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How to Grow Eggplant at Home
Plant glossy purple eggplant as much for its beauty in the garden as its flavor on the plate
Though technically it’s a fruit, most people know eggplant as a familiar summer vegetable. The plants truly love warm and hot weather, needing two to three months of both warm days and warm nights to thrive. Fortunately, growing eggplant is a pretty sight in the garden. It’s a small bush with large leaves that have a purplish cast, light lavender flowers and stunning fruits. You have your choice of fruit colors, from the traditional purple to green, pinkish red, white and striped, as well as shapes, from oval or oblong to the long Asian or Japanese varieties. Read on for our best tips on how to grow eggplant.
Planting and care: Choose a sunny site with fertile, well-drained soil where you did not grow eggplant the previous year. For best results, start eggplant seeds indoors one and a half to two months before your planting date, then set them (or nursery starts) out once daytime temperatures reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and nighttime temperatures stay above 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius). Place eggplants at least 18 to 30 inches apart while growing; leave 3 feet between rows. If you’re growing the eggplant in containers, choose ones that are at least 16 inches wide and 1 foot deep.
Water eggplants regularly and deeply. Mulch to keep the soil moist, and weed regularly. Taller plants (they can reach 4 feet in height) may need to be supported, especially when they are still young or if the fruit is large.
Common problems with growing eggplants: Good growing practices and sufficient watering can help prevent problems, but eggplants are still subject to a number of pests, including aphids, Colorado potato beetles, cutworms, flea beetles, lacewings, spider mites, tomato hornworms and whiteflies. They are also prone to plant diseases, such as blights, blossom end rot, mildew and wilts.
Water eggplants regularly and deeply. Mulch to keep the soil moist, and weed regularly. Taller plants (they can reach 4 feet in height) may need to be supported, especially when they are still young or if the fruit is large.
Common problems with growing eggplants: Good growing practices and sufficient watering can help prevent problems, but eggplants are still subject to a number of pests, including aphids, Colorado potato beetles, cutworms, flea beetles, lacewings, spider mites, tomato hornworms and whiteflies. They are also prone to plant diseases, such as blights, blossom end rot, mildew and wilts.
Harvest: Cut (don’t pull) the eggplant from the plant once it matures and has color but before it loses its glossy sheen.
More:
How to Start Your Summer Garden From Seeds
See more inspiring gardens on Houzz
More:
How to Start Your Summer Garden From Seeds
See more inspiring gardens on Houzz
Light requirement: Full sun
Water requirement: Regular
Eggplant varieties: