Varieties
Black Magic Hybrid (73 days);
Jersey King Hybrid (75 days); Black Beauty (80 days). Long slender fruits: Ichlban (70 days); Slim Jim (75 days).
Description
Eggplant is a very tender
perennial plant w i t h large grayish-green hairy leaves. The star-shaped flowers are lavender w i t h yellow centers, and the long, slender or r o u n d , egg-shaped fruit is creamy-white, yellow, b r o w n , p u r p l e , or sometimes almost black. Eggplants w i l l grow t w o to six feet tall, depending on the variety. They belong to the solanaceous family, and are related to tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers, and were first cultivated in India.
Where and when to grow
Eggplant is very sensitive to cold and needs a g r o w i n g season w i t h day temperatures between 80°
and 90°F and night temperatures between 70° and 80°F. Don't plant eggplant seedlings until t w o to three weeks after y o u r
average date of last frost, or w h e n daytime temperatures reach 70°F.
How to plant
You can grow eggplant f r o m seed, but y o u ' l l wait 150 days for a harvest. It's easier to grow f r o m transplants, started inside about t w o months before your outside planting date. D o n ' t put your transplants into the garden until t w o or three weeks after the average date of last frost for your
area — eggplants w o n ' t be rushed, must have full sun. They'll grow and if you plant t h e m t o o early in almost any soil, but they do they w o n ' t develop. Eggplants better in rich soil that is high in
organic matter, w i t h excellent drainage. W h e n you're preparing the soil, dig in a complete, well-balanced
fertilizer at the rate of one p o u n d per 100 square feet or 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Set the plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 24 to 36 inches apart.
Fertilizing and watering Fertilize before planting and again at midseason, at the same rate as the rest of the garden.
Detailed information on fertilizing is given in " S p a d e w o r k : The Essential S o i l " in P a r t i .
Eggplants are very fussy about temperature and moisture and must be treated w i t h solicitude until they're well established. Try to maintain even soil moisture to ensure even g r o w t h ; eggplants are susceptible to root rot if there's t o o much moisture in the soil.
Special handling
If you live in an area where an unpredictable late frost may occur, provide protection at night until all danger of frost is past. In hot climates the soil temperature may become t o o warm for the roots; in this case, mulch the plants about a m o n t h after you set t h e m outside. Plants that are heavy w i t h fruit may need to be staked.
Pests
Eggplants are almost always attacked by one pest or another, so they're not the ideal crop for the organic gardener. The pests you're most likely to encounter are cutworms, aphids, flea beetles, Colorado potato bugs, spider mites, and tomato h o r n w o r m s .
Hand-pick h o r n w o r m s off the plants; control aphids and beetles by hand-picking or hosing t h e m off the plants and pinching out infested areas. Collars set around the plants at the time you transplant t h e m will discourage cutworms. Spider mites are difficult to control even w i t h the proper chemicals; spray the undersides of the foliage w i t h Diazinon before the populations get t o o large. Detailed
information on pest control is given in "Keeping Your Garden Healthy" i n P a r t i .
Diseases
Fungus and bacterial diseases may attack eggplants. Planting disease-resistant varieties w h e n possible and maintaining the general cleanliness and health of your garden will help lessen the incidence of disease. If a plant does become infected, remove it before it can spread disease to healthy plants. Protect the plants against soilborne diseases by rotating your crops and planting vegetables f r o m a different plant family in the eggplants' spot the f o l l o w i n g season. Detailed information on disease prevention is given in "Keeping Your
Garden Healthy" in Part 1.
When and how to harvest Time f r o m planting to harvest is 100 to 150 days f r o m seed, 70 to 85 days f r o m transplants. Harvest the fruit y o u n g , before the flesh becomes pithy. The fruit should be firm and shiny, not streaked w i t h b r o w n . The eggplant fruit is on a sturdy stem that does not break easily f r o m the plant; cut it off w i t h a sharp knife instead of expecting it to fall into your hand.
Storing and preserving
W h o l e eggplant w i l l store up to one week at 50°F; d o n ' t refrigerate it. You can also freeze or dry it.
Detailed information on storing and preserving is given in Part 3.
Serving suggestions
Eggplant is very versatile and combines happily w i t h all kinds of other foods — cheese,
tomatoes, o n i o n s , and meats all lend distinction to its flavor. The French use it in a vegetable stew called ratatouille, w i t h
tomatoes, o n i o n s , peppers, garlic, and herbs. Ratatouille is a good hot side dish or can be served cold as a salad. Eggplant is also a key ingredient of the Greek moussaka, layered w i t h g r o u n d meat and t o p p e d w i t h a bechamel sauce. Or coat slices in egg and
breadcrumbs and deep-fry t h e m . To remove excess moisture f r o m eggplant slices before y o u
Full Heart Batavian (90 days) has
smooth leaves. Salad King (98days) has curled leaves.
Description
Endive is a half-hardy biennial grown as an annual, and it has a large rosette of t o o t h e d curled or wavy leaves that are used in salads as a substitute for lettuce.
Endive is often k n o w n as escarole, and they're varieties of the same plant; escarole has broader leaves.
Endive should not be confused w i t h Belgian endive, w h i c h is the y o u n g blanched sprout of the chicory plant. Both endive and chicory, however, belong to the genus C i c h o r i u m .
Where and when to grow Like lettuce, endive is a cool-season c r o p , although it's more tolerant of heat than lettuce.
G r o w it from seed planted in your garden four to six weeks before your average date of last frost.
Long, hot summer days will force the plants to bolt and go to seed. If your area has a short, hot g r o w i n g season, start endive f r o m seed indoors and transplant it as soon as possible so that the plants w i l l mature before the weather gets really hot. Sow succession crops, beginning in midsummer. In a mild-winter climate, you can grow spring, fall, and winter crops.
How to plant
Endive needs w e l l - w o r k e d soil w i t h g o o d drainage and moisture retention. W h e n you're
preparing the soil, dig in a complete, well-balanced
fertilizer at the rate of one p o u n d per 100 square feet or 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet. If you're using transplants, start them
f r o m seed eight to 10 weeks before the average date of last frost in your area. If you're direct-seeding endive in the garden, sow seeds a quarter inch deep in wide rows 18 to 24 inches apart, and w h e n the seedlings are large enough to handle, thin them to nine to 12 inches apart. T h i n n i n g is important because the plants may bolt if they're c r o w d e d . Plant transplants nine to 12 inches apart in rows 18 to 24 inches apart.
Fertilizing and watering Fertilize before planting and again at midseason, at the same rate as the rest of the garden.
Detailed information on fertilizing is given in "Spadework: The Essential S o i l " in P a r t i .
Water regularly to keep the plants g r o w i n g quickly; lack of water will slow g r o w t h and cause the leaves to become bitter.
Special handling
Endive tastes better in salads if you blanch it to remove some of the bitter flavor. Blanching deprives the plants of sunlight and
discourages the p r o d u c t i o n of c h l o r o p h y l l . Blanch t w o to three weeks before you're ready to harvest the plants. You can do this in several ways: Tie string
around the leaves to hold them together; lay a board on supports over the r o w ; or put a f l o w e r p o t over each plant. If you tie the endive plants, do it w h e n they're dry; the inner leaves may rot if the plants are tied up while the insides are wet.
Pests
C u t w o r m s , slugs, and snails can be troublesome. You may also have to deal w i t h aphids. Put a collar around each plant to discourage cutworms, and trap slugs and snails w i t h a saucer of stale beer set flush to the soil. To control aphids, pinch out infested foilage, or hose the aphids off the plants. You can also spray them w i t h Malathion or Diazinon, taking care to spray the undersides of the leaves. Detailed
information on pest control is given in "Keeping Your Garden Healthy" in P a r t i .
Diseases
Endive has no serious disease problems.
When and how to harvest Time f r o m planting to harvest is 90 to 100 days f r o m seed. To harvest, cut off the plant at soil level.
Storing and preserving Like lettuce, endive can be stored for up to t w o weeks in the refrigerator, but you can't freeze, can, or dry it. Share your harvest w i t h friends. Detailed
information on short-term storage is given in Part 3.
Serving suggestions
Chill endive and serve it w i t h an oil-and-vinegar dressing; add chunks of blue cheese or croutons. Mix it w i t h other salad greens to add a distinctive
flavor. The French use endive in a salad w i t h heated slices of mild sausage, diced bacon, and croutons.
Few varieties are available.
C r o w the variety available in your area.
Description
Florence fennel or finocchio is the same as the c o m m o n or sweet fennel that is grown for use as a herb. The leaves and seeds of both are used the same way for
seasoning, but Florence fennel is grown primarily for its bulbous base and leaf stalks, w h i c h are used as vegetables. Florence fennel is a member of the parsley
family. It's a stocky perennial grown as an annual, and looks rather like celery w i t h very feathery leaves. The plant grows four to five feet tall and has small, golden flowers, w h i c h appear in flat-topped clusters f r o m July to September. The w h o l e plant has an anise flavor.
Where and when to grow Fennel will grow anywhere in the United States. It tolerates both heat and c o l d , but should
mature in cold weather. Grow it f r o m seed sown t w o to three weeks before your average date of
last frost.
How to plant
Fennel needs well-drained soil that's high in organic matter.
W h e n you're preparing the soil for planting, w o r k in a complete, well-balanced fertilizer at the
rate of one p o u n d per 100 square feet or 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet.
Plant the seeds a quarter of an inch deep, in rows t w o to three feet apart, in full sun. W h e n the seedlings are g r o w i n g strongly, thin them to stand 12 inches apart.
Fertilizing and watering Fertilize before planting and again at midseason, at the same rate as the rest of the garden.
Detailed information on fertilizing is given in "Spadework: The Essential S o i l " in P a r t i .
Keep fennel on the dry side.
Special handling
Fennel plants grow four to five feet tall; you may need to stake them if they are becoming