How to grow eggplant in a pot.
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Eggplant or brinjal is a vegetable that belongs to the family Solanaceae. It is related to other vegetables like potato, tomato and chilly. Eggplant is a tropical perennial that can grow up to 4 feet. Although eggplant has fewer nutrients it contains average levels of manganese and consuming eggplant can have certain health benefits.
Growing conditions for eggplant
Eggplant is easy to grow in tropical and subtropical regions. It grows well in hot weather conditions. It needs lots of space to grow so choose a big container to grow them. A container that is at least 12 to 14 inches deep and wide is needed to grow this vegetable. The container must have proper drainage holes. The best season to grow eggplant is during mid-spring and summer. The ideal temperature for the eggplant to germinate is between 26°C to 32° C(79 °F – 90°F).
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How to grow eggplant in a pot
- You can start your seeds indoors 5 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Take a seed tray and fill it with seed starting mix. Take a few seeds and sow them in the seed tray. You can see your seeds germinating within a week.
- You can feed your seedlings with liquid fertiliser once a week. When the seedlings grow 6 to 8 inches tall and have 3 sets of leaves you can transplant them into bigger pots.
- Fill the pot with a mix that contains 15% perlite, 15% vermiculite, 20 % coarse sand and 50 % compost. After transplanting them into bigger pots place them in the shade for at least two days so that the plant can recover from transplant shock.
- After your plants have recovered from transplant shock you can place them in a location that receives 5 to 6 hours of sunlight every day. You can add compost to your plants once in 2 weeks.
- As the plant starts to yield vegetables you should use a plant stake to support the plant as the vegetables get heavy and pull down the plant. You can harvest brinjals after 90 days.
Pests and Diseases
Some of the pests that attack eggplant include Aphids, Whiteflies, Spider mites and Mealy bugs. Some of the ways to control pests are by practising techniques such as companion planting and crop rotation. You can also use diatomaceous earth to take care of the pests.
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