Until March
Planting eggplants: These are the most important steps – from sowing to harvesting
The eggplant, a subtropical plant from Asia, is a popular vegetable worldwide
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Although eggplants prefer a subtropical climate, they can be grown in this country. With the right location and the necessary care, the purple nightshade plants can even grow successfully in the home garden.
Because of its egg-shaped fruits, the vegetable plant from Asia is also called egg tree, egg fruit or egg plant. Typical of the annual nightshade plant are its furry, large leaves and purple flowers (with yellow stamens), from which the eggplants later develop – preferably at 25 degrees in a sunny location protected from the wind. Since the spring temperatures in Germany are nowhere near warm enough at the time of sowing, you have to help a little. How to successfully plant and harvest eggplant is explained below.
Planting eggplant: the right location
eggplant are particularly in need of warmth: for optimal growth, vegetable plants need temperatures of around 25 degrees. For this reason, a greenhouse is the best location for growing them – alternatively they need a warm, wind-protected place outside. However, if the outside temperature falls below 15 degrees, the eggplants stop growing. It is also important to know that eggplants do not like high humidity, so in… Film greenhouse should be ventilated regularly. As far as the soil is concerned, the subtropical plants prefer loose and humus-rich soil – ideally in combination with something Compost soil. Growing them works just as well in a (raised) bed as in a flower pot, as long as the eggplants have enough space and are provided with enough water.
Sowing and caring for eggplants
Eggplants need a lot of time before they bear their first fruit – for this reason, they should be sown as early as possible (preferably between End of January and beginning of March) take place. When growing, use suitable containers in which you can place nutrient-rich plants Sowing soil and compact slightly as well as one seed per pot: The sowing depth should be between one and two centimeters. Water the soil thoroughly and cover it with a transparent film to increase humidity. Set the Cultivation containers then place it in a warm, sunny location such as the windowsill. After seven to 21 days, the plants should begin to germinate. You can prick the eggplants as they grow so that individual shoots (and fruits) develop more strongly.
When it comes to care, you can support your eggplant plants in the following ways:
- Fertilize the nightshade plants until August sparingly, but preferably several times. A classic one is suitable for this vegetable fertilizer or horn shavings. Alternatively, you can also make your own nettle manure (There are instructions here in addition).
- Water the vegetable plants regularly, as eggplants release a lot of water into the air through their large leaves. Make sure that the soil never dries out completely, but is also not too wet.
- Use one climbing aidthat your vegetable plants can hold on to. As the fruits ripen, the weight of the individual shoots increases and encourages them to bend or tear off.
Plant and harvest eggplants
In the May The young nightshade plants can be planted out – for example in the vegetable garden, the greenhouse or a raised bed on the balcony. A nutrient-rich, loose potting soil is also important here. When repotting, make sure to maintain a minimum distance of 60 centimeters between plants. This means that the growing leaves and shoots still have enough space to spread. To support the increasing weight, a climbing aid per eggplant makes sense. Between July and September the fruits should be harvestable. You can recognize the right time by the rich purple color that we know from eggplants. Another indication are the sepals: if the fruits are ripe, the leaves are light green and not browned.
Source: My beautiful garden
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