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.
How do you prepare eggplant seeds for planting?
Start eggplant seeds indoors up to 10 weeks before the last frost date. Plant the seeds 1/4inch deep, water after planting and cover loosely with plastic to retain moisture. Transplant the seedlings to the garden when soil temperatures reach 60 degrees.
What seeds should not be soaked before planting?
By soaking the seed, it enables the new growth from the inside to push through the hard shell and grow. The seeds that could benefit from a good soaking include: corn, pumpkin, beans, chard, beets, and peas. The seeds you shouldn’t soak include: carrots, lettuce, radish, celery, turnips, and spinach.
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.
How many days does eggplant seeds take to germinate?
7-12 days
Seeds should sprout in 7-12 days. Sow seeds 5mm-1cm (¼-½”) deep. Use individual peat or coir pots to reduce root disturbance when transplanting.
Do eggplants grow back every year?
Eggplant plants can come back every year but they usually won’t. Eggplants rarely survive long past the harvest months. A perennial plant eggplant is a rarity outside of tropical climates. Eggplants can come back every year in ideal, tropical conditions.
How do you grow an eggplant step by step?
Sow eggplant seed ¼ to ½ inch (12mm) deep spaced 4 to 5 inches (10-12cm) apart. Eggplant seeds germinate in about 5 to 6 days. Give seedlings started indoors 12 hours of light each day; use a grow light or fluorescent lights. Start seeds on a heat mat then grow seedlings on at about 70°F (21°C).
How do you grow an eggplant successfully?
Space eggplant 24 to 36 inches apart and stake them once established to prevent toppling. Choose an area with abundant sunlight and fertile, well-drained soil. Improve native soil by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter. Keep soil moist but not soggy—soaker hoses are a great option.
Does soaking seeds speed up germination?
Soaking seeds before planting helps you to break down the seed’s natural defenses against what it expects from Mother Nature, which then allows it to germinate faster.
Is vinegar good for seed germination?
No, seeds will not germinate in vinegar. Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid, which has inhibition of impact on seed germination.
What happens to a seed when it is soaked in water overnight?
When seeds are soaked in water, they begin to warm up and produce carbon dioxide. Seeds are dormant, or at least close to dormancy. When we provide them with warmth and moisture they start to grow.
Can you grow eggplant indoors?
Growing eggplants inside is a bit tricky because it is difficult to provide enough heat and candle hours of light. The obvious solution is to build a grow system that not only enhances heat but includes grow lights. It still might not result in fruit, but you will have an elegant eggplant as a houseplant.
Do eggplants need full sun?
As a basic rule of thumb, vegetables grown for their fruit or roots—such as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash, potatoes, or carrots—require full sun, which is defined as a garden location that receives at least six hours of direct sun each day.
Are eggplants hard to grow?
Thanks to their broad leaves, eggplant seedlings grow quickly, gaining size faster than tomatoes or peppers. If you have a long, warm growing season and use a split season planting plan, you can start seeds in midsummer for a fall crop. Set out the seedlings out during a spell of cloudy weather.
What should you not plant next to eggplant?
Eggplant – A good companion for amaranth, beans, marigolds, peas, peppers, spinach, and thyme. Do not plant eggplants near fennel.
What is the best fertilizer for eggplants?
A balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) is often recommended for eggplant. Feeding too much nitrogen at this point can result in large, leafy plants that fail to produce fruit.
How deep do you plant eggplant?
Quick Reference Growing Guide
| Plant Type: | Tropical perennial, grown as an annual |
|---|---|
| Time to Maturity: | 100 to 150 days from seed, 75 to 85 days from transplants |
| Spacing: | 18-30 inches |
| Planting Depth: | 1/4 inch (seeds), same depth as container (transplants) |
| Height: | 24-48 inches depending on cultivar |
Do eggplants need light to germinate?
Supplemental light isn’t necessary until the seeds have germinated, but I start it right away. This mimics the ideal growing conditions for eggplants and helps promote bushy, sturdy growth. Twelve to 14 hours of bright light will help prevent the plants from getting leggy. I set my lights 6 inches above the flats.
How do you start an eggplant indoors?
Starting Eggplant Seeds Indoors
Although eggplant seeds are tiny, sow the seeds about ¼-inch (6 mm.) deep with good quality potting soil in flats or cell containers. Use a dome or cloche to retain heat as well as humidity to encourage germination when eggplant seed planting indoors.
What kind of soil does eggplant need?
sandy loam soils
Soil preparation
Eggplant prefers well-drained, fertile, sandy loam soils with a pH between 5.5 and 7.2. Remove all weeds and till the soil to loosen it to a depth of 6 to 10 inches. The higher the organic matter content of the soil the better, so incorporate a 3- to 4-inch layer of compost if possible.
How many eggplants do you get from one 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.
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