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Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Eggplants
Planting
Where to Plant Egglant
For the best results, plant eggplant in a location that gets full sun鈥攁t least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Eggplants grow 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 1录 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 Eggplant in Containers
If you鈥檙e 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掳 to 90掳F (21掳 to 32掳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 录 of an inch deep in flats or peat pots.
- After the risk of the last spring frost has passed and daytime temperatures are 70掳 to 75掳F (60掳 to 65掳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鈥檛 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鈥 flowers.
Types
The standard eggplant produces egg-shaped, glossy, purple-black fruit.
- 鈥楤lack Beauty鈥 is the traditional eggplant size. One plant produces 4 to 6 large rounded fruit. Other regular types include 鈥楤lack Magic鈥, 鈥楶urple Rain鈥, and 鈥楨arly Bird鈥.
- 鈥楤lack Bell鈥: classic oval to round, 6-inch, purple/black fruit; disease-resistant
- 鈥楧耻蝉办测鈥: classic pear-shaped, 6- to 7-inch, glossy purple/black fruit; excellent flavor; disease-resistant
Other interesting eggplant varieties include:
- 鈥楢辫辫濒别驳谤别别苍鈥: oval, 5- to 6-inch, tender, pale green fruit
- 鈥楤补尘产颈苍辞鈥: oval, walnut-size, purple/black fruit; 1 1/2-foot-tall plants
- 鈥楥补蝉辫别谤鈥: cylindrical, 6-inch, snow-white fruit; mushroom flavor
- 鈥楥loud Nine鈥: teardrop-shaped, 7-inch, white fruit; disease-resistant
- 鈥楰别谤尘颈迟鈥: Thai type; round; 2-inch, green fruit with white-striped shoulder
- 鈥楻辞蝉颈迟补鈥: pear-shaped, 6- to 8-inch, rose-pink fruit; sweet flavor
The long, slender Japanese eggplant has a thinner skin and a more delicate flavor.
- 鈥业肠丑颈产补苍鈥: 10- to 12-inch, slim, purple/black fruit; bears until frost. Expect a dozen or more fruits from one plant.
- 鈥楲ittle Fingers鈥: finger-sized purple/black fruit; good for containers. Small-fruited varieties tend to be especially heavy bearers.
Ornamental varieties are edible but of poor eating quality.
- 鈥楨aster Egg鈥 is an ornamental eggplant, usually white in color. (Not edible.)
Harvesting
- 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.
- Eggplant tastes best when harvested young as soon as it鈥檚 dark and glossy purple. Fruits are ripe when their skin doesn鈥檛 rebound to gentle pressure from your finger. If you cut into an eggplant and find an abundance of brown seeds, it鈥檚 already too late.
- Harvest early and often, and the plant will be quite prolific. Once ready, check on your eggplants every 2 to 3 days.
- 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鈥檛 come off). With a sharp knife, cut through the tough stem above the green cap, or calyx, on the top. The calyx can be prickly, so want to wear gloves.
- 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掳F (10掳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.
Cooking Notes
- Eggplant is excellent grilled, roasted, breaded, fried, or baked! The thinner varieties (鈥業chiban鈥) 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 鈥渂oat鈥 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.
Catherine Boeckmann
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I live near Kansas City and have one baby eggplant in a container and it currently has 17 eggplant growing on it. I've never grown eggplant before and am new to gardening so I need help. :) Most of the eggplant start out dark purple until they get to about 2 inches long at which point they get lighter and get yellow-brownish streaking covering the whole thing. A couple of the tiny ones look the same but mostly it's when they get a couple inches long. It's a small but healthy looking plant otherwise, any suggestions?
Some small eggplants are naturally streaked when they mature. Or, if your variety should be a solid dark purple, then it could be that the streaks are developing because the fruit is overripe? 'Patio Baby', for example, should be harvested when the fruit is 2 to 3 inches long. Overripe fruit usually becomes dull-skinned, and lightens. It can also discourage more fruiting.
Hello to all,
i live in Melbourne and i love eggplants..years ago my parents had a eggplant tree and it had fruit all year round. i am so desperate to find a eggplant tree does anybody know where i can purchase a tree. They also told us that they are great for people with heart condition, my husband has had major heart surgery twice and we are on a disabled pension and sometimes they are very costly to purchase so a eggplant tree will be ideal and it will give my husband something to concentrate on..so can someone please help me.. thank you Rita Meilak
Hi 蜜桃恋人,
My egg plant are still small, no fruit yet, in zone 8. The are being eaten my tiny beatles like last year. What can I do to stop these pest?
Is it too late to plant more to a sandier soil?
Hi my eggplants have about 4 good leaves and I believe they have been exposed to a round of downy mildew as well as flea beetles. I have used some essential oils and it seemed to ward most of it away, but the leaves are looking a little sad. Should I cut off the saddest looking leaves to allow more leaves to bloom or leave them? Thanks!
Good day to you, a neighbor gave me two small egg plants last fall. They did not produce but plants got large and healthy. I have them in good soil and in very large pots. I water them every other day until water runs out bottom of pots. Once a week I water them with mirical grow fert. They have lots of flowers and produce medium size fruit. Problem: they start out purple but will turn yellowish. Am I not picking them soon enough? How long should I let the fruit stay on plant? I live in central Florida and temps are reaching low 90's.
Hi Richard,
Eggplant is commonly harvested when it is purple in color, glossy, and six to eight inches long. They turn yellow when mature and aren't as good to eat at that point.
I grew ONE eggplant for the first time ever and we had about 7 perfect fruits from it of a good size. It is now "finished" but I forgot about it and when I went to pull it out, it is shooting from the base and looking very healthy. Can I leave it there and get another crop next summer?/autumn. Most of our fruits came in autumn and we live by the beach in a temperate area of no frosts. Its now mid winter.
Should I pull the plant out ? or leave it?
Hi Diane,
Leave the egg plant and see if you can get a second harvest this coming fall. Some of our readers have had luck in overwintering egg plants and peppers.
It is now May. If I plant my eggplant now, will it still produce fruit before cold weather sets in?
