Eggplant transplants12/3/2023 ![]() If it starts to appear dull and matte and soft, it’s too ripe. A ripe eggplant is still shiny and firm but has a little give to it. To avoid bitter eggplants, watch for signs of ripeness. Rather than wilting or becoming obviously ready like a tomato, an eggplant fruit will continue growing and eventually become too bitter to eat. Harvesting Too Late #Įggplants may be related to tomatoes, but when it comes to harvesting, think of them more like cucumbers. If you’re open to growing in a container, fabric grow bags are inexpensive and drain freely, making it easier to water the right amount. Eggplants are susceptible to root rot if they’re left to sit in soggy soil. In addition to the soil moisture, keep your eggplants from going bitter by looking for wilting leaves as a sign that they need more water.Ī quick word of caution: As with all nightshades, make sure the soil doesn’t become waterlogged. Make sure that the soil is not drying out beneath the surface by poking the full length of your finger in to test for moisture. So instead of following the standard 1 inch per week advice, it’s best to pay attention to the soil. The amount of water your plants need depends on a wide spectrum of factors. Some eggplant growers even strategically minimize moisture early in the season to encourage the plant to grow deep roots in search of water and then majorly increase those moisture levels when pollination starts in order to support tasty fruit growth. Even if the eggplants show no signs of underwatering and look healthy, their production and taste will be poor (read: inedible) if you do not ramp up the water. Which often means that relatively little water will keep them happy.īut as the season progresses, the weather warms up, and they start making those fruits, that same amount of water will no longer support healthy growth. When eggplant seedlings are first transplanted out, the weather is generally cooler and their young roots are very shallow. And the main reason all of those happen is under watering during the fruiting phase (the part of the plant’s life cycle when it has set flowers and begun producing fruit). The main complaints about homegrown eggplants are that they are bitter, lack flavor, and are undersized. We made an entire video on how to properly prune eggplant you can check out here. Pruning will result in more eggplants that are larger, taste better, and may have higher nutrient content. Those extra branches can either be suckers that grow out of a main stem or a naturally occurring split in the main stem. In other words, leave the original main stem and then let two or three more branches grow out and fruit. So mistake number three, a very common one, is not pruning your eggplants.įor the best results, prune your plants to four leaders (fruiting stems). There is good evidence that pruning your eggplants the right way will result in more, better tasting, and bigger fruit. But the larger the plant, the less lasting damage they inflict. Unfortunately, if you grow eggplants, you’re likely to see flea beetles eat holes in the leaves at some point. In addition to overall vigor, there’s also another benefit to letting eggplant seedlings grow bigger in a protected spot for a little longer: the dreaded flea beetles. Just give the eggplant seedlings an extra two to four weeks in a protected space even if that means transplanting them into a bigger pot an extra time. The good news is that you can still start your eggplant seeds at the same time as your tomatoes as they tend to grow a little bit slower. While it may be convenient to transplant all your nightshades into the garden together, eggplants are sensitive plants and will remain stunted from low temperatures. Soil and air temperatures are not always in alignment, but wait for overnight low temperatures of 55☏ (13☌) and definitely no lower than 50☏ (10☌) at bare minimum (and that is pushing it!). Eggplants really don’t want to be in the ground until soil temperatures are above 60☏ (16☌), which is a few degrees warmer than tomatoes are comfortable with. Eggplant Mistake #1 is transplanting the eggplant seedlings into the ground at the same time as tomatoes.
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