It looks like you have some sort of infestation from what your leaves look like. Maybe the stem has been compromised due to this? A whole pound?!?! Good job!!!!! Im growing blackbeauty myself and I definately stake my eggplants due to knowing they get top heavy and fall over (been there done that lol!) I hope your surgery helps it!!!! -cas

I was afraid of the same thing happening which is why I went with the ichiban, but I've been dying for a black beauty. The second picture shows a stick. Are you staking it to that stick? You may want to ensure all branches, especially those with fruit, have support and hill the dirt over that wound. I'm not sure if eggplant will root itself there, but it's worth a try.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Corner Yard

Im looking close at the break point, and it looks like it has begun to heal over where it broke. Was it a fresh break when you saw it, or had it been sitting there for a while (meaning hours?) Plants will heal over a break much like how you or I would scab over to prevent infection. If thats the case, it might not "heal" where you tied it back together. When I used to graft citrus seedlings as experiments, I would always make sure I used good stock and it was a fresh cut.... -cass

Thanks cassieinmass,

I haven't sprayed any pesticides/poisons on the eggplants yet. I regularly smush flea beetles which make the small holes. I've also found 2 or 3 larger beetles in the last month who I think are responsible for the other leaf damage. One looked like a japanese beetle, another one today was a fat tan guy with darker stripes down his back.

I guess the combined weight of several eggplants on the small stem were the biggest reason for the splitting. It has been really hot here for the last few days though. The stem could have been broken anywhere from a few hours to a day before I noticed it. I guess I'll just see what happens with the other 2 fruit on the stem but I won't keep my hopes up.

Hi ribbit32004,

I used one of those 14" diameter ring supports with 3 legs which go into the ground. On the 2nd pic, the green vertical line is one of the legs. I managed to squeeze all of the stems inside of the ring so hopefully things are well supported now.

I actually found a small frog on the Black Beauty plant today also. It was Brian

Awesome! I wonder if it was a tree frog on it eating those beetles!!!! -cass

You might consider picking them before they get so large too. The younger, smaller ones have a much better flavor (not so bitter) and the texture is more tender (less woody). Plus it encourages the plant to produce more fruit.

Just something to consider.

Dave

Oh, well, too big can be a problem as well. Mine is about the size of a large grape :(

I mentioned a fat tan beetle with dark stripes earlier. I found some pics online and it was either a colorado potato beetle or a false one. The wikipedia page says they also like tomatoes and eggplants:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_potato_beetle

I think the green frog changed into a gray frog later in the day. Either that or there is more than one frog on the plant.

Thanks Dave, I'll know how the eggplant tastes tomorrow evening (my wife has eggplant parmigiana on the menu). The black beauty was still shiny when I picked it so I guess it still wasn't fully ripened yet. I'll probably pick another one tomorrow which is a pretty good size and do a taste test.

There are still a bunch of black beauties of different size on the plant so we're not worried about increasing production, but we'll pick early if there is a big difference in taste.

Keep up the faith fauzie, give your baby time and I'm sure she'll grow. I've been adding some soluble fertilizer in the watering can every couple of days to make sure the fruit have enough nutrients to grow well too.

Same thing happened to by determiate Celebrity tomato plant :( only thing, the tomatoes were on the other stem, and not very big (golf ball size)