60 seeds
Matures in 80 days
Planting companions: Artichokes, broad beans, beans, radishes.
Poor companions: Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, onion family...
Note that some parts of the leaves and flowers are toxic if ingested.
Eggplant grows well in pots and is self-pollinating without the assistance of insects.
Although generally considered a vegetable, botanists classify eggplant as a berry. Eggplant comes in various shapes, sizes, and colors.
"Black Beauty" is an eggplant variety that offers large yields! The bushy, sprawling plants reach up to 30 inches in height and hold their oval, blackish-purple fruit well above the ground. The berries weigh an average of 2 pounds.
Start your eggplant seeds 8 to 10 weeks before the last expected frost in the soil. Plant them at a depth of 1/4 inch and maintain a temperature of around 80°F (25°C). Germination can take several weeks. Make sure to provide them with moist, rich, well-worked, and well-drained soil. About 3 weeks after the last spring ground frost, plant them in full sun but sheltered from the wind, leaving a space of 2 to 3 feet between each plant.
Eggplant is a heat-loving plant and can thrive in a pot, making it an integral part of your urban garden.
When the skin of the eggplant starts to shine, it means it is ripe. If the flesh remains slightly indented when you press the skin, it is ready to be harvested. If you harvest it when it is too large, its taste becomes bitter, so it's preferable to harvest it when it is half its size. When the fruit is fully ripe, it will fall off the plant; at this stage, it will be dull and purplish-brown with slightly wrinkled flesh. You can store it in the refrigerator for about a week.
