Best organic fertilizers for eggplant

Eggplants are a warm-weather crop and they need moist well drained fertile soil to grow well. They are heavy feeders and require regular fertilising to grow and give good yields. Organic fertilisers are slow-release fertilisers and they provide all the nutrients that eggplants require. During the initial growth stages, eggplants need fertilisers that have high levels of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous to grow well. During the yielding period, fertilisers having fewer nitrogen levels and more phosphorus levels are needed for the eggplant. Too much nitrogen encourages the growth of foliage.

Organic fertilisers for eggplant

1. Cottonseed meal

Cotton seed meal contains sufficient levels of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and other micronutrients which can help in promoting vegetative growth. They can be either added to the compost bin or directly added to the soil. You can add a cottonseed meal in one to two inches of soil. Adding it directly does not burn plant roots.

2. Seaweed

Seaweed is rich in nutrients that benefit the plant growth. It can be dried well and added to the plants. Dry the seaweed and grind it. You can then use it on your plants. It can also be used as a liquid fertiliser. You can soak 3 tablespoons of seaweed in 1 gallon of water for 3 to 4 days. You can then strain the liquid and use it on your plants.

3. Compost Manure

Animal Manure is high in nitrogen and contains phosphorous and potassium. It is one of the best organic fertilizers for eggplant. It cannot be added directly to the plant as it can burn the plant’s roots. Instead, it must be composted properly before it is used as a fertiliser. Chicken, Cow, Goat or horse manure can be as a fertiliser. When you make compost from kitchen scraps you can add animal manure. You can also use it as a liquid fertiliser for your eggplant. Soak the animal manure and dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:20. You can use this diluted liquid for your plants.

4. Neem Cake

Neem cake is a bio fertiliser that provides the necessary nutrients a plant needs. It also makes the plant more pest resistant. Neem cake can simply be crushed and mixed with the soil.

How to use fertiliser for your eggplant

If you are growing eggplants in raised beds, amend the soil with aged manure and let it sit for two weeks. After 2 weeks you can transplant your eggplant saplings and mulch them. You can fertilise your eggplants two times during the growing season.

If you are growing eggplants in containers make sure you feed them with liquid fertilisers once in 3 weeks as plants grown in containers deplete nutrients a lot faster. Find out how to grow eggplant from seeds in containers in this article.