growing eggplant in houston

Like tomatoes, they need sun and a fertile, well-draining soil. For the best-tasting fruit, encourage vigorous growth with weekly or biweekly applications of fertilizer. And keep the soil moist, especially when it's hot, to curb bitterness. Eggplants can grow 3 feet high and wide, so give them room.

How do you grow eggplant in Texas?

Eggplant

Eggplant prefers well-drained, fertile, sandy loam soils with a pH between 5.5 and 7.2. ...
Oriental-type varieties that do well in Texas include 'Ichibon' and 'Tycoon'. ...
Although eggplant can be seeded directly into the garden, it is always better for the beginning gardener to use transplants.

What is the best month to plant eggplant?

June is the month to plant eggplants in the garden.

How long does it take to grow an eggplant?

Harvest eggplant 65 to 80 days after transplanting, depending on the variety. When starting from seed, expect 100 to 120 days to maturity. July, August, and September (even into October) are all harvest months for eggplant, depending on where you live and the variety you planted. Don't wait too long to harvest!

Do eggplants like sun or shade?

Growing eggplants outdoors requires full sun. Try planting them on a south-facing area of your yard once they are larger than 3 inches. Ample sunlight provides the energy needed for large fruit production through photosynthesis.

Do eggplants like coffee grounds?

Unused grounds are very acidic. Only use fresh grounds on acid loving plants and even then, do so sparingly. ... Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, magnesium, and potassium, and work as a great fertilizer.

How do you prevent eggplant disease?

To avoid fungal and bacterial diseases in the first place, be sure to rotate crops every year, give each plant plenty of space, remove all garden debris at the end of the growing season, avoid working in the garden when foliage is wet, choose varieties with proven disease resistance, and keep a close eye out for ...

Does eggplant come back every year?

Although eggplant is a perennial, it is more commonly grown as an annual. Eggplant flowers are star-shaped in various shades of purple and usually form on opposite leaves as either solitary blooms or grouped in clusters of two or more. They are perfect and primarily self-pollinating.

How often should Eggplant be watered?

Fight pests with healthy plants

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. But do not allow the leaves to wilt during the day.

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.

What is the best way to grow eggplant?

Eggplants grow into tall, angular plants, so they should be spaced 24 to 36 inches apart. Improve planting holes by mixing in 2 inches of compost to help hold moisture and fertilizer in the soil. Set plants at the same depth at which they are growing in their containers, and water well before spreading mulch.

Are eggplants easy to grow?

Growing eggplant would be ridiculously easy if not for eggplant flea beetles. ... Eggplant is among the few vegetables that don't mind warm roots, so they grow well in roomy containers provided the plants are given plenty of water.

How do you know when eggplant is ready to harvest?

Harvesting eggplants should occur when the inner flesh is cream colored, fruits are firm and before seeds are visible. Learning when to harvest eggplants may require cutting into the fruit to check the color of the flesh and the size of the seeds.

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 eggplants need a trellis?

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.

Do eggplants need to be pollinated?

Eggplant blossoms need pollination in order to produce an eggplant. Generally speaking, they only need a draft of light wind or stirring of the surrounding air caused by the gardener walking nearby, or as in my case, the cat chasing bugs through the garden.

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.

Is Epsom salt good for eggplants?

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. ... Young fruits are best; mature eggplants may be bitter.

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.

Why is my eggplant not fruiting?

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.

Why is my eggplant growing so slow?

Why are my plants so small and growing slowly? Eggplants are sensitive to the cold. Either a transplant has been planted into cold soil, or a young plant has experienced cold weather, or a transplant that became root bound before being planted may be stunted for a short while or for the full growing season.

Why are there ants on my eggplant?

Ants are generally after nectar or insects to eat. There are no pests that snip the flowers off our vegetables. ... So the ants are not the problem. But if you'd like to keep them out of your eggplants, smear a band of petroleum jelly around the stem a few inches above ground level at sunset.