What Does Eggplant Plant Look Like

What does eggplant plant look like

Identifying Eggplant Leaves The leaves, which can feel prickly to the touch, tend toward a soft green color, almost a gray-green, although they emerge a bright green and soften as they mature. They may have purple veins between the leaf sections. Their shape is broad with scalloped margins.

How long do eggplants take to grow?

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!

Where is the best place to plant eggplant?

Plant the eggplant seedlings in a sunny spot — a place that gets between six and eight hours of direct sunlight daily. The soil should be well draining and amended with plenty of compost. Eggplant grows best in soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0, which is a range of slightly acidic to precisely neutral.

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.

What month do you plant eggplant?

Plant eggplant seeds indoors 7 weeks before your last spring frost and outdoors 1-2 weeks after your last spring frost. Eggplants can be planted throughout the summer up until 14 weeks before your first fall frost.

Should I pinch off eggplant leaves?

After the eggplant begins to flower, clip the lower leaflets from the main branch. Removing these leaves boosts air circulation and allows light to penetrate the canopy. Continue to prune away suckers throughout the entire growing season to boost plant vigor and increase food production.

How many eggplants do you get from one plant?

Eggplants typically grow 18 to 36 inches tall with a spread of 24 to 36 inches. Each plant bears between two to 12 fruits, although this number varies based on the variety and growing conditions.

Do eggplants grow back every year?

You sure can! It's called overwintering. And, if your climate is warm enough (or you can keep the plant warm enough) you can keep your same eggplant plant alive for years to come. You can do this with a variety of other plants too, such as peppers (hot or sweet), tomatoes, & okra!

Do you need 2 eggplants to produce fruit?

Aubergines are self-fertile, which means each individual flower contains all the parts it needs in order to reproduce. There's a female pistil, which comprises the ovary, the style, and the stigma.

Does eggplant need lots of water to grow?

Water eggplant deeply and infrequently, applying 1-2 inches per week. Use drip irrigation if possible. Mulching around the plant will conserve soil moisture and reduce weed growth. Irrigate so that moisture goes deeply into the soil.

How tall do eggplants grow?

Whether you plant them in the vegetable garden or perennial garden, give eggplants plenty of space to mature. Plants can grow 2 to 4 feet tall and wide, which means they need to be staked.

How Big Should I let my eggplant grow?

Baby eggplants are a delight to eat. But you can leave them too long. Eggplant should be harvested when they are one-third to two-thirds full mature size.

How long after flowering do eggplant appear?

How long does it take for eggplant to grow after flowering? Depending on the variety and the region in which you are gardening, different cultivars of eggplant will develop mature fruit within 50 to 80 days after flowering.

Should you pick the flowers off of eggplant?

Pinching new blossoms before the winter encourages the plant to ripen existing fruit instead of putting energy into new growth. You can manually pinch off new blossoms or use garden shears to cut below the base of the blossom. Pinch the blossom below the receptacle.

Does eggplant continue to ripen off the vine?

Tomatoes, when they are fully mature in the “green stage,” will continue to ripen once they are picked. What about other vegetables in the nightshade family, like bell peppers and eggplant? Unfortunately, these vegetables will only ripen on the vine. They won't ripen any further once they are picked.

Is July too late to plant eggplant?

Tomato, eggplant, and pepper plants can be put into the ground at the end of June; once the temperatures warm up in July these plants will take off and grow quickly. Bean and squasha seeds can be sown if they are in the ground by July 1st.

How do you grow eggplant for beginners?

5 Steps to Eggplant Planting Success

Choose a sunny, sheltered spot in your garden.
Prepare your soil with organic matter like compost and sheep pellets.
Add a layer of vegetable mix to plant into.
Feed every four weeks with vegetable food.
Add a layer of mulch and keep your eggplants well watered.

Can eggplant be planted next to peppers?

Nightshades: Other members of the nightshade family, like tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes, make good companions for eggplants because they share similar growing requirements.

Why does my eggplant flower but no fruit?

ANSWER: If your eggplant produces flowers, but the blooms fall off before they can develop into fruit, there are two main reasons why this could be happening. Your eggplant may be dehydrated from lack of water, or the blossoms may not have been pollinated.

How do I get my eggplant to produce more fruit?

If you have poor fruit set, hand-pollinate the flowers to help increase production. Use an electric toothbrush to vibrate to flower stems (not the flowers themselves) for a few seconds each to help the pollen move within the flowers. 9. The more frequently the fruits are harvested, the greater the fruit set.