Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Eggplants
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Plant eggplant in a location that gets full sun—at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day—for the best results.
Eggplant grows best in a well-drained sandy loam or loam soil that is fairly high in organic matter. To improve soil fertility, mix 1 inch of well-rotted manure, compost, 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. Or, apply 1¼ pounds of 5-10-5 per 10 feet of row when the row spacing is 4 feet.) Soil pH should be between 5.8 and 6.5 for best growth.
Growing in Containers
If you’re growing eggplant in pots, use a dark-colored container that will absorb more sunlight. Put one plant per 5-gallon (or larger) pot in full sun and outdoors so it can be pollinated. Use a premium potting mix to avoid disease. Raised beds, which warm more quickly than ground soil, are also ideal for growing eggplant.
When to Plant Eggplant
- Start seeds indoors in flats or peat pots 6 to 8 weeks prior to the last spring frost date. Seeds germinate quickly at temperatures between 70° to 90°F (21° to 32°C). Alternatively, buy 6- to 8-week-old nursery transplants just before planting.
- Do not plant eggplant transplants into the garden until well after the last threat of frost.
- If purchasing transplants: Buy high-quality specimens. Do not purchase tall, spindly plants or young plants that already have blossoms (ideally, young plants should spend energy becoming established before they begin flowering).
How to Plant Eggplant
- Start seeds indoors, sowing them ¼ of an inch deep in flats or peat pots.
- After the risk of the last spring frost has passed and daytime temperatures are 70° to 75°F (60° to 65°F at night), set seedlings in holes 24 to 30 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart. Use a covering of black plastic mulch to warm soils before setting out transplants if soil temperatures aren’t yet high enough.
- Immediately after planting (in ground or pot), set 24-inch-high stakes 1 to 2 inches from each plant or use cages to provide support and avoid disturbing the soil or roots later. Eggplant will fall over when laden with fruit.
- After planting, water well. Add a layer of mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
- If you live in a cold climate, consider using row covers to keep the young eggplants warm and sheltered. Open the ends of the row covers on warm days so that bees may pollinate the eggplants’ flowers.
The standard eggplant produces egg-shaped, glossy, purple-black fruit.
- ‘Black Beauty’ is the traditional eggplant size. One plant produces 4 to 6 large rounded fruit. Other regular types include ‘Black Magic’, ‘Purple Rain’, and ‘Early Bird’.
- ‘Black Bell’: classic oval to round, 6-inch, purple/black fruit; disease-resistant
- ‘Dusky’: classic pear-shaped, 6- to 7-inch, glossy purple/black fruit; excellent flavor; disease-resistant
Other interesting eggplant varieties include:
- ‘Applegreen’: oval, 5- to 6-inch, tender, pale green fruit
- ‘Bambino’: oval, walnut-size, purple/black fruit; 1 1/2-foot-tall plants
- ‘Casper’: cylindrical, 6-inch, snow-white fruit; mushroom flavor
- ‘Cloud Nine’: teardrop-shaped, 7-inch, white fruit; disease-resistant
- ‘Kermit’: Thai type; round; 2-inch, green fruit with white-striped shoulder
- ‘Rosita’: pear-shaped, 6- to 8-inch, rose-pink fruit; sweet flavor
The long, slender Japanese eggplant has a thinner skin and more delicate flavor.
- ‘Ichiban’: 10- to 12-inch, slim, purple/black fruit; bears until frost. Expect a dozen or more fruit from one plant.
- ‘Little Fingers’: finger-sized purple/black fruit; good for containers. Small-fruited varieties tend to be especially heavy bearers.
Ornamental varieties are edible, but have poor eating quality.
- ‘Easter Egg’ is an ornamental eggplant, usually white in color. (Not edible.)
- Harvest eggplant 65 to 80 days after transplanting, depending on the variety. When starting from seed, expect 100 to 120 days to maturity. July, August, and September (even into October) are all harvest months for eggplant, depending on where you live and the variety you planted.
- Don’t wait too long to harvest! Eggplant tastes best when harvested young. Then, the plant’s energy will go into producing new fruit. If you harvest early and often, the plant will be quite prolific. Once ready, check on your eggplants every 2 to 3 days.
- The best way to gauge the time to harvest: Fruits are ripe when their skin doesn’t rebound to gentle pressure from your finger. Harvesting is a bit of an art; fruits can taste bitter if picked when underripe or overripe. The skin of the fruit should look glossy and unwrinkled and have a uniform color. If you cut the eggplant open, the seeds should be soft but formed. If the skin looks faded and the seeds inside are dark and hard, the fruit will taste bitter.
- Japanese eggplant may be ready to harvest when the size of a finger or hot dog.
- When harvesting, do not pull the fruit (it won’t come off). Cut the fruit off with a sharp knife (the stem is tough) close to the stem above the green cap (calyx) on the top, leaving about an inch of it attached. The calyx can be prickly, so gloves are helpful.
- You can cut these plants back like peppers if your season is long enough for a second crop.
How to Store Eggplant
- Eggplants can be stored for up to 2 weeks in humid conditions no lower than 50°F (10°C).
- In the refrigerator, they will keep for several days.
- Do not wash or cut in advance to avoid damaging the skin, which will quickly perish if exposed.
- To avoid discoloring of eggplant after cutting open for cooking or grilling, use a marinade with salt, vinegar, and/or lemon juice.
- 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 them and sprinkle with salt at least one hour before use.
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How many eggplant will harvest within 3 months of first harvest, please give an example of variety? thank you for your reply..
As said above, it takes 100 to 120 days to go from seed to harvest (depending on weather, variety, etc). If you transplant, it’s 60 to 85 days. Also, as said above, ‘Black Beauty’ is the traditional eggplant size. One plant produces 4 to 6 large rounded fruit.
Beware of the calyx! (You'll know it when you feel it.)
i was reading your article about eggplants and was wondering about the male & female plants. I think I read somewhere of the male has less seeds and is less bitter than the female. Also that end is dimpled in if it's female. Please comment on this. Thanks,, susan
Hi Susan, Thanks for your interest. To answer your question, eggplant fruits are neither male or female. Eggplant produces flowers with both male and female organs. The seeds contained in the fruit will grow into plants that make flowers with both male and female parts. The number of seeds and bitter taste is actually due to an eggplant’s maturity. When selecting an eggplant, look for a fruit that is firm, without any bruises or blemishes. Choose an eggplant that is heavy for its size, has a green stem, and springs back when you press on the skin. A ripe eggplant will have a smooth, bright, and glossy skin, and it is best to use soon after harvest/purchase. A dull colored eggplant is a sign that it is over mature, which can result in a bitter taste.
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when shuld i prune my eggplants
Can I dig up my plants now and repot them and bring them in the house to where they will get full sun everyday. What kind of soil is best to repot them in.
We’re not sure what you mean by pruning. When growing eggplant, you prune the “suckers’ at the base of the plant early to encourage early and abundant fruiting.
As eggplant stems grow, you will need to stake the plant similar to tomoates so that the fruit doesn’t touch the ground.
You harvest eggplant when the color is glossy. Do NOT pull eggplant from the plant. Use shears to clip the fruit from the plant, leaving about 1 inch of stem. Also be very gentle as eggplant is tender and can be accidentally pierced easily.
Where are the recipes you promised. What did deception. Did not want but you offered instead. This is my first and my last time I will visit this site.
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