How do you grow eggplant Best indoor varieties,
Eggplants Solanummelongena Delicious in Mediterranean dishes such as moussaka and ratatouille, eggplants come in a variety of colours and shapes, and the plants will grow successfully on a sunny windowsill.
How do you grow eggplant?
When to buy or sow
If you have space for only one or two—eggplants can grow up to 39in (1m) tall—buy young plants in spring from a garden centre or online. If sowing from seed, start them off in late winter. Choose a deep pot at least 8in (20cm) in diameter, and plant one eggplant per pot. Use any good commercial growing mix.
Light & heat
Eggplants need plenty of direct sunlight in summer for the fruits to ripen, so position near a south- or west-facing window. The plants also require a minimum temperature of 61–64°F (16–18°C); higher daytime temperatures will help the fruits to ripen.
Watering
Water the plants regularly, but ensure the growing mix is never soggy; planting in a pot with drainage holes set on a saucer helps to prevent waterlogging. Mist the foliage every day with tepid water to discourage red spider mite and to help the fruits to set.
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Aftercare Apply a liquid tomato fertilizer every two weeks once the first fruit has formed. For larger plants, remove any remaining flowers and cut off any unproductive side stems after five or six eggplant fruits have set. Stake plants when they are 8in (20cm) tall and tie in the stems regularly.
Best indoor varieties
The most widely available eggplants are dark purple and blimp-shaped, but there is a much greater choice of sizes and colours available for more adventurous gardeners. You may only find a limited selection for sale as young plants, but seed companies offer a broad range of varieties.
‘BLACK BEAUTY’
a popular variety, ‘Black Beauty’ produces large, glossy, dark-purple fruits. The tall, sturdy plants yield six or more large fruits, which mature early and have soft, edible skins and seeds. Two plants will keep you in eggplants from summer until late fall. Size of fruit: approx 4–6in (10–15cm).
THAI EGGPLANTS
These golf ball-sized eggplants are white, green, or striped, but are also available in red and purple. Often used in Thai curries, the fruits are crunchy and slightly bitter. Because they are small, you can leave several fruits on the plant to mature. Size of fruit: approx 1–2in (2–5cm)
‘RAJA’ Eggplants
were originally white and looked like eggs, which is why they are known as eggplants. This sturdy variety produces an early crop of small, white fruits. Fruity and mild in flavour, these have tough skins, which should be removed prior to eating. Size of fruit: approx 3in (7cm)
‘PINSTRIPE’
The oval, striped fruits appear from summer to autumn. Compact and sturdy, the plants are ideal for windowsills. Leave three or four eggplants on each plant if you want them to grow to full size. Size of fruit: approx 3–4in (8–10cm).
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When to harvest Eggplants
have a long growing season, and if you buy a young plant it may take up to five months to produce mature fruits. Harvest the fruits from midsummer to fall: cut them from the plant using a pair of sharp scissors or shears when they are glossy, plump, and a good size.
Storage and preserving Most eggplants develop at slightly different rates, which means you will rarely have a glut and can enjoy them fresh, especially if you are growing just a few plants. You can store the fresh fruits for up to two weeks in the fridge, or you can cook and then freeze them.
Cooking eggplants
The easiest way to cook eggplant is to brush some slices of eggplant with oil and bake them in a hot oven for 15 minutes or fry them on a hot pan, turning them every so often until cooked through. To make a simple vegetable ratatouille, heat a little oil in a large pan, and add some chopped eggplant, zucchini, sweet peppers, onions, and garlic. Stir for 3 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Reduce the heat and add a can of tomatoes and a tablespoon or two of tomato paste. Simmer for 15 minutes, then stir in some fresh basil before serving.
OTHER RELATED QUESTIONS
How to Grow eggplants from seed?
How many eggplants can one plant produce?
Eggplant Yield EstimatesKeep in thoughts that Italian oval eggplants produce approximately 8 end result in line with the plant, even as Asian eggplants yield from 10 to fifteen of the elongated end result.
How regularly do eggplants want to be watered?
Eggplants are high-quality watered about 1 inch inline with a week in the course of the developing season. This quantity can also additionally growth in the course of instances of hot, dry weather. Monitoring the soil with a moisture meter will assist make sure that the soil does now no longer turn out to be dry among waterings.
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How many eggplants do you get in line with the plant?
Eggplant Yield EstimatesKeep in thoughts that Italian oval eggplants produce approximately 8 end result in line with the plant, even as Asian eggplants yield from 10 to fifteen of the elongated end result.
How do you make eggplant grow faster?
A sleek coating on the fruit is an indication of readiness. Dull coatings or seeds which have grown to become brown suggest overripe end result. Eggplants must be picked as quickly as they’re ripe, with barely immature end result tasting high-quality. One of the simplest approaches to decide if they’re ripe is to softly squeeze the eggplant.
How a great deal area does eggplants want?
Eggplant distance withinside the lawn must be 18-30 inches aside. Two ft aside is fine, despite the fact that 2 ½ ft aside will hold you from by accident breaking branches as you’re harvesting your eggplant end result. If you’re planting masses of eggplant and want rows, depart a place 30-36 inches among the rows.
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Do eggplants hold generating?
When to Plant EggplantStart eggplant seeds interior approximately six weeks earlier than your closing spring frost, or approximately weeks after tomatoes and peppers. When making plans your lawn, permit one plant in line with a person, as a healthful plant will produce approximately five kilos of eggplant over months or more.
How do you make eggplant grow faster?
Start seeds interior in residences or peat pots eight-nine weeks previous to the closing spring frost date. Seeds germinate speedily at temperatures among 70 to 90°F. Alternatively, purchase 6- to eight-week-vintage nursery transplants simply earlier than planting. Do now no longer plant eggplant transplants into the lawn till after the closing chance of frost.
What should you not plant next to eggplant?
Eggplant – A appropriate partner for amaranth, beans, marigolds, peas, peppers, spinach, and thyme. Do now no longer plant eggplants near fennel. Fennel – Not a partner for any lawn food plant, fennel will surely inhibit boom in bush beans, kohlrabi, tomatoes, and others.
How tall does an eggplant grow?
Although the plant can attain a top of eight ft, you’re much more likely to peer an eggplant this is 2 to four ft tall. A simple-to-develop cultivar such as “Black Beauty” stretches 24 to 30 inches in top and has a 16-inch spread.
How do you grow the best eggplant?
Eggplants develop into tall, angular plant life, in order that they must be spaced 24 to 36 inches aside. Improve planting holes via way of means of blending in 2 inches of compost to assist keep moisture and fertilizer withinside the soil. Set plant life on the identical intensity at which they’re developing of their containers, and water nicely earlier than spreading mulch.
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How many times can you harvest eggplant?
I select out eggplant commonly as soon as every week; two times every week at the height of the season. Eggplant want masses of warmth and lengthy daytime to do their high-quality. they begin thriving right here while the temperatures begin averaging around 95.
Can Eggplant be planted next to Peppers?
Potatoes, tomatoes, tomatillos, and chilli peppers, like eggplant, are all participants of the nightshade family. As a family, they’re well-matched and supportive partner plant life to commingle with eggplant.
Why is my eggplant not fruiting?
One of those troubles is while the eggplant plant life falls off the plant without generating end result. When eggplant has plant life but no fruit, that is because of one in all troubles. The first issue that could cause eggplant plant life to fall off is a loss of water and the difference is a loss of pollination.
How long does it take for the eggplant to grow after flowering
Fifty to eighty days (50-80 days)
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How do you grow a healthy eggplant?
Eggplants develop into tall, angular plant life, in order that they must be spaced 24 to 36 inches aside. Improve planting holes via way of means of blending in 2 inches of compost to assist keep moisture and fertilizer withinside the soil. Set plant life on the identical intensity at which they’re developing of their containers, and water nicely earlier than spreading mulch.
How cold is too cold for eggplant?
Answer: Don’t blame yourself. Eggplant is a heat-loving vegetable that does high-quality in temperatures among 70 and eighty-five tiers Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures inhibit pollination and fruit-set; at 50 tiers, the plant life will drop.
SOURCE: treehozz.com
