Named for Ping Tung, Taiwan, the town of its origin. The fruits are light purple, from 30-45cm (12-18”) long, and only 3cm (1¼”) in diameter. Hardy, disease resistant plants bear heavy yields of sweet and tender fruits — as many as twenty per plant. Be sure to stake the bushy plants for the straightest fruits. Eggplants thrive in containers, but the trick is to keep the soil evenly moist, particularly during the hot weather of mid-summer, when the plants are most productive. The plants work equally well in the open field, but benefit from full sun and some protection from harsh wind.
How To Grow, Timing: Sow indoors in the four weeks following the last frost date. Use bottom heat, and keep seedlings warm. Optimal soil temperature: 24-32°C. Seeds should sprout in 7-12 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow seeds 5mm-1cm deep. Use individual peat or coir pots to reduce root disturbance when transplanting. Transplant after night time temperatures are steadily 10°C or warmer. Space with 45-60cm between plants. Medium size (3-5 gallon) containers for individual plants also work well.
How To Grow, Growing: Ideal pH: 5.5-6.0. Soil should have abundant phosphorus and calcium, so add lime and compost to the soil three weeks prior to transplanting. Mix ¼-½ cup of complete organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant. Using a clear plastic cloche or floating row cover helps growth by increasing heat. Cool temperatures increase leafy growth, but delay fruit set. Once most eggplants get going in the summer, they are highly productive right up until the first frosts.
How To Grow, Harvest: Pinch off blossoms 2 to 4 weeks before first expected frost so that plants focus on ripening any existing fruit, not producing new ones. Harvest the fruit anytime after the fruit reaches half of their size. Harvesting early prevents fruit from becoming too seedy, and will encourage more production from the plants.
Do not pull the fruit off the plant, but cut it with scissors or secateurs, being careful to avoid any sharp spurs at the stem end.
Matures in 65-90 days.
Approx: 70 seeds
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