Growing garden eggplants
My vegetable garden consists of a few raised beds. I mainly will grow tomatoes, peppers and squash.
Last year, I added eggplant to the garden spot. Flea beetles can be a problem in eggplant production, but mine stayed flea beetle free. I have to compliment by daughter, Lindsay Bowman, for doing a great job preparing eggplant parmesan from the harvest.
If you want to add something a little different to your garden area, a few eggplants may be an option. You can start your own eggplants indoors from seed or you can purchase your own transplants.
Today, I will be sharing information on growing garden eggplant by way of a UGA publication by Malgorzata Florkowska and Bob Westerfield, UGA Horticulture Department.
According to the Medical News Today, eggplant can provide at least 5% of a person’s daily requirement of fiber, copper, manganese, B-6 and thiamine along with other vitamins and minerals. This site also stated that eggplant can act as an antioxidant. As far as history, Thomas Jefferson is credited as the person who brought this member of the Solanaceus family from Europe to the United States.
As the name states, the original eggplant production was white and looked like chicken eggs. Eggplant should be able to be grown anywhere in Georgia. Eggplant can come in many shapes, sizes and colors which makes this plant an option for ornamental value plus can be grown in containers. As previously stated, you can grow your own transplants from seed indoors or you can purchase your transplants. If you want to purchase your plants, you may want to check with your local stores to see what varieties they plan on offering in 2023.
Our UGA information states that for white varieties, you have Ghostbuster, Santana, Snowy and Casper. The white varieties will range from 70 to 80 days to maturity based on the variety planted. The purple varieties will mature slightly faster with Black Beauty maturing in approximately 60 days, Epic in 64 days after planting and Classic in about 76 days after planting. There may even be some newer varieties on the market not listed.
If you are going to grow your own transplants, they need to be started indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. You should cover your seeds very lightly with soil and keep them indoors in a warm place with good light. Our UGA information adds that supplemental light may be required to promote sturdy plant growth and stop plants from becoming leggy. Set up the light 6 inches above the plants and keep the light on for approximately 14 hours a day.
You should water the soil with a fine mist to keep the plants moist. The plants will need a hardening off period before planting outdoors in the garden. The recommendation is to leave the plants outdoors for 2 to 3 days, but bring them back indoors at night. On the fourth day, leave them outside for 24 hours. Many people will simply buy their transplants. Again, I would do some intel to know what varieties your favorite stores will offer. It is recommended to wait to buy plants till after the danger of frost has passed.
Traditionally, I have stated in our area that the last frost date is April 15th, but we did have heavy frost recently on April 21st and 22nd so be mindful of frost. Eggplant needs warm soils to thrive. You need sunny and warm weather for eggplant with soil temperatures ideally in the 65-70 degrees F range before planting. Eggplant is like many garden items by needing a well-draining garden spot that provides 8 to 10 hours of sunlight per day.
For specific liming and fertilizing recommendations, you still have time to send a $9 garden soil sample to the UGA Soil Test Lab. Our office is shipping samples 2 to 3 times per week. Ideally for eggplant, the soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0.
If you choose to not conduct a soil test, you can use 10-10-10 or 13-13-13 at the rate of 3 pounds per 100 square feet of garden. You should spade or till the soil to a depth of at least 6 to 8 inches.
Our information states that you can add organic matter such as topsoil, compost or a bagged amendment and incorporate in the native soil. After amending and tilling, you should level the area with a rake. Spacing for eggplant is 18 inches apart in the row with at least 30 inches between rows. You may need to add support to the plants as they grow. Tomato cages can be used for support. Eggplants will require between 1 to 2 inches of water per week in the growing season.
Eggplant is ready for harvesting when they develop a shiny skin and feel firm when squeezed. You should cut the fruit with a sharp knife or even pruners. Do not twist the fruit to break it from the stem because this can limit additional plant production. Eggplant can produce until fall frost.