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Growing Eggplants
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Eggplants
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Eggplants
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Eggplants—also known as aubergine—are warm-weather vegetables that are harvested in mid- to late summer. See how to plant, grow, harvest, and cook these lovely deep purple crops—one of our favorite grilling vegetables!
Eggplants are actually perennials though they are treated by most gardeners as annuals. Given their tropical and subtropical heritage, eggplants do require relatively high temperatures, similar to tomatoes and peppers (which are also in the nightshade family of vegetables). Like tomatoes, eggplants grow hanging from the vines of a plant that grows several feet in height.
Because they need warm soil, eggplants are usually purchased as transplants (or, started indoors about two months in advance). Raised beds enriched with composted manure are an ideal growing place for eggplants because the soil warms more quickly. Eggplants are also great for containers and make lovely ornamental borders.
Though eggplants are usually a beautiful dark purple color, their color can vary, and so can the size and shape—from small- to large-fruited. Explore eggplants!
Planting
- Start plants indoors in flats or peat pots 2 months before the soil warms up or buy nursery transplants just before planting.
- Plant outdoors in a very sunny spot with well-draining, fertile soil (with a pH from 6.3 to 6.8).
- Mix 1 inch or so of well-rotted manure or a general fertilizer such as 5-10-5 throughout the planting bed about a week before planting. (Apply 2 to 3 pounds per 100 square feet.)
- Use a covering of black plastic mulch to warm heavy clay soils before setting out transplants.
- If transplanting, set 3- to 4-inch tall seedlings 24 to 30 inches apart in well-prepared beds.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of 5-10-5 or a shovelful of rotted manure or good compost with the soil in the bottom of each planting hole and cover with more soil.
- If you’re growing eggplant in pots, use a dark-colored container. Each plant needs five-gallon (or, larger) pots and should be placed in full sun and outdoors so it can be pollinated. Use a premium potting mix to avoid disease.
- Stake the plants right away (just an inch or two from the plant) to provide support as they climb and to avoid disturbing the soil later.
- If you live in a cold climate, consider using row covers to keep the eggplants warm and sheltered. Open the ends of the row covers on warm days so that the bees may pollinate.
- After planting, water well. Add a layer of mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Care
- Eggplant will fall over once loaded with fruit. Be sure to stake plants 24 inches tall or use a cage to keep the plants upright.
- If growing eggplant in containers, stake the stems before the fruit forms.
- Water well without letting the soil get soggy. Consistent watering is best, and a soaker hose or drip system at ground level is ideal.
- Apply a balanced fertilizer every two weeks during the growing season.
- For bigger fruits, restrict to five or six per plant.
- Pinch out the terminal growing points for a bushier plant.
Pests/Diseases
- Flea beetles are probably the most common pest, but a healthy eggplant should be able to withstand damage from their tiny holes.
- Verticillium wilt and Powdery Mildew can affect eggplant.
- Tomato Hornworms are sometimes an issue.
- Eggplant fruit may not ripen properly due to cold temperatures, pest damage, or infertile soils.
- Strangely-shaped eggplant are the result of inconsistent watering or low moisture.
Harvest/Storage
- Harvest 16 to 24 weeks after sowing when the skin of the fruit is shiny and unwrinkled.
- Don’t wait too long to harvest! As soon as the skin does not rebound to gentle pressure from your finger, it’s ripe.
- When harvesting, do not pull the fruit (as it won’t come off). Cut the fruit with a sharp knife or pruning shears close to the stem, leaving about an inch of it attached.
- Eggplants can be stored for up to two weeks in humid conditions no lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Store in the refrigerator where it will keep for several days. Do not wash or cut in advance to avoid damaging the skin, which will quickly perish if exposed.
Recommended Varieties
- ‘Black Beauty’ is the traditional eggplant size. One plant produces 4 to 6 large rounded fruit.
- ‘Ichiban’ eggplant is a slim, long hybrid with thin skin. Expect a dozen or more fruit from one plant.
- ‘Little Fingers’ are small, finger-sized eggplant. Small-fruited varieties tend to be especially heavy bearers.
- ‘Easter Egg’ is an ornamental eggplant, usually white in color. (It’s not edible.)
Wit & Wisdom
At one time, women in the Orient used a black dye to stain their teeth a gun metal gray. The dye probably came from the same dark purple eggplant we see in the marketplace today.
Recipes
Cooking Notes
- Eggplant is excellent grilled, roasted, breaded, fried, or baked! The thinner varieties (Ichiban) are more ideal for grilling and roasting and the traditional varieties (Black Beauty) are great breaded or fried; the round fruit is also good as a “boat” for stuffing.
- Use a stainless steel knife (not steel) to cut eggplant or it will discolor.
- If your eggplant is oversize, the skin may be too tough to eat. Peel before cooking or bake the eggplant and then scoop out the flesh. If you’re baking eggplant, first pierce the skin a few times to allow steam to escape.
- Many Italians will tenderize an eggplant so it’s less bitter. Slice, sprinkle with salt, and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes.
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Reader Comments
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a 2nd harvest
I have 2 plants and enjoyed many eggplants from both. The plant itself is still alive and has many flowers but no fruit is coming. Are they done for the season?
Eggplant Production
Eggplants are a warm-weather plant, so once temperatures drop below 60°F, they slow or stop production of new fruit. They are actually a perennial, but most people treat them as annuals because they are not frost tolerant. Only in the warmest regions of California and Florida can plants keep up production in the cooler months, so unless that’s where you are growing yours, they are likely done for the season.
Please i want to reference
Please i want to reference/cite this article. How can i do that
Eggplant Not Flowering
I have 2 large Asian eggplants(Solanum ferox or terong asam in Indonesian) in my office that stand about 2 feet tall and are over a year old. They seem healthy enough, with nice large leaves, but I have yet to get a flower or fruit from them. I live in a cold climate in Alberta, Canada so have to have them indoors. The pot size is about a gallon and a half. Would I need a bigger pot? I have re potted them once already. Should I pinch off the tips of young plant stems to get fruit?
growing eggplant indoors
Eggplants like warmth and light. When growing indoors, make sure that they get about 12 to 14 hours of light. Temperatures ideally should be 75 to 85F during the day, and not below 65F at night. A 5-gallon pot is better for the plant–each needs at least about a square foot of growing space in the container for the roots. When flowers do form, you’ll need to shake the plant daily to help the pollen fall from anther to pistil in each flower. You can try pinching the tips of the plant to encourage bushiness; more branches on the plant means more potential for flowers. However, if you are planning to repot, perhaps wait to pinch until later, after the plant has re-established itself.
Sowing egg plant seeds in October
I live in Zone 9b and was wondering if I can sow some eggplant seeds now. My idea being they will grow and establish themselves until Spring next year and be ready to flower and fruit quickly next year.
planting eggplant
In Zone 9, the climate is mild so you do have a long planting season, but the best range for eggplants is February through July.
What varmit might be munching my eggplant and cucs??
I noticed the cuc first so I covered it with a milk crate w which worked out perfectly. But then I noticed tonight many leaves off of my eggplant are missing so I covered over I covered over the Cucumber but now I don't know what to do about the eggplant which is in a separate pot all by itself can someone please help?
varmints or conditions?
If the leaves are falling off of a plant (almost any plant) then it is dying. At least, it is not thriving. It is not getting something: proper soil, including pH and drainage quality? water? sunlight? and heat (not the same as sunlight)? See above for guidance on these points.
You ask in the headline if something is eating your plants…it doesn’t sound like it. Pests seldom go for leaves; like us, they want the good stuff—the produce.
Eggplant
What do you mean by "pinch out the terminal growth point for the plant to become bushy.
Eggplant
Hi Annette,
By the terminal growth point, we mean the central point on a plant from which new shoots and leaves grow. Look for the newest (and usually smallest) leaves at the center of the plant, and pinch the bud forming there. That action should help the plant to grow multiple stems and to use more energy to grow outwards instead of upwards. We hope this helps!
Transplanting Eggplant
helo,i have my eggplants(black beauty) ready for transplanting,what recommended spacing can i make when planting in the main garden?,thanks for ur knowlegde.DENISH from Uganda.
Transplanting Eggplant
Eggplants will do best when planted 2 feet apart within a row, with rows spaced 3 feet apart. Good luck and happy gardening!
What's wrong with my eggplant???
My eggplant bush flowers but non have produced eggplant!!!!! What can I do????? Please help!!!!!
Eggplant without Fruit
Eggplants and their kin (peppers and tomatoes) are quite susceptible to fluctuations in temperature, so if you’ve been having particularly cool nights (below 55°F) or particularly hot days (above 95°F), this could have caused the lack of fruiting. Try covering your plants on cold nights and even setting up a beach umbrella on extremely hot and sunny days. (Don’t use the umbrella for too long, as the plant will not thrive in the shade.) The problem could also be stemming from a lack of water, so if it’s been dry, put down some mulch to hold in moisture. A less likely possibility is a lack of pollination. Have you observed many bees flying around your eggplants? If not, this could be the cause of your fruitlessness. You can pollinate the flowers yourself by simply give the plant a light shake to dislodge and spread the pollen within the flowers.
transplanting
I recently grew a Japanese eggplant in a college class and was able to take the plant home when the semester was over. It has been a week since the transplant and I have it in a 6 gal container. It doesn't look great-- will it recover or should I just start over? It already had some fruits on it.
transplanting eggplant
Eggplant likes to be toasty warm, so make sure it is getting enough sun. If you are still having cool-ish weather, bring the pot inside at night. Be sure that your soil has a pH of 5.8 to 6.5. Give it moderate amounts of 5–10–10 fertilizer, and provide adequate moisture, watering to a depth of 6 inches as needed.
Eggplant
Hi,
How much soil should I put in each pot?
How much water?and How often?
How much Miracle Grow should you should in pot?
growing eggplant
It depends if you’re growing eggplant in flats to transplant or if you’re growing eggplant in a big pots. It sounds like the latter. For pots or containers, you don’t really use “soil.” It’s best to use a potting mix of 50% peat and 50% perlite. Grow one plant in a 5-pound container with a minimum “soil” depth of 12 to 16 inches. Give the plants a liquid plant food (any general vegetable plant food) every two weeks. See watering information and more plant care tips above.
Growing Eggplant 2017
Hi,
I had shown the seeds of a black Beauty eggplant on 10th April 2017, the seedlings have nowsprouted.When can I transplant them into the ground.I live in Philadelphia.
Thanks.
You want to wait until the
You want to wait until the soil is warm (in the 60s°F), and all danger or frost has passed. You can get a rough estimate of your last frost date here : http://www.almanac.com/tool/frost-dates-calculator . Keep an eye on local weather forecasts, too. If you put the seedlings in cold ground they’ll die. See above: You want these to be 3 to 4 inches tall, too.
egg plant
I planted eggplants in spring of 2016. they produced good all summer and into fall growing season[Florida mid-section]. they look healthy and have blossoms. Question am I going to get smaller fruit or should I pull them out and start new ones. Its march beginning of spring planting
eggplant production
Hi, Neal.Eggplants are in fact perennials usually grown as annuals. Some gardeners prune them in fall (too late now), but some people have great success for several years! Congratulations on such good care!
what is the yield per acre
what is the yield per acre for eggplant kgs or tonnes
Can I grow eggplant by
Can I grow eggplant by cutting the top of a bulb and planting?
If this is possible, it’s a
If this is possible, it’s a new one on us, Charles. Call us eggheads, but we are not familiar with the idea or the experience.
Transplanting Eggplant
Hi,
I live in Arnold, Maryland. We were able to get 4 healthy eggplants from our plant. There are now, 3 to 4 new eggplants growin on the plant, they are very small right now. My question, it is now the middle of October, frost is coming soon, can we dig the plant up and transplant it into a large pot, bring it inside and set it by a widow, which receives 6+ hours of sun. Thank you for your advice.
Ray
indoor eggplants
Yes, you can try bringing the plant indoors; some gardeners have had success extending the season that way, although eggplants can be fussy. Soak the plant one or two hours before digging it up. Provide as big a root ball as you can, and use a large pot (with drainage holes), about 10- to 14-inch wide or so. Bring the plant inside, in a well-lit area away from heat and drafts. Some sources say the plant will need ideally 12 to 14 hours of light. In this case, you might want to set up supplemental grow lights. Do not water for the first few days; afterward, keep the soil damp but not soggy. Keep the plant in a warm area; mist if the air is dry. Routinely check for pests and diseases. When flowers open, gently brush or tap them every day, to encourage pollination (eggplants are usually wind pollinated). The fruit may not be as large as when grown outdoors, but they should still be tasty! Good luck!
Fall planting
Hi Experts,
I live in Cary, North Carolina. Is it too late to plant eggplant seeds for Fall?
I am very new to gardening and can't wait till spring to plant :) Hence , would appreciate your answer.
Thanks,
Vr
No worries, we welcome
No worries, we welcome beginner questions! Yes, it is too late to plant eggplant. This heat-loving vegetable has a long growing season. You’ll want to plant in the spring, well after all danger of spring frost has passed, and then it must harvest well before the first fall frost. See our Vegetable Planting Date calculator for your zip code here: http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates
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