Solanaceae Category Growing Guide

Eggplant
Depth to Plant Seeds: 1/4"
Seed Spacing: If growing in the ground, stagger 18" apart.
Row Spacing: 18"
Watering: Needs plenty of water.
Special Considerations: Eggplants grow well in pots. Some gardeners don't like to plant members of the Solanaceae family in the ground and prefer to plant them in pots only. Unless you live in a very warm climate, start eggplants indoors.

Peppers
Depth to Plant Seeds: 1/4"
Plant Spacing: 12"
Row Spacing: 12"
Watering: Give regular and even water.
Special Considerations: Peppers can be tricky to germinate. Direct sowing isn't recommended. Start seeds in pots or flats with heat mats underneath and as much light as possible (use grow lights for 16 hours per day if possible). I generally start peppers in a sunny windowsill with a heat mat underneath made specifically for windowsills. Peppers grow well in large pots. Some gardeners don't like to plant members of the Solanaceae family in the ground and prefer to plant them in pots only.

Potatoes
Depth to Plant Seed Potatoes (tubers): 3"-4"
Plant Spacing: 12"
Row Spacing: n/a
Watering: Water regularly, especially when blossoms are present.
Special Considerations: Leaves are poisonous. Do not allow potatoes to sit in the sun or they will get green spots which are also poisonous. Do NOT grow potato plants from potatoes bought at the grocery store. These may contain diseases and some are sprayed with a special spray that prevents them from sprouting. When potato plants are about a foot tall, pile up soil at the base of the plant, covering all but the top several inches of the plant. This is called "hilling" and it keeps the potatoes from turning green. Some gardeners repeat this process one more time, several weeks later.

Tomatoes
Depth to Plant Seeds: 1/2"
Seed Spacing: 15" if supporting. (If not, then plants will need about twice as much space). I prefer to grow tomatoes in pots with tomato cages, but there are many ways to support tomatoes.
Row Spacing: see "seed spacing"
Watering: Water well until harvest time and then reduce water.
Special Considerations: Tomatoes grow well in pots. Some gardeners don't like to plant members of the Solanaceae family in the ground and prefer to plant them in pots only.

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