What ’s not to like about the heat - bang brinjal ? They come in all shape and size of it , minuscule and round like an orchis , long and tight-fitting like a zucchini or large and oblong . The colors of their skin can be gorgeous , varying from ashen to unripe to deep purpleness to many colour in between . A true international vegetable , technically a fruit , is popular the human race over — from Greek moussaka , Italian eggplant parmesan , Gallic ratatouille , Asiatic stir - fries to Indian curries . This versatile vegetable can also be fried , grilled , added to soups , made into dips , featured in casserole and stuffed . The culinary possibilities are dateless . Not only is this veggie a star in the kitchen , it can become a show - off in the veggie or even the ornamental garden , thanks to its large dramatic foliage , purple efflorescence and colorful yield . Did you know that eggplant bush can be grown successfully in a container ? Try it and you ’ll be adding color and cosmetic beauty to your deck of cards or terrace , offering a convenient location to glean a nourishing veg !
The aubergine ( Solanum melongena)was tame from furious shape in the Indo - Burma neighborhood , and evidence propose that it was cultivated as long ago as 300 BC . It was wreak to Europe during the Middle Ages . The moor are collapse credit for introduce the brinjal in Spain , which in turn , transported the eggplant to the new world . The word eggplant in English dates to the British occupation of India , where the egg shaped fruit was very popular in some area . Thus the name mad apple . ( Daunay & Janick )
There arethree introductory type of brinjal . First , there ’s the large oval - fruit eggplant with empurpled pelt — the common type witness in the green goods section of many supermarkets ( ‘ Black Beauty ’ ) . Then there ’s the oriental or Asian elongated eccentric , which has the embodiment of a zucchini , but with purple skin ( Ichiban ) . But if purpleness is not your color , there ’s the novelty type with various sizing , contour and colouring , include white ( ‘ White Beauty ’ ) , lavender ( ‘ Rosita ’ ) , immature ( ‘ Applegreen ’ ) , yellow ( ‘ Thai Yellow Egg ’ ) , orange ( ‘ Turkish Italian Orange ’ ) , and red ( ‘ Korean Red ’ ) . A gardening admirer includes eggplants in his edible landscape painting to show off their many chassis , brightly bleached fruits and big leaves .
Choosing a Planting Spot
There ’s an old horticulture saying — “ correct plant , correct place ” — and that is certainly dead on target for eggplants , as theyrequire full sunfor at least 6 minute a sidereal day in fecund , well - drained soil with a high level of organic issue , and a pH of inert to acid in the mountain range of 6.0 - 7.0 . However , I have found over the years that aubergine will tolerate less than idealistic land conditions , but do not thrive in very humid and fuddled areas .
miscellany :
Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 426 - 480recommends the following varieties for our region : ‘ Mission Bell ’ , ‘ Black Knight ’ and ‘ Little Fingers ’ . Over the twelvemonth I have also found ‘ Oriental Express ’ , ‘ Nadia ’ , ‘ Long Purple ’ , ‘ Ichiban ’ and ‘ Rosita ’ to be reliable , fertile performers in our area .
Planting Guidelines :
Because garden egg is a warm - time of year vegetable with a long growing season , it is typically started from transplants and not directly seeded in the garden . Transplants that are 6 to 8 inches grandiloquent and grown in item-by-item pots are ideal , and will give you a head - jump on the eggplant ’s long growing season .
Cool conditions is not favorable for eggplant growing . In fact , eggplants are less tolerant of frost than its cousins , tomatoes and peppers . Most cultivars take a long frost - free period , 100 to 150 day from seeded player . Seeds germinate quickly at 70º-90º and should be started indoors 8 to 10 week before transplanting . Once transfer , eggplant requires 70 - 80 solar day to age . I usually hold off at leasttwo to three weeks after the last average frost dateto prepare out my eggplant seedlings .. A coarse mistake is to transfer eggplant too early . Cold weather inhibits plant and source emergence , reduce works vigor and yields . When planting in row , place transplant about 18 to 24 inches aside .
And as I name sooner , eggplant can also be produce in containers , but requireat least a two - Imperial gallon Mary Jane per plant . Containers are a great style to grow any surface into a fertile vegetable garden . Containers also provide a good solution if you are short on garden space or simply want to enjoy the contrivance . Eggplants grow in containers need never-ending water supply monitoring , as pots run to dry - out quickly . Cultivars with compact plants are a good choice for container ontogeny , and the suggested compact plantsinclude ‘ Fairy Tale ’ , ‘ Crescent Moon ’ , ‘ Hansel ’ , ‘ Gretel ’ , and ‘ Bambino ’ .
Plant Maintenance :
aubergine belongs to the same kinfolk ( Solanaceae ) as the tomato , capsicum pepper plant and potato , and thus shares many of the same growing needs and problem . eggplant areheavy self-feeder — an fair to middling provision of nutrient is needed throughout the growing season . TheVirginia Cooperative Extension Publication 426 - 413recommends applying 3 lbs of 10 - 10 - 10 per 100 straight feet before planting , and side - stuffing with 1 pound of 10 - 10 - 10 per 100 square feet 3 - 4 week after planting , or the eq of a unadulterated constitutional vegetable fertiliser . Keep the area free of mourning band as weeds will compete for moisture , sunshine and nutrient . Because I am a slothful gardener , I mulch around the industrial plant with leaves or straw to reduce the need to pull weeds , and also to reduce water loss . I usually wait until the plant become establish before mulching to allow time for the soil to warm up . mulch too early keep the ground coolheaded , results in irksome ontogenesis , hapless fruit set , and shallow rooting .
Eggplants postulate invariant waterand peck of it — a minimal ofone to two inches per calendar week . Mulching prevents wet loss and the motive to water frequently . When I water , more is better ! I give my eggplants a heavy soaking at hebdomadary interval because light , frequent lachrymation promotes shallow root system , resulting in a weaker plant .
Know your potpourri ! When grow under favorable shape , some eggplant change — such as ‘ Black Beauty ’ — make a tiptop of 4 ft anddevelop large , heavy yield that will require supportto keep the branches from break or keep the flora from bobble over in windy shape . This also keep the yield off the ground which tend to foul up .
Common problems :
Pests
Plant eggplants and they will come . Every twelvemonth just like clock work , shortly after planting aubergine , theflea beetlesappear , and proceed to chew small hole in the leaves — and this chewing will gravely countermine young plants . In gain to feeding on the leaves , flea beetle larvae also give on the roots of the works . I have foundfloating row coversprovide adequate protection .
mad apple have staring flowers — mean they contain both virile and female part and are considered to be self - pollinating like their congener the tomato and the pepper . However , research indicates that eggplant pollination and yield - set is enhance by bee activity . Once the eggplant get going to blossom , I remove the rowing covert . After the works flower , it ’s been my experience that the flea beetle pressure decreases .
The University of Marylandhas documented succeeder spraying the eggplant leaves with “ Surround ” — an organic product , made from kaolin , a fine clay , which forms a very slight roadblock on the leaves , protecting them from thirsty flea mallet . trial channel by the University of Maryland indicate thatearly sprayingof transplants with this constituent product significantly lessen flea mallet legal injury and increase yields compare to untreated plants . The tests also show up that other crop-dusting , before the eggplants are attacked , was more effective than spray after the flea beetles have lash out . The University of Maryland has also produce abrief videodemonstrating how to apply Surround to the leaves of eggplant to protect them from flea beetles .
Other gadfly to watch for with eggplant admit aphid , lace germ , Colorado potato beetles , red wanderer mites and white flies .
disease :
The most common disease that affects eggplant is Verticillium wilt , a filth fungus disease which affects the vascular system of the plant and issue in stunted plant increase , yellow discoloration and eventual defoliation of low-down leaf , and finally , plant death . An septic plant life should be removed from the garden and destroyed . Placing the debris in the compost pile will foul the compost with the disease . This disease can stay in the grease for age ; therefore , it is very important to void planting susceptible vegetables in the same area as other members of the nightshade household — tomato , pepper and potato . Once a plant has Verticillium wilt there is no cure ; however , researchhas testify that eggplants graft to Verticillium wilt - resistant root breed bring out more vigorous and productive plants . I have late acknowledge that this type of grafted eggplant is being market by several strong point nurseries .
Harvesting :
Begin harvest home eggplant bush when the fruits reachfull sizeand the skin is lustrous . Another mental test of doneness is to press the side of the yield unwaveringly ; if this pressure produces a thumbprint that ricochet back speedily , your eggplant is quick for crop . Under - advanced aubergine is too operose to take a thumbprint and overripe I are so soft that a thumbprint exit a permanent bruise . Harvest yield by cutting , not twisting , which can damage the works .
Eggplant is a relatively loose and fun plant to get and makes a fantastic garden plus . They also add together the upheaval of color and texture to your vegetable or cosmetic garden , and their culinary utilisation are endless !
Thanks for joining us inThe Garden Shed . We go for to see you next calendar month .
Resources :
“ chronicle and Iconography of Eggplant,”ChronicaHorticulturae , Vol . 47 , No . 3 , pp.16 - 22 ( Daunay & Janick , 2007 )
“ vegetable : spring up Eggplant in Home Gardens , ” Washington State University Extension Fact Sheet , FS149E , https://pubs.wsu.edu / ItemDetail.aspx?ProductID=15719&SeriesCode=&CategoryID=&Keyword = eggplant
“ Container Grown Eggplants , ” Penn State University Extension , http://extension.psu.edu / plants / gardening / fact - sheets / vegetable - gardening / growing - outstanding - container - vegetable / eggplants
“ Potatoes , Peppers , and Eggplant , ” Va. Coop . Ext . Publication 426 - 413,http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426 - 413/426 - 413.html
“ Examining an Organic Control For Flea Beetles on Eggplant,”University of Maryland Extension , http://extension.umd.edu / learn / examining - organic - ascendancy - flea - beetles - eggplant bush
“ Vegetables Recommended for Virginia , ” Va. Coop . Ext . Publication 426 - 480,https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426 - 480/426 - 480.html
“ Grafting Eggplant onto Tomato Rootstock to SuppressVerticillium dahliaeInfection : The Effect of Root Exudates,”HortScience , Vol . 24 No . 7 , pp . 2058 - 2062 ( Dec. 2009)http://hortsci.ashspublications.org / content/2024-12-26.full#content - city block
