University of Vermont Extension
Department of Plant and Soil Science
Spring News
Article
GROWING EGGPLANTS
Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont
The National Garden Bureau has
picked eggplant as the vegetable to showcase for 2008. It is easy to grow from seed, is widely
adaptable, and is genetically diverse with several types to choose from that
you may not be familiar with.
Although eggplant can often be found
for sale in garden outlets, many more varieties are available from seeds you
can start yourself. Look for these in
retail seed racks, catalogs, and online seed sources.
The most common varieties in North America that people know are the large, oval
eggplants, somewhat pear or egg-shaped, and deep purple. They are good for stuffing, baking, and
grilling. Their reputation for tough
skin and bitterness usually comes from the fruit being overripe, as those
freshly harvested and cooked usually lack these problems. In addition to this shape, there are
varieties that are globe-shaped, cylindrical, pea-like, and specialty.
In the classic shape and deep
purple, look for ‘Black Beauty’ with eight to ten-inch fruits weighing up to a
pound. Dusky hybrid is an improved
variety with fruits five to seven-inches long.
It matures in about 60 days compared to about 80 days for Black Beauty,
so is better for shorter northern seasons.
Black Beauty is an heirloom vegetable, bred in 1910.
Two recent varieties have won the
prestigious All-America Selections Award.
Fairy Tale hybrid, maturing in about 51 days, won this award in 2005 for
its purple fruit with white strips. Plants
are compact, so well-suited to containers.
Fruits can be picked small for miniature eggplants. Hansel hybrid is a winner for 2008, producing
clusters of dark purple fruits over a long season. These fruits too can be harvested small, at
only two inches long, or left on to mature at six to ten inches.
Japanese varieties typically have
thin skins, a beautiful purple sometimes with light colors blended, and a variety
of shapes. Since the skin is tender,
fruits don’t need to be peeled. Many of
these varieties mature in about two months.
Look for them in specialty seed sources.
Since eggplants need warmth to grow,
similar to their relatives the tomato and pepper, plan to plant outside after
last frost in early summer. Work back in
the calendar about six to eight weeks to start seeds indoors. Give seedlings as much light as possible,
bottom heat if possible, and warm room temperatures. Start in individual two to four-inch diameter
containers, as seedlings transplant poorly from trays or flats.
When planting outside, consider large
containers or raised beds in addition to the traditional garden. Space plants according to the mature plant
size— about 18 to 24 inches apart for the larger varieties, and about 12 to 18
inches apart for the smaller ones. Make sure the soil is well-drained, and that
plants get at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight a day. If a field soil, work in plenty of organic
matter, manure, or compost before planting.
If a container soil, incorporate a slow-release fertilizer.
Protect young plants from cold with
hot caps or a row cover fabric during night, removing during the day. Since eggplants are mainly water, they need
at least an inch of water on the soil each week while growing. An inch or two of organic mulch will help
maintain soil moisture. Watering
especially is crucial when fruits are forming.
Stake large-fruited varieties to
support plants from the weight of the fruits.
Stake the long,
slender-fruited varieties so that they will produce straighter fruits. Check weekly or more often for holes in
leaves, commonly caused by flea beetles or Colorado potato beetles. Exclude these with fabric row covers put on at
transplanting. Control these pests with
biological insecticides, such as a new one based on soil-bacteria that is
relatively non-toxic to beneficial insects such as ladybugs and predacious
mites.
Other pests to check closely for on
undersides of leaves are aphids and mites.
Both can be dislodged with a forceful stream of water, or controlled
with insecticidal soaps. Use the water
stream daily for a week for the mites.
Spot them as they create a fine webbing under leaves.
The main disease to watch for is
verticillium wilt. This soil-borne
fungus causes plants to wilt, turn yellow, and die. If stems of dead plants are brown on the
inside, this is a clue the plants succumbed to this disease that also attacks
potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes. To
prevent wilt disease, rotate eggplant and these related crops to different
parts of the garden, or change container soils, yearly.
To learn more about this often overlooked and
less common vegetable, as well as how to prepare it for best taste and
appearance, read the online fact sheet from the National Garden Bureau
(www.ngb.org). If you already grow
eggplants, consider a new variety this year.
If you haven’t grown them before, consider trying some either in your
vegetable or ornamental gardens, or in containers.
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