Aubergine: Profile, Care & Ausgeizen

Aubergines come from warm tropical regions, but are increasingly being grown in our latitudes in the garden or on the balcony. We introduce the eggplant and give tips on propagating and caring for eggplants.

eggplant (Solanum melongena) belong like tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) to the nightshade family (Solanaceae). The aubergine, also known as eggplant, eggplant or aubergine, is a heat-loving plant that is being cultivated more and more in gardens and on terraces and balconies. With us you will learn everything about the origin, properties and care of the aubergine plant.

Eggplant: origin and properties

The aubergine originally comes from the tropical regions of Asia and, according to archaeological records, has been cultivated for over 4000 years. The popular vegetable has been cultivated in Greece and Italy for around 500 years, after it was first introduced in the 13th century. first reached Europe in the 19th century. The main growing countries today are China, USA, Turkey, Italy and Spain.

Eggplants grow into bushy, branched plants. They form large, softly hairy, slightly lobed to wavy leaves, which can occasionally have spines on the back of the leaf. Depending on the variety and species, the leaves of the aubergine plant are light green to violet-green in color with dark veins. The eggplant forms a somewhat flatter root system than the tomato, but the main shoots become much more lignified in comparison. From June onwards, the large, mostly violet or white, star-shaped flowers of the aubergine plant appear on the inflorescences. From this, usually only one or two fruits develop per infructescence, which are oval, round, bell-shaped, club-shaped or oblong. Their skin usually turns dark purple or white as they ripen - but purple striped, yellow, orange or green fruits can also develop. Aubergines have creamy-white flesh inside with numerous flat-topped, reddish-brown seeds.

Is the eggplant a vegetable or a fruit?

The eggplant looks unusual. That's why many people ask themselves what exactly the aubergine is. In fact, there is no precise definition of fruits and vegetables - the aubergine is commonly referred to as a fruit vegetable. Botanically, eggplants are berries. Since the aubergine contains hardly any sugar and is therefore not used on cakes or in jams like fruit, it is classified as a vegetable. How to properly store and process eggplants, we show in the article Harvest & store aubergines.

Are eggplants perennial?

Aubergines are basically perennial plants. However, since they have no frost or cold tolerance and usually die off in winter, they are grown from seeds in our latitudes every year. Overwintering is basically possible, the effort and the high risk of pest infestation with aubergines in the winter quarters, however, is not worthwhile in comparison to the unproblematic rearing of new ones eggplant plants.

How big does an eggplant plant get?

Aubergines reach an average height of 70 to 150 cm. Meanwhile, too Eggplant Varieties with an extremely bushy growth of up to 40 cm and small fruits that are particularly suitable for pot culture and for cultivation on balconies.

Caring for eggplant plants

Aubergines are similar to tomatoes in terms of care and reward with their versatile fruits after successful cultivation. We share tips on caring for eggplant plants.

Fertilize and water eggplants

Eggplants are among the most nutrient-hungry, highly consuming types of vegetables. Fertilizing aubergines is therefore an important care measure to keep the plants healthy and productive. slow acting, organic fertilizers release their nutrients over several months to years, improve the soil structure through their decomposition and serve as food for soil organisms. In the spring, mature compost or manure can be worked into the bed or greenhouse. Also an organic liquid fertilizer like ours Plantura Organic Tomato & Vegetable Fertilizer is equally suitable for aubergine plants in pots and outdoors. About once a week the fertilizer is applied in a dosage of 5 to 15 ml to 5 liters of water when watering. The essential nutrients it contains, such as potassium and nitrogen, reach the plant roots directly. Even signs of acute nutrient deficiencies, such as yellowing of the lower leaves, can be cured quickly.

Aubergines need a lot of water - in summer, watering can be necessary every day, at best in the morning. Aubergine plants should never be watered from above, so that the fruit and shoots get wet, or spray water with soil and any pathogens gets onto the damp leaves. Watering is always done from below directly on the stem of the plant.

Do you have to overeat eggplants?

You don't have to overeat eggplant, but there are some benefits. Only 2 to 3 main shoots are cultivated and all other side shoots are regularly removed. This means that the plant has more energy to supply the fruit. In addition, thanks to the high humidity in the greenhouse, the aubergines dry out more quickly and are therefore less at risk of suffering from fungal diseases. In the case of small mini aubergines for the balcony, you should not be stingy at all, as the small fruits are usually sufficiently cared for. In order to stimulate the formation of flowers, however, you can break out the first flower, the so-called "king flower", of the aubergine - just like with peppers.

Common pests and diseases

Eggplants are susceptible to all diseases and pests that can also affect tomatoes. Interestingly, pests such as aphids and spider mites in particular prefer eggplants above all others Plants in greenhouses, so some nurseries use them as a kind of trapping plant for pest control will. As soon as the aubergines are infested, this is a sign that the entire stock should be treated as a precaution. The following diseases are common on eggplants:

• aphids (Aphidoidea): In severe infestations, they lead to deformed and curled leaves and shoot tips.
• spider mites (Tetranychidae): The sap-sucking arachnids lead to characteristic, punctiform brightening and small webs on the plants.
• white bow tie (Aleyrodidae): The adult, white animals of the leaf sap-sucking whitefly are often the first to catch the eye, as they fly up when the plant moves.
• Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa ​​decemlineata): The larvae of the potato beetle can devour an aubergine plant down to the leaf skeleton in a very short time.
• gray mold (Botrytis cinerea): fungal disease, which likes to infect on injuries in warm and humid weather and on weak plants and flowers as well as fruits. First, brown spots form, which are later covered by a gray layer of fungus.
• Fungal wilt: Fungal disease, such as by verticillium or Fusarium oxysporum, with the lower leaves turning yellow first and then the entire plants withering. The channels for water and nutrients are discolored brown.

You can also read about the fight against and prevention of these diseases in our article Protect tomatoes from diseases. The tips there also apply to aubergines.

Propagation: win eggplant seeds

To propagate eggplants from seeds, you can get them yourself. True-to-variety propagation is possible with all non-hybrid, seed-solid varieties. Aubergines are mostly self-pollinating - shaking the open flowers gently in the morning helps. Now it's time to wait until the fruits and seeds inside have ripened. For this, the eggplants have to stay hanging much longer than for use in the kitchen, often until just before the end of the season. A sure sign that the seeds are well ripened is the renewed color change of many fruits of the "harvest color" to the ripe color, such as white to yellow, violet to brown-violet, or yellowish-green Orange red. The shell becomes tough and firm. The seeds inside are then already brown in color, have a hard shell and can be removed from the pulp with a knife. The aubergine seeds should now be washed and dried at room temperature. They can germinate well for about 4 years if they are kept in a dry, cool and dark place. After collecting the seeds, it is time to sow the eggplant. In our article plant eggplant learn everything about cultivating the seeds and planting them out.