Seeds Sowing Instructions

Fruiting vegetable:Brinjal (Eggplant)

Different varieties of Brinjal

Brinjal

• Sowing season: Throughout the year. • Sowing method: Transplantation.• Because the seeds are small in size, Brinjal plant is grown

by Transplantation method. Seeds are first sown indoors on seedling trays or outdoors on seed beds & later the seedlings are transplanted on main container pots or on raised beds.

• Sowing container: Seedling trays/ seed cups/ small polybags/ Seed bed.

• Sowing medium: Coco peat (Indoors), Fine soil (Outdoors)• First harvest: 10 to 12 weeks

• Take a seedling tray with medium sized cells & drainage holes at bottom.• Fill the cells/cups with moist coco peat medium.• Hold the Brinjal seeds on your left palm & Sow 2-3 seeds per cell/cup. Since Brinjal seeds are small in size, seeds

are not sown very deep at all.• Sowing technique: Just put the seeds on the surface of the medium & push each seed little bit inside the

medium by using pencil tip, so that seeds are not visible on surface anymore & cover it with more coco-peat. OR,• Make small, shallow depressions on medium with pencil bottom. Put the seed on that depression & sprinkle

more coco-peat on the top to cover the seed. • Keep the seedling tray indoors till the seeds germinate.• Covering: Keep the seed tray in a box or cover it with paper for first 4-5 days to encourage faster seed

germination.• Watering: Water the seed cells with spoon in first week. Provide 2 tablespoons of water every day. OR,

keep the seed tray in another tray full of water for half an hour, so that water will absorbed by seed cells from the bottom, via drainage holes.

Steps for seeds sowing in seedling tray:

Steps for seeds sowing in seedling tray:

Seed starting mix Sowing in seedling tray Covering Watering

Growth Stages• Sprouting stage: Seeds will germinate within first 6-8 days or so & tiny sprouts will be visible. Once seeds

germinate, put the tray on an open partially sunny spot near window. Don’t cover the tray anymore.• Cotyledons: The early 2 leaves will immerge at second week of germination. These are false leaves called

as cotyledons.• First leaves: First leaves will immerge above cotyledons at the end of second week.• Seedling stage: Second week onwards, seedlings will start growing into a small plant. At this stage exposé

the seedlings to more & more sunlight for leaf growth.• Thinning: After second week, keep only single seedling per cell/cup. Cut off the weak, small & lagging

seedlings with pair of scissors.

Steps for Transplantation:

• 4 weeks after the seed sowing, your seedlings will be ready to transplant in container pots or on raised beds.• Ideal planting mixture for Brinjal: 2 part garden soil & 1 part organic manure. Or,• 1 part garden soil, 1 part coco-peat & 1 part Vermicompost.• Transplant the seedling along with root ball of a medium, without disturbing its roots. • Spacing: Plant the seedlings minimum 2 feet apart (60x60 or 60x45 cm) from each other on raised beds Or,• Plant only single seedling at the centre of a single regular 8-12 inch pot.

Steps for Transplantation:

Ready to transplant in container pots

Steps for Transplantation:

Ready to transplant on ground

Growing Instructions• Sunlight: Brinjal plants require full sunlight. Therefore your raised bed should be made at a bit sunny spot.

Keep the potted brinjal plant under open sunlight.• Watering: Water your potted Brinjal plant everyday in summer & every alternate day in winter. Water at

the soil near plant. Use watering can, make sure plants get water in the form of shower & not by single flow. You can also make provision for watering by drip irrigation system on your raised beds. Avoid overwatering

• Manuring: Add good quality organic manure in the soil with 2:1 ratio before transplanting the seedling. Organic manure can be well rotten cow dung manure, farmyard manure, Compost or Vermicompost

Growing Instructions

• Plant care: Always look for the early signs of any insect/fungal/ any other infections. Spay appropriate medicines as soon as any symptoms of such infections are spotted.

• Support: Give your Brinjal plant a support by tying its main stem to a single erect stick buried in soil near plant. With this support, your plant will stay upright.

• Harvesting: Brinjal plant will start flowering at the end of 3rd month, Brinjals can be harvested 80 to 90 days from the sowing of seeds. If proper care is taken, Brinjal plant will continue to grow & produce brinjals for 2-3 years or so.

Thank you