Eggplants Offer Variety To Home Gardens

In the spirit of good taste and good looks, eggplant gets my vote for a place in the garden.

Eggplant, or aubergine if you’re French, may not be as popular as the related tomato. Too bitter, some say. But eggplant’s more flavorful when harvested from the home garden, just like its cousin. And you grow them the same.

Eggplant, however, is prettier. There’s no need to squeeze it into a veggie-only plot. Show it off among the ornamentals in your front flower bed or in large pots. The large, velvety purplish-green leaves are carried on purple-tinted stems. The bell-shaped blooms are lavender-blue with yellow stamens. But the ornamental fruits make the plants sing.

Originating in India, eggplant has been a world traveler. American, Asian, Indian and Italian varieties are available with fruit that ranges from the familiar plump globes to long cylinders to round or egg-shaped. Color varies, too. Choose from white, green, yellow, orange, lavender or a purple so deep it looks black. Some fruit may have white stripes. Look for transplants at garden centers now.

Eggplants belong to the Solanum genus and are members of the nightshade family, along with tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes. They need a warm start, so plant in April and May. Like tomatoes, they need sun and a fertile, well-draining soil. For the best-tasting fruit, encourage vigorous growth with weekly or biweekly applications of fertilizer. And keep the soil moist, especially when it’s hot, to curb bitterness.

Eggplants can grow 3 feet high and wide, so give them room.

When it’s hot and dry, keep an eye out for spider mites that gather on the undersides of the leaves and cause a stippling effect. Control them with hard sprays of water or insecticidal soap.

The fiber- and potassium-rich fruit is ready to harvest in 55 to 80 days, depending on the variety. Plants can continue to produce into fall.

Harvest fruit often, while the skin is still glossy. Overmature fruit can be spongy and bitter. Cut, leaving about an inch of stem and the green cap (calyx) on top of the fruit intact. Wear gloves to avoid pricking your fingers on varieties with thorny growths on the stem and calyx.

Take your pick

There are more than 150 eggplant varieties, including:

‘Black Magic’ — Purple-black, elongated oval; 72 days

‘Classic’ — Purple-black, elongated teardrop shape; stress-resistant; 75 days

‘Black Beauty’ — Purple-black standard; watch for summer stress; 70 days

‘Hansel’ — Dark-purple finger-shaped; few seeds, sweet; 55 days

‘Louisiana Green’ — Long, slender, green, great-tasting heirloom; 65 days

‘Florida Market’ — Old variety with large purple-black fruit; 80 days

‘Ichiban’ — Long, skinny Asian variety; less likely to turn bitter in summer stress; 60 days

‘Listada de Gandia’ — Purple marbled with white stripes; quality taste; 75 days

‘Rosa Bianca’ — Similar to ‘Listada’ but with white, pink-striped fruit; 75 days

‘Fairy Tale’ — White-striped purple, slender, long fruit; plants are 2 feet; 50 days

‘Pingtung Long’ — Violet-purple, foot-long heirloom; tender skin; fewer seeds; 65 days

‘Easter Egg’ — Small white, egg-size; turns yellow when mature; edible ornamental; 52 days By Kathy Huber, Houston Chronicle