Description
Eggplant – Solanum –
‘Black Beauty’ – matures in 80 days and grows 3-4′ feet tall, space 24-36″ inches apart
S. melongena – Eggplant – this short lived perennial from Africa and Asia, is usually grown as annual. Erect, shrubbery plant with gray to green simple leaves to 8″ inches across. In late spring it produces drooping violet flowers 1 1/2″ inches across, followed by in summer by white to purple fruit 3-15″ inches long.
grow in moderately fertile, moist but well drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil in full sun. Support plants and tie young shoots regularly.
Harvest when eggplants are shinny or glossy, dull indicates over and under ripeness, which will taste bitter.
Prone to late blight, damping off, powdery mildew, stem blight rot, early blight, gray mold (Botrytis), virus diseases, aphids, and thrips may occur.
