Product Details

This delectable Italian heirloom eggplant is known for its beauty as well as its culinary features. The plump, 10-15cm (4-6") fruits are globular and bi-coloured in a gradient. Like a work of art, their ivory canvases are covered in broad, violet/purple brushstrokes. The mildly sweet flesh is meaty, with no bitterness. Plants are more productive when overnight temperatures are warmer. They have tall stems but plants are fairly compact relative to fruit size. Delicious stewed, grilled, or stuffed.

• Round, 10-15cm (4-6") fruit with violet/ivory gradient
• Meaty, sweet flesh
• Good yield in temperate zones

All About Rosa Bianca OP Certified Organic

Latin

Solanum melogena

Family: Solanaceae

Difficulty

Easy.

Season & Zone

Season: Warm season

Exposure: Full-sun

Timing

Sow indoors four weeks before your expected last frost date. Use bottom heat, and keep seedlings warm. Optimal soil temperature: 24-32°C (75-90°F). Seeds should sprout in 7-12 days.

Starting

Sow seeds 5mm-1cm (¼-½”) deep. Use individual peat or coir pots to reduce root disturbance when transplanting. Transplant after night time temperatures are steadily 10°C (50°F) or warmer. Space with 45-60cm (18-24″) between plants. Medium size (3-5 gallon) containers for individual plants also work well.

Days to Maturity

From transplant date.

Growing

Ideal pH: 5.5-6.0. Soil should have abundant phosphorus and calcium, so add lime and compost to the soil three weeks prior to transplanting. Mix ¼-½ cup of complete organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant. Using a clear plastic cloche or floating row cover helps growth by increasing heat. Cool temperatures increase leafy growth, but delay fruit set. Once most eggplants get going in the summer, they are highly productive right up until the first frosts.

Harvest

Pinch off blossoms 2 to 4 weeks before first any expected frost so that plants focus on ripening any existing fruit, not producing new ones. Harvest the fruit anytime after the fruit reaches half of their size. Harvesting early prevents fruit from becoming too seedy, and will encourage more production from the plants.

Do not pull the fruit off the plant, but cut it with scissors or secateurs, being careful to avoid any sharp spurs at the stem end.

Seed Info

In optimal conditions at least 65% of the seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years.

Diseases & Pests

No specific information provided.

Companion Planting

Eggplants are a good companion for amaranth, beans, marigolds, peas, peppers, spinach, and thyme. Do not plant eggplants near fennel.