Latin name: Solanum melongena
🌱 Days to Sprout: 7-10
😋 Plant food: after true leaves
✂️ Thin to: 1 plant per yCube
🍅 Days to Maturity: 50-85
💡 Light Zone: Maximum
📏 Plant Size: 2 ft
💚 Care Level: Advanced
Origin
Mini Eggplants are part of the Solanaceae family, which includes tomatoes. Eggplants were first domesticated in Southeast Asia, with evidence of early cultivation in India dating back 2,000 years.
Qualities
Eggplants are nutrient-dense, meaning they have a high ratio of vitamins and minerals per calorie. Rich in anthocyanins and antioxidants, their potential health benefits include blood sugar control, anti-cancer properties, and a reduction in heart disease risk.
Use
Eggplant fruits are typically sliced (no need to skin them) and baked, roasted, or fried. You can also use puréed eggplant as a delicious and healthy dip.
Care & Harvest
💡Temperature: Prefers warmer temperatures (70-85°F).
🐝 Pollination: Eggplants require pollination. When purple flowers appear, hand-pollinate them by gently shaking the entire plant, or gently disturbing the inside of blossoms with your finger or a small brush.
🫶 Support: We suggest using our Plant Belt to support the plant and its heavy fruit as it matures.
✂️ Pruning: Eggplants require pruning. Snip away yellow or brown leaves if they appear, and trim branches to ensure the plant stays within the Gardyn’s light. Once flowers appear, remove the sprouts, known as suckers, that develop between the main stalk and leaf nodes/side branches to direct energy toward fruit production. Check the roots monthly and trim any that are brown or extending past the yPod.
🔎 Plant Health: Eggplants are prolific producers, even if they show signs of Edema, a harmless disorder. Aphids are a common pest, but you can use our prevention and treatment tricks to keep pests at bay!
🍆 Harvest: Once the fruit reach 2-3 inches long and have glossy skin, snip the fruit at their individual stems with clean shears. Once the skin appears dull, the fruit is overripe. Harvest regularly to encourage new flower and fruit production.
Harvest to Plate Recipe
Spiced Mini Eggplants
Ingredients
- 6 Mini Eggplants
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- sea salt flakes
- 1 lemon
- extra virgin olive oil, for serving
- fresh Parsley leaves, for serving
Instructions
- While your oven preheats to 400°F (200°C), drizzle a tablespoon of ordinary olive oil over a baking tray. Sprinkle the coriander, cumin, and chili directly over the oil.
- Slice the eggplants in half and place them cut side down into the oil, sliding them about a bit to pick up the flavorings. When the oven is ready, turn the eggplants cut side up and roast for 25 minutes.
- Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over, sprinkle with salt and some chopped parsley, and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil just before serving.
Our Plant Health & Nutrition Team thoroughly tests each variety we offer to bring you the most flavorful and high-quality plants. We regularly rotate our plant portfolio, so please note, availability varies.