What Is The Best Month To Plant Eggplant?

spring.
Eggplants can only grow in warm soil—50 degrees Fahrenheit or above. The best time to plant eggplant is in late spring after the last threat of frost. Eggplants have a long growing season, so you’ll need to start them indoors around eight weeks before your region’s last frost date.

When should eggplant be planted?

When to Plant Eggplant. Start seeds indoors in flats or peat pots 6 to 8 weeks prior to the last spring frost date. Seeds germinate quickly at temperatures between 70° to 90°F (21° to 32°C). Alternatively, buy 6- to 8-week-old nursery transplants just before planting.

Does eggplant grow all year round?

The plant is in the same Solanaceae family as tomatoes and peppers, so it may grow from year to year, depending on the climate.

How do you make eggplant grow faster?

Eggplants prefer warm soil. You can speed up their growth, by laying black plastic over your garden soil a few weeks before planting or mulching the plants with dark compost. 8. The first few flowers may drop off of each plant and fail to produce, but the remaining flowers will each yield a single fruit.

Is eggplant easy to grow?

Thanks to their broad leaves, eggplant seedlings grow quickly, gaining size faster than tomatoes or peppers. If you have a long, warm growing season and use a split season planting plan, you can start seeds in midsummer for a fall crop.

How often should eggplant be watered?

Eggplant also needs consistent water, at least 1 inch per week. It is better to give one thorough soaking than several frequent, short waterings, because frequent watering promotes shallow roots. Weather and soil type, of course, will affect water demand.

Do eggplants need full sun?

As a basic rule of thumb, vegetables grown for their fruit or roots—such as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash, potatoes, or carrots—require full sun, which is defined as a garden location that receives at least six hours of direct sun each day.

How long does it take for eggplant to produce fruit?

Eggplants are ready to harvest as soon as 70 days after sowing the seeds. Harvest fruits with skin that is glossy and thin. Eggplants can be harvested when they are small, though growing them longer allows for a larger harvest.

How many years does an eggplant live?

Most eggplant cultivars are grown as annuals and thus live for only a single year. In such cases, the plants die immediately after harvesting the eggplant fruits. Eggplant can be grown as a perennial, in which case it will live for about 3 years but this is uncommon.

How long does it take for eggplant fruit to mature?

Most eggplant varieties produce fruit that grows to around seven to ten inches when mature. Depending on the variety, most eggplants produce fruit 50 to 80 days after transplanting or 100 to 120 days after sowing seed.

Is Epsom salt good for eggplants?

As the plants grow, they need an even moisture supply. They do well with a drip irrigation system, but many watering methods work. When the first blossoms appear, spray the plants with a seaweed extract with one teaspoon of Epsom salts dissolved per gallon. The solution improves fruit set.

Should I prune eggplant leaves?

After the eggplant begins to flower, clip the lower leaflets from the main branch. Removing these leaves boosts air circulation and allows light to penetrate the canopy. Continue to prune away suckers throughout the entire growing season to boost plant vigor and increase food production.

What do you plant after eggplant?

Additional Eggplant Companions

1. Peppers, both sweet and hot, make good companion plants, as they have the same growing needs and are susceptible to the same pests and diseases.
2. Tomatoes are often used as eggplant companions.
3. Potatoes and spinach are also said to make great companion plantings too.

How tall do eggplants grow?

Plants can grow 2 to 4 feet tall and wide, which means they need to be staked. Eggplants also thrive in heat like their close relatives tomatoes and peppers, so they go outside until after cool spring temperatures pass.

Which eggplant variety is best?

Best Types of Eggplants

• Little Green Eggplant. This one is round, plump, and pale-green in color.
• Globe Eggplant.
• Italian Eggplant.
• 4. Japanese Eggplant.
• Ping Tung Eggplant.
• Rosa Bianca Eggplant.
• Graffiti Eggplant.
• Santana Eggplant.

Which eggplant is easiest to grow?

Eggplant Varieties Easy to Grow include large oval eggplants, elongated eggplants, and white eggplants. Give eggplants a warm location, warm soil and keep them evenly watered and stress free and they will reward you with beauty and flavor.

What can you not plant near eggplant?

Eggplant – A good companion for amaranth, beans, marigolds, peas, peppers, spinach, and thyme. Do not plant eggplants near fennel.

How do you prepare the soil for eggplant?

Eggplants can’t tolerate boggy soil, which encourages fungal disease in the plants. The best way to improve drainage is to add humus material to the bed before planting. A 4-inch layer of compost, worked into the soil to a depth of 6 inches, improves drainage for both sandy and clay soils.

How often do you fertilize eggplant?

Fertilize weekly with a soluble fertilizer. Until the plants start to flower use a balanced fertilizer with a 1-1-1 ratio such as 20-20-20 or 20-30-20.

How much space do eggplants need?

Choose a location in your garden where you have not grown tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplants and tomatillos for the past three or four years. Practice crop rotation. Space eggplants 18 inches apart, in rows 30 to 36 inches apart.

Do eggplants like morning or afternoon sun?

They prefer full sun and hot temperatures. They will not die if grown in indirect light, but the results will not be as favorable as they would be if they were provided their usual 6–8 hours of sunlight per day. Eggplants can be grown in indirect sunlight. Indirect sunlight is not the best environment for eggplants.