Product Details
Shaped like giant black teardrops, the gleaming, dark fruits of Eggplant ‘Aswad’ arrive in abundance all summer long. The meaty, weighty (up to 3 lbs), plump fruits have a mild, sweet flavor, and the tender flesh is excellent for grilling and baking. Plants can take the summer heat, and they produce well even when potted in containers.
Our stocky seedlings are grown and shipped in 1 pint pots, so the plants you receive have strong, well-developed root systems.
For more information on growing and care, click Growing Guide.
Shipping
HOW PLANTS ARE SHIPPED
The size of the plants we ship has been selected to reduce the shock of transplanting. For some, this means a large, bareroot crown. Others cannot travel bareroot or transplant best if grown in containers. We ship these perennials and annuals in 1 pint pots, except as noted. We must point out that many perennials will not bloom the first year after planting, but will the following year, amply rewarding your patience. We ship bulbs as dormant, bare bulbs, sometimes with some wood shavings or moss. Shrubs, Roses, vines, and other woody plants may be shipped bareroot or in pots. The size of the pot is noted in the quick facts for each item.
WHEN WE SHIP
We ship our bulbs and plants at the right time for planting in your area, except as noted, with orders dispatched on a first-come, first-served basis by climate zone. We also ship a wide range of containers and planters, tools, supplies, fertilizers, garden wear, garden decor items, as well as indoor decorations like wreaths and dried bouquets when available. Estimated dates for shipping are indicated in the green Shipping Details box for each item. Please supply a street address for delivery. Kindly contact us with two weeks notice, if you'll be away at the expected time of delivery.
OUR GUARANTEE
We guarantee to ship plants that are in prime condition for growing. If your order is damaged or fails to meet your expectations, we will cheerfully replace or refund it. Please contact our Customer Service Department at 1-800-503-9624 or email us at [email protected]. Please include your order number or customer number when contacting us.
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Growing guide
Care of Plants On Arrival
Your plants have just spent up to 3 days without light or water and may have yellow leaves or show evidence of wilting. Through years of shipping experience, we have found that more than 98% of these plants will survive and thrive if you follow the simple care instructions below.
Please take your plants out of the shipping box as soon after their arrival as possible, taking care not to damage any stems or leaves as you free the plants from the cardboard packaging.
If the soil is dry, water gently but thoroughly from above or set the pot in a saucer of water for an hour or so—just long enough for the soil in the pot to become thoroughly moist, but not soggy.
Place your plants in bright but indirect light indoors or, if temperatures permit, outdoors in the shade, sheltered from the wind. Don't put your plants in full sun right away because their leaves are tender after the trip and could be burned (sunscalded) or fall off if exposed to too much sun too soon. Allow your plants to adjust gradually over the next few days to increasing amounts of sunlight.
We've tried to time the shipping of our young plants so that they arrive at or near the frost-free date in your climate zone. If, however, the weather is still raw and a frost seems likely, transplant your plants into larger pots, taking them outside during the day when the weather is mild and bringing them in whenever frost or blustery cold weather threatens. Young plants are more tender than mature plants, and even if the last spring frost is already past, near-freezing temperatures and cold spring winds are capable of killing your new plants. Expose your young plants to outdoor conditions gradually, giving them a chance to harden off before they're planted out. When the weather does settle and both days and nights become reliably mild (night-time temperatures should remain above 50°F), then it's time for planting out.
Planting Out
When the weather is warm and settled, choose a planting location in full sun with rich, fertile soil and good drainage. To reduce soil-borne diseases, plant eggplant where you haven't grown them in the past 3 years. Dig a hole that will generously accommodate the plant's root ball, and mix compost or aged manure and a handful of low-nitrogen, organic fertilizer into the planting hole. If the weather is hot and sunny, plant in the cool of morning or wait until late afternoon to minimize stress. Recommended spacing between plants is indicated on the White Flower Farm label.
To remove a plant from its pot, flip the pot over, tap on its bottom, and slip the plant out. Do not pull the plant out by its stem. Loosen the root ball and tease the roots apart if they are matted or tangled. Set vegetable starts into their holes so that the tops of the root balls are level with or just slightly below the surrounding soil.
Push soil back into each planting hole and firm the soil around each plant to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly to further settle the soil. Keep the soil around the plants moist but not soggy and provide shade (with row cover, cardboard, or lath) for the first few days. Transplant shock is not uncommon, but within a week or less the plants' roots will regain their ability to provide moisture to the foliage. Remove shading once plants perk up.
Continuing Care
If rain is scarce, water your vegetable plants deeply and regularly (weekly, or more often in hot, dry weather).
Fertilize your eggplant 3 weeks after transplanting with an all-purpose fertilizer. Add an organic mulch once soil has completely warmed up, about 4 weeks after transplanting, to help soil retain moisture.
To encourage earlier fruits in northern gardens, prune the bottom 3 or 4 suckers that form between the main stem and existing branches about 4 weeks after transplanting. Long-fruited eggplant varieties can be staked like tomatoes to keep the fruits straight. Keep fruits picked to ensure continuous production. Cut fruits off with scissors, rather than pulling.