The mild fruit soaks up surrounding flavors,making a great base for dips and casseroles.
The plants grow at a moderate rate to 2-4 feet tall.
Purple or white flowers bloom from the spiny stem, and the fruits are glossy and egg-shaped.
Credit: Alison Miksch
Here’s how to grow this easy warm-season vegetable.
Plant Attributes
Eggplant Care
Eggplants thrive in 75oF soil and sulk if planted too soon.
To raise the soil temperature for early planting, mulch with black plastic or grow in dark-colored containers.
Plants grow up to 4 feet tall, with large leaves and purple or white blossoms.
The eye-catching fruittechnically a berryis quite attractive in flowerbeds and container gardens.
Stake eggplants as you would peppers and tomatoes, so the heavy-laden plants don’t fall over.
Shade or partial shade will result in stunted plants with no or few fruits.
Soil
Eggplants like rich and loamy or sandy soil.
Plant in fertile, well-drained soil amended with organic matter, such ascomposted manureor chopped leaves.
The organic matter both enriches the soil and helps retain moisture.
Eggplants prefer acidic soil but will do fine in neutral soil.
Water
Though an eggplant may survive dry spells, it thrives with moisture.
Mulch around your eggplants to conserve moisture in the soil.
When the plant is fruiting, consistent moisture is key.
Water so that the soil is moist (but not soggy) at a depth of 6 inches.
A soaker hose can be helpful for keeping your plants watered.
Temperature And Humidity
Eggplants are very sensitive to cold temperatures.
Plant them in the garden in spring after your soil temperature has reached 70oF.
While eggplants thrive in hot, humid weather, an intense, sticky heatwave can reduce pollination.
They have a long growing season in much of the South, producing from July until October.
While eggplant is perennial intropical climates, hot temperatures result in bitter-tasting fruit.
In South Florida, eggplant is usually grown in fall and winter.
Over-fertilizing with nitrogen will result in bushy growth and fewer flowers.
How To Harvest Eggplant
Learning when to pick is a little tricky.
Look for glossy skin versus the dull skin of overripe, bitter eggplant.
Clip the thick, woody stem with snips, and enjoy the fruit while fresh.
Eggplants are chameleons in the kitchen and useful in many forms.
Propagating Eggplant
Eggplants can bepropagated by cuttings.
This is an easy way to obtain new plants and takes less time than growing them from seed.
Unless you use an undersized container, you’ll likely only pot your eggplant once in the growing season.
Or, use a 20-inch pot for up to three eggplants.
Add a small tomato cage or stake your plants.
Use a balanced, slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote at the time of planting and water well.
Water containers whenever the top inch of soil is dry.
Overwintering
In warm climates, eggplants can be grown as perennials.
In this case, prune back the plant and the leaves will regrow in spring.
Potted eggplants can be brought indoors in areas with freezing weather.
Deter their early-season arrival by shielding plants with row covers until they bloom (then remove them).
Or use diatomaceous earth to dust leaves lightly.
This organic pesticide works well, though it must be reapplied after a rainfall.
Once the plants grow larger, they can tolerate considerably more damage from flea beetles.
Aphids, whiteflies, andspider mitespierce leaves to suck the sap.
Spray aphids and spider mites with a strong stream of water to discourage them.
Use insecticidal soap to control an infestation.
Colorado potato beetles, cutworms, and hornworms can cause significant defoliation on plants.
Pick off these large insects and drop them in a can of soapy water.
An insecticide containing spinosad can also be effective, but it should not be sprayed while bees are around.
Once an infection appears, controlling it is very difficult.
confirm to plant in well-drained soil and do not overwater.
Transplants may take a few weeks to start flowering.
Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers that encourage green growth at the expense of flowering.
Common Problems With Eggplant
Eggplant needsregular waterand warm temperatures to produce healthy fruits that dont taste bitter.
Common problems that can affect the plants are often a result of the environment or care.
Eggplants are primarily wind-pollinated, so still days or very hot, sticky weather can prevent pollination from occurring.
Leaves Turning Yellow
Overwatering and underwatering can both cause yellowing leaves.
verify to give the eggplant plenty of moisture, about 1-2 inches per week.
The top few inches of soil should be moist and not soggy.
Smaller varieties like Patio Baby can produce as many as 50 fruits.
It takes about two weeks for an eggplant to go from flower to mature fruit.
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.Solanum melongena.
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.Nightshade.
