The Spaniards of the 16th century called eggplants berengenas, or "apples of love". The botanists of northern Europe of the same period called the species Mala insana, or "mad apple," because they thought that eating eggplant would drive a person to madness. Medieval Europe swore that eggplant made an an excellent aphrodisiac.
Eggplants are grown as perennials in hot climates and as annuals in colder climates. They have a long growing season and need hot days and warm nights. Growing eggplants is easier in warm climates, northern gardeners often have to use some tricks to get the plants to produce a crop (or even a fruit).
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Articles & Papers
The Farm & Garden library contains the following articles and papers on the subject of eggplant:
- Growing Eggplant by Farm & Garden
- Search for more
Forum Discussions
The Farm & Garden Forums are a great resource for getting answers to your questions about how to start, grow, water, harvest, and prepare eggplant. Here are a few select discussions:
- growing eggplant by Joan
- Tiny little flying bugs eating my arugala and eggplant leaves by anncasale
- how do I pollinate eggplant by hand? by njdvljim
- What Heirlooms are You growing? by ohiorganic
- Will my eggplant keep growing after harvest? by kwr
- Eggplant with no fruits? by Scottevens
- all discussions involving eggplant
Eggplant Seeds
Here are a few sources of eggplant seeds to get you started.
Tools, Equipment, and Supplies
Sometimes the right tool or the right gadget can make your task much easier and your time in the garden more productive. Here's a list of tools and equipment suppliers that may have what you're looking for.
- Gardener's Supply Company
- Thompson & Morgan
- GEMPLER'S Online Store
- Gardening tools from Amazon
- Irrigation supplies from Amazon
- Seeders from Amazon
- Garden Carts from Amazon
- Row covers from Amazon
- Greenhouses from Amazon
Books
Here are some books we found that might help you with your eggplant.
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