Planting and care
How to grow eggplant
When to grow
Warm season · Annual
How to start
Usually transplant
Mature size
24–48 in
Time to harvest
About 65–90 days from transplant.
Feeding needs
Heavy feeder
Growth habit
Bush Fruiting
How to prune
Stake before fruit becomes heavy. Remove diseased or damaged leaves; healthy plants need only light shaping. Keep leaf cover to protect fruit from sunscald.
How to harvest
Clip fruit with 1 inch of stem while skin is glossy and flesh springs back slightly when pressed. Pick before skin dulls and seeds harden; wear gloves around spiny caps.
Harvest and kitchen use
Grilled, roasted, baked, stuffed or used in curries
Nutrition and garden value
Fiber; purple-skinned types provide anthocyanins
Long-season warm crop with attractive fruit
Common challenges and troubleshooting
Flea beetles, mites and cool-weather slowdown