2.69  Eggplant - Rosa Bianca  Organic

Vegetable

 

Solanum Melongena

 

This Italian heirloom eggplant is almost too pretty to eat! The round teardrop-shaped fruit has lavender-rose skin with white streaks, and the flesh has incredible taste. With its delicate flavor and meaty texture, it is the perfect eggplant for stuffing, making eggplant parmesan, or any recipe that calls for eggplant - it is a favorite of gourmet chefs! You will also enjoy the beauty of the lavender blossoms before they turn into fruit. This packet plants 28 plants after thinning.

 

When to plant outside: Spring, after average last frost and when soil temperatures are at least 55 degrees F. Outdoor temperatures should be at least 55 degrees at night. Some gardeners plant eggplant when “the oak leaves are fully developed”. The early season use of black plastic as mulch is highly recommended to increase the soil temperature, but make sure it is taken off later in the season.

 

When to start inside: RECOMMENDED. 8-12 weeks before the average last frost. To germinate quickly, seed requires VERY warm soil temperatures, between 80 and 90 degrees F. Either use a heating cable or cover the seed tray with a plastic bag to contain warmth. Transplant seedlings outside 1 to 2 weeks after last frost.