HOURS:
Mon to Fri 8am - 6pm
Fri & Sat 8am - 8pm
Sun 8am - 7pm
LOCATION:
8546 Sun Valley Road
Anytown, USA  12345
CONTACT:
phone: 261.788.5500
fax: 261.787.0463
e-mail: info@successgc.com
UP AND COMING
Deer-Resistant Gardening
Master Gardener Dorothy Dupage shares her experiences creating a truly deer-resistant garden in this month's popular 'Garden Talk' installment...
VIEW

Plant Finder

vegetable

Meatball Eggplant

Solanum melongena 'Meatball'

Add To My Wish List

Meatball Eggplant (Solanum melongena 'Meatball') at A Very Successful Garden Center

Meatball Eggplant fruit

Meatball Eggplant fruit

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  32 inches

Spacing:  32 inches

Sunlight:  full sun 

Hardiness Zone:  (annual)

Description:

An easy to grow variety great for gardens and containers; large, round-oval shaped eggplants are deep purple in color and are dense, moist and flavorful; a versatile choice, lending itself to many dishes, from appetizers and entrees to dips and sauces

Edible Qualities

Meatball Eggplant is an annual vegetable plant that is commonly grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. It produces deep purple oval eggplants (which are technically 'berries') with creamy white flesh which are typically harvested when mature. The eggplants have a delicious taste and a firm texture.

The eggplants are most often used in the following ways:

  • Eating When Cooked/Prepared
  • Cooking
  • Baking
  • Sauces

Planting & Growing

Meatball Eggplant will grow to be about 32 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 32 inches. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 32 inches apart. Because of its vigorous growth habit, it may require staking or supplemental support. This fast-growing vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.

This plant can be integrated into a landscape or flower garden by creative gardeners, but is usually grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant is a heavy feeder that requires frequent fertilizing throughout the growing season to perform at its best. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Meatball Eggplant is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Garden  Container 
Applications
Vegetable 
Ornamental Features