Eggplants!

I've been so preoccupied with our front garden's vines (cypress vine, millionaire's vine) that I was surprised to find DH harvesting our eggplants at the back!


The seeds came from a neighbor, Mang Mario, when we stayed at our rented house. DH planted them there maybe October of 2008. When we transferred to our new house in December, DH brought along the seedlings. And I thought it would take eons for them to bear fruit!



Anyway, just a point of reference to their size, here's DH holding one of them. How to grow eggplants like this? It's a combination of fertilizing with fish emulsion and amending the soil with vermicompost.

Here's how you can make fish emulsion at home. Vermicompost is easy to make with homemade worm bins for vermicomposting.


One of the original plants became sickly though when its leaves started curling. It may have had something to do with the area where the plants were located which was near a composting area. DH moved all the other (still) healthy plants to a new spot and have since thrived.


Notice the pretty lavender blooms that turn into fruit!



Go ahead, post your comment below!

corrine said...

Hi! What do you put in your veggies to make them healthy? My okras are skinny. My eggplants seem okay but only has one flower. I don't like to put chemical fertilizer. What can I put kaya? Nice eggplants! I live in Paranaque and the soil here hardens after a while and termites can be a problem.

Blackdove said...

Our veggies mostly just get organic fertilizer via fish emulsion (which you can make) and horse manure and soil amendments like compost. If your soil hardens easily, you need to put in compost to condition it. Also, don't forget to till (cultivate) it, so it becomes friable.

Termites can be a problem if you or your neighbors have termite "magnets" like scrap wood and other cellulose materials (like stacks of books and newspapers) lying around.

corrine said...

Hi again! Is horse manure better than chicken manure? Truth be told, I prefer chicken manure, theoretically. I'm still looking where to buy one though. I have radishes starting to grown under the soil as in I can see the white portion already. My eggplants are rather thin. Hence, I think I'm in dire need of "pataba". Fish emulsion...is this different from fish washing? thanks again!!!

Blackdove said...

I'm not sure, but I think chicken manure has a higher nitrogen content, and I'm just guessing here.
Yes, fish emulsion creates microbes beneficial to the soil. Fish washing is okay, as I do that too.

If you make fish emulsion, it's quite economical to use. I use a spoonful for 2 gallons of water.

Anonymous said...

Hi again! Finally, I bought horse manure in FTI weekend market. It wasn't bad. No smell pala if it's dry na. hehe. I hope my veggies grow as well as yours. Forward-looking, I would like to go into aqua phonics. :)

Corrine said...

Hi again! Finally, I bought horse manure in FTI weekend market. It wasn't bad. No smell pala if it's dry na. hehe. I hope my veggies grow as well as yours. Forward-looking, I would like to go into aqua phonics. :)

Blackdove said...

I've never been there. How much did you get it?

Yes, you need to get the aged manure for fertilizing plants. It looks like clayish soil, doesn't smell and isn't bulky.

Corrine said...

P120 for something that seems to weigh a kilo. Not bad?

Blackdove said...

For a kilo? Isn't that expensive for just horse poop?