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Planting Eggplants

This purple black glossy vegetable of theNightshade family has a mild flavor similar tothat of fried oysters and is often substituted formeat. A warm-season crop that produces bestin hot, sunny weather, the eggplant is grownfrom seed as a tender annual. Eggplants can becultivated in northern areas if started indoorsand set out after danger of frost is past andprotected when autumnal frosts are imminent.

Six to eight weeks before the frost-freedate, seeds to be started indoors should be sownin flats and covered with 1/2 inch of mellow,well-pulverized soil kept at a temperature of 70to 75°F. (21.11 to 23.89°C.). When the seed-lings are about two weeks old, or about threeinches high, they should be transplanted singlyto three-inch clay pots or to flats and beds wherethey can stand four to five inches apart. Thesoil for this first transplanting should be par-ticularly rich. A good mixture would consist oftwo parts rotted sod to one part compost mixedwith a small amount of sand. The daytime tem-perature should be 65 to 70°F. (18.33 to21.11°C.), the nighttime 50 to 55°F. (10 to12.78°C.). Water carefully and check for in-sects.

Two weeks after the frost-free date, thoseseedlings growing in flats or beds should beblocked out; that is, a knife should be runthrough the soil midway between the plants,cutting the roots, and leaving each plant withits own block of soil. Keep these young plantslightly shaded and well watered until it is timeto set them outdoors, about a week later. Meandaily temperatures for outdoor planting should be around 65 to 70°F. (18.33 to 21.11°C.)unless some protective covering (paper cones,cloches, plastic containers, etc.) is given theplants. Such protection allows the plants to beset out one to two weeks earlier.

Eggplants should be spaced 21/2 feet apartin rows set three feet apart and grown in a deep,rich soil that is moist but well drained. Toconserve moisture and to protect the youngseedlings from wind damage, a deep mulch ofstraw or hay should be applied in the spring.Beginning four weeks after they are set out,the plants should be fertilized with a manure/water tea once every two weeks.

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