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Easy Wins in Vegetable Gardening: Eggplant

Posted by Jewel Sebastian on

Plant Name: Eggplant (Solanum melongena esculentum)
Eggplant, a go-to vegetable when preparing quick meals. Enjoy it fried, as an ingredient in "pakbet", or the all-time favorite "torta". Whichever you like, eggplant is an easy-to-love vegetable on the table. It is also one of the most colorful fruits (as it is technically classified). Varieties range from the most common color--purple, to green, red, and even black.

Eggplant is a simple vegetable that is surprisingly packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but low in calories. Anthocyanins, a type of pigment with antioxidant properties that give the eggplant its vibrant color, is confirmed to protect body cells from free radical damage. Another interesting benefit of eggplants is it perfectly fits the dietary recommendation for the control of diabetes, as it is a vegetable that is high in fiber, it slows down sugar absorption that results to steady sugar levels. Now that you've discovered what those purple veggies do for our health, let's get planting!

How to plant:
Eggplant seeds may be started indoors as they do not require too much sunlight and are sensitive to too much rainwater as young plants. They are soaked in water the night before sowing. Sow one seed per hole of the seedling tray at a depth of 0.5 cm. Germination takes place after 5-6 days. Transplanting can be done when seedlings are 3-4in tall. If transplanting directly onto the ground, set the seedlings 2 to 2.5 feet apart in rows that are 3-4 feet apart. If container gardening, you will need to transfer the seedlings to gallon containers at least 12 inches in diameter and as deep. Be sure to stake them as you transplant to avoid disturbing the soil later on. It is also ideal to "harden" the seedlings at least 1 week before transplanting. This can be done by gradually exposing them to sunlight.

How to harvest:
From 100th to 120th days from planting the seed, you can expect fruit maturity, and it's time for harvest! They are ready for harvest when the fruit is glossy, firm, and full-colored. It's best to harvest them young

Bonus care tips:
Eggplants are heavy feeders so it is best to prepare their permanent place with aged compost and side-dress eggplants with compost tea or mulching organic compost every 2 or 3 weeks until the fruit has set and then every 3 to 4 weeks after. To ensure the best and fastest growth, keep the soil moist as eggplants love it. Be careful not to overwater and dry out the soil as it may lead to deformed fruits.