Growing Japanese eggplants in containers is a great way to have some fun with your favorite vegetable.
While there are many places to buy and grow them, this is one thing that really holds its own when it comes to preserving them as well.
Unlike many other vegetables, eggplants have a wide variety of textures and colors that can keep your family and friends coming back for more.
In fact, there are even more uses for your container-grown eggplants. Here are some of the more popular ones.
When you are entertaining guests or preparing a sit down meal at a highchair, you can dress them up.
You don’t have to go overboard, just add a few decorations. The end result will be perfect and the eggplant will be appreciated throughout the party.
Eggplant is a favorite of mine when I am making lasagna. You don’t have to cook them, they can add a dash of flavor to the filling for a real Italian effect.
The light aroma and flavors of the eggplant will add a wonderful touch to any dish.
Just leave them in their large and beautiful window display. Every Sunday morning, you can pour some of the newest juices into the display and let the dust settle and collect as the sun continues to heat the room.
After the flowers have completely faded, you can simply wipe the dirt off the display and it will look brand new.
Vegetable dishes always make good conversation starters at parties. This can be a simple but enjoyable choice for a salad or a main course.
Not only is this an elegant, subtle accent to any dining experience, but the wide variety of flavor you can provide will be appreciated throughout the party. Give it a try at your next gathering and see how well it works out.
Cooking up chicken and vegetable are two things that usually go together but when preparing them in restaurants dishes are often bland and lacking in flavor.
It is easy to add a little flavor to your chicken when it’s cooked in the kitchen using the right kind of cooking spray. For vegetables that are cooked quickly, you might want to consider a citrus spray.
This can be a very small amount of fruit or veggie that is mixed with wine and serves as a starter for any dinner.
You might consider a variety of fruits in this style: lime, grapefruit, peach, pineapple, strawberry, strawberry and raspberry. Add your own favorite juices to the mix for an absolutely perfect appetizer.
One of the best ways to create a fun and interesting gift basket for people you love is to prepare some eggplant and fill it with goodies like candy, nuts, chocolates, and more.
Make sure you only use the fresh eggplants and ingredients that your recipient has requested. Packages and mailers are a favorite of most people.
Another delicious gift to bring is what I call a packet of seeds.
Instead of seeds that have been planted and take six months to grow, they are just the same thing you would use to grow them right in your own kitchen. They will grow in just two weeks.
With a little bit of planning and time, you can have a lot of fun growing eggplants in containers. Who knows, you might even save enough to replace them at your next get together! Enjoy!
Eggplant Seedlings Not Growing? (What You Can Do)
If you have been wondering why your eggplant seedlings are not growing like they should be, this article is for you.
Eggplant seedlings do not grow like they should unless you are doing something to ruin them.
One common issue with seedlings is not fertilizing. If the bedding is not fertilized, this will eventually kill the seedlings.
There are many factors that can cause eggplant seedlings not to grow. To help you with these problems, here are some of the common causes. If you have these issues, use the advice here to solve the problem.
Here are some of the Factors to Consider
1). Soil Not Being Fertilized
Fertilize your seedling bed. If the soil in your area is poor or if you don’t have a large enough patch to work with, you might want to consider buying fertilizers or using the artificial fertilizer that is sold in garden centers.
Another idea would be to make a large patch out of some pumice stone or even sawdust.
2). Poor Watering or Drainage
If your drainage system is very poor or you don’t have a lot of soil to work with, you might need to get a larger pot.
If your water comes right up to the top of the soil, you might not be getting all the water that your plant needs. If you are watering with a hose or even with your sprinkler, it may also be a problem.
3). Low nitrogen
If you have had the worst case of fertilizer problems and the soil is full of nitrogen, your eggplant seedlings will probably be stunted.
If you’ve added too much nitrogen to the soil, you should put some fertilizer back into the soil. A good place to start is with a straw-bale floor cover over the plants.
4). Inappropriate Lighting
Many things can cause improper lighting and eggplant seedlings should be no exception. Bulbs that are too hot and dark will affect the growth of the plant.
Heaters that aren’t set right and aren’t aimed at the plants’ location will also cause problems. Hanging incandescent bulbs over the seedlings’ bed will cause serious harm.
5). Leaving Seedlings Uncontrolled
Eggplant seedlings are best left alone until it is time to harvest them. There are too many eggs in the soil for them to be healthy.
It is okay to give them a little water in the early summer, but once their leaves have fallen off, don’t leave them unattended.
6). Overwatering
Don’t over water your eggplant seedlings. Too much water is what is causing them to be stunted.
When you water the plants, you will be watering the seeds and by the time the seeds are ready to be planted, you will need to add more fertilizer and start the cycle all over again.
7). Overfeeding
Feeding too much nitrogen to your eggplant seedlings is causing oxygen deficiency. Oxygen is the element that is needed for the roots to grow healthy.
They also need to have nutrients in the soil to grow properly. Overfeeding the plant by giving it too much nitrogen will cause the roots to start growing too quickly.
8). Food Isolation
And under crowded home will not allow your eggplant seedlings to grow properly.
They will start to grow on their own and they won’t be able to take in what they need. Put the lights on a timer so you know when to change the food.
These are the major causes of eggplant seedlings not growing correctly.
Any other problems with seedlings will be discussed in other articles. Keep your eggplant seedlings healthy and give them plenty of room to grow.
How to Grow Eggplant Seedlings
Ever wonder how to grow eggplant seedlings? It can be a little overwhelming, especially for beginners. Here are a few tips on how to grow this great vegetable.
First, find a pot that is large enough to hold the plant. Don’t use any other pot because the soil in the pot could damage the plant. The pot will be filled with fertilizer as well as moist or dry soil.
Once you have the plant, fill the pot with potting soil and water thoroughly.
A good rule of thumb is to leave the top inch of soil with no more than half an inch above the top of the plant. If the plant has a large root system, fill the soil with potting compost.
When planting the eggplant, place it as near to the sun as possible and when the leaves begin to turn, insert a watering can into the bottom of the plant. Water the plant every day until the leaves die back.
Once the seedlings start to sprout and it looks like the stem is spreading out, you can begin adding water.
After a couple of days, the sprouts will begin to lift off the ground and root itself. At this point, you may want to replant a different bed.
For the final weeks of growth, you should be very careful not to over water. When the plant is large enough, the leaves will begin to fall off and the plant will need to be moved out.
The plant should be watered enough to support its growth and before the leaves start to fall off.
Once the seedlings have expanded enough to support themselves, dig them out.
You should place them on a paper towel and gently shake them out. When they’re free of roots, trim them at an angle into six-inch lengths.
Take the paper towel, remove any leaves, and lay it on a large flat surface such as a table. Set a sheet of newspaper rags against the base of the eggplant and cut it into a square with a sharp knife.
Fill the square with about a half an inch of soil and add enough water to cover the plant.
Place the row in direct sunlight for four to six hours a day. This will allow the roots to stretch for a while. Each week, apply a partial nutrient solution until the plant starts to feel comfortable.
As the plant grows, add a feed once a week. Depending on the type of eggplant you are growing, you can take in the sprouts directly from the mother plant or buy them at the nursery.
Allowing the mother plant to continue to produce will allow the seedlings to have another chance at survival.
After the first year, cut the seedlings in half and then quarter them. These are the largest eggplant seeds so they will be full of nutrition and fiber.
Make sure that you select healthy, young plants with nice color and texture.