What is annual plant versus perennials?
The difference between annuals and perennials is a simple one. Annuals live for just one year, while perennials come back and bloom year after year. There’s no set amount of time that perennials can last. However, most come back for at least three or four consecutive years (some seem to last a lifetime).
How to preserve eggplant for winter eating?
- Peel and cube your eggplant. Then, place it on a cookie sheet, toss with olive oil, and sprinkle with minced garlic and salt.
- Roast at 375 F for 45 minutes, or until the eggplant browns nicely, and the centers reach a creamy consistency.
- Allow to cool, then flash freeze on cookie sheets (this will keep the pieces from sticking together). ...
When to plant eggplant plants?
When to Plant Eggplant
- Start seeds indoors in flats or peat pots 8–9 weeks prior to the last spring frost date. Seeds germinate quickly at temperatures between 70 to 90°F. ...
- Do not plant eggplant transplants into the garden until after the last threat of frost.
- If purchasing transplants: Buy high-quality specimens. ...
How to grow eggplant as a perennial?
How to Plant Eggplant
- When to Plant. Start seeds indoors eight to nine weeks prior to your area's projected last spring frost date. ...
- Selecting a Planting Site. A sunny spot with well-draining soil is key for growing eggplant. ...
- Spacing, Depth, and Support. Space plants at least 2 feet apart in rows that are at least 3 feet apart. ...
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Does eggplant grow back every year?
Eggplant plants can come back every year but they usually won't. Eggplants rarely survive long past the harvest months. A perennial plant eggplant is a rarity outside of tropical climates. Eggplants can come back every year in ideal, tropical conditions.
Will eggplant survive the winter?
In a nutshell, your eggplants can survive winter weather, but not on their own. Eggplants are perennial plants which means that they regrow every year. Eggplants never stop growing all year. Many perennials are accustomed to winter weather and become dormant during colder months.
Do eggplants keep producing?
Although eggplants will keep growing and flowering, they are more productive if cut back and allowed to regrow during late summer. Cut plants to about 6 to 8 inches in early August, cut at a crotch, fertilize and allow them to regrow. Fertilize and keep soils moist to force them to regrow.
How do I overwinter my eggplant?
26:0028:36Overwintering Peppers & Eggplants: The COMPLETE Guide! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWater some sort of purpose. And the arugula or the lettuce or whatever i plant here is actuallyMoreWater some sort of purpose. And the arugula or the lettuce or whatever i plant here is actually going to be able to use that water. And that's going to keep these eggplants. Basically happy.
Can you grow eggplant in the fall?
Thanks to their broad leaves, eggplant seedlings grow quickly, gaining size faster than tomatoes or peppers. If you have a long, warm growing season and use a split season planting plan, you can start seeds in midsummer for a fall crop. Set out the seedlings out during a spell of cloudy weather.
How long do eggplants produce?
Harvest eggplant 65 to 80 days after transplanting, depending on the variety. When starting from seed, expect 100 to 120 days to maturity. July, August, and September (even into October) are all harvest months for eggplant, depending on where you live and the variety you planted.
Do you need 2 eggplants to produce fruit?
The answer is that the eggplant is self-pollinating due to its “perfect” or “complete” flowers. Perfect flowers contain both anthers (which produce pollen) and pistils (which receive the pollen).
Should I pinch off eggplant flowers?
Classic eggplants, black beauties, Ichiban eggplants, and other varieties that grow large, heavy fruits should have no more than 5-6 fruits per plant. Once you have half a dozen blossoms that are maturing nicely, pinch off any additional blossoms until your fruits are ready for harvest.
Where do eggplants grow?
Eggplant (Solanum melongena) grows wild in its homeland of South Asia as a perennial plant, though these warm-season vegetables are treated by most gardeners as annuals. Given their tropical and subtropical heritage, eggplants do require relatively high temperatures, similar to tomatoes and peppers (which, like eggplants, ...
What is the color of eggplant?
Though eggplants are usually a beautiful dark purple color, their color can vary, and so can the size and shape—from small- to large-fruited.
How to grow eggs in a sunny spot?
Eggplant grows best in a well-drained sandy loam or loam soil, fairly high in organic matter. Soil pH should be between 5.8 and 6.5 for best growth. Use a covering of black plastic mulch to warm soils before setting out transplants .
How to grow eggplant in containers?
If growing eggplant in containers, stake the stems before the fruit forms. For bigger fruits, restrict to five or six per plant.
What temperature does eggplant grow?
They grow fastest when temperatures are between 70 and 85°F (21 and 30°C)—and very slowly during cooler weather. Like tomatoes and peppers, eggplants develop and hang from the branches of a plant that grows several feet in height.
How to keep eggplants warm in cold weather?
If you live in a cold climate, consider using row covers to keep the eggplants warm and sheltered. Open the ends of the row covers on warm days so that the bees may pollinate.
How to control powdery mildew on eggplant?
Powdery Mildew can affect eggplant. This appears as white, powdery spots on the leaves which may turn yellow and die. The best method of control is prevention. Planting resistant varieties when available, planting in full sun, and provide good air circulation. Water at the soil level, not on the leaves.
What is the name of the eggplant?
The name eggplant is usual in North American English and Australian English. First recorded in 1763, the word "eggplant" was originally applied to white cultivars, which look very much like hen's eggs (see image). Similar names are widespread in other languages, such as the Icelandic term eggaldin or the Welsh planhigyn ŵy .
Why is eggplant called eggplant?
According to the entry brinjal in the Oxford English Dictionary, the Sanskrit word vātin-gāna denoted 'the class (that removes) the wind-disorder (windy humour)': that is, vātin-gāna came to be the name for eggplants because they were thought to cure flatulence.
What is the best eggplant to eat in the Philippines?
In the Philippines, eggplants are of the long and slender purple variety. They are known as talong and is widely used in many stew and soup dishes, like pinakbet. However the most popular eggplant dish is tortang talong, an omelette made from grilling an eggplant, dipping it into beaten eggs, and pan-frying the mixture. The dish is characteristically served with the stalk attached. The dish has several variants, including rellenong talong which is stuffed with meat and vegetables. Eggplant can also be grilled, skinned and eaten as a salad called ensaladang talong. Another popular dish is adobong talong, which is diced eggplant prepared with vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic as an adobo.
What is the blue initial on eggplant?
Illustrations of an eggplant from a possibly fifteenth-century French manuscript of a work by Matthaeus Platearius. The word melonge, below the illustration, has a blue initial M -. The Arabic word bāḏinjān was borrowed into Greek by the eleventh century CE.
Why do people react to eggplant?
Individuals who are atopic (genetically predisposed to developing certain allergic hypersensitivity reactions) are more likely to have a reaction to eggplant, which may be because eggplant is high in histamines. A few proteins and at least one secondary metabolite have been identified as potential allergens.
What is eggplant fruit?
A developing fruit. The eggplant is a delicate, tropical perennial plant often cultivated as a tender or half-hardy annual in temperate climates. The stem is often spiny. The flowers are white to purple in color, with a five-lobed corolla and yellow stamens. Some common cultivars have fruit that is egg-shaped, glossy, ...
How big do eggplants get?
Eggplant grows 40 to 150 cm (1 ft 4 in to 4 ft 11 in) tall, with large, coarsely lobed leaves that are 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in) long and 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) broad. Semiwild types can grow much larger, to 225 cm (7 ft 5 in), with large leaves over 30 cm (12 in) long and 15 cm (6 in) broad.
Marketing
Marketing options for Kentucky-grown eggplant include wholesale markets, farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, produce auctions, and roadside stands. Wholesaling is also an option through local market channels such as supermarkets and restaurants.
Production
Eggplant varieties differ in shape (egg-shaped, oval, elongated, or round), size (standard and miniature), and skin color (purple-black, red, white, green, and bi-color striped). Growers should only select adapted varieties that have the qualities in demand for the intended market.
Eggplants as a perennial
I see that eggplant is a perennial. I've only seen it grown as an annual, but I think I might be able to get away with a second or third year in my climate... the Gulf Coast.
Comments (17)
I lived in the tropics for years, and we were able to grow peppers, okra, and eggplant as perennials. They seemed to do best if they're pruned back pretty severely now and again, say from 4 feet down to 1 foot.
Overview
Description
The eggplant is a delicate, tropical perennial plant often cultivated as a tender or half-hardy annual in temperate climates. The stem is often spiny. The flowers are white to purple in color, with a five-lobed corolla and yellow stamens. Some common cultivars have fruit that is egg-shaped, glossy, and purple with white flesh and a spongy, "meaty" texture. Some other cultivars are white and longer in shape. The cut surface of the flesh rapidly turns brown when the fruit is cut open (oxid…
History
There is no consensus about the place of origin of eggplant; the plant species has been described as native to India, where it continues to grow wild, Africa, or South Asia. It has been cultivated in southern and eastern Asia since prehistory. The first known written record of the plant is found in Qimin Yaoshu, an ancient Chinese agricultural treatise completed in 544 CE. The numerous Arabic and North African names for it, along with the lack of the ancient Greek and Roman names, indic…
Etymology and regional names
The plant and fruit have a profusion of English names.
The name eggplant is usual in North American English and Australian English. First recorded in 1763, the word "eggplant" was originally applied to white cultivars, which look very much like hen's eggs (see image). Similar names are widespread in other languages, such as the Icelandic term eggaldin or the Welsh planhigyn ŵy.
Cultivars
Different cultivars of the plant produce fruit of different size, shape, and color, though typically purple. The less common white varieties of eggplant are also known as Easter white eggplants, garden eggs, Casper or white eggplant. The most widely cultivated varieties—cultivars—in Europe and North America today are elongated ovoid, 12–25 cm (4+1⁄2–10 in) long and 6–9 cm (2+1⁄2–3+1⁄2 in) broad with a dark purple skin.
Cooking and preparing
Raw eggplant can have a bitter taste, with an astringent quality, but it becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, complex flavor. Rinsing, draining, and salting the sliced fruit before cooking may remove the bitterness. The fruit is capable of absorbing cooking fats and sauces, which may enhance the flavor of eggplant dishes.
Eggplant is used in the cuisines of many countries. Due to its texture and bulk, it is sometimes u…
Cultivation and pests
In tropical and subtropical climates, eggplant can be sown in the garden. Eggplant grown in temperate climates fares better when transplanted into the garden after all danger of frost has passed. Eggplant prefers hot weather, and when grown in cold climates or in areas with low humidity, the plants languish or fail to set and produce mature fruit. Seeds are typically started eight to 10 weeks prior to the anticipated frost-free date. S. melongena is included on a list of low
Host plant
The potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella) is an oligophagous insect that prefers to feed on plants of the family Solanaceae such as eggplants. Female P. operculella use the leaves to lay their eggs and the hatched larvae will eat away at the mesophyll of the leaf.