Black Beauty Eggplant
$2.99
Dark purple to almost black skinned, glossy, oblong, large fruits that form early on sturdy plants. Grown for over 100 years, this heirloom is a heavy producer with up to 12 fruits per plant, but needs lots of heat.
24 in stock
Product Description
Difficulty:
Easy
Timing:
Sow indoors in the four weeks following the last frost date. Use bottom heat, and keep seedlings warm. Optimal soil temperature is 75-90°F. Seeds should sprout in 7-12 days.
Starting:
Sow seeds ¼-½” deep. Use individual peat or coir pots to reduce root disturbance when transplanting. Transplant after night time temperatures are steadily at 50°F or warmer. Space 18-24″ between plants. Medium size (5 gallon) containers for individual plants also work well.
Growing:
Ideal pH: 5.5-6.0. Soil should have abundant phosphorus and calcium, so add lime and compost to the soil three weeks prior to transplanting. Mix ¼-½ cup of complete organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant. Using a clear plastic cloche or floating row cover helps growth by increasing heat. Cool temperatures increase leafy growth, but delay fruit set. Once most eggplants get going in the summer, they are highly productive right up until the first frosts.
Harvest:
Pinch off blossoms 2 to 4 weeks before first expected frost so that plants focus on ripening any existing fruit, not producing new ones. Harvest the fruit anytime after the fruit reaches half of their size. Harvesting early prevents fruit from becoming too seedy, and will encourage more production from the plants.
Do not pull the fruit off the plant, but cut it with scissors, being careful to avoid any sharp spurs at the stem end.
Days to Maturity: 74 days
Planting Depth: 1/2″
Distance Apart: 18″ – 24″
Amount: 175mg
