The eggplant 's growth cycle consists of three stages: germination, seedling growth, and flowering and fruiting, taking approximately 60 days. The eggplant's growth process mainly comprises the following three stages:
1. Germination period
The period from planting an eggplant seed to the emergence of its first true leaf is called the germination period. Seed germination requires a suitable temperature and humidity, typically around 20-25℃, and takes about 10-12 days. After sowing, the embryo develops into a root system, and the seedling emerges from the soil. During germination, it's crucial to maintain proper soil temperature and humidity; too low a temperature can hinder seed germination.
2. Seedling stage
The seedling stage is the period from the emergence of the first true leaf until the buds appear. The seedling stage involves both vegetative growth and flower bud differentiation, and it takes about 50-60 days.
①Vegetative growth stage: From the emergence of the first true leaf to the emergence of the second and third true leaves, this is the vegetative growth stage. During this stage, the eggplant will accumulate nutrients to lay the foundation for future flower bud differentiation. However, the demand for water and nutrients is not very high.
② Flower bud differentiation stage: After the second true leaf unfolds, the seedling will grow rapidly during the flower bud differentiation stage. The demand for water and nutrients will gradually increase, so water and fertilizer should be applied at this time.
3. Flowering and fruiting period
The period from eggplant budding to harvest is called the flowering and fruiting period. A single eggplant takes 60 days to complete this process, which includes the following stages: budding stage, petal emergence stage, flowering stage, petal withering stage, eye-opening stage, commercial maturity stage, and physiological maturity stage. It usually takes 8-12 days from flowering to eye-opening stage, and 13-14 days from eye-opening stage to maturity.
