Black Eggplant Seeds 7g

The "Aros" black eggplant is prized for its deep, glossy near-black skin and smooth, plump shape that looks as good on the plant as it does on the table. The flesh is firm and creamy with a mild, gently smoky flavour and few noticeable seeds when picked young, so it grills beautifully, roasts into a silky texture, and holds its shape in stews and classic Egyptian dishes. Its rich colour also makes it an attractive, ornamental plant in any sunny home garden.

Planting

Eggplant is a warm-season, frost-sensitive crop, so start seeds indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before you plan to transplant outdoors. Sow each seed about 0.6 cm deep and cover it lightly. Warmth is everything at this stage: keep the soil at 27-32°C until the seedlings emerge, then hold it around 21°C afterwards, since the seed simply will not germinate in cool soil. At these warm temperatures sprouts usually appear in about 7 to 14 days. Once true leaves form, thin or transplant the seedlings so they stand 5-8 cm apart in flats, or move each into its own 5-8 cm pot. Harden them off by reducing water and lowering the temperature to about 16°C for roughly a week before planting out. Move them to the garden only once frost danger has passed, nighttime lows stay consistently above 10°C, and the soil has warmed to about 18-21°C; choose a cloudy, calm day or the late afternoon. Space the transplants about 45 cm apart in rows 75-90 cm apart, and give them full sun, at least 6 hours of direct light per day, with 8-10 hours preferred for the best fruiting.

Fertilizing

Before transplanting, work a balanced complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 13-13-13 into the soil at roughly 145-160 g per square metre, adjusting phosphorus and potassium to match a soil test, and keep the soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Once the plants are growing, side-dress with nitrogen after the first fruits form, or when the plants are about half-grown and again after the first harvest. Go easy on nitrogen, though: too much produces bushy, leafy plants that are slow to set fruit.

Care

Steady moisture keeps eggplant productive. Provide about 2.5-5 cm of water per week, and whenever rainfall falls short of roughly 2.5 cm in a week, soak the soil thoroughly at least once, wetting it to a depth of about 15 cm. A drip system or soaker hose gives the most consistent moisture and is the best way to water. Watch for common pests including flea beetles, which leave pinhole damage in the leaves, along with Colorado potato beetle, eggplant lacebug, spider mites and cutworms; the main diseases are Verticillium wilt, the most common, and early blight. To manage Verticillium wilt, rotate away from all members of the nightshade family, including potato, tomato and pepper, for 4 to 5 years. Harvest while the fruit is still glossy and firm, at about two-thirds of its maximum size, for the best quality. To test ripeness, press the side with a thumbnail: if the indentation stays, it is ready, while dull skin and browned seeds mean it has gone past its prime. Cut the stem with pruners or a sharp knife rather than pulling. Counting from transplanting, fruit is usually ready in about 55 to 80 days depending on the variety.