Eggplant Seedlings, Orient Express
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Solanum melongena
VARIETIES:
"Orient Express". The most dependable eggplant. High-yielding plants produce armloads of attractive, slender, and glossy fruits 8-10" long by 1 1/2-2 1/2" diameter. Ready up to 2 weeks before other early varieties and sets fruit in cool weather and under heat stress. Tender, delicately flavored, and quick cooking.
CULTURE:
Eggplants require fertile, well-drained soil with a pH range of 6.2-6.8. Transplant outdoors late spring or early summer once the weather has thoroughly settled. Eggplants are tender, and cold weather may weaken them. Space transplants 18" apart in rows 30-36" apart, or 2 rows on plastic mulch, 18-24" between plants. It is important to be mindful of over-fertility. Too much nitrogen often results in large, bushy plants that produce only one small set of fruit. Eggplants may be pruned and staked to keep the fruits straight.
