Berenjena
| Name: | Berenjena | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Botanical Name: | Solanun melongena | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Family: | Solanáceas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Calendar: Clima suave
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Discover sustainable practices, responsible cultivation techniques, and tips to maximize the yield of your crops. Cultivate a more circular and tasty future!
| Name: | Berenjena | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Botanical Name: | Solanun melongena | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Family: | Solanáceas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Calendar: Clima suave
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Eggplant varieties can be classified into several groups based on their morphological traits such as color, shape and size. Here are some of the most common groups:
Round eggplants: They are rounded eggplants with a flatter shape than the rest. They are quite productive varieties and normally have an average weight of 300-400 grams. Some varieties within this category are the Bonica Eggplant (Catalonia), Rondona or Black Beauty.
Elongated eggplants: These types of varieties differ very well from the rest because they are thin and elongated eggplants. They are usually purple in color and have an average weight between 200-300 grams. Some of the best-known varieties of this type of eggplant are: Mirabelle Eggplant, Helena Eggplant, Mileda Eggplant or Viserba Eggplant.
Striped eggplants: These are fruits with an intermediate length and colors that range from white to violet tones. Some of the most popular varieties in this group are: Cristal, Cava, Cintia, Diva, Ecavi, Fabiola, Paula, Monarca, Rima, Shakira, etc.
Other varieties of eggplant: There are many other varieties of eggplant, including the Sicilian, Italian, white types such as Albino and White Beaty, and Indian varieties, small, a few centimeters long and of an intense purple color.
There are countless varieties: round, elongated, ovoid, intense black, lilac-white, striped, etc.
They are very demanding and exhaust the soil. Rotations should be between three and four years and it is better to grow it alone, although it does not go badly with potatoes and low-growing beans.
They are very demanding and exhaust the soil. Rotations should be between three and four years and it is better to grow it alone, although it does not go badly with potatoes and low-growing beans.
It needs a lot of light and heat, preferably to grow in temperate or warm areas. In cold areas it can be grown in a greenhouse, but avoiding excess humidity as it prevents the flowers from setting and they are very sensitive to fungi.
They need soils rich in humus, loose and deep, that maintain a constant level of humidity.
Planting eggplants is a process that requires attention to several details.
Planting time: Eggplants are planted at the end of winter in seedbeds. After about three months, when they have reached a larger size, the eggplants can be planted in rows. Two months later the first fruits can be harvested.
Soil preparation: It is very important to properly prepare the soil. Eggplant is very demanding when it comes to soil nutrients. Therefore, it is vital to properly loosen the soil and enrich it with abundant organic matter, such as compost or worm castings.
Sowing seeds: Eggplant seeds are sown shallowly, covered with substrate and watered abundantly.
Seed care for germination: Keep the soil moist during the first weeks, although always without flooding, and place the seedbeds in a warm room at least 12 or 13ºC.
Space between plants: As these plants end up taking up a lot of space widthwise, it is very important that we leave a distance of about sixty centimeters between them, and eighty centimeters between the lines of the plantation.
Aftercare: Once the plants have reached a height of half a meter or more, the best thing we can do is place some guides to prevent them from getting stuck to the ground and ending up having humidity problems. Another trick to improve the cultivation of eggplants is to thin the plant. If we eliminate the lower and inner leaves, the plant will have better ventilation and more light, which will help its proper development.
Small plants are replicated from the seedbed to pots to root and strengthen before transplanting them into the ground. It is done starting in May, when the risk of frost disappears. The size is between 12 and 16 cm and the planting frame is 40X50 in cold areas and 60X70 in warm areas.
Watering: They need abundant and regular watering. If the soil dries out, the development of the fruits is paralyzed.
Hilling up: Hilling up eggplants is a process that is carried out 15-20 days after transplanting when the aim is to provide organic matter (manure, worm castings, etc.), covering the lower part of the plant with sand to protect it from contact with organic matter.
Integrated Pest Management Guide (IPM) Solanaceae; NIPO:003-21-104-9 linea; ISBN:978-84-491-1579-0 (mapa.gob.es)
The fruits must be harvested before maturity, when, having reached sufficient volume, they are still shiny. When they lose their shine, it is too late because they have matured, the seeds have hardened and acquired a bitter taste. The fruits are cut with scissors, with a 2 or 3 cm peduncle.
It can be harvested from July until the arrival of intense cold. In times of good weather, weekly fruit collection may be sufficient.
Eggplants are very perishable vegetables, so their correct storage is crucial to keep them in good condition. Here are some tips on how to store eggplants:
Temperature: The perfect temperature to preserve eggplants is between 10º and 13ºC.
Ethylene-producing fruits: Keep eggplants as far as possible from ethylene-producing fruits, such as melons, bananas, avocados, apples, and nectarines, among others. Storing eggplants near ethylene-producing fruits can reduce their shelf life by a couple of days.
Long-term storage: To preserve eggplants for longer, you can use the freezing and dehydrating process.
