Eggplant
- Botanical Name
- Solanum melongena
- Hardiness
- Annual
- Height
- 2 to 4 feet
- Width
- 2 to 4 feet
- Flowers
- Mid to late summer: violet
- Fruit
- Variety of colors and shapes; purple, white, green, orange; long and thin or ball-shaped
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Moist, well-drained, fertile
- Planting & Care
- Best germination occurs with soil temperature 80°F to 90°F
- Start plants indoors about 6 weeks before the last frost date or 8 weeks before transplanting outdoors. Sow seeds 1/4 deep.
- Harden off plants and transplant outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed and the temperatures have warmed to at least 60°F
- Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart, spacing rows 30 to 36 inches apart
- Pinch off any flowers 2 to 4 weeks before first expected frost. This allows the plant to put its energy into ripening the existing fruit
- Use floating row covers to protect plants from temperature fluctuations and pests
- Some varieties may need staking
- Problems
- Verticillium wilt, flea beetles, aphids, cutworms, Colorado potato beetle
- Varieties
- Fairy Tale - 2005 All-America Selections winner, petite, white with purple stripes
- Gretel - AAS winner, small white fruit
- Hansel - compact 3', thin purple fruit 3-10" in length, AAS winner
- Easter Egg - small white egg-shaped fruit, mature to yellow, edible
- Paito Baby - early and productive, compact, good for containers, deep purple, egg-shaped fruit, thornless, AAS winner
Related Content
Article
Categories
Upcoming Live Events
& Webinars
April 20, 2024
Pruning Hydrangeas and Other Shrubs
Pasquesi Home & Gardens, Lake Bluff, IL
April 27, 2024
Ridges & Rivers Book Festival
Viroqua, WI
April 28, 2024
Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
May 1, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
Ornamental Fruits and Vegetables
Register now
May 4, 2024
Garden U 2024
New Richmond, WI
Register now
May 9, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
How to Plant Your Rain Garden
Register now
May 11, 2024
Ask The Plant Doctor Q & A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
May 12, 2024
Ask The Plant Doctor Q & A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
May 18, 2024
Ask The Plant Doctor Q & A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
June 1, 2024
Selecting, Planting, Pruning and Caring for Hydrangeas
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
June 5, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
Under-Appreciated Pollinators
Register now
WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
Learn More