Eggplants from China tend to be elongated and deeply purple with glossy skin. They are excellent in stir fry and soup. They are quite easy to grow as long as they receive plenty of sun and heat. This article will provide information on how to grow Chinese eggplants and use them once harvested.
How long does Chinese eggplant take to grow?
After you transplant your seedlings, they take from 50 to 60 days to mature, depending on the Chinese eggplant variety. They should be about 18-inches long with firm skin when they’re ripe. Use garden shears to clip the eggplants off, close to the stem.
How do you grow Chinese string eggplant?
Chinese String Eggplant
- Full Sun.
- Sprouts in 10-15 Days.
- Seed Depth: 1/4″
- Ideal Temperature: 75-95 F.
- Plant Spacing: 18″
- Frost Hardy: No.
- Solanum melongena.
How big do Chinese eggplants get?
Asian varieties will grow to about 18 inches tall, and the larger-fruited plants usually grow 24 to 36 inches tall. If you’ve treated the crop well, you should have a bountiful harvest. I pick eggplants when they are bright and shiny.
How many eggplants do you get per plant?
The standard eggplant produces egg-shaped, glossy, purple-black fruit. ‘Black Beauty’ is the traditional eggplant size. One plant produces 4 to 6 large rounded fruit.
Is Chinese eggplant good?
Nutritional value: Chinese eggplants contain manganese, potassium, and vitamin B6. They also have anthocyanins which give the eggplant a deep purple color and are known for its antioxidant properties.
Is Japanese eggplant easy to grow?
The Ichiban eggplant is favored for its sweet flesh that is creamy when cooked and pureed into dishes such as baba ghanoush. Growing the purple-hued fruit is as easy as other common garden crops, such as tomatoes and peppers.
How long do eggplant plants live?
Most eggplant cultivars are grown as annuals and thus live for only a single year. In such cases, the plants die immediately after harvesting the eggplant fruits. Eggplant can be grown as a perennial, in which case it will live for about 3 years but this is uncommon.
Do I need to soak eggplant seeds before planting?
Starting Eggplant from Seed
I recommend soaking your seeds in water for up to 24 hours. This can increase the amount of seeds that germinate and how quickly they sprout. Use organic potting soil if you are seed-starting indoors or in small containers to be transplanted outside.
What month do you plant eggplant?
Eggplants can only grow in warm soil—50 degrees Fahrenheit or above. The best time to plant eggplant is in late spring after the last threat of frost. Eggplants have a long growing season, so you’ll need to start them indoors around eight weeks before your region’s last frost date.
What does Chinese eggplant taste like?
Chinese eggplants are long and thin with vibrant lavender skin and white flesh, and can appear either crooked or straight. They taste mildly sweet and hold up when cooked.
Why is it called Chinese eggplant?
Chinese eggplant, botanically classified as Solanum melongena, is the name given to hundreds of eggplant varieties that are considered native to or cultivated throughout China and Asia.
Where is Chinese eggplant grown?
Statistics
| Top ten eggplant/aubergine producers — 2010 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Country | Production (Tonnes) | Percentage of World Total |
| People’s Republic of China | 24,501,936 | 58.55 |
| India | 10,563,000 | 25.24 |
| Egypt | 1,229,790 | 2.94 |
Should I prune my eggplant?
ANSWER: Eggplants, like fellow nightshade family member tomatoes benefit from staking and pruning. In fact, eggplant actually produces more fruit when pruned. Pruning eggplant can also improve the fruit quality of the plant, and decrease the plant’s susceptibility to disease.
Do eggplant come back each year?
Although eggplant is a perennial, it is more commonly grown as an annual.
Do you need a trellis for eggplant?
Yes, it’s wise to create a support for eggplants. Staking eggplant keeps the fruit from touching the ground, which in turn, reduces the risk of disease and fosters fruit shape, especially for elongated eggplant varieties.
What’s the difference between Chinese eggplant and regular eggplant?
China is the world’s top producer and consumer of eggplant, so it’s apt that the Chinese eggplant variety is so distinct. It has a lighter, almost pastel exterior, with a white flesh and sweeter taste that fits its appearance. The Chinese variety contains fewer seeds than globe eggplants, and are therefore less bitter.
Can you eat the skin of a Chinese eggplant?
The skin is entirely edible, though with larger eggplants it can be a little tough. If your eggplant is young, tender, and on the small side, the nutrient-rich skin can probably be left on for skillet frying or braising. Otherwise, peel the skin and then slice or cube the flesh.
What’s the difference between Chinese eggplant and Japanese eggplant?
Characterized by their long, narrow shape, both Japanese and Chinese eggplant can be hard to differentiate. Japanese eggplant tends to have a much deeper purple color, while Chinese eggplant is usually lighter, more lavender-purple, and is sometimes even longer.
How long does it take to grow Japanese eggplant?
around 70 to 80 days
How to Harvest Japanese Eggplants. Prepare to harvest Japanese eggplants around 70 to 80 days after transplanting, or when they’re about the size of a finger (for the Little Finger variety) or a hot dog (for the Ichiban variety), and the skin is glossy and wrinkle-free.
What is the best eggplant to grow?
Best Types of Eggplants
- Little Green Eggplant. This one is round, plump, and pale-green in color.
- Globe Eggplant.
- Italian Eggplant.
- 4. Japanese Eggplant.
- Ping Tung Eggplant.
- Rosa Bianca Eggplant.
- Graffiti Eggplant.
- Santana Eggplant.
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