There's nothing like a nice eggplant fresh from the garden and loaded with Sun.
Eggplant caviar, stuffed, moussaka style, alla style parmigiana or in donuts...
Eggplant is an essential summer vegetable that lends itself to many recipes – each one more delicious than the next!
Easy to grow, eggplant grows just as well in a vegetable garden as on a terrace or balcony.
Here are 10 market gardening tips to grow beautiful eggplants . Watch:
Click here to easily print this guide in PDF.
1. Plant 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 or potted vegetable garden. Allow a space of 50 cm between each plant to promote air circulation.
3. After planting, add a good mulch to the base of the eggplants to keep the soil moist and prevent the growth of weeds.
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 seedlings 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 veil of protection. In case of infestation, spray the plants with Beauveria bassiana or spinosad .
9. When the plant has formed 2 or 3 flower clusters, pinch the main stem to stimulate the development of ramifications.
10. Harvest eggplants when the skin is smooth, slightly shiny and soft to the touch. If its skin is wrinkled and its color dull, the eggplant may be bitter.
- Eggplants can be stored for a few days in a cool place. You can also freeze them.
- Do not wait too long before harvesting the eggplant. As soon as the fruit turns brown, it hardens and its flesh takes on a characteristic bitter taste.
- When cooked, eggplant tends 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.
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. 'de Barbentane' produces a purple fruit with shiny skin, firm and tasty flesh.
- Violette de Florence:gives large mauve fruits streaked with white, with a sweet taste and few seeds. Ideal for stuffed aubergines and in ratatouilles.
- Ronde de Valence:productive and resistant variety, mainly for hot regions. It produces beautiful, round, dark purple fruits with firm flesh and a strong taste.
