Growing Eggplants
Eggplants are one of my favorite vegetables to grow in the garden which is strange considering that I refused to eat them as a kid. Now I love eggplants in and out of the garden.
There are about twenty plants of a dozen different varieties of heirloom eggplants growing in my garden this season.
Eggplants in the Backyard Garden
One thing that’s captivating about raising eggplants is the variety that this crop offers. They grow in a wide assortment of shapes, sizes, flavors, and colors to decorate the garden or create that favorite recipe. Despite the fact that you’ll only find a couple different varieties for sale at your local garden center, there are many intriguing eggplant varieties.
Everyone is most familiar with the large, purple, “Black Beauty” types of eggplants that you find on the shelves of your local grocer. Booorrring… there are so many unique, colorful, and delicious varieties of eggplants available to the home gardener that I hesitate to plant any of the standard types.
Eggplants can produce round fruits, fat and oblong ones, or slender and elongated fruits. The colors range from shades of purple, black, and lavender, to red, pink, rose, yellow, white, orange, green, and even multi-colored and striped eggplants. You can choose from tiny, marble sized varieties, right on up to giant zucchini sized eggplants.
Cultivating Homegrown Eggplants
All of my heirloom eggplants, with the exception of a couple that were purchased at the Landis Valley Herb Faire, were started indoors from seed and later transplanted out into the garden. Eggplant seedlings can be started a couple of weeks ahead of tomatoes and are transplanted into the garden a week or two after setting out tomato plants.
Other than those slight differences in timing, eggplants can be cultivated in a manner very similar to tomatoes. They will flourish under the same growing conditions, and also prefer a fertilization regimen that favors potassium and phosphorous over high levels of nitrogen, especially when the plants are flowering and fruiting.
I even use small cages to support the eggplants and help keep them upright under the load of a heavy crop of fruit and frequent summer thunderstorms. If you prefer you can tie the plants to stakes, just be sure to provide some type of support as the plants mature, grow tall, and bear fruit.
Tips for Growing Productive Eggplants
Eggplants like it hot so don’t even think about transplanting them out into the garden until after all threat of frost has passed and the soil has thoroughly warmed. A layer of plastic mulch will help provide additional warmth and conserve moisture for your fast growing plants.
Eggplants grow very well in raised beds and can be spaced twelve inches apart in each direction. Healthy plants will quickly cover and shade the bed, eliminating any opportunity for weeds to become established. I usually grow eggplants together in the same bed with peppers since they share similar growth habits.
Flea Beetles are a common and serious threat when it comes to growing a productive crop of homegrown eggplants. This insect pest is capable of quickly causing frustration and disappointment for eggplant growers all over. The next post will discuss eggplants and flea beetles and look at a few organic gardening techniques for dealing with this persistent pest.
Other Related Vegetable Gardening Posts:
- Eggplant Harvest
- Garden Frost Warnings
- Great Eggplant Varieties
- Eggplants & Flea Beetles
- Heirloom Vegetables
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June 22nd, 2007 at 9:26 pm
I don’t think that there is any prettier vegetable than an eggplant, but I have yet to find a way to eat them that thrills me. How do you serve yours?
July 1st, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Eggplant is good cooked a variety of ways. One of my favorite things to do with the typical large eggplant is to peel and cut up into big chunky pieces. I then add other things that always seem to compliment the eggplant, like summer or zuchini squash, some smashed garlic, an onion or two and occasionally a pepper or chopped tomatoes and a little kosher salt and pepper. When cooked together this creates a great flavor and can be served alone or over rice or pasta. During winter I add tomato sauce to this and just let it cook together for a long period of time.
My family also enjoys when I slice, bread and fry eggplant and serve with a light sourcream.
July 2nd, 2007 at 10:20 am
My father once prepared eggplant on the grill, and I loved it (I’m not crazy about eggplant).
He halved the eggplant lengthwise and cross-scored the surface of each half. After salting the halves, he propped them scored side down to drain for about a half an hour.
The halves were placed face down on a hot grill just long enough for the cross-hatching to open up a little and for the face of the halves to get that grilled look. He then placed each half bottom side down over the cooler area of the grill and basted each half with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). The basting was repeated periodically until the flesh in each half was fork tender (I don’t recall the length of time). It was fantastic!
July 12th, 2007 at 3:28 am
Great site. A native way of cooking eggplant is by (1)grilling it, (2)peel burnt skin, (3) cooked it in coconut milk (with onions and salt and msg.) (4) serve.
Just blog hopping to promote my site: PinoyNegosyoTechs. Thank you!
July 27th, 2007 at 10:15 am
Very impressive site for veggie cultivation.
January 6th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
We would like to import a few eggplant trees (white & Small eggplant). Can you send it to HK & quote the price for us?
Thanks!
June 27th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
This is absolutely the yummiest eggplant dish I have ever found. It’s also really easy. Our family prepares it once a week at least. From one of Australia’s top chefs, Kylie Kwong. Trust me, it’s delicious:
This makes a wonderful vegetarian dish. The acidity of the tomatoes adds an element of sharpness to offset the luscious eggplant, and the extra virgin olive oil, while unusual in Chinese cooking, works perfectly with these Mediterranean ingredients. The eggplant and dressing can be prepared in advance, but don’t dress the eggplant until ready to serve or it will go soggy.
convert Ingredients
For the Sichuan pepper and salt
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
3 tablespoons sea salt
For the eggplant
2 medium-sized eggplants (aubergines)
1 tablespoon sea salt
For the tomato dressing
4 small tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely sliced spring onions (scallions)
1/4 cup finely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
2 tablespoons malt vinegar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 tablespoons finely sliced spring onions (scallions)
2 tablespoons Pinch of Sichuan pepper and sea salt
Simple Chinese Cooking
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Method
Make the Sichuan pepper and salt mixture
1. Dry-roast peppercorns and salt in a heavy-bottom pan. When the peppercorns begin to “pop” and become aromatic, take off the heat. Allow to cool, then grind to a powder in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
Make the eggplant
1. Trim eggplants and slice into 3/4-inch rounds, Place slices on a tray in one even layer, sprinkle with salt on both sides and stand for 45 minutes. Pat dry with kitchen paper to remove any bitter juices.
2. Make the tomato dressing by combining all ingredients (from tomatoes to lemon juice) in a bowl and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a hot wok until surface seems to shimmer slightly. Add eggplant and deep-fry for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and tender. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper.
4. Arrange fried eggplant on a platter and top with Tomato Dressing, Sprinkle with spring onions and Sichuan salt and pepper and serve immediately.
You can use bought Sichuan pepper if you want (and it’s still good without it) and serve it with rice .. really once you’ve made the dressing all you have to do if fry the eggplant .. easy
June 27th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Geoff, thanks a lot for the recipe, I’ll have to give it a try. I love growing eggplants and am always looking for new ways to prepare them.
July 9th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
My eggplants are growing well. They look very healthy-dark green leaves, no evidence of pests. They get lots of beautiful blooms. Then they fall off! It is mid-July and so far no eggplant. My tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are all doing very well. Everything is planted in large containers on my deck. Can anyone offer any suggestions???
August 4th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Karen, I was only getting flowers myself. I took a tiny brush and started polenating the eggplants flowers by hand every morning. I now have several eggplant fruits.