Eggplant Feeding Guide – Learning how to fertilize eggplants

If you’re looking to get a better yield from eggplants, fertilizer can help. Plants use energy from the sun and nutrients from the soil for growth and food production. Some garden vegetables, such as peas and beans, need fewer added nutrients. Others, such as eggplants, are considered big eaters.

How to fertilize eggplants

Eggplants grow best in fertile, compost-rich soil in full sunlight. Feeding eggplants during growth and fruiting improves the overall health of the plant. Healthy plants produce larger fruit in quantity. Also, by growing certain varieties of eggplants, fertilizer can reduce bitterness caused by plant stress.
Many gardeners begin the growing season by incorporating fertilizer and manure into the garden soil before planting. This gives young eggplants a nutritional boost for a good start. The amount and type of fertilizer to be used can be determined by analyzing the garden soil.
Soil testing provides an NPK analysis, which tells gardeners how much nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium they need to balance and modify the soil in your garden. Plants use nitrogen for growth and chlorophyll construction. Phosphorus promotes the formation of new roots and is used in the production of flowers, fruits and seeds. Potassium contributes to stem strength, disease resistance and growth.
Regular feeding of eggplants during the growing season also helps these heavy eaters with fruit set and fruit production. Fertilizer (10-10-10) is often recommended for eggplants. Feeding too much nitrogen at this stage can lead to the development of large leafy plants which do not produce fruit.

Types of fertiliser for aubergines

Fertilizers can be chemically manufactured or come from natural sources such as plant materials, animal manure or minerals found in rocks.
Some gardeners prefer bagged fertilizers because the label indicates the company’s NPK rating. Manure, leaves, grass clippings and fertilizers can be obtained free of charge from your own yard or from neighbouring properties, but they are not subject to a guaranteed NPK analysis. This material can be tilled into the soil or used as mulch.
Powdered, granular or pelleted fertilizer can be applied as a side-dress fertilizer between rows or on the soil at the base of the lawn. Fertilizer applied in this way must be worked into the soil to avoid rainfall due to fertilizer splashes on the plant.
Since plants can absorb nutrients through their leaves, foliar feeding of aubergines is another method of fertilization. Eggplants with low yields are the best candidates. Use a commercially available liquid fertilizer designed for foliar feeding or make your own from diluted tea plants. Apply this liquid as a fine spray early in the morning when the temperature is cool.
Finally, if there is any doubt about how to fertilize eggplants, gardeners cannot go wrong by choosing a fertilizer-grade tomato. Like tomatoes, eggplants are members of the belladonna family and have similar nutritional requirements. Of course, feeding eggplants can be a problem – it can make you the envy of all your eggplant lovers.