10 Market Gardening Tips For Growing Beautiful EGGPLANTS.
Nothing like a beautiful eggplant, freshly picked from the garden and soaking up the sun.
Eggplant caviar, stuffed, moussaka style, wentparmigiana or in donuts ...
Eggplant is an essential summer vegetable, which lends itself to many recipes - each more delicious than the next!
Easy to grow, eggplant grows just as well in a vegetable patch as it does on a patio or balcony.
here is 10 market gardening tips to grow beautiful eggplants. Look :
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10 tips for growing beautiful eggplants
1. Plant the eggplants in a place with direct sun exposure (at least 10 hours a day).
2. Place the plants in the ground after the first frosts, if possible in a raised vegetable garden or in a pot. Leave a space of 50 cm between each plant to promote air circulation.
3. After planting, add a good mulch at the foot of the eggplants to keep the soil moist and prevent weed growth.
4. Install a stake like this as soon as you plant to protect the brittle stems from the wind and support the fruit.
5. Water regularly and without wetting the foliage, so as to keep the soil slightly moist.
6. When the first flowers form, feed the plants 1 time per month with liquid fertilizer.
7. The ideal soil pH should be between 5.5 and 6.5.
8. The flea beetle is an insect that pierces the foliage of young eggplant plants. From the first attacks, put a protective veil. In case of an infestation, spray the plants with Beauveria bassiana or spinosad.
9. When the plant has formed 2-3 bunches of flowers, pinch off the main stem to stimulate branching development.
10. Harvest the eggplants when the skin is smooth, slightly shiny, and supple to the touch. If its skin is wrinkled and its color dark, eggplant may be bitter.
Additional advice
- You can keep the eggplants in a cool place for a few days. You can also freeze them.
- Do not wait too long before harvesting the eggplant. As soon as the fruit takes on a brown hue, it hardens and its flesh takes on a characteristic bitter taste.
- When cooking, eggplants tend to absorb too much fat. To avoid adding too much oil, grandma's trick is to coat the eggplants with egg white before cooking. Check out the trick here.
The 3 best varieties of eggplant
Eggplants are sown in March-April, and they are harvested from July in hot regions.
Here are the 3 best varieties:
- De Barbentane: an early variety that adapts to all climates, it is ideal for regions where the summer is not very hot. The 'de Barbentane' produces a purple fruit with shiny skin, firm and tasty flesh.
- Florence violet: gives large mauve fruits streaked with white, with a sweet taste and few seeds. Ideal for stuffed eggplants and in ratatouilles.
- Ronde de Valence: productive and resistant variety, more for hot regions. It produces beautiful round, dark purple fruits with firm flesh and a strong taste.
Your turn...
Have you tried these 10 gardening tips for growing beautiful eggplants? Tell us in the comments if it worked for you. We can't wait to hear from you!
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Also to discover:
The Practical Guide For Combining Vegetables From Your Garden.
23 Market Gardening Tips For A Successful First Vegetable Garden.
