Eggplant Spacing How Far Apart To Space Eggplant

Space eggplants 18 inches apart, in rows 30 to 36 inches apart.

How many eggplants do you get per plant?

My experience has been that 2-4 eggplants per plant is more common with the classic varieties such as Black Beauty than 6-12 fruit. The smaller fruited Italian, Chinese, Indian, or Japanese varieties produce greater numbers, but maybe not more total weight.

Do I need to plant two eggplants?

The answer is that the eggplant is self-pollinating due to its “perfect” or “complete” flowers. ... You can even say “There, there, good flower,” but it's not really necessary. Another easy method is to insert a cotton swab or fine artist's paint brush in to the flower to move the pollen around.

How wide do eggplants grow?

Height and Spread

Its growth habit is bushy and branching, and it has sturdy stalks. Although the plant can reach a height of 8 feet, you are more likely to see an eggplant that is 2 to 4 feet tall. A simple-to-grow cultivar such as “Black Beauty” stretches 24 to 30 inches in height and has a 16-inch spread.

What should you not plant next to eggplant?

Eggplant – A good companion for amaranth, beans, marigolds, peas, peppers, spinach, and thyme. Do not plant eggplants near fennel. Fennel – Not a companion for any garden food plant, fennel will actually inhibit growth in bush beans, kohlrabi, tomatoes, and others.

Do eggplants like 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. ... Keep in mind, though, that no vegetable can thrive in deep, dense shade.

How long after flowering do eggplant appear?

How long does it take for eggplant to grow after flowering? Depending on the variety and the region in which you are gardening, different cultivars of eggplant will develop mature fruit within 50 to 80 days after flowering.

What is the best fertilizer for eggplants?

A balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) is often recommended for eggplant. Feeding too much nitrogen at this point can result in large, leafy plants that fail to produce fruit.

Are eggplant self pollinating?

With these plants, pollen must move from the male to female parts of the same flower or to another flower on the same plant. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are our most common self-pollinated garden plants.

Are there male and female eggplants?

Answer: Male eggplants have fewer seeds and are less likely to be bitter. To differentiate between male and female eggplants, inspect the flower end. The male has a small, round, smooth end; the female has an irregular, less smooth end.

What month do you plant eggplant?

When to Plant Eggplant

Start seeds indoors in flats or peat pots 8–9 weeks prior to the last spring frost date. Seeds germinate quickly at temperatures between 70 to 90°F. ...
Do not plant eggplant transplants into the garden until after the last threat of frost.
If purchasing transplants: Buy high-quality specimens.

Do eggplants grow back every year?

Eggplant is a frost tender, heat loving, branching bushy plant with thick, woody stems. ... Mature plants range from 1 to 8 feet in height. Although eggplant is a perennial, it is more commonly grown as an annual.

Do eggplants need to be staked?

Staking. Like tomatoes and peppers, eggplants should be staked for optimum growth and yield (Figure 2). Staking keeps the eggplant fruit from touching the ground, which reduces disease and improves fruit shape, particularly on elongated fruit. Staking also makes harvesting easier.

Can zucchini and eggplant grow together?

They grow well together under similar conditions. Both plants are prolific, requiring only a few plants to produce enough fruit for fresh use. Plant a few extra to preserve for later use or to share with the neighbors.

Can you grow tomatoes and eggplants together?

Tomatoes: Again, because they are in the same crop family, tomatoes also make a great eggplant companion plant. But do make sure your tomato plants don't shade the eggplant, so take care when planning your garden beds! Spinach: Spinach and eggplant share a symbiotic relationship.

Can eggplant and cabbage be planted together?

Planting Chinese cabbage nearby will divert flea beetles, since the insects favor the cabbage over eggplant. Certain flowers and herbs also serve to reduce pest attacks on the vegetable. Marigolds repel nematodes that might threaten eggplants.

How often should you water eggplants?

When it's time to set the plants out in the garden, I put the eggplants in fertile, well-dug beds, with good drainage. In hot climates, young plants will need to be watered twice a week, to a depth of 12 inches. Eggplants do not like standing water, so mature plants should be watered deeply and infrequently.

Why do my eggplant flowers keep falling off?

Eggplant Blossoms Drying Out from Lack of Water

When an eggplant plant is stressed, its blossoms will dry up and drop off without producing fruit. The most common reason a eggplant gets stressed is due to a lack of water. ... of water a week, more in very hot weather.

How cold is too cold for eggplant?

Eggplant is generally more sensitive to cooler temperatures than its cousins, tomatoes and peppers. Flowers consistently set fruit down to 60 F nighttime temperatures. Eggplants begin to get chilling injury at temperatures below 50 F. Staking may be necessary if plants get big and full of fruit.

Should I pinch off eggplant flowers?

Even if you don't want to cut back your eggplant drastically, it's a good idea to remove suckers. ... Pinching off these suckers when they're small will allow the plant to focus more of its energy on fruit production, resulting in larger, more impressive eggplants.

How do you know when an eggplant is ready?

Eggplants should be picked as soon as they are ripe, with slightly immature fruits tasting best. One of the easiest ways to determine if they are ripe is to gently squeeze the eggplant. Once you release, the skins should "bounce back". If indentations remain, the fruit is not quite ripe yet.

How do I get my eggplant to flower?

When growing indoors and plant starts to bloom, you need shake the plant every day to make sure that pollen falls from anther (male) to pistil (female) in each flower. Alternatively, you can hand pollinate eggplant flowers. Just take a paintbrush and spread the pollen within the flowers.