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Wanda Tineo is a well established Montvale, New Jersey professional with an extensive background in insurance and real estate. An avid gardener, Wanda Tineo enjoys growing flowers and vegetables in her free time.
Among the common spring plantings are eggplants, which originally came from India and spread throughout Southeast Asia before arriving in the Mediterranean region in the 8th century.
To ensure a healthy plant, begin eggplant seedlings in the greenhouse a couple of months before the expected last frost and transplant them to their own individual pots at a height of three inches. One way to prepare eggplants for outdoor planting is to gradually expose them to nighttime air once the temperatures exceed 50 degrees.
When the soil and outdoor air are in the 70 degree range, the seedlings can be transferred outdoors, with raised beds ideal for maximizing heat in early spring. Leave each plant abundant space, preferably three feet in all directions, and use compost to firm up the base.
Pull any weeds that crop up by hand. The eggplants can then be interplanted with lettuce or another fruiting plant. Pinch off the initial flowers when they emerge, as this will redirect plant energy toward the roots and leaves, and create a number of fruiting branches.
Wanda Tineo 