The Enigmatic Enchantment: Discovering the Mystical Realm of the Enormous Eggplant

Learn how to grow eggplants, a delicious and exciting vegetable you can grow at home. Also known as aubergine or brinjal, eggplant still grows wild in its originating country of India and now it is cultivated all over the world. Eggplants come in many exciting varieties producing different sizes, shapes, and colors. From small round green Thai eggplant and orange tomato-looking Turkish eggplant to the more commonly known large purple-black eggplant called Black Beauty.

Yet grocery stores only stock one or two varieties of eggplant at most. Fortunately for home gardeners, we have the opportunity to grow an exciting number of colorful eggplants. And they not only look great but they also taste amazing. So let’s find out how to grow eggplants for an amazing harvest at home.

As a warm-weather vegetable, eggplant (Solanum melongena) is often grown as an annual. But in warm climates, it grows as a perennial. Meaning it can grow for many seasons.
Eggplant really needs warm soil temperatures of 73-82°F (23-28°C) and should only be planted once all chances of frost have passed. You can check your soil temperature with a soil thermometer.
The preferred soil pH is around 5.5-7 and to narrow that number down even further, aim for 6-6.5. You can use a soil monitor to gauge the pH as well as moisture and light.

In cooler climates, gardeners can consider growing eggplants in pots as they can produce the warmer soil favored by eggplants. Raised garden beds also provide warmer soil. And another method is to use row covers to help keep the soil warm. Remember to uncover the plants on warm days for pollinating insects to fertilize the eggplant flowers.

Eggplants love the sun, so plant them in a sunny spot with full sun. Ideally, 8 hours of sunlight a day or more.
Fertile, well-draining soil is preferred for growing eggplant. You can improve the soil by adding compost and well-rotted manure before planting.
Water eggplant regularly to encourage strong, healthy growth and ensure the fruit does not become bitter. Try to keep the soil moist but not soggy.
Finally, mulch eggplants with an organic mulch to retain soil moisture, keep the soil warm and generally protect the plant. Keep mulch from directly touching the plant stem.

How to Grow Eggplant From Seed
To get ahead start on the eggplant growing season, you can start eggplant from seed indoors. They can be started 6-8 weeks before the last frost date.
For successful seed germination, a seedling heat mat will ensure soil temperature can be ideally maintained at 73-82°F (23-28°C). Having grown eggplants on a heat mat and without, I prefer using a heat mat to increase the rate of germination.
Use punnets or small pots filled with a quality organic seed raising potting mix. You can try these seed starter peat pots – they’re convenient to use because they can be planted directly in the ground along with your seedling at the time of transplanting them to the garden. And this eliminates root disturbance.
Plant eggplant seeds at a depth of 1/4 inch (6 mm) and water them in gently.

Position your potted eggplant seeds close to a window or other natural light. If there is not enough light, you can consider Grow Lights. You can read more on How to Start Vegetable Seedlings Under Grow Lights here.

Seedlings will emerge in 10-14 days.
During this time, keep the soil moist but not soggy. It’s a good idea to use a water spray bottle so as not to disturb the soil or damage the new, fragile seedlings.
Once the seedlings are 3-4 inches (7-10cm), they can be transferred into larger pots or into the garden once they have been hardened off.
Hardening off is the process of slowly exposing the new seedlings to the outside conditions. This is done over the course of a week or two by placing the plants outside for a few hours at a time and increasing the time over the coming days. It’s important not to skip this step in order to produce healthy plants that will thrive for you.