Eggplant - Long Purple

(Solanum melongena)

Long Purple Eggplant is a popular variety, producing long dark fruit to 25cm long and 8cm wide. Good cropper. Attractive leaves and flowers. Fruits used in a variety of cooked dishes.

Likes fertile well drained soil in sunny position.

How to Grow

Eggplant grows best in fertile well drained soil receiving full sun. Improve soil with manures, compost or fertilisers before planting. Sow seeds in pots then transplant to the garden at 5cm high. When sowing cover seed with 5mm of soil and keep moist until germinated. Space 40cm apart.

Pests include Fruit Fly. We recommend using Vege Netting to exclude fruit fly from attacking your fruit.

Blossom End Rot: This will occur when there is a lack of Calcium in your soil. The plant will set fruit but it will rot at the end then drop off the plant. To avoid this use lime in your soil or you can apply a liquid fertiliser of 1L milk to a 9L watering can. Water the leaves of the plant for a fast acting remedy.

Sow Spring-Summer in pots

Packet contains approx 75 seeds.

80 days to harvest

200 seed per gram

Uses

Eggplant is typically used cooked in various dishes. To get the best flavour cook grilled, baked or pan fried with olive oil and herbs.