Archive for Eggplant

Growing Organic Eggplant in Greenhouse

October 9, 2009 at 6:15 am · Filed under Eggplant, Greenhouse ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Growing organic plants remains to be one of the toughest jobs put forth before the modern day cultivators. Basics of agriculture remain the same even after many years. People would always want best out of any cultivable land. The aim is well justified only when sufficient facilities are available for the farmers. Adequate knowledge on agricultural practices can produce the discovery of newer methods of cultivation. People can also afford to gather ideas out of historical happenings to outcast the demand that is already present. One can be sure about seasoning of eggplant cultivation while following the morphological feature of solanaceae family species. Also it is advisable to adopt suitable ways to implement these ideas into practice. Eggplants can be fruitful if the cultivation is done under hygienic conditions. These eggplants can be cultivated at favorable conditions to gain profitable growth of plant.

Features of eggplant

Eggplant is unique type of plant that can be grown in regions with warm climate. These warm ambient conditions make suitable ripening of fruits. It is grouped under tropical plants that can grown in height for more than 70 cm and it can have overall lateral growth of more than 55 cm. this kind of plant is typically suited for soil with good moisture retaining capacity. These can be planted in cold areas to gain changes in the physiological and morphological features enabling farmers to gain hybrid varieties with quality seeds. These plants are well suited for greenhouse plantation technique. These eggplants can fetch farmers with quality fruits that can suffice almost all dietary requirements of the person consuming it.

Preparation of cultivable greenhouse site

The common plantation of eggplants can be carried out at warm regions under proper sunlight exposure. This can be easily supported with adequate amount of ripening period that lasts to maximum of about 45 days. The growth of fruit is largely dependent on the quality of eggplants seeds used for cultivation. Organic cultivation of eggplants can require greenhouse sites to be well commissioned to provide necessary organic matter that ensures complete growth of plant. The soil should be selected for maintain good level of nutrients to be kept intact for the nourishment of plants.

Greenhouse eggplant plantation

Greenhouse ensures proper channeling of heat through sunlight exposure. This can be utilized to make organic plants to be grown under hygienic conditions. The cold weather is preferred during initial growth of eggplants. But excessive exposure to moisture can lead to attack of several microbes that can cause diseases to the plants. One can have sufficient level of care to plant the seeds as nursery stocks. These can be planted on soil after sometime. These saplings can be planted with sufficient distance in between each plant. Some people ensure covering of plantation site with protective covers for protecting the plants from pests and insects. Farmers should provide adequate care during fruiting period. Attack of pests can be expected anytime during this season. Also special care has to be given for the irrigation of plants within greenhouse.

Common threat to eggplants

There are certain common diseases that can be caused by the insects and pests that attack the eggplants during their overall growth period. Aphids cause huge damage to the leaves and stem of the eggplants. The aphids worst affect the leaves. It eats up the sheath part of leaf leaving it to die in sometime. Whitefly can affect the shoot system of the plant making it difficult for the further growth of plant. The spread of eggplant can be limited considerably. Hence effective pest and insect control should be instituted within greenhouse in order to have useful growth of plants rendering good profit to the farmers.

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Eggplant Gardening

October 8, 2009 at 11:36 am · Filed under Eggplant ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The eggplant or commonly known as “brinjal” is a plant that belongs to “Solanaceae” family. The fruit it bears is commonly used as a vegetable in many countries like India, Pakistan, etc. Botanically it’s classified as a berry plant, has many small seeds which are bitter in taste as they contain “nicotinoid alkaloids” in insignificant amounts.

Types of Eggplants:

There is a large variety of plants that produce different types of fruits of different sizes, shapes and colors. Largely they are cultivated and preferred in purple color which may be of different shapes. Common shapes are oval, elongated, small round, etc. The varieties of eggplant differ from region to region as the climatic conditions change, and hence with the change in variety changes the way it is cooked.

Plantation:

Eggplant is a vegetable which is cold sensitive in nature and hence requires a long warm season. They must be kept slightly farther from one another as they are larger in size. These plants are heavy feeders and must be planted in very much composite soil with adequate amount of manure. The best time for planting these plants is after frost, as at this time the soil becomes warm and the temperature is also maintained constantly warmer. The seeds of the plant must be started in some separate pots or containers indoors before being transplanted into the ground. Later the seedlings must be transplanted to garden soil a bit deeper than they were in their pots. An eggplant doesn’t need much amount of fertilizer and hence one must take care while adding the fertilizer, the amount must be less. Plant spacing is another thing which must be taken care of; the plants must be spaced 18-24 inches apart in a row. The plant must get adequate amount of sunlight and must never be kept in dark and frost free areas. The fruits are best in taste when they are young, that is why they must be plucked off as soon as their skin starts to get harder and the color starts becoming dark (this is the best time for harvest).

General Problems Faced:

Similar to other plants in our garden this eggplant also gets affected with many insects and diseases. Some general problems and their causes are:

  • Flea Beetle: tiny holes or pin holes caused due to chewed up leaves by adult insects and on the other hand the larvae feed on the roots of the plant hence both adult and larvae affecting the leaves and the roots of the plant.
  • Aphids:  are small insects generally found underside of a leaf and also over the new stems. They suck the plant juices necessary for growth and leave the plant deprived of the essential nutrients.
  • Leaf Hoppers: these are yellowish green insects that have wings at their adult stage. They foil up the plant by piercing the leaves and sucking the plan juices. Also they are capable of spreading some viral diseases.
  • Verticillim: leaf and stem are affected; soil is also affected; plants may die in such conditions.
  • Blossom End Rot: this is the condition in which the fruit gets affected. This generally occurs at the blossom end of the fruit (the last stage). This affects ripen and green fruits, the fruits may shrunk. Mainly caused due to imbalance in water nutrients due to improper watering. It is generally common in clay soil.
  • Early Blight: this affects the leaf mainly. The older leaves may develop black-brown spots which may be having yellow colored border. Under some cases the stem also can get affected and griddle the plant.

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How to Grow Eggplants in Pots

September 4, 2009 at 2:26 pm · Filed under Eggplant ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Growing eggplants on your own can be fun. Not only that their nutrients are good for your body, but their beautiful purplish color can be an attractive property of your garden. But what if you do not have a spacious garden?

You can always grow eggplants in containers!

Almost any vegetable that grow in a garden can also do well in containers, including eggplants.

Variety selection is important thing to keep in mind. Choose the right variety for container-grown. As for eggplants, you can choose almost all varieties. However, Dusty, Black Beauty, Casper, Little Figures, Florida Market and Long Tom are considered the best.

When you’ve got the right eggplant seeds, prepare the containers. They should be 3 to 5 gallon pots. Since adequate drainage is a necessity, add about 1 inch of coarse gravel in the bottom of the pots. The drain holes are best located along the pots side, about 1/4 – 1/2 inch from the bottom.

Fill in each pot soil suitable for pots, like Pro Mix or Miracle Grow Potting. These synthetic soils are best suited for growing eggplants in pots since they are a mixture of sawdust, wood chips, peat moss, vermiculite and almost any other type of gardening medium. Make sure that the soil is disease-free and weed-free. Make sure that it holds moisture and nutrients but drain well and be lightweight as well. You can either buy the soil from nurseries, or compose it on your own by mixing horticultural grade vermiculite, peat moss, limestone, superphosphate and garden fertilizer. Mix all materials thoroughly. Add a little water to reduce dust.

After preparing the pots and the soil, plant 4 – 6 seeds into each pot. Arrange the first seed in the middle part of the pot and the rest around the outer edge. This way those seeds can be kept evenly separated from each other, to anticipate the seedling failure and allow each successful seedling to grow well. Put in also 2 teaspoons of fertilizer; a slow release one like Osmocoat is a good choice.

Next step is watering your eggplants well. Provide them plenty of water, and then let the pots drain overnight. Keep them in shade. Water them regularly the next days to keep them moist.

After about 60 days, you should be able to harvest your eggplants. Pick them out. If you pick them when they are smaller, they will keep producing fruits till frost.

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The Protected Cultivation of Eggplant

April 14, 2009 at 3:29 am · Filed under Eggplant ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Eggplant varieties grown in greenhouses are expensive because they are generally hybrid eggplants. Therefore, healthy seedlings should be generated without harming the seeds. Drilling can be done either by scattering the seeds into boxes by hand (under appropriate temperatures) or by using the row planting system.

After drilling, the area must be covered with compost screened to 1/5 inch particles. Plants should be kept out of Read the rest of this entry »

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