Today, we would like to talk about a vegetable that is not talked about, and is left out of most gardens, for what every reason maybe they don't have enough room or maybe a lot of people just don't like their taste or they think they would be too hard to grow. We are talking about Eggplant, either you love them or you hate them, but I will be the first one to say, it is all in the way you fix the eggplant for the dinner table. There are lots of different ways to prepare Eggplant for the dinner table, they can be breaded and fried, grilled, baked, stir-fry, or stewed. We will share a good recipe with you on tomorrows blog, but today we would like to share with you just how easy it is to grow Eggplant.
How To Grow Eggplant:
1. Only plant after the soil has warm up. You can plant seeds, but it is a lot easier to go to your local nursery and buy the plants, that is a lot quicker. Eggplant like hot weather, plant in full sun. There are different kinds of Eggplant that you can plant, but the most popular one to plant is Black Beauty, they are dark rich color, and they do taste so delicious.
2. Just like most of your vegetables, your soil is always most important. Eggplant does best in rich soil, you will need to work up your soil down to 8-10 inches is best. Eggplant like a well drain soil, plant in a row, after working up your soil, pick up all rocks, roots and any grass clods. Add 2 inches of aged cow or horse manure or 3 to 4 inches of compost, using your garden tiller or shovel mix it up well again down to 8 to 10 inches.
3. Using your garden rake, level out your row, set your plants 12 inches apart, if you plant more than 1 row make your rows 2 1/2 to 3 feet apart. Water well after planting, after the second week , mulch to help hold the moisture in and also help heat in the soil, and if you will add 2 to 3 inches of mulch, it will help to keep out the weeds. Never let your soil dry out.
4. Harvest your Eggplant in about 80-85 days after planting.
( Money Saving Tip: )
Free Fertilizer, if go and talk to your local farmer, and ask him if he has any old aged manure that you can get for your garden, most all farmers are happy to get rid of the cow and horse manure and they will give you all that you will need for ( Free ). My wife Marilou and I will go see our farmer down the road from us, we will take a pickup to see the farmer and after we get there I will put down a piece of plastic inside inside of the pickup bed. Most all farmers are so very kind people and they are hard working people, and they are always willing to help out other people anyway they can. Our farmer down the road from us he will even go and get his big tractor and he will give us 3-big scoops of good old aged cow and horse manure, and now we have a big load of the Best All Natural Organic Fertilizer That Money Can Buy For ( FREE ). When you go to see the farmer tell him what you are doing with the manure, and tell him you want the old aged manure.
A Little History: The eggplant was among the plants introduced early into America by the Spaniards. It was grown in Brazil before 1650. In the United States purple and white varieties for ornament were described in 1806. Until a mere 50 years ago many varieties of eggplant grown in America were for ornament only.
Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.
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