Use these tips on how to transplant eggplant seedlings to safely transfer your seedling to your garden.
How to Transplant Eggplant Seedlings
Eggplant is a good plant to start indoors from seed and in the soil. If you decide to start your eggplant seeds indoors, you will need to transplant the seeds outdoors at some point. These tips can help you do so safely and with the most chance of success come harvest time.
How to Harden off Eggplants for Transplanting
Most seedlings need a hardening off process in order to have a better chance of survival outdoors after such a long time inside. This is done by placing your seedlings outdoors for a few hours each day, increasing the time until they are staying out overnight. Do not leave seedlings out overnight if you expect temperatures to drop below 55 degrees, though, as eggplant is very temperature sensitive.
How to Prepare Seedlings and Soil for Transplanting
Before transplanting, you will want to prepare the soil. This is done by getting the proper soil temperature as well as fertilization.
Mix in some fish emulsion or aged manure into your soil to prepare it for planting. After, cover it with dark mulch plastic to get the temperature up as high as possible.
You can also try ‘potting up’. This is a process of placing the eggplant seedlings into progressively larger pots until the temperature is good enough for the plant to go outdoors. This can help create more solid root structure. If you do this, plant in a dark or black colored post to keep the soil as warm as possible.
How to Transplant Eggplant Seedlings
After your soil is the right temperature, night temperatures are above 55 degrees and there is absolutely no danger of frost, you should dig out a spot as large as the pot your seedling is currently housed in. Keep plants about 2-3 feet apart.
Do not shake off the dirt, but plant your seedlings into the soil and cover with soil gently. Place a stake near them right away as they will need it to grow up properly. Water well until they are well-rooted. Pat some mulch around the bottom to keep in the moisture. This will also keep your soil from getting weeds as easily.
Debbie Griffin says
How big do seedlings need to be to plant in garden?