EGGPLANT IS GREAT IN THE GARDEN AND ON THE GRILL
POSTED MAY 13, 2013

I can’t say for sure which vegetable people find most mundane or least appetizing, but my best guess is eggplant is somewhere near the top of the list. Oh sure, we love it in eggplant parmesan. But take away all of that yummy cheese, tomato sauce, and herbs and spices, and the love affair ends faster than the career of a lieutenant governor linked to Internet gambling.

Eggplants are powerful performers in the summer garden, where they have no fear of our summertime heat. Pictured is Early Midnight Hybrid, one of the earliest large eggplants, producing 10 oz. fruits that are nearly seedless.
 

The standing of the lowly eggplant, however, has significantly increased in recent years — in both the home garden and kitchen. New varieties have improved flavor and texture, and fewer seeds. Oriental eggplants come in different shapes, sizes and colors. Many of the fruits are so beautiful and ornate; they look as good growing in the garden as they taste battered and fried, prepared as eggplant parmesan, or better yet, cooked over hot coals on an outdoor grill.

While the flesh of the handsome eggplant fruit can be delicate and sweet, the plant itself is a powerful performer in the summer garden, where it has no fear of our summertime heat. Most will produce until the weather turns in the fall. Bumper harvests are not uncommon, so one plant per person is usually plenty.

Eggplants may be grown from seed sown directly in the garden if desired. Otherwise, start seeds indoors or put out fresh starter plants purchased locally. Plants and seeds do best when the weather and soil are warm and overnight temperatures remain above about 60 degrees.

In north Florida eggplants are set in the garden February-July. In central Florida, planting dates are January-March and August-September. The planting dates for eggplants in south Florida are December-February and August-October. Because eggplants can be planted so late here in north Florida, I save space by putting them out in the garden in place of other vegetables harvested in May or June, such as lettuce, peas or bush beans.

When planted in full sun, many kinds of eggplants will grow about three to four feet tall and just as wide. Keep the spacing between plants or seeds about the same, three to four feet, or follow the recommended spacing on the seed packet. Dig in some compost and fertilizer before planting. Eggplants prefer rich, well-drained soil. Keep plants watered during dry periods and fertilize well, as they consume a large amount of nutrients when producing fruit.

Eggplant flowers are self-pollinating, so a lack of honeybees in the garden does not significantly impact the yield. Fruits are best harvested while they are still shiny and glossy. Fruit is over mature when it appears green or mahogany in color, leaving it tough, bitter and seedy.

Be on the lookout for aphids, flea beetles and spider mites. Aphids can be found on the undersides of leaves where they accumulate in large numbers. Flea beetles and spider mites are hard to see but their damage is not. Flea beetles are leaf-chewing insects that leave behind lots of tiny holes in leaves. Spider mites are piercing, sucking insects that leave behind numerous small, dead specks on leaves. Each can be treated with common garden insecticides.

Some of my favorite eggplants are Early Midnight, Gretel, Purple Rain, Fairy Tale, Crescent Moon and White. I thoroughly enjoy eggplant cooked on the grill; perhaps you will, too. Slice, brush lightly with olive oil and grill. Serve with balsamic vinegar reduced by 50 percent.

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