Thursday, February 23, 2012

My Egglants are Turning Yellow


I was ecstatic to know that I could be growing another variety of eggplant coz mine was starting to turn yellow. 


Although, I did have some hunches of why it was doing so. I planted 4 eggplants in one pot and I added a different kind of soil a month ago. Maybe that was contributing to this phenomenon. So I did further research and these are the things I found out:



Type
According to Allrecipes.com, some types of eggplant are naturally yellow when they mature. The African eggplant is one of these; it looks like a small pumpkin and may be yellow, green or purple. (I think my eggplants are not this kind. They were supposed to be the Black Beauty type, then the pot with too many eggplants in it started producing yellowish fruits.) 

Maturity
Eggplants that are white or purple-and-white striped can turn yellow as a sign of over-ripeness. A pale yellow color denotes readiness but, according to Recipetips.com, golden yellow means the fruit is too ripe. (I don't think my eggplants are overripe either. They feel firm and when I cut them, they look normal.)

Prevention/Solution
If you never want to see a yellow eggplant, plant purple varieties. Watch white or pale-colored eggplants carefully and pick them before they begin to yellow. (But then they would be too small. I was waiting for them to grow bigger like before. I picked the small ones anyway although I left some in my vegetable garden which I am waiting to grow even if they turn yellow just so I'll know for sure.)

Tip
It's hard to tell when an eggplant is ready to be picked. The University of Illinois suggests holding the eggplant in your palm and pressing it with your thumb; if the flesh presses in without bouncing back, pick the eggplant. (All my eggplants were firm and shiny upon harvesting. So I guess that's good.)  

Warning
If the eggplant leaves, stems or flowers begin to turn yellow, this indicates your eggplant has some type of plant disease. Verticulum wilt is the most likely candidate to cause yellowing, according to Ohio State University. (Mmm... maybe... I may have added the wrong kind of soil, the temperature is not constant like sometimes it would rain all day and other times it would be too hot.)

Read more: Why Is the Fruit of My Eggplant Turning Yellow? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_6330591_fruit-eggplant-turning-yellow_.html#ixzz1nATFLo2R


So anyway, that's that. I don't want to do this planting thing all over again. So as long as I can eat my eggplants, I guess it's fine.

To know more about how to plant eggplants, head to this post: How to Grow Eggplants 

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