How to Grow Eggplant from Seed
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Eggplants are one of the most beautiful, easiest fruits to grow in the garden. With an abundance of nutritious value and flavors, I encourage you to try a few varieties this summer!
The Benefits of Growing Your Own Eggplant at Home
When I was a child I hated eggplant! Coming from a Cajun family it was a summer staple in our family’s garden and cuisine along with squash, okra and tomatoes. Basically, I lived on ratatouille! I never complained and ate it anyway knowing how hard my grandmother worked in the garden to grow this pretty, purple vegetable.
Over time, I came to appreciate the benefits of growing your own eggplant at home. My grandmother shared with me a number of eggplant benefits in a diet. One health benefit, most notably, is that it contains antioxidants which protect cells against damage. Recently, I discovered that if you have diabetes it’s also known to help you process sugar more easily. Eggplant is, however, a member of the nightshade family. I will discuss why that can be an issue for certain individuals later.
In my case, I see a huge benefit to growing my own eggplant because I can experiment with different varieties. It wasn’t until adulthood that I finally really ‘loved’ eggplant because I was introduced to the buttery goodness of chinese eggplant in a stir fry. I fell head-over-heels in love with this purple beauty.
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Is Eggplant a Fruit or Vegetable?
Eggplant is technically a fruit and is grown all over the world in hot weather climates. But guess what!? It’s actually further categorized as a berry- whaaat?!
There is a lot of controversy surrounding nightshade vegetables. In the gardening world, we know that if you are growing a nightshade veg like eggplant, tomatoes, peppers or potatoes that you should never eat the blossoms or leaves of the plant for risk of ‘poison’. If you have an autoimmune, kidney disorder or inflammatory bowel disease it is wise to ask your doctor if eggplants are approved for your diet.
Japanese Eggplant growing on the vine in Central Texas
How Eggplant Grows Best
Season
I already mentioned eggplant grows best in hot climates. After planting you should be able to have an abundant summer harvest after 70-90 days depending on the variety.
Soil
Eggplant likes its soil hot and neutral. Shoot for a PH between 5.5-7.5
Sunlight
Full sun is non-negotiable when growing this purple beauty.
Fertilizer
Eggplant loves phosphorus and potassium. Apply a balanced fertilizer such as a 10-10-10 or make sure your nitrogen is lower to avoid too much leaf production.
Water
Eggplant requires up to 1” a week. Water deep and less often for strong root growth. Your first instinct might be to mulch to keep the water from evaporating but since eggplants welcome hot soil it is best to wait until the plant is mature before offering any cover. I don’t tend to be a big ‘mulcher’; as long as you’re supplying your quarterly compost treatment your plants should be fine.
Best Eggplant Companion Plants
Other nightshade veggies such as hot or sweet peppers are great to plant with eggplants because they mostly require the same nutrients. Marigolds on the perimeter will help attract the beneficial insects and keep away the pests. Chard, spinach or arugula planted beneath the eggplant will welcome the dappled shade and help retain moisture in the soil. Herbs such as oregano, basil or dill will also do a great job of deterring pests.
When to Plant Eggplant
I always start my eggplant seeds indoors in April here in zone 8b/9. Patience is required because this summer veg takes a little bit of coaxing to get started. As a rule, you can start your seeds 6-8 weeks ahead of transplanting them into the garden. You want to plant them into your soil when you consistently have 80-90 degree days. You can read more here about how to protect your garden in the hot months.
How to Plant Eggplant Seeds
Eggplant seeds are tiny. I like to fill my planting cells with sterile seed starting mix.
Scatter 4-5 seeds into each cell and then cover with about ¼” of seedling mix.
The only preparation I do for starting my seeds is to mix ½ cup to 1 cup granular worm castings to 16 oz of seedling mix to boost soil aeration and water retention.
Water beneath the base of plant cells in another contained tray to encourage roots to grow.
Cover seed cells with a dome to lock in humidity needed for germination.
Check for eggplant germination, daily.
I start my seedlings in the dark and once the seeds sprout (generally 10-14 days), I switch to natural, window light or my seed lighting set-up. (Keep the lights close to the seedlings or rotate daily on the window sill so they don’t become too leggy).
What to Do at Different Eggplant Growing Stages
Seedling Stage Care:
I’ve already started discussing the seed stage of starting your eggplant, but there is one additional important step that I make to ensure the plants are strong. Because eggplant is finicky to get started and demands warm temperatures, 2 weeks after germination I introduce a gentle fertilizer like seaweed to boost the health of the plants. Try to also keep the eggplant in warm conditions in your home and away from cool air.
1 T liquid seaweed fertilizer : 1 gallon of water
Water from the bottom
Thin seedlings down to 1 per pot to prevent overcrowding and to boost strong growth.
ADOLESCENT EGGPLANT CARE:
Remember, your eggplant wants warm/hot conditions to grow. If you find that the weather outside is not ready for transplanting (or there is a risk of frost) it may be time to ‘pot up’ your plants to a larger container so they stay healthy and happy for upcoming production.
HOW TO TRANSPLANT EGGPLANT SEEDLINGS IF STARTED INDOORS:
Begin to harden off your eggplant seedlings over a week to two. Gradually begin introducing the seedlings to the outside elements one hour at a time. Start in the shade and in a protected area from wind or large critters. Slowly increase your time as you slowly move the plants towards the direct sun and outside elements. A tip to speed up this process is to introduce your seedlings in the beginning stages to ‘wind’ by moving your hands gently across the leaves.
After the hardening off process you can plant your plants in full sun and in neutral PH soil. You can use black plastic mulch to assist in warming the soil around the plants. Plant each plant 18-24” apart.
FEEDING YOUR EGGPLANT:
Eggplants are heavy feeders. I recommend using a slow release granular 10-10-10 and one tablespoon of epsom salt around the base of each plant on a bi-weekly schedule, making adjustments as needed. Epsom salt provides much needed magnesium for chlorophyll production and improves fruit setting.
PRUNING EGGPLANT:
Many people don’t take this step but I like to prune off the suckers as you would for a large variety tomato plant. I only keep 2-3 main branches on my eggplants to push higher production and to regulate airflow during the growing season. Use cages or vertical supports like you would for peppers or tomatoes to make the most of your space
Just as you would a large tomato plant, remove all suckers above the flowers. Once flowering, take away lower leaves all the way up to the first fruit set. Remove foliage from the center of plant Helps against pest, disease and improves air circulation.
If there are multiple flowers in a cluster, wait to see which is pollinated and then remove the additional flowers (video to come).
How to Harvest Eggplant
Generally, your first round of eggplants are ready for harvest after 70-90 days. Use a knife or shears to carefully cut away the fruit from the plant so as not to harm the main branches. Watch your eggplant carefully throughout the harvesting season- a dull colored eggplant is overripe. Only harvest when your eggplant is young and shiny for the best flavor.
My Favorite Varieties of Eggplant to Grow
Fairytale Eggplant- Perfect for small gardens and raised beds; soft and sweet tasting.
Black Beauty Eggplant- a timeless variety that makes for excellent recipes.
Japanese Eggplant- Buttery flavor and best suited for asian stir-fries and less bitter than other varieties. My fav!
White Eggplant- Known for taking center stage in Indian Baba Ghanoush it stands bright in its bitterness.
Louisiana Long Green Eggplant- Excellent for frying up some crispy, petite medallions. A cajun favorite!
Whether you grow a purple, pink, white, green or graffiti variety this summer, you will be blown away at how easy this hot season vegetable (eh ehm.. FRUIT) is to grow!
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All image rights reserved for The Seed Sage. Photography shot by Jennifer Nesbit Holt.
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