I grew eggplants last year 2022 and had a crop of 10 plants. They grew big and provided a lot of crop. What I didn't know was I kept getting rashes on my arms and legs and kept feeling the need to itch and what was the cause. After digging through the internet I found out it was from getting in contact with the eggplant leaves. If you touch the leaves gently, you will feel tiny pricks coming from them. If you look at the leaves magnified you will see hundreds (perhaps thousands) of sharp needle like petals protruding from the leaf which when it comes in contact with your skin (it pricks you), the poison causes the allergic reaction. All the rashes have gone except one on my arm thats been itching for months and will not go away but is starting to spread (not sure how but it is). I've come into contact with mango leaves which leaves a itching sensation for a short period but eggplant is the worst plant I've ever come in contact with! I have now stopped growing them.

Will you add more compost before planting? I never rotate crops ... grow tomatoes in the same beds every year. I do add compost spring and fall and generally plant something in those beds through the winter. Don't know if that has a bearing or not. If it's a concern why not just plant where the squash was? Btw, if you like okra it loves the heat!

Thanks, its in the fruit but doesnt look too deep, looks like its just the skin. So based on what you said I think I will leave it on a little longer but keep checking to insure its not getting soft instead of growing. I added my all natural spray with spices and murphys soap and added a small extra spritz to murphys soap spray to help deter insects from eating it, which i didnt do initially because the fruit was so small and not ripe. These can grow to the end of october here in ny as long as the whether is not freezing. Even during the huricanes we had in the past couple of years, my plants held up well, although sandy was kind of tge end of thecseason and I harvested everything worth harvesting before the storm, but stuff continued to grow nonthless. This post was edited by krissylovesplants79 on Tue, Aug 27, 13 at 12:54

Sure wish i'd kept my geenhouse going after reading your posts. I'm getting the itch to sow seeds. I've got my tomato seeds from William and i've seen some container peppers,cukes,and cantelope seeds,i'm thinking about trying. Have to think about it tho. I found an old planting guide from Organic Gardening. I can't get the headings to come out right on the forum website,just on my computer. :^( So-o-o the first column is "Crop", the second is "weeks from sowing to transplanting", the third is "planting out date (relative to last frost date)" ....Basil.......6 wks.........1 wk after......... ....Broccoli....4-6 wks.......2wks before........ ....Brussel sprouts 5-7 wks....4 wks before...... ....Cabbage.....4-6 wks.......4 wks before....... ....Cauliflower...4-6 wks......2 wks before...... ....Cucumber.....3-4 wks.......1-2 wks after..... ....Eggplant.....8-10 wks......2-3 wks after..... ....Kale.........4-6 wks.......4 wks before...... ....Lettuce......4-5 wks.......3-4 wks before.... ....Melons.......3-4 wks.......2 wks after....... ....Parsley......9-10 wks......2-3 wks before.... ....Peppers......6-10 wks......2 wks after....... ....Spinach......4-6 wks.......3-6 wks before.... ....Squash.......3-4 wks.......2 wks after....... ....Swiss Chard...4-6 wks......2 wks before...... ....Tomatoes......6-8 wks......1-2 wks after.....