Vegetables belonging to the nightshade family include tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant, apple and tomato and pepino.They are mainly grown from seedlings, because their thermal requirements are quite high.These vegetables have a relatively long growing season and high water and nutritional requirements.
Eggplant Solanum melongena L. (eggplant) is more and more frequently used on our tables, although it is not yet so common in amateur cultivation.Initially, also in Poland, it was treated as an ornamental plant, because its flowers and fruits have interesting colors and shapes. The most common variety is 'Epic F1', suitable both for field cultivation and under cover.
Its fruits have an intense dark purple color and a pear-shaped shape.They contain mineral s alts, especially potassium, calcium, iron and phosphorus, and also lower the blood cholesterol content and have a beneficial effect on the system blood.The seedling production period is around 8-10 weeks, and the planting date is in the second half of May.
A more exotic vegetable is pepino Solanum muricatum L., the fruit of which can be eaten raw or stewed or fried.Its sweet taste, similar to a melon, and its intense aroma make its fruit an ingredient of fruit salads.Pepino is a perennial in a warm climate, but in Poland it is an annual plant. It can be propagated from both seeds and herbaceous cuttings.
Plants grown in pots can be attempted to winter in a bright room, rarely watering. In early spring, pepino should be trimmed. You can get herbaceous cuttings from some of the shoots - they will take root after about a month and start flowering after about three months.
