How to Grow Organic Eggplants

Eggplant has been cultivated in southern and eastern Asia since prehistory. Eggplant is the common name for a perennial plant, Solanum melongena, of the potato or nightshade family Solanaceae, characterized by large leaves, white to purple flowers with a five-lobed corolla and yellow stamens, and an ovoid fruit with numerous, small seeds. The name also is used for the fleshy, edible fruit of this plant, a botanical berry that is widely cultivated as a vegetable crop. The plant and fruit also are known as aubergine and brinjal.

The numerous Arabic and North African names for it, along with the lack of ancient Greek and Roman names, indicate that it was introduced throughout the Mediterranean area by the Arabs in the early Middle Ages. The scientific name Solanum melongena is derived from a sixteenth-century Arabic term for one kind of eggplant.

Eggplant is a small- to medium-sized bush vegetable that produces smooth, glossy skinned fruit that can vary in length from 5 to 12 inches long. Eggplants have large, fuzzy, grayish-green leaves and produce star-shaped lavender flowers with yellow centers. The edible fruit can be long and slender or round or egg-shaped fruit. Fruit is creamy-white, yellow, brown, purple, or sometimes almost black. Eggplants can grow 2 to 6 feet tall, depending on the variety.

Here a big selection of eggplant varieties to choose from and grow!

HOW TO GROW EGGPLANT

Eggplant With its attractive glossy fruits, it’s a beautiful crop to grow in the garden. Some varieties are long and thin, others as small as grapes, with colours that range from black to white and even orange. This is an incredibly rewarding crop and easy to grow when conditions are right. It is one of the easiest vegetables to grow and one of the most beautiful too. It is a soft and delectable vegetable that is popular with home gardeners.

SOIL PREPARATION

The biggest keys to success in organic gardening is the condition of the soil. Eggplant performs best in a rich, organic, free draining soil. Eggplant is easy to grow if your soil has the proper nutrients. There needs to be adequate organic matter to hold moisture and nutrients. And at the same time, the soil needs to be loose enough for good aeration and drainage, which will help promote strong root development.

It is necessary to amend your soil to achieve optimum pH balances, as well as the proper levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. I recommend a soil test every two to three years to check your phosphorus and pH, as well as nitrate and potassium levels, to ensure the best crop possible. It is very important that your phosphorous to nitrate ratio is correct. Too much nitrates will produce leaves but not fruit. Before planting, dig over the ground to a spade deep and fork in plenty of well-rotted compost and manure, and then mound the soil to improve the drainage.

Make sure you have plenty of phosphorus, bone meal or soft rock phosphorus in your soil.   This 100% organic soil amendment has an ample supply of phosphorus and will make up for a lot of deficiencies. Eggplant prefers a soil rich in organic matter.  Eggplant prefers slightly acidic soil in the range of 5.0 to 6.5 pH. Remember that eggplants require a lot of nutrients for growth and a neutral or slightly acidic soil in pH.

Choose the strongest and sturdiest of the seedlings for transplanting. When you are thinking about where to plant eggplant, think about your gardening space, as eggplants need lots of space.  Plant your eggplants about 18 inches apart in the row, and the rows need to be about 30 inches apart, maybe more. The plant requires quite a large area. Eggplant loves heat and full sun and requires evenly moist soil in its native environment to thrive and fruit heavily, So choose a sunny location. Make a deep hole in the soil. Gently set the seedling into the soil and fill the hole with soil while ensuring that the seedling is planted upright. Water well your new eggplant. Since eggplants require consistent moisture, you’ll need to water the plant regularly to maintain the moisture content in the soil. If you are planting a heavy fruit variety, you’ll need to support the plant with a stake because plants laden with heavy fruits are prone to falling over. Consider staking the plant early on so as not to disturb the soil and the plant later.

Water the plants more regularly as the temperatures rise and fruits appear, and feed every week with organic fertilizer. To encourage fewer, larger fruit, pinch off the first flower as it appears, and thin fruits to three or four per plant. As the plants grow. Eggplants thrive during the summertime heat, making the biggest fruits during this part of the growing season. Also, you have to be sure during the summer heat that you water frequently and make sure the soil stays moist. Don’t let the plants dry out. The soil should be moist but not soggy.
Rotate your crop from year to year, or like tomatoes, eggplant will deplete your soil!

HARVESTING 

Harvest the fruits when full-sized and ripe. They are at their best when their full color has developed and the skin is shiny. If the skin begins to dull, the seeds are beginning to mature and the potential for bitterness is increased. The plants have matured too much and will taste dry and bitter. Pick them while the skins are glossy.

Eggplants are best when harvested at one-third to one-half their mature size. To test whether the fruit is ready for harvest, gently press the skin with a finger. If the spot stays indented and doesn't spring right back, the eggplant is perfect for picking. Do not pull the fruit off the plant, cut the fruit from the vine with a pair of pruning shears and be careful to avoid any sharp spurs at the stem end.

EGGPLANT COMPANIONS

A number of other veggies make excellent companion plantings with eggplant. 

Peppers
Both sweet and hot, make good companion plants, as they have the same growing needs and are susceptible to the same pests and diseases.
Tomatoes
Are often used as eggplant companions. 
Potatoes and spinach 
Are also great companion plantings too.

PEST AND DISEASES

The most common pests for the eggplant is the black flea beetle, which feeds on the leaves of the plant, these insects are the common sight but if the plant is healthy, they won’t do any harm and also the aphids. One more common pest is the cutworm. This worm, as its name suggests, usually cuts the plant at its base. This can be prevented by using a cutworm collar, or you can easily eliminate them by yourself. 

Health Benefits of Eggplants

The health benefits of eggplants are derived from their vitamins, mineral, and nutrient content. Eggplants have a high water content, and are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, phosphorus, dietary fiber, folic acid, manganese and potassium. Considering their many health benefits, eggplants are a vegetable you may want to try growing today in your garden!

Please let us know your thoughts, experiences, or questions in the comments below. If you like this, you can share with your friends!

Big selection of Eggplant Seeds from Here!

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