Quick Reference
When to Start |
Transplant in May when forecast shows no danger of temps dropping below 45 degrees. Start seeds 4-6 weeks prior to expected transplant date.
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Crop Rotation |
Avoid planting eggplant in the same spot that potatoes, peppers, or tomatoes grew in the previous year.
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How To Plant |
Dig a hole deep enough to bury all but the top 4-6" of the plant. Scoop in some plant-based compost and drop the plant in.
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Spacing and Support |
Space transplants 18"- 2' apart. Stakes may be needed depending on variety, especially late in the season to support large fruits
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When to Harvest |
When it looks like an eggplant. Smaller the better to maximize taste and production
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Storage |
Fresh eggplant will last in the vegetable crisper for a week or 2. For long term frozen.
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You've probably grown tomatoes at some point, maybe even peppers, but for some reason a lot of people are hesitant to give their other nightshade cousin eggplant a try. Maybe you're picturing some giant purple monsters that you have no idea what to do with, but there are actually a wide variety of eggplants that come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some even look like actual eggs. It's something great to try if you're looking to reduce your meat intake as it can be used for a meat substitute in a lot of vegetarian and vegan recipes. One of our go to things to bring to a cookout is just a couple large eggplants from our garden, sliced into discs and dropped into a Ziploc bag with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. Try it lightly grilled then topped with either goat cheese or fresh mozzarella and you'll make it a staple of your garden for years to come.
When To Start |
This all depends on whether or not you want to start from seed. If you're new to gardening or have limited time we would recommend buying plants that have already been started at a local greenhouse. Generally speaking Memorial Day weekend is when most people choose to start warm weather plants like eggplants outdoors. If going to the greenhouses you'll want to go out 1-2 weeks before planting. This will not only give you the best selection but it also gives you a chance to acclimate your plants to the outdoor elements before transplanting to the ground. Whether you start your own seedlings or buy from the greenhouse it's a good idea to put the plants out in the general area they will be transplanted to for a few hours of real sunlight and wind for a week or 2. That way they don't go directly from a climate controlled environment to the ground.
If starting from seed, you'll want to start 4-6 weeks before the transplant date. For most of us following the Memorial Day rule that means you have to get your seedlings going in mid to late April. |
Crop Rotation |
Avoid planting eggplants in the same spot that potatoes, peppers, or tomatoes grew in the previous year.
Click here to read about crop rotation and why it is so important It's important to not only avoid planting the same crop in the same spot 2 years in a row, but you also have to avoid plants in the same family as they typically draw on the same nutrients and have issues with the same pests. Click here to learn more about plant families and find a chart showing which ones are related. |
How to Plant |
Dig a hole deep enough so that only the top 4-6" of the plant will stick out. This is where most beginners go wrong only planting the existing roots underground. It may seem odd to bury part of the stem that has already begun growing leaves in the ground, but new roots will grow from any part of the stem that ends up under the dirt. Tall skinny plants are weak producers and this deep planting method helps to promote a strong base which will support the plant and its fruits for several months. Deeper roots and more roots results in bigger eggplants and more of them. Snip off any small fruits or flowers that may already be there so that the plant can focus all of its energy on the plant itself rather than the budding fruit. Don't worry - they will come fast and furious soon enough.
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Spacing and Support |
Space transplants 18"- 2' apart. There is actually a pretty wide variety of sizes and shapes of eggplants, so be sure to research your individual variety and the proper spacing for it. Japanese eggplants for example are long and thin like a cucumber and can be planted closer together, while the larger Mediterranean varieties grow outward like little bushes and may need closer to 3 feet of space between them.
For the most part eggplants are pretty tough and grow strong woody stems to support their large fruit. We have settled on always placing a stake next to our plants because there always ends up being a couple huge sets of fruit that weigh down the entire branch and snap it off. We do it for all of them because it is better to put the stake in the ground before transplanting, but in the end less than half the plants actually need any help. |
Harvesting |
Unlike tomatoes, you do not want to leave eggplants on the vine as long as possible to ripen. In fact, you actually want to pick them ASAP. It might be fun to try to grow the eggplant that wins blue ribbon at the county fair, but once that plant produces a large set of fruits with fully developed seeds it has done it's job and will stop flowering. To keep your plant producing as long as possible, pick early and often.
Oh yeah - watch out for the thorns. The green cap at the top of the fruit up to the stem is covered in tiny little teeth that will bite if you get too close. The best way to harvest eggplant is to hold the bottom in one hand and cut the stem with garden sheers or tough scissors. |
What to do with way too many of them |
Recipes like baba ganoush require a lot of eggplants so if this is a favorite of yours here's your chance to make your own homemade organic version. How exciting!
The baba ganoush process starts by baking the whole eggplant until it's mushy inside. You just slice it open and scoop out the middle then add olive oil and other ingredients. This same substance can be transformed into a lot of things like eggplant meatballs, a vegan taco meat, and we once used it to make a year's supply of frozen homemade veggie burgers. We also freeze a bunch of it to use in stir-frys throughout the winter. You can slice it into little discs or cubes and pop them into Ziploc bags in the freezer. Is it an amazing explosion of flavor you'll never forget. Not exactly. But it is something you grew yourself organically vs. a bag of jolly green GMOs. Small victories add up after a while. |