Long prized for its deeply purple, glossy beauty as well as its unique taste and texture.
Eggplants belong to the nightshade family of vegetables, which also includes tomatoes, sweet peppers and potatoes. They grow in a manner much like tomatoes, hanging from the vines of a plant that grows several feet in height. While the different varieties do range slightly in taste and texture, one can generally describe the eggplant as having a pleasantly bitter taste and spongy texture.
Aerogarden Compatibility[]
The AeroGarden Master Gardener Seed Kit lists Eggplant as a compatible seed.
Cultivation and Care[]
Pollination[]
- "I'm having trouble pollinating the flowers of my baby eggplant. The flowers keep falling off regardless of hand pollinating them. I was using q-tips before, but now I'm using a small paint brush. I only have one baby eggplant plant, and I wonder if this is the problem?"[1]
- "Bees are not attracted to eggplants. Hand pollination is best. And don't worry about the first set of flowers falling off. They usually do on eggplants. It's the following flowers that set fruit and you should keep on pollinating them by hand." [2]
- "At first, none of my fruit would set. When I researched it I found that unlike tomatoes (which can be pollinated just by wind), eggplant need the vibration of an insects wings to release the pollen. To fool them, use an electric toothbrush (if you don't have one, you can buy a kids, battery powered electric for just a few bucks and it works great). I had no success with paintbrushes or q tips, but harvested about a dozen, tasty big eggplants after using the electric toothbrush method. Since peppers are closer in nature to eggplant than tomatoes (I know, all three of them nightshades) I would predict similar success with the peppers. I would just hold the vibrating brush on the flower for about 3 or 4 seconds. You'll actually see the pollen fly!"[3]
Seed Collecting[]
Allow unblemished fruit to ripen; clean and dry seeds. Unblemished fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed; clean and dry seeds. Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored.
Baby Eggplant[]
Plant produces good yields of small 3" diameter dark glossy purple eggplants. The eggplants are perfectly round. Perfect size for single serving.
Details[]
- Species: ovigerum
- Depth to sow seed:
- Days to sprout:
- Days to maturity: 55
- Height: 12-18 in. (30-45 cm)
- Bloom Color: Violet/Lavender
- Foliage: Chartreuse/Yellow
- Soil pH requirements:
- 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
- 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
- 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
- Compatible with Aerogarden? Yes
Testimonials[]
http://www.aerogardengrowers.com/index.php/topic,243.0.html
Ornamental Eggplant[]
Grown primarily for its fruit that is both edible and highly ornamental. The 11/2 inch, lavender flowers are not showy, but are followed by a variety of showy fruits. The white- and yellow-fruited types are mostly grown for ornamental purposes, while the purple-fruited types are more tasty for eating.
Details[]
- Species: Solanum melongena
- Depth to sow seed:
- Days to sprout: 10-21 days
- Days to maturity:
- Size: Vigorous, bushy plants grow 12-36 inches tall and have 9 inch long, lobed leaves.
- Compatible with Aerogarden? Yes
Burpee 'bambino' eggplant[]
Details[]
- Species:
- Depth to sow seed:
- Days to sprout:
- Days to maturity: 70-100
- Compatible with Aerogarden?
Testimonials[]
http://aerogardenmastery.com/drupal/content/tomatoes-and-eggplant
Cultivation and Care[]
