not set at all. Eggplant is a plant of short daylight hours, for normal level It only takes 10-12 hours a day to form the ovary.
So that the capricious eggplant blooms and bears fruit for a long time, create for him comfortable conditions. IN closed ground it's easy to do. But if a problem arises, carefully analyze the situation and eliminate unfavorable factors.
Collection good harvest Not every novice gardener can grow eggplants. Because this nightshade plant is of southern origin, many people plant it in a greenhouse. But this does not guarantee that a good harvest will be harvested.
This vegetable is quite demanding to care for and environment. If the plant is not created suitable conditions for growth, then after flowering it may not form ovaries. So why don’t eggplants set in the greenhouse? Let's look at the main reasons.
Mistakes when growing vegetables
There are a number of reasons why eggplants do not grow in a greenhouse. As a rule, these are errors in care and poor-quality seedlings. Here are some specific reasons why there is no ovary:
The presence of these factors that prevent a good harvest makes it much more difficult to obtain a good harvest. Therefore, before you begin preparing and growing seedlings, you should familiarize yourself with the main features of this vegetable.
If the decision to grow eggplants on the ground or in a greenhouse has been made, then it is worth remembering that the gardener needs to be very attentive to this finicky plant.
How to grow a good harvest?
Eggplants are usually grown from seeds in greenhouses. It's all about the heat-loving nature of this nightshade crop. There are many varieties available today, and not all of them turn blue. Many of the vegetables have different color fetal membranes. There are light purple, white, striped, and also with a greenish tint. To understand whether they are growing correctly, it is worth knowing the features of their development (Table 1).
Table 1 - Main characteristics
| Factors necessary for development | Nuances of plant care |
|---|---|
| Planting seeds and growing seedlings | The seeds hatch and grow 2 months after they are sown. The soil must have a temperature sufficient for seed germination (from +15 °C). It is good if the seedlings grow in warm temperatures up to 28 °C. |
| Soil composition | The quality of the soil mixture also affects the number of fruits. It should be light in structure, with a neutral reaction, always have good water and air permeability, as well as all the necessary elements to nourish the plant. The answer to the question of why there are no ovaries is often a lack of nitrogen. Therefore, you can choose the right one for them soil mixture- turf soil with humus added to it in a ratio of 1:2 or peat with humus. When planting plants, this substrate is placed in the holes, and complex fertilizing is added there. |
| Watering | This nightshade crop loves warm water(from +20 °C), but you should not allow excess soil moisture, because in this case a crust will form on it, and this will lead to insufficient air access to the roots. When plants bloom, watering is carried out very carefully, because excess humidity air can harm them. Then the ovaries may fall off. In order for them to thrive, plants need ventilation after watering. The optimal air humidity will be about 60%. |
| Choosing a landing site | When planting this vegetable crop, you should avoid land where other nightshade species previously grew. The fact is that all these plants have common diseases and pests, which is why eggplants grown in contaminated soil can get sick. It is better to grow vegetables in the place of previously well-bearing cabbage, onions, and cucumbers. Planting vegetables in the same area is recommended no earlier than after 3 years. |
| Top dressing | Eggplants need a moderate amount of nitrogen, so they are fertilized already half a month after planting. permanent place. To do this, add 3 tbsp. spoons of azofoska into a bucket of water. Each bush (0.5 l) is diluted and watered with this product. They feed the second time when the eggplants bloom en masse. During the formation of fruits, make an organic tincture and add 100 grams of superphosphate. In the absence organic feeding Fertilize the seedlings with urea or ammonium nitrate, as well as superphosphate and potassium sulfate. All nutrients should be normal. If there is not enough nitrogen, the bush will grow slowly, and if there is too much nitrogen, the fruits will form and ripen slowly. To strengthen weak plants, use Novosil, Ecosil or Epin Extra. |
| Light mode | It has been proven that the flower will set if it is exposed to direct sunlight. Any shading of the bushes negatively affects their fruiting. Therefore, even if the flower is shaded by some leaves of the plant itself, they should be torn off. Since eggplant is a crop short day, then, starting from the end of June, he can artificially shorten the length of the photoperiod to 10-12 hours a day. This technique will help speed up the start of the fruiting period. We must remember the need for high lighting intensity! To reduce the lighting time of these nightshade crops, a frame with light-proof material is installed. Then every day at the same time you need to cover the greenhouse and remove the covering from it. The secret to the success of this method lies in the regularity of the process, and arbitrary frequency can only bring harm. |
| Spraying with special preparations | When growing eggplant bushes, there is often the problem of ovaries falling off. What to do to solve this problem quickly and efficiently? Such remedies as Bud, Ovary, Gibbersib can help. All these drugs contain gibberellin. It is the main element during the flowering period of this nightshade crop. With the help of this substance, fruit set is stimulated. But without suitable conditions, there may not be enough of it in the plant, and the eggplants will not set. Similar folk remedy- a strong solution of potassium permanganate. They need to burn the pistil of each flower. |
In addition, for better pollination, experienced gardeners advise shaking flowering branches in the morning so that pollen falls on other branches, and the plants are thus pollinated.
Eggplant is a rather difficult crop to grow, both open ground, and in the greenhouse. In addition to the fact that it is difficult to accept, even already grown bushes may not be tied. To avoid this, you need to follow the described care rules. If you do quality care behind it, that is, the opportunity to grow maximum quantity fruits and treat yourself to delicious dishes.
Eggplant is a true southerner. This is the most heat-loving and capricious vegetable of the nightshades. It is afraid of temperature changes, suffers seriously even from slight frosts and is very demanding on soil moisture. Eggplants have particularly high demands on heat and moisture during fruiting. Fruits may not appear at all. If you don’t please the eggplants, the ovary will simply fall off.
To ensure a guaranteed harvest of eggplants, you need to plant varieties adapted to the weather in your area. Usually the Almaz variety is planted for these purposes. And the remaining varieties occupy no more than 2/3 of the area.
In order for the plants to have time to produce a harvest, seedlings are planted at the age of 6080 days. Since eggplant bushes are large, they are planted according to a 50x70 cm pattern.
Down with the extra inflorescences
If you want to get fruits of the highest quality, you will have to start rationing the inflorescences. To do this, after 10-15 inflorescences have formed on the bush, half of the top ones can be removed - the bush won’t be able to pull it all out anyway.
Eggplants in a greenhouse
In greenhouses, plants grow to large sizes. Therefore, the bushes need to be normalized, leaving 2-3 of the strongest shoots, and removing the rest. We tie the remaining shoots to the trellis. This is especially important for indeterminate varieties, that is, those with unlimited growth.
We don’t just form early ripening varieties– they produce only 5-8 fruits and stop growing themselves.
The fruits will set more actively if the trellis is periodically shaken. This simple technique will improve pollination of flowers.
Why do flowers fall off?
Eggplants have one problem - the flowers often fall off without setting fruit. The reason is temperature changes. Eggplant fruits set when the temperature at night does not drop below +15° C.
The second feature of eggplants is that they love water even more than peppers. The soil under eggplants should be moist all the time. If the soil dries out, the buds, flowers and even ovaries will fall off.
About fertilizing
He loves eggplant and fertilizing, so he needs to be fed every 10 days. First of all, they rely on nitrogen. Therefore, ammonium nitrate or urea must be on hand. Although they will do complex fertilizers, which contain at least 20% nitrogen.
Replace mineral fertilizers You can use chicken manure. Eggplants respond well to feeding with microelements: copper, manganese and molybdenum.
About pests
Loves eggplants very much spider mite, so you need to grow it alone, away from tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. If the mite does appear, then until the fruits have set, you can use Actelik or Fufanon against it.
What is the most offensive thing for a vegetable grower? Well, of course, lack of harvest. The plants bloom, but the fruits do not set. Most of the questions in reader mail concern this problem with eggplants. An associate professor of the department will help us understand the reasons for this phenomenon. vegetable crops Belarusian State Agricultural Academy, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Anna Gordeeva.
And the first thing Anna Petrovna draws attention to is that eggplant is a very complex crop: it is not always possible to create comfortable conditions for it, either in a film greenhouse or in open ground. Therefore, flowers will fall off almost always, more or less. But if you take into account all the needs of this southern plant, then the harvest can be harvested to the maximum.
First of all, you need to conduct a soil analysis: eggplant does not like compacted, swampy and cold soils. But on soils rich in organic matter, moisture- and breathable with a neutral reaction (PH 5.5 - 6), it grows magnificently.
The landing location is also important. Eggplants should not be planted after crops of the nightshade family - tomatoes, potatoes, physalis, tobacco and shag. And it can be returned to its original place only after 3 - 4 years. Therefore, in greenhouses and greenhouses, a kind of crop rotation should also be observed. Or change the soil.
Seeds infected with viruses can also cause failure. Therefore, it is best to plant only zoned varieties.
Poor fruit set may also be the result of poor insect pollination. This often happens in protected ground conditions. Then you will have to carry out artificial pollination. To do this, pollen is taken from the mature yellow anthers of a flower with a brush and applied to the stigma of another flower. The best pollen for pollination is considered to be the pollen of a flower that has just begun to open.
Scheduled meals
Eggplant is a big nitrogen lover. The first feeding is carried out 2 - 3 weeks after transplantation: 3 tbsp. l. azophoska per 10 liters of water and 0.5 liters for each plant. The second - during mass flowering. And after the fruits begin to set, you can add an infusion of manure (1:10), chicken manure (1:20) or weeds (1:5). Previously, you should not switch to natural organic matter: the plant will shed its ovaries. And be sure to add 100 - 150 g of superphosphate to a bucket of infused organic matter.
If not organic fertilizers, add in several doses (at the specified time) 400 g of urea or ammonium nitrate, 500 g of superphosphate and 50 g of potassium sulfate. Measurement is important when working with fertilizers: if there is a lack of nitrogen, the eggplant will sharply slow down its growth, and if there is an excess of it, it will slow down the formation of fruits.
You should not feed eggplants with fertilizers containing chlorine, ammonium chloride, or potassium chloride.
Despite the fact that eggplant is a nitrogen-loving plant, it also needs phosphorus and potassium.
Phosphorus fertilizers will enhance root growth and the formation of generative organs, and also accelerate the ripening of fruits. With phosphorus deficiency, the plant turns into a dwarf, the buds fall off, and the ovaries develop poorly.
Potassium fertilizers increase resistance to disease. Microelements (especially molybdenum, boron and copper) are also necessary for growth, development and fruiting.
As a rule, weak plants shed flowers and ovaries. To strengthen their immune system, treat eggplants with Epin-Extroy, Ecosil or Novosil.
Destroying Thirst
The reason for the dropping of buds, flowers and ovaries may also be drying out of the soil. The optimal relative humidity is about 60%.
Eggplant is a moisture-loving crop. But with excessive soil moisture, when air access to the roots decreases, the leaves turn pale and yellow, and the buds and flowers very often fall off.
Therefore, watering is one of the main conditions for obtaining a good eggplant harvest. Plants need to be watered every 7 - 10 days, giving per 10 square meters. m 400 - 500 liters of water. The water must be warm - not lower than plus 20 degrees. After the “water procedures,” the greenhouses must be ventilated, and the next day the soil must be loosened. You can also mulch it.
Let there be light!
It is believed that the eggplant sets fruit only if straight lines fall on the flower. sun rays. The slightest shading by buildings and plants adjacent to the greenhouse will inevitably lead to crop loss. Or even its complete absence. Additional “lightening” is recommended - cutting off the leaves that cover the flowers. But don’t get too carried away: still main task foliage - delivery of nutrition to fruits.
Eggplant is a short-day plant that blooms only when its length is no more than 14 hours. That is, from the end of June, when the days begin to get shorter. Reducing its length to 10 - 12 hours (with high light intensity at the same time) allows you to speed up the onset of fruiting.
Daylight hours can also be reduced artificially. To do this, it is enough to install a frame over the plants and cover it with light-proof material. And you need to remove thick fabric, for example, from 7.00 - 9.00 to 18.00. But if you decide to darken your eggplants, then do it every day. Irregular darkening will only harm the plants.
Warm but not hot
Eggplant, like any southerner, loves to soak up the sun. In terms of heat requirements, it surpasses tomatoes and even peppers. It grows and develops normally only at a temperature of plus 22 - 28 degrees. If the thermometer during flowering rises above plus 30, then the plants almost stop growing, the buds and flowers that have bloomed by this time fall off, and the pollen itself becomes sterile.
Cool weather is also not good for the future harvest: at plus 14 degrees and below, the eggplant generally freezes. It is especially sensitive to lower temperatures during the formation of buds and flowers.
At night the temperature should not drop below plus 12 - 15 degrees. During frosts, plants in greenhouses are additionally covered with hay, lutrasil or spunbond. It has been noticed that at low night temperatures, early-ripening varieties lose fewer flowers and ovaries than mid- and late-ripening varieties.
And if on long time the temperature will drop to plus 6 - 8 degrees, irreversible physiological changes will occur in the plant and you can forget about the harvest altogether.
In cold, cloudy weather, the plant slows down its development and, as if preparing for difficult times, intensively sheds flowers and ovaries. Therefore, if it suddenly gets colder or prolonged rains begin, spray the plants on the leaves with a solution of calcium nitrate - 1 tbsp. spoon per 10 liters of water.
Help "SB"
Eggplant varieties zoned in Belarus and suitable for growing in protected soil are “adona”, “combo”, “patsekha”, “rada”, “Lara”, “orion”, “scorpio”, “kulon”, “bourgeois” , “bull heart”, “maria”, “prince”, “black moon”, “black dragon”, “scimitar”, “long purple”, “black handsome”, “atos”, “cherni prince”, “amethyst” , “taste of mushrooms.”
The lack of ovary on eggplants is a problem that many summer residents and gardeners face.
Indeed, it is very unpleasant when so much work and time has been spent growing plants and waiting for them to bloom, but there is no ovary on them.
Some attribute this to a lack of heat, some to the length of the day (eggplant is a short-day plant), and some to excess nitrogen in the soil.
Eggplants are really very fastidious plants and it can be difficult to get fruit from them. Why don't eggplants set and what to do if this happens on yours? summer cottage or in a greenhouse?
The most common reasons for the ovary not to appear are:
- Exceeding the temperature above 30˚С (it should be remembered that exceeding the air temperature by more than 30 – 32˚С makes the flower sterile);
- Irrational application of fertilizers (lack of boron, phosphorus or calcium or excess nitrogen);
- Rainy and cold weather (night temperature should not fall below 15˚C);
- Lack of moisture - the plant is a moisture-loving plant, and if there is a lack of moisture, the ovary does not form;
- Soil. These plants will not produce good ovaries and bear fruit in heavy and acidic soil.
- Shading. With a lack of sunlight, the ovary falls off.
How to fix the problem
In order to eliminate the problem of the absence of ovaries, it is necessary to optimize all factors leading to disruption of their formation.
Enough good effect provides application for spraying plants with boric acid. Boron, in addition to increasing the number of ovaries on eggplants, promotes better growth plants and improves the quality of vegetables.
To prepare the solution, use one to two grams of boric acid per ten liters of water.
Only hot water is used to dissolve boric acid. When preparing a solution for spraying, the powder is diluted in a liter very hot water, after which water at room temperature is added to it.
If there is excess nitrogen in the soil, its effect can be weakened by adding wood ash - 1 cup per 1 m2 of area, the ash is used previously diluted with water.
Wood ash will also help deoxidize the soil. It should be remembered that fertilizers are applied to well-watered soil, and watered after application to prevent burns to the root system of the plant.
It is necessary to organize sufficient watering. Water only with warm water.
Watering the plants should be carried out within a radius of 35 centimeters around the bush, abundantly, but rarely - as needed. Watering is carried out early in the morning or in the evening.
Eggplant is a self-pollinating plant. And if eggplants bloom but do not set, you can help them using artificial methods.
- It is sometimes recommended to gently shake the flower stalks - this technique will help increase pollination and save the pollen on the plants from drying out.
- You can apply treatment with drugs that promote the formation of the ovary - “Bud” or “Epin”. Gibberellin contained in these drugs stimulates their formation.
- If eggplants do not set in a greenhouse, the pollination process can be controlled by using a brush or simply gently tapping the plant.
In hot and sunny weather (30˚C and above), when grown in the ground, eggplant plants can be briefly shaded with branches, saving them from overheating; in greenhouses, ventilation can be organized.
With constant shading, the ovaries will also not appear, so it is recommended to tear off the leaves that shade the flowers.
How to prevent
The problem of the absence of ovaries on eggplants lies in the violation of agricultural techniques for cultivating the crop.
To prevent barren flowers on eggplants, you need to have a good knowledge of the biology of this crop. Eggplant is a light-loving, heat-loving and moisture-loving plant - you need to take this into account.
Eggplants cannot withstand sudden temperature changes. The optimal temperature for them is 25 – 28˚С. At temperatures below 13˚C they begin to turn yellow and die.
Therefore, to prevent temperature changes, experienced gardeners prefer to grow this vegetable in a greenhouse.
To prevent problems with the formation of ovaries caused by unsuitable soil for the crop, you should immediately take care of its physicochemical properties.
Be sure to apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in the fall. The crop prefers light, well-fertilized soils, so they must be made as suitable as possible for cultivating eggplants.
If the soil on the site is clay or loamy, the structure can be improved by adding sand, manure, peat and sawdust. For 1 m - 1 bucket of sand, 1 bucket of manure, 2 buckets of peat, half a bucket of sawdust.
First of all, it is necessary to observe the agricultural technology of the crop, which includes appropriate soil, fertilizers, planting by seedlings, temperature conditions, watering, and care necessary for this particular crop.
In addition, it is necessary to use zoned varieties.
- The Almaz variety is zoned in many regions of Russia, and even in Siberia. The variety is mid-season, the yield reaches 6 kg/m2. Beginners in growing eggplants are recommended to start with this variety.
- For growing in areas Middle zone The Banana variety is also intended for Russia, the Urals and Siberia - ultra-early ripening, yield up to 4 kg/m2.
- Zoning for cultivation in open ground in the southern regions has the variety “Epic (F 1)”, which has an early ripening period.
- In warm, southern climates, the “Black Beauty” variety grows well in open ground, and in areas with cold climates, these varieties are grown mainly in greenhouse conditions.
If the conditions in the eggplant cultivation zone are cold, with a short summer, then you need to choose early ripening varieties and it is better to grow them in a greenhouse.
Under favorable weather conditions, the choice of varieties expands significantly.
The range of eggplant varieties is very large. Their colors are also diverse, they are represented by both purple, blue, black, and white eggplant colors, as well as unusual red, striped, and orange colors of the fruit.
Taking into account the recommendations given, the cultivation of this crop in all its diversity should be successful.
