growing eggplant in a greenhouse

[Heidi S]

I am experimenting with growing eggplants in my greenhouse - in wooden box containers. The plants are developing yellowish leaves with spots, and I am not sure if this is an indication of trouble. I know eggplants like heat, which we currently have during the day, but the temp still drops down to 10-12 degrees at night (I close the greenhouse doors). They are not blooming yet either.

Any suggestions?
Thanks!

[Mervyn]

Did some googling and found this website

http://harvesttotable.com/2009/06/eggpl ... eshooting/

Could be any number of things... are all the leaves discoloured ? or just the bottom leaves ?

[CdnChelsea]

I'm hoping this little bit of information will help you:

Egglant has a voracious appetite for nutrients, so it is advisable to feed it several times during the summer. A healthy dose of fish emulsion or manure tea would help. To make manure tea, just fill a cloth bag with some rich manure or compost and leave it soaking in a bucket of water for a few days. Pour the juice on heavily and watch those eggs go.

Despite its reputation as being tender, eggplant contracts very few diseases. Photopsis blight (or fruit rot) once was a great problem, but most new varieties are resistant to it. You'll be able to recognize a phomopsis invasion right away because along with spotting leaves and fruits, it attacks the stems near the ground, causing the plant to fall over.

[Heidi S]

OK could be lack of nutrients - te soil was fresh with lots of compost and manure, but that was 2 months ago. I have also side dressed with a balanced veggie fertilizer a few weeks ago. I don't have any compost ready to make tea (emptied all that was ready in the spring) but I do have a bag of composted mushroom manure, would that work to make tea?

[CdnChelsea]

Composted mushroom manure tea should work.

Good luck!

[Heidi S]

5 gal bucket soaking now. I found an old 'delicates' mesh laundry bag in the basement and filled it with the compost - so in it goes.

How many days do I soak it?

Thanks

[CdnChelsea]

A few days should suffice, Heidi.