Eggplants, Brinjal, Aubergines - No matter what you call it, they are a wonderful vegetable to grow in your garden. In this article, we will see some tips on growing eggplants and also see the harvest of Black Beauty, Japanese & White Eggplant.
Here is a picture of all 3 varieties:
Left to right - Black Beauty, White and Japanese Eggplant
Here is a video with great tips on growing and harvesting eggplants:
Eggplants can be started from seeds or plants. If starting from seeds, sow indoors 6 weeks before Spring Arrives. In 6 weeks, the plants will be mature enough to be transplanted in the ground.
Black Beauty Eggplant - Full bodied Eggplants, great for Grilling. Easy to grow and thrives in some areas. Very easy to find at local garden centers.
Japanese Eggplant - Smaller and longer, great flavor, used in stir fry dishes. They have a unique flavor, try it out if you haven't!
White Eggplant - Creamy variety, best cooked and served with grains . Can also be grilled!
As you can see in the video, Eggplants can easily be grown in Whisky Barrels. There are 3 eggplant plants growing in the whisky barrel in the picture in the video.
Fertilizing:
In the first 2-3 weeks of growing, feed eggplants with a well balanced high Nitrogen Fertilizer. Once you see solid green growth and when the plant starts flowering, stop the high Nitrogen fertilizer and switch to a low Nitrogen Fertilizer.
Eggplants love taking a bath of Epsom Salt once every 3 weeks or so. This provides Sulfate, a very essential ingredient for eggplants. Eggplants also need Calcium so make sure you buy a fertilizer which has Calcium in it.
Insects and Pests:
Eggplants, Tomatoes, Peppers - they all have the same problems. Spraying with Neem oil is one of the best ways to get rid of fungal diseases and pests
Happy Gardening!!Labels: Aubergines, Black Beauty, Brinjal, California, Cooking, Eggplant, garden, Gardening, Japanese Eggplant, White Eggplant, Zone 9
