Home gardeners often choose eggplants as one of their crops for summer growing because of its versatility in recipes. Eggplants need a long, warm growing season with at least 7 hours of sunlight and temperatures between 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit stunt the growth of eggplants, according to the University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of Tropical Plant & Soil Sciences. Eggplants require moderate amounts of fertilizer to provide the nutrients to produce their heavy fruit.
Vegetables often require moderate to generous amounts of fertilizer to produce their fruit. Granular fertilizers are often inexpensive but require working into the soil and watering after application to get the nutrients to the roots of plants. Liquid fertilizers are more expensive, but more convenient, only requiring diluting and application. In addition, gardeners can choose from synthetic or organic fertilizers. Synthetic fertilizers are made from chemical compounds processed to make the plant nutrients. Organic fertilizers contain natural fertilizing ingredients with less processing. Generally, both types of fertilizers provide the same nutrients. Synthetic fertilizers provide nutrients faster, but may have negative effects on the environment. Always use fertilizers as directed on the packaging and never use more than recommended for your type of crop.
Fertilizing the soil before planting helps to give the transplants a good start. An organic fertilizer such as dried chicken dung or any other type of manure makes a good fertilizer for starting your eggplants. Manure fertilizers are processed so that there is no odor that can emanate from your garden. If you prefer, use a balanced fertilizer such as a 10-10-10 formula, working the fertilizer into the soil thoroughly.
Side Dressing Fertilizer
As the fruit grows, it will need regular replenishment of nutrients in the soil. This fertilizer is usually supplied through side dressing, a process of digging a 6-inch trench around each plant and applying a fertilizer to it to keep nutrients available to the plant on an as-needed basis. A good-quality 10-20-20 fertilizer is used for this purpose, which contains twice as much phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen. These nutrients assist in fruit production and nutrient uptake. Side dressing fertilizer does not require working into the soil, according to the North Carolina State University Department of Horticultural Science. Simply cover the fertilizer with a light layer of soil and allow it to do its work.
Vegetables grown in containers require additional fertilizing because of the limited amounts of soil and the flow of water out of the container. These conditions make more frequent additions of fertilizer necessary to provide nutrients for the growing fruit. A soluble 15-30-15 or 20-20-20 fertilizer applied once every 1 or 2 weeks will help to provide nutrients for good fruit production.
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