How to Grow Bambino Eggplant

Bambinos in Containers

• 1

  Choose a container large enough to allow the Bambino eggplant's root system to grow and spread. Bambino needs a pot at least 16 inches deep. The container should measure 12 to 14 inches across if only one Bambino is planted in it, and 20 inches across if two to three Bambino plants will grow there. Cover the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot with the landscape cloth or screen to keep the soil from running out when you water the plant.

• 2

  Fill the container with growing medium to within 1 inch of the container rim. Soilless potting mixtures are lightweight, offer good drainage and are ideal for growing Bambino eggplants. Place one seed, or up to three seeds, on top of the medium and cover with 1/4 inch of growing medium. Use the hand trowel to dig a small hole for seedlings as deep as the seedlings grew in their nursery pots and twice as wide. Place the seedling in the center of the hole and place the scooped-out medium around the seedling to hold it securely. Water the growing medium thoroughly.

• 3

  Place the container where it will receive full sun, but keep it indoors until the night temperatures are above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The plants can go outdoors in late spring, after all danger of frost has passed. Apply a timed-release fertilizer. Follow manufacturer's directions for proper application amounts and suggested intervals between feedings. Use a soluble, balanced fertilizer such as 20-20-20 once a week until the plant blooms, then use a fertilizer with high potassium such as 9-15-30.

• 4

  Water the Bambino eggplant regularly, keeping the growing medium moist but not wet. On hot, sunny days, the plant may need to be watered twice a day. Since containers provide less protection from the heat, consider moving the pot to a shaded area on hot afternoons.

Bambinos in the Garden

• 5

  Use the shovel to prepare the planting bed. Choose a site that receives full sun and has well-drained, fertile soil. Turn the soil and break up dirt clods. Rake out or remove rocks by hand and use the rake to smooth the surface of the soil. Pick out weeds and stray grasses with the rake, hand trowel or by hand.

• 6

  Start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before last frost or wait until all danger of frost has passed to sow the eggplant seeds directly into the garden. Plant the seeds 1/4 inch deep or plant seedlings 1.5 to 2 feet apart in rows 3 to 4 feet apart. Use the hand trowel to scoop out planting holes for seedlings no deeper than they were in their original nursery containers.

• 7

  Water the planting bed thoroughly. Monitor the bed daily to make sure the soil is not too dry. Bambino eggplants need moist soil that is not too wet. In general, eggplants need 1 inch of water per week. Soak the soil deeply, but keep the leaves dry to avoid diseases. Water the plants at ground level rather than overhead, or water early in the day so the foliage has time to dry completely before dark.

• 8

  Apply a slow-release fertilizer at planting time. Use a product high in phosphorous and follow label directions for application rates and timing.