The eggplant (Solanum melengene) is a heat-loving, popular plant from the nightshade family. Contrary to popular belief, it is a fruit, not a vegetable. It loves sunlight and has been cultivated for thousands of years in Southeast Asia, where it was cultivated as a perennial plant. Learn some tricks on how to grow eggplants and enjoy great food rich in fiber and nutrients such as vitamins B1, B6 and magnesium from your own garden.
Growing eggplants: when, how and where do I plant them?
Since eggplant takes a long time to grow, about 6 months, you should start planting early in the year, 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost. You have to nurture it indoors for the time being, as it cannot tolerate the cold. Plant the eggplant seeds ina medium-sized flower pot, about 1.5 cm deep. You should not use more than 2 seeds per pot. The weaker plants can be sorted out later. Use a rich compost mix soil.
Make sure the potting soil is always warm and moist, so place the pot in a sunny and warm place indoors, such as a sunny windowsill or a heated greenhouse. Germination should occur within 14 to 21 days. Once the roots appear at the bottom of the pot, you should repot the plant into a larger pot.
Growing eggplants: When to bring out the young plants
Eggplant plants need warmth, otherwise they will not thrive or produce a mini-crop. To avoid this, you should wait until the night frosts have passed before bringing them out. More specifically, night temperatures should not be lower than 15 degrees. In our latitudes, this only happens towards the end of spring.
If you want to take them out beforehand, it is advisable to provide a greenhouse or a portable shelter for the night. Don't forget to remove these on the daythe various beneficial insectsto get to the plant. Before planting the plant outside, make sure you prepare soil rich in compost, for example with home-made compost. To make sure the soil isn't too cold, you can cover it to warm it up a week before planting.
How to plant young eggplants outside
Place the plants 60 to 75 cm away from the secondary plant. Each row should have 90 cm of space between it and the next. Since the fruit can become heavy and cause the plant to collapse, attach a trellis, stake or stick to each plant to attach it to and help it support the fruit. You should do this in advance. Finally, mulch the soil around the plant so it can draw additional moisture if needed.
Growing eggplants: planting in flower pots
If the space available is limited, eggplants can also be planted in the flower box. A plant needs a flower pot with a capacity of at least 20 liters. Use a pot that is black in color to absorb maximum sunlight. Make sure the soil stays moist and thatthe plants also in the flower pothave a support. Fertilize the eggplant regularly as the nutrients in the pot are used up more quickly. Find a smaller type of eggplant that is suitable for planting in a pot. The plant needs around 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. If this is not the case in your area, place them in a greenhouse.
Why aren't they growing? Possible problems and solutions
If the requirements for heat and sunlight are met, growing the eggplant plant is less likely to be a problem. However, difficulties can arise, for example a pest infestation or disease attack on the plant.
Kohl-Erdfloh
The cabbage flea beetle can attack the plant and weaken both its growth and the harvest. To avoid this, it is often enough to wait a little longer outside before planting so that the plant is stable enough to fend off or cope with such an attack.
Aphids
If you discover aphids infestation on the plant, you can free them by hand or use chemical-free products to keep the small pests away. One way to do this would be to spray with light soapy water using a spray bottle. Spraying with a light neem oil and water mixture also works wonders. Become knowledgeable about permaculture gardening techniques and utilize these nature-friendly methods.
Verticillium-Which
Verticillium wilt is a soil-borne fungal disease that can cause plant death. Try to plant more disease-resistant species and rotate plantings each year to prevent this.
