Eggplant

Eggplants do best in warm to hot summers. The Nadia variety does bear in colder temps, but all eggplants have trouble setting fruit if the nighttime temperatures dip below 60 degrees F. Remember that eggplant leaves are toxic.

Planting Your Seedlings

• Plant out when the days are consistently above 70 degrees and the nights are above 55.
• In a cooler area, consider planting eggplants in large containers, which have warmer soil. Other tricks to raise the temp: cover the soil with plastic before planting to warm it and use light fabric row covers.
• Space the seedlings 2 to 3 feet apart. Stake or cage plants to protect branches from breaking and keep fruit off the soil.
• Eggplant is a nightshade plant, like tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and potatoes. To minimize disease problems, don’t plant eggplant where it or another nightshade has recently been planted.

Care

• Feed eggplants monthly with a fertilizer high in potassium and phosphorus, and medium in nitrogen.
• Water deeply around each plant, especially during flowering and fruit production. You can reduce watering after fruits form, but still provide regular moisture.
• In heat over 95 degrees, try shade covers to protect plants.
• If you have flowers but little fruit, try to hand-pollinate by gently shaking the flowers.

Harvesting

• Eggplant is mature when pressing the plant leaves a slight indentation.
• Cut the fruit off. To keep the plant producing fruit, don’t leave mature fruit on the plants

Additional resources

• More Eggplant Info (PDF)