Fruits in the eggplant (Solanum melongena) create a tasty meat substitute in soups or as an element of classic dishes like eggplant Parmesan. Growing these deep purple fruits demands attention to the surrounding climate, like both the air and soil temperature. Choosing between sunny, shady and greenhouse conditions plays a large role in deciding your eggplant’s achievement.
Begin in the Greenhouse
Eggplant seeds cannot germinate in cool dirt. Starting your eggplants from the greenhouse is actually the very best method to start a successful plant. Soil kept within a warm selection of 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit promotes germination and strong seedling development. The seedlings must be a minimum of three inches tall before you move them outside. The greenhouse environment also helps prevent flea beetle infestations, particularly in the spring. By isolating the eggplants inside until the summertime, the pests don’t have an opportunity to hurt the sensitive irritants.
Sunny Location
Growing eggplants outdoors requires sunlight. Consider putting them on a south-facing area of your lawn once they’re larger than 3 inches. Ample sunlight provides the energy needed for large fruit production through photosynthesis. Instead of putting the eggplant in a basic garden bed, you may have better results with a raised bed. The isolated tilling of a dedicated raised bed supplies more heat for the eggplant as it grows. Additionally, maintaining the dirt well-watered with regular watering to 12 inches deep helps the plant grow healthy and tall.
Shade and Cold Effects
Cold and shade are the eggplant’s worst enemies. Unexpected frosts readily stunt eggplant development and straight affect fruiting ability. On the flip side, shading an eggplant impacts the leaf photosynthesis. Without large sunlight, the leaves cannot grow bushy and absorb more light as the plant grows during the spring and summer. As a result, the eggplant does not have sufficient energy to create large fruits and may not fruit at all if it’s in deep shade. These harmful plants become exposed to pest infiltration and pathogens if chilly weather and shading continues.
Consider Container Growing
Containers allow you to control the dirt and have the extra plus of being hotter than an in-ground planting site. If you opt for a black container, then the absorbed heat from the sun can be as much as 10 F higher than if you planted directly in the ground. This additional heat means more and larger fruits. And, if there’s a cold snap, you can easily transfer the container inside until warm weather returns. Containers add flexibility to your own gardening, particularly if your weather isn’t consistent.