Growing Eggplants For The First Time This Year

 


I never grew eggplants before so I really don't know what to expect.
I'll be growing Black Beauty which is an old heirloom.  I really don't
know how tall the plants get but I'm going to put stakes in just in case
their needed.  I'm planting them in the same row as my tomatoes and
peppers.  Not sure about production either.  Not sure how many eggplants
to expect each plant to produce???  One thing I'm sure about is the fact
that I love them breaded and fried :)

Rich

 


White_Noise_1@webtv.net (EVP MAN) wrote:


    It is difficult to predict a yield for peppers or eggplant
(aubergine) because both are indeterminate perennials that are gown as
annuals in most of North America because neither can handle temperatures
much below 45-50°(F). Neither plant likes to have its roots crowded, (a
special hazard in "intensive" wide-row gardening) which results in
slightly smaller-than-normal plants (normal height is 2-3') but
significantly smaller fruit. In spring-summer, 2008, I grew two Black
Beauty in 35 gallons (±5 cubic feet) of earth and was rewarded with
softball-sized eggplant. However, for the first time in many years, I
was able to overwinter both plants which provided a second season from
spring until October of 2009. I believe that solar heating of the
container was a factor. Unfortunately, both succumbed to the unusually
cold '09-10 winter. At any rate, if that container gets another eggplant
this year (not certain; it may get cucumbers, instead), it first will
get another two cubic feet of earth, which will max it out, and just one
eggplant.
    I routinely grow "California Wonder" bell peppers, hot Jalapeño
chili peppers, "Black Beauty" as well as those skinny "Italian"
eggplant. Where I am in FL, I set out peppers and eggplant when
overnight temperatures remain consistently above 50-ish and the soil
temperature is 65°-70°(F). I never start peppers or eggplant from seed;
not worth the trouble. My local nurseryman consistently has a good
supply of healthy (and inexpensive) "sets" by the time I'm ready for
them. In spring '09 I installed 3" eggplants and bell peppers on 4-1 and
cut the first eggplant on 6-12; no notes about the pepper. Where I am,
historical (67 years) average March/April lows are 54° and 59°,
respectively. However, the first half of March has hit us with more than
one nasty surprise.

 

On Wed, 3 Mar 2010 08:13:47 -0500, White_Noise_1@webtv.net (EVP MAN)
wrote:


For a newbie especially with a limited space garden I strongly
recommend the long narrow oriental varietals.
http://www.burpee.com/product/vegetables/eggplant/eggplant+-+long+purple
%2C+organic+%281+pkt.%29.do?search=basic&keyword=eggplant&sortby=newArrivals&page=all

 

EVP MAN wrote:

Be patient they like a long hot summer and you may not get much growth or
flowering until it warms up.  If your growing season is short you may have
trouble getting the fruit ripe before it gets too cold.  If the fruit are
well grown on a large cultivar (which IIRC black beauty is) they can be
heavy enough to stress the branches. They will get about 2-3 ft (60-90cm)
high and should not need staking unless it is very windy or you get many
fruit maturing at once.  Each plant will make only a limited number of
flowers over a period of time, up to about 15 in my experience, although
this may well vary with cultivar.  If you are clever you may be able to get
all of them to set fruit and for the fruit to mature but count on about half
that. They are susceptible to a variety of bugs that like to eat the leaves
(eg 28 spot ladybirds) and bore into the fruit (eg eggplant borer) so keep a
close eye on them.  The borer is very frustrating as you may not see the
hole, you cut into what looks like a great fruit and it it just a maze of
tunnels full of shit inside headed by a very fat grub.

David

 

EVP MAN said:

I find that eggplants (and peppers) are perfectly sized for those cheap
tomato cone things (three rings + three wire legs) which are far too small
and flimsy to use with tomato plants.  Both are generally robust enough
to stand up by themselves, but prone to lean or have branches sag under
the weight of the crop.

Smaller fruited eggplants will produce many, many little ones.  You will
get a few of the larger sized varieties per plant.  

You want to pick them when they are a bit under ripe (by the plant's own
standard), that is, the seeds are not fully developed.  The fruit should be
firm and glossy, and approximately the size you would expect from the
variety you are growing.  Undersized is better than over ripe.

The only thing to really watch out for is verticillium wilt, and it's best to
avoid planting out your eggplants until it is reliably quite warm at night,
later than you would set out tomatoes or peppers, as they seem to be
more prone to wilt during cooler weather.

As for varieties, there are many, but they fall into two general classes,
the white fleshed (which often have white, green, lavender, or streaked fruits)
and the 'green' fleshed (mostly deep purple).

White fleshed types are (in my opinion) much better suited to frying or in
dishes where you need the eggplant to hold together, as it were.

Green fleshed types are perfect for dishes where you will mash the cooked
eggplants (like baba ganoush) or where you want the eggplant to blend into
a stew.

I'm pretty sure 'Black Beauty' is a 'green' fleshed type.  

There are various beautiful Italian heirloom varieties such 'Violette di
Firenze'
or 'Rosa Biannca' that are white fleshed.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI
    
"Vegetables are like bombs packed tight with all kinds of
important nutrients..."
Largo Potter, Valkyria  Chronicles
 
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