Eggplants not setting fruit

14 years ago

Hi all, I hope you can help me out with my eggplants. I have grown them quite successfully in past years. This year however, the plants are big and healthy looking, they have had flowers, but they have not set fruit - not a single one.

This has been a very cool wet summer. I thought that might be the reason, but then this morning someone suggested that they might not be getting pollinated. Do the same insects pollinate eggplants as do tomatoes and cucumbers? Because I have plenty of fruit on those plants (although the tomatoes have not ripened yet due to the weather).

Ideas?

Also, even if I hand pollinated, would any ripen at this late date? Our first frost is usually the last weekend of Sept or first of Oct.

Thanks for the help.

Ann

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Comments (9)

farmerdilla
14 years ago
Eggplants like tomatoes are self pollinating, no insects needed. Most likely it is just too cool for them. They liek a little more heat than tomatoes. Like tomatoes if you have not had enough wind to shake the plant, shaking the plant will usually take care of pollination. Both male and female parts are in the same flower.
prairie_love
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you. We have had wind. Oh boy, have we had wind, lol. My corn is laying on its side. OK, I guess just too cool. Bummer, I love eggplant and I have 13 plants, I'm not sure I'll get even a single fruit.

Thanks.
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dave_f1 SC, USDA Zone 8a
14 years ago
I'm sure it was challenging growing eggplant in the northern US this year. Right, cloudy cool weather isn;t good since it will inhibit pollination. Also, eggplant flowers can fall off if night temps get too cool, like in the 50's. So maybe that happened to you as well. Bees are definitely needed for your cucs. Bumblebees aren;t completely necessary with tomatoes and eggplants (self-fertile flowers) but will increase fruit set and size. Dave
debbie_
14 years ago
I don't have an answer, but I'm having the same problem. By this time, usually I have to spend a couple afternoons cooking all the eggplants. This year, not a single fruit. Maybe the cool, wet start to the summer is to blame, but I'm hoping I'll at least get one before the frost hits.
prairie_love
Original Author
14 years ago
50s! Well, there you go, guess that's the problem. We've had many nights in the 50s, some even in the high 40s. Shoot. debbie, that may be your problem too. I am very bummed.

Thank you for the info though.
Ann
dave_f1 SC, USDA Zone 8a
14 years ago
Some varieties of eggplant are more tolerant of cool conditions than others, or so I've heard. You may want to try 'Orient Express' which is an elongated asian type. That's supposedly one of of the more tolerant varieties. I grew that for the first time this summer. But of course I'm in SC. My favorite this year was 'Dancer', a light purple asian type. But all eggplants are heat-loving plants and don;t perform well in cool conditions. Dave
franeli
14 years ago
I started growing Park's Early hybrid in pots a few years ago and have been very happy with the results.
Two plants,each in 16inch diameter clay pots,30-50%compost to the pro mix,fish emulsion every few weeks,lots of water.
Each plant produces about 7 fruits. I think the clay pots radiate the heat from the sun during the cool nights.
These plants grow large and need support.
Just an idea for you.
prairie_love
Original Author
14 years ago
Do you know how long it takes from the setting of a fruit to edible fruit? This week is supposed to be quite nice (finally) so I'm crossing my fingers and hoping maybe, just maybe, I can get a few eggplants.

Dave, sounds like you love them too. I have a Lebanese bunching, a long purple (think that might actually be its name, but not sure), Rosa Bianca, Beatrice, and Nadia.

franeli, I may just try that next year. I can easily put the clay pots in the garden area so they are out of my way. Thank you for the idea.

Although, this is the first time in eight years of growing eggplants that I haven't had fruit.

Thank you all,
Ann
boothc9
14 years ago
From fruit set to edible fruit takes about 20 days in good conditions. I'm estimating that it will take about a month for mine to be the right size.

I have one single eggplant in my garden. A black beauty. We were lucky enough to get a couple weeks of mid 80s weather and one fruit finally set. It's about the size of a ping pong ball right now. Besides that, all the other flowers dropped off. I think it's just a terrible year for eggplant.