The eggplant contains several small edible seeds with bitter taste. All part of the eggplant including its seeds and skin are edible.
Eggplant (Solanum melongena), native to India and Southeast Asia, is known by different names such as Aubergine, Melongene, Brinjal (in UK, Australia, USA, India, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, and West Indies), Baingan or Baigan or Brinjal (in India), Garden egg, Japanese eggplant, Chinese eggplant and Guinea squash. Technically eggplant is a fruit, botanically classified as a berry, but in the culinary world it is treated like a vegetable.
Growing eggplant from seeds in pots is easy. You can buy eggplant seeds from garden shop or you can grow eggplant from store bought eggplants after extracting seeds from them.
The shapes include oval, elongated oval, long tubular like cucumber, etc. They can be as small and round as an egg, long and thin like a cucumber, or large and oblong in shape.
In India, miniature varieties of size about 5 cm oval and larger varieties weighing up to a kilogram (2.2 pounds) are grown. The Indian baby type is small, a few inches long, round egg like shape, with smooth, dark purple skin and a green calyx.
The eggplant is a perennial plant in tropical and annual in temperate climates. The plant grows to a height of 40 to 150 cm (16 to 57 inch).
The following pictures show the different kind and varieties of eggplant.
Varieties and Types of Eggplant
Different varieties of the plant produce fruit of different size, shape, and colour. Colours vary from white, yellow, green, reddish-purple, dark blackish purple, even red, bicolored with striping and bicolored with colour gradient. The larger Black Beauty varieties are the most common. They have smooth skin in a deep purple colour, and an oval shape with a green calyx.The shapes include oval, elongated oval, long tubular like cucumber, etc. They can be as small and round as an egg, long and thin like a cucumber, or large and oblong in shape.
In India, miniature varieties of size about 5 cm oval and larger varieties weighing up to a kilogram (2.2 pounds) are grown. The Indian baby type is small, a few inches long, round egg like shape, with smooth, dark purple skin and a green calyx.
The eggplant is a perennial plant in tropical and annual in temperate climates. The plant grows to a height of 40 to 150 cm (16 to 57 inch).
The following pictures show the different kind and varieties of eggplant.
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| Eggplants Varieties |
Why the name Eggplant?
People often wonder, why it is called eggplant. The name of eggplant was given by Europeans in 1700s, because of its shape and size similar to a goose egg or hen's egg. In those years, the eggplants were yellow / white in color and the purple colour eggplants came after words.Growing Eggplant From Seeds
- Sow eggplant seeds indoors about six weeks before the climate begins to warm up.
- The seeds germinate best at temperatures above 24°C (75°F), so keep in a warmer place inside the house. You can use bottom heat to maintain a soil temperature around 24°C for about 10 days.
- Sow seeds them about 10 mm deep in a seed raising medium. Soaking seeds overnight will promote germination of eggplant seeds.
- Transplant the seedlings when they have grown a couple of leaf sets.
- Alternatively, you can buy seedlings from the garden shop.
- Germinating eggplant seeds with paper towel: You can germinate eggplant seeds in a paper towel faster. Soak the seeds in water and place on a damp paper towel. Fold the paper towel and enclose in a ziplock bag and place in a dark place. Seeds will germinate in a few days, depending on temperature.
- What to do after eggplant seeds germination? Once the seeds have germinated, you can plant them in free-draining soil.
Tips On Growing Eggplants at Home
It is easy to grow eggplants at home in pots and ground (how to grow eggplants in pots). You can start from seeds or seedlings. You will be able to harvest fresh eggplants in about 15 weeks after sowing the seeds.Position: Where To Plant Eggplant?
Eggplant needs a sunny locations and need a warm soil for at least three months. Growing eggplants in cold soil or cold weather will have insect and disease problems. In places with constant cool climates, grow the plants in large, dark-coloured containers.To reduce pest problems, choose a spot where tomatoes, peppers or eggplants have not been grown in last 2 years.
Eggplants can be grown in garden beds and pots as well. Sometimes it becomes difficult to control pests and diseases when grown in garden beds.
Although you can plant eggplant seeds directly in the ground, but it is a good idea to germinate seeds and grow seedlings in small pot and then transplant the seedlings in pots or ground for successfully growing eggplants. You may plant two eggplant seeds in a hole and later on take out the weaker seedling.
Soil For Planting Eggplant
The soil pH should ideally be from 6.3 to 6.8 . Two weeks before planting, make the soil rich by breaking the large clumps and adding composted cow manure. See details on how to prepare soil for garden.How To Plant Eggplants Plant
- Put a stack about 3 inches from the plants.
- Plant the seedlings at the same depth at which they are growing in their containers.
- Keep a distance of 18-24 inch (45-60 cm) between plants and 24-36 inch (60-90 cm) between rows as the eggplants grow into large plants that need plenty of space.
- Water well and apply mulch.
- Eggplant seeds will germinate in 1 to 2 weeks time depending on the temperature and age of the seeds.
- Give plants a balanced liquid fertilizer every 3rd week.
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| Long Eggplants Grown by Hand Pollination |
Mulch
Apply a 2-3 inch layer of mulch to hold moisture in the soil. It will also avoid weeds and fungal diseases. I use a 2-3 inch layer of sugar cane mulch.Staking
When the plants bear fruits and grow bigger, the branches become so heavy that they begin to fall down. They do not need to climb, but it is a good idea to tie the plants to stakes to keep them upright. Put a stake at the time of planting so that the roots are not disturbed.Watering Eggplant
Eggplants need good moisture in the soil so water the plants regularly, otherwise the eggplants will be bitter and smaller. Do not over-water to make the soil soggy. Allow the soil to dry slightly between watering to discourage wilting.Fertilization
I feed the plants with a balanced liquid fertilizer or compost tea every third week after the plants bloom. Eggplants need to be fed regularly. Too much nitrogen fertilizer will produce foliage growth with less fruit. I feed Power feed every 2 weeks, and found to be the best fertilizer for eggplants.Pruning
Remove the old and unhealthy leaves as and when you notice them. Eggplant requires no pruning except when the plant is young, you can prune the tips of the branches to encourage the growth of new fruit-bearing branches.If your plant has survived till the next season, you can cut it back by half its size to stimulate the growth of new branches.
Pollination of Eggplant Flowers
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| Eggplant Flower |
Generally, your eggplant will pollinate themselves, but if you notice that flowers are falling off without producing eggplants, then you may need to hand-pollinate.
Eggplant Insects and Diseases
Common pests of eggplant include the potato beetles, flea beetles, aphids and spider mites. Flea beetles are the eggplant's worst pest. The tiny pest flea produce several holes in the leaves.How to get rid of flea beetles? You may do the following to get rid of flea beetles on your eggplant plant.
- Mix 2 parts rubbing alcohol and 1 tablespoon liquid dish washing soap in 5 parts water and spray on the foliage of the plants.
- If planted in containers, put them on a table to keep them out of ground-dwelling flea beetles.
- Pick the black adults and the red or grey larvae and destroy them.
- Covering the ground with plastic prevents the insects from reaching on the leaves.
- A thick layer of mulch around plants will prevent larvae to become adult.
- Neem oil is effective at repelling flea beetles. Mix 1 ml neem oil in 1 litre water and a few drops of liquid soap and spray. I have used neem oil spray several times with success.
- A soil-borne fungus known as Verticillium wilt can cause eggplants to wilt and die. Pull up plants that wilt and collapse. To avoid this, grow your eggplants in containers filled with premium potting mix.
- Good sanitation and crop rotation practices can control fungal disease.
Harvest And Storage of Eggplant
- Harvesting of brinjals at the right time is important.
- A perfect brinjal fruit will have a tender and glossy skin and it will stop growing further. Pressing firmly on a ready to pick fruit will produce a thumbprint that bounces back quickly. Overripe fruits become too soft making a permanent thumbprint, while the under-ripe ones are too hard to form a thumbprint.
- Baingan harvested at the right time will have firm and smooth flesh and small and soft seeds. The skin, flesh and seeds of an eggplant are edible. If overgrown or over-matured, the fruits will taste bitter and seeds will be large and dark and hard.
- It is difficult to pull the fruit by hand, so harvest it with pruning shears with some stem attached.
- You can store the picked eggplants at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator for several days.