{"product_id":"60-graines-daubergine-black-beauty-legume-jardin-potager-semences-paysannes","title":"60 Black Beauty Eggplant Seeds (Solanum melongena)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSolanum melongena\u003c\/em\u003e “Black Beauty”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlack Beauty eggplant, aubergine, brinjal: this American variety from the early 20th century has become the benchmark for black eggplants—the one that shaped the very image of the vegetable in our minds. Early and productive, it produces deep, glossy black fruits renowned for their good storage life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCharacteristics:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGlossy black fruits:\u003c\/strong\u003e approximately 13 cm long, with firm, slightly bitter flesh.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEarly variety:\u003c\/strong\u003e it produces early and abundantly, an asset in our climate.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSuitable for growing in pots:\u003c\/strong\u003e it adapts well to balconies and patios when grown in a large container.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrecautions:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLike all nightshades, its foliage and immature fruits contain solanine and must not be eaten. Only fully formed, glossy fruits are edible, and they must always be cooked.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrost-tender and sensitive to cold: it suffers as soon as nighttime temperatures fall below 12 °C.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSowing advice:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e warm, sunny, and sheltered from the wind.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e very rich in humus, deep, moist, and well drained. This is an extremely hungry plant: a generous supply of well-rotted compost is crucial for fruit production. It does not tolerate standing water.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMethod:\u003c\/strong\u003e sow indoors in pots from February onward, at \u003cstrong\u003e24-26 °C\u003c\/strong\u003e—this is the critical point, as eggplant germinates poorly below 20 °C and is much more demanding than tomatoes in this respect. Plant outdoors only from May onward, once all risk of frost has passed. See \u003ca href=\"\/fi-intl\/blogs\/le-coin-des-graines\/comment-semer-graines-coton-godet-terre\"\u003ehow to sow your seeds\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlanting advice:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTransplant after the frosts, spacing plants 60 cm apart, and provide a stake: fruit-laden stems bend easily.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare advice:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWater regularly at the base to keep the soil moist, without wetting the foliage. Mulch generously.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTip: in our climate, limit each plant to 5 or 6 fruits by pinching out the stem above the last one. You will get eggplants that actually ripen, rather than a dozen underdeveloped fruits.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHarvesting advice:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHarvest when the skin is deep black and \u003cstrong\u003eglossy\u003c\/strong\u003e. As soon as it turns dull, the fruit is overripe: its flesh will then be bitter and full of hard seeds.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBeneficial companion plants:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt benefits from growing near beans, which fix the nitrogen it needs in abundance, and \u003ca href=\"\/fi-intl\/products\/150-graines-d-oeillets-dinde-fleurs-amis-jardins-potager-semences-paysannes\"\u003emarigolds\u003c\/a\u003e, which help limit nematodes. Avoid growing it after tomatoes or potatoes. See \u003ca href=\"\/fi-intl\/blogs\/le-coin-des-graines\/associations-legumes-potager\"\u003ecompanion planting in the vegetable garden\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits for biodiversity:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIts purple flowers require buzz pollination: bumblebees, which can vibrate their muscles at high frequency, do the work. Honeybees are unable to do this.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWelcoming bumblebees into the garden therefore directly improves your eggplant harvest.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUses:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoasted in the oven, in ratatouille, moussaka, eggplant caviar, or grilled. Always cooked, never raw.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSaving your own seeds:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeave one fruit well beyond the eating stage, until it turns yellow and becomes wrinkled. Then remove the seeds, rinse them, and dry them. As eggplant is mostly self-pollinating, cross-pollination is limited. See \u003ca href=\"\/fi-intl\/blogs\/le-coin-des-graines\/conserver-ses-graines\"\u003ehow to save your seeds\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOur commitment to Quality:\u003c\/strong\u003e at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose reproducible, non-hybrid varieties, test them for germination rates, and carefully sort and package them without any chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe great classic of the Mediterranean vegetable garden, early and generous.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SemiSauvage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48865931133261,"sku":"3760335360039","price":4.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0826\/1658\/2477\/files\/aubergines-black-beauty-sur-fond-blanc.png?v=1722450654","url":"https:\/\/semisauvage.com\/fi-intl\/products\/60-graines-daubergine-black-beauty-legume-jardin-potager-semences-paysannes","provider":"SemiSauvage","version":"1.0","type":"link"}