how to grow eggplant at home

1. How long does it take to grow an eggplant?
2. Are eggplants easy to grow?
3. What is the best month to plant eggplant?
4. What's the best way to plant eggplant?
5. Does eggplant come back every year?
6. How often should Eggplant be watered?
7. What should you not plant next to eggplant?
8. Do eggplants need a lot of sun?
9. When should you not eat eggplant?
10. What is the best fertilizer for eggplant?
11. How do I know when eggplant is ready to pick?
12. Why is my eggplant not fruiting?
13. How many eggplants do you get per plant?
14. How do you protect eggplant from insects?
15. How often do you fertilize eggplant?
16. Why eggplant is bad for you?
17. Can Eggplant be grown in pots?
18. What are the benefits of drinking eggplant water?
19. How do you increase eggplant yield?

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!

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.

What is the best month to plant eggplant?

June is the month to plant eggplants in the garden.

What's the best way to plant 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.

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.

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 need a lot of sun?

Eggplants are sun lovers. Make sure they get at least six hours of unobstructed sun per day—the more sun the better. Also, eggplant, like tomatoes, are heat lovers.

When should you not eat eggplant?

If an eggplant's skin is getting withered and wrinkly, or if the fruit (yeah, eggplant is technically a fruit) is notably soft or squishy, or it just has soft spots anywhere, it's rotting. If the stem is browning or developing mold – or if there's mold anywhere else on it – it's also time to discard the eggplant.

What is the best fertilizer for eggplant?

Start by working lots of compost into the soil, plus 2 to 3 pounds of a complete fertilizer like 15-5-10 per 100 sq. ft. If you prefer, use an organic fertilizer like blood meal, well-rotted manure, cottonseed meal, or bat guano. Burpee's Big Boy Tomato Food is also super for growing eggplants.

How do I know when eggplant is ready to pick?

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.

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.

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.

How do you protect eggplant from insects?

If plant damage is present, vacuuming the underside of the eggplant leaves daily can prevent more eggs from hatching. Neem oil may also be as a somewhat effective deterrent of the beetles.

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. Once flowering starts switch to a high potassium blend such as 9-15-30 or any fertilizer with a 1-1.5-3 or 4 ratio.

Why eggplant is bad for you?

Are There Any Risks? Eggplant and other nightshade vegetables have the chemical solanine, which some people claim adds to inflammation and makes diseases like arthritis worse. There's no solid evidence that the small amount of solanine in eggplant worsens arthritis symptoms.

Can Eggplant be grown in pots?

Even if you garden in a small garden bed, or grow your vegetables in containers on the patio or balcony, you can grow eggplant. ... Plant one eggplant per container, 2-gallon minimum. Fill the container with a high quality potting soil that will drain quickly.

What are the benefits of drinking eggplant water?

This article takes a deep look at 7 health benefits of eggplants.

• Rich in Many Nutrients. ...
• High in Antioxidants. ...
• May Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease. ...
• May Promote Blood Sugar Control. ...
• Could Help With Weight Loss. ...
• May Have Cancer-Fighting Benefits. ...
• Very Easy to Add to Your Diet.

How do you increase eggplant yield?

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.