GreenlyHow to grow Eggplant
Solanum melongena · aubergine, brinjal
Warm-season vegetable grown from seedlings, producing glossy purple or black fruit. Requires consistent warmth and long growing season.
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Quick facts
| Type | Vegetable |
|---|---|
| Family | Solanaceae |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil pH | 5.8–6.5 |
| Frost | does not tolerate frost |
| Soil for sowing | from 18 °C |
| Germination | 10 days |
| Seedlings ready | 60 days |
| Sowing to harvest | 120 days |
| Where it grows | Greenhouse, Open ground, At home |
When to plant
Sow for seedlings about 10 weeks before planting out.
Plant out in open ground about a week after your last spring frost, once the soil is warm.
In an unheated greenhouse everything moves about three weeks earlier.
The first harvest comes about 120 days after the shoots appear.
Care
Greenhouse
| Stage | Watering | Temperature | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedlings | every 2 days | 20…28 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Growth | every 3 days | 22…30 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Flowering | every 3 days | 22…32 °C | phosphorus and potassium, at the start of the stage |
| Fruiting | every 2 days | 22…32 °C | potassium, at the start of the stage; potassium, 21 days into the stage |
Open ground
| Stage | Watering | Temperature | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedlings | every 2 days | 20…28 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Growth | every 4 days | 20…30 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Flowering | every 4 days | 20…32 °C | phosphorus and potassium, at the start of the stage |
| Fruiting | every 3 days | 20…32 °C | potassium, at the start of the stage; potassium, 21 days into the stage |
At home
| Stage | Watering | Temperature | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedlings | every 2 days | 20…28 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Growth | every 2 days | 20…28 °C | balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage |
| Flowering | every 2 days | 22…30 °C | phosphorus and potassium, at the start of the stage |
| Fruiting | every 2 days | 22…30 °C | potassium, at the start of the stage; potassium, 21 days into the stage |
Growing notes
Light
Needs full sun — at least 6–8 hours daily; poor fruiting in shade or cool conditions.
Soil
Rich, well-drained soil with plenty of compost; prefers slightly acidic to neutral pH.
Care
Keep soil evenly moist — drought stress leads to bitter fruit and poor yields. Mulch to retain moisture and warmth. In greenhouse, assist pollination by gently shaking flowers. Protect outdoor plants with cloches if nights remain cool after transplanting.
How to tell it is ripe
- Skin is glossy and evenly coloured for the variety: this is the best eating stage.
- Fruit has reached usable size, often 15–20 cm long for standard types.
- Over-mature fruit turns dull or brownish and becomes spongy, seedy and bitter.
- Press the side with your thumb: if the flesh springs back it is ready, if the dent stays it is over-mature, and if it does not give it is too young.
- Cut with a knife or pruners, leaving the green cap and a piece of stem on the fruit, and eat it soon because eggplants do not store well.
Pests and diseases of Eggplant
- Anthracnose
- Blossom-end rot
- Broad mite
- Colorado Potato Beetle
- Early Blight
- Flea Beetles
- Fusarium Wilt
- Grey Mold
- Leaf Curl Virus
- Leaf Miner
- Tomato hornworm
- Tomato russet mite
- Tomato spotted wilt virus
- Two-spotted spider mite
- Verticillium Wilt
- White mould (Sclerotinia)
- Whitefly
Sources
Figures cited from these sources.