How to Grow Eggplants: The Complete Guide (2024)

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Where to PlantEgglant

For the best results, plant eggplant in a location that gets full sun—at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight perday.

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 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 bestgrowth.

Growing Eggplant inContainers

Ifyou’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 growingeggplant.

When to PlantEggplant

• Start seeds indoors in flats or peat pots 6 to 8 weeksprior 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 beforeplanting.
• Do not plant eggplant transplants into the garden until well after the last threat offrost.
• 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 beginflowering).

How to PlantEggplant

• Start seeds indoors, sowing them ¼ of an inch deep in flats or peatpots.
• 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 warmsoils before setting out transplants if soil temperatures aren’t yet highenough.
• 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 withfruit.
• After planting, water well.Add a layer of mulch to retain moisture and suppressweeds.
• If you live in a cold climate, considerusingrow 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.

• Water well to moisten the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches so the soil is moist but never soggy. Consistent watering is best, and a soaker hose ordrip system at ground level isideal.
• The critical period for moisture is during fruit set and fruit development. Strangely shaped eggplants result from inconsistent or inadequatewatering.
• Mulching can help to provide uniform moisture, conserve water, and reduceweeds.
• Apply a balanced fertilizer every 2 weeks or so.
  • Note: Too much nitrogen may cause excessive vegetative growth. If you are using plastic mulch, apply fertilizer through drip irrigation, or apply fertilizer to the side of therow.
• For bigger fruits, restrict to five or six per plant, pinching off the extra flowers thatdevelop.
• Eggplant may fall over once loaded with fruit!Be sure to stake tall plants or use a cage to keep the plants upright.If growing eggplant in containers, stake the stems before the fruitforms.
• For a bushier plant, pinch out the terminal growing points, the central points 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 out the bud formingthere.
• Eggplants are susceptible to temperature fluctuations: Cool nights (below 55°F/13°C) or hot days (above 95°F/35°C) can cause poor fruiting. Cover plants on cold nights and provide shade (e.g., a beach umbrella) on hot, sunny days. Cold also impairsripening.

The standard eggplant produces egg-shaped, glossy, purple-blackfruit.

• ‘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 varietiesinclude:

• ‘Applegreen’: oval, 5- to 6-inch, tender, pale greenfruit
• ‘Bambino’: oval, walnut-size, purple/black fruit; 1 1/2-foot-tallplants
• ‘Casper’: cylindrical, 6-inch, snow-white fruit; mushroomflavor
• ‘Cloud Nine’: teardrop-shaped, 7-inch, white fruit;disease-resistant
• ‘Kermit’: Thai type; round; 2-inch, green fruit with white-stripedshoulder
• ‘Rosita’: pear-shaped, 6- to 8-inch, rose-pink fruit; sweetflavor

The long, slender Japanese eggplant has a thinner skin and more delicateflavor.

• ‘Ichiban’: 10- to 12-inch, slim, purple/black fruit; bears until frost.Expect a dozen or more fruit from oneplant.
• ‘Little Fingers’: finger-sized purple/black fruit; good for containers.Small-fruited varieties tend to be especially heavybearers.

Ornamental varieties are edible, but have poor eatingquality.

• ‘Easter Egg’ is an ornamental eggplant, usually white in color. (Notedible.)

• 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 youplanted.
• Eggplant tastes best when harvested young as soon as it’s dark and glossy purple. Fruits are ripe when their skin doesn’t rebound to gentle pressure from your finger. If you cut into an eggplant and find an abundance of brown seeds, it’s already toolate.
• Harvest early and often, and the plant will be quite prolific.Once ready, check on your eggplants every 2 to 3days.
• Japanese eggplant may be ready to harvest when the size of a finger or hotdog.
• When harvesting, do not pull the fruit (it won’t 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 weargloves.
• You can cut these plants back like peppers if your season is long enough for a secondcrop.

How to StoreEggplant

• 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 severaldays.
• Do not wash or cut in advance to avoid damaging the skin, which will quickly perish ifexposed.
• To avoid discoloring of eggplant after cutting open for cooking or grilling, use amarinade with salt, vinegar, and/or lemonjuice.

Catherine Boeckmann