How many eggplants grow on one plant

How to Grow Eggplant Eggplant will fall over once loaded with fruit! Be sure to stake tall plants or use a cage to keep the plants upright. If growing eggplant in containers, stake the stems before the fruit forms. For bigger fruits, restrict to five or six per plant. Pinch out the terminal growing points for a bushier plant.

Water well to moisten the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches so the soil is moist but never soggy. Consistent watering is best, and a soaker hose or drip system at ground level is ideal. The critical period for moisture is during fruit set and fruit development.

Mulching can help to provide uniform moisture, conserve water and reduce weeds. Apply a balanced fertilizer twice during the growing season. Side-dress when the first fruits are about the size of a quarter, using 3 ounces of calcium nitrate per 10 feet of row. Sidedress again in about two to three weeks.

Note: Too much nitrogen may cause excessive vegetative growth. If you are using plastic mulch, apply fertilizer through drip irrigation, or apply fertilizer to the side of the row. Here are some of the more common eggplant pests, diseases, and problems. Flea beetles are probably the most common pest, but a healthy eggplant should be able to withstand damage from their tiny holes. Damage is usually serious only on young seedlings.

Grow plants under row covers until they are large enough to tolerate leaf damage. Remove garden debris in the fall to remove any overwintering beetles. Powdery Mildew can affect eggplant. This appears as white, powdery spots on the leaves which may turn yellow and die.

The best method of control is prevention. Planting resistant varieties when available, planting in full sun, and provide good air circulation. Water at the soil level, not on the leaves. Tomato Hornworms are sometimes an issue as are Colorado potato beetles, lace bugs, and mites. If the flowers on your eggplants form but then fall off, or if fruit does not develop, the most likely problem is that the temperatures are too cold.

Eggplants like it hot! Wait for warmer temperatures; you may have to replant, depending on the variety. Strangely-shaped eggplant are the result of inconsistent watering or low moisture. How to Harvest Eggplant Harvest eggplant 65 to 80 days after transplanting, depending on the variety. When starting from seed, expect to 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.

If you harvest early and often, the plant will be quite prolific. Once ready, check on your eggplants every 2 to 3 days. The best way to gauge the time to harvest: Fruits are ripe when their skin first fails to rebound to fingernail pressure.

Harvesting is a bit of an art; fruits can taste bitter if picked when underripe or overripe. The skin of the fruit should look glossy and unwrinkled and have a uniform color. If you cut the eggplant open, the seeds should be soft but formed. If the skin looks faded and the seeds inside are dark and hard, the fruit will taste bitter. Japanese eggplant may be ready to harvest when the size of a finger or hot dog. Cut the fruit off with a sharp knife the stem is tough close to the stem above the green cap calyx on the top, leaving about an inch of it attached.

The calyx can be prickly, so gloves are helpful. You can cut these plants back like peppers if your season is long enough for a second crop. How to Store Eggplant Store eggplant in the refrigerator. Do not wash or cut in advance to avoid damaging the skin, which will quickly perish if exposed. This gives them enough air circulation and sunlight for optimal growth. Overcrowded eggplants can produce fungus and disease from shaded foliage.

It also increases the risk of pest infestation. Although the eggplant leaves are healthy, pruning actually increases the eggplant fruits that grow on the plant. All you need are a sharp pair of pruning shears and garden gloves to start pruning. Posted by: Charlie B. How many eggplants should I plant? I am considering growing eggplant this year for the first time but I do not know how many to plant.

How many fruits does each plant produce? I live in South Carolina, zone 8a I think. I have grown squash before and it produced well. Grown as an annual I think depending on the growing season and nutrients and variety of eggplant. Big room gone Blah! ICI Westmount paint. Sauce Eggplant Chandelier Challenge. I'm guessing this is the first year for your raised beds. This is my 2nd year and I'm needing to improve the soil. The harvest was acceptable but not wonderful. In my in-ground beds I use well composted horse manure with good results those beds are older.

I dont have access to bat guano but have heard bunny droppings do well and I have a source for them. Did you just top dress with the guano?

I'd love to see a picture of this plant. As for saving seeds from eggplant I've read that they need to be fermented like tomato seeds. I did this last year with success Applegreen heirloom variety.

I can't believe I didn't even think to save seed but I think its too late in the season to get any seed off of it. I planned on doing pingtung next year and totally spaced it. Looks pretty normal to me. Down here I get more eggplants per plant than that but that's because it's hot longer down here. You should see how big they get in coastal Louisiana. My eggplants definitely get that size and larger - I'm in Middle GA. I have to stake mine - they turn into jungle plants.

There are compact eggplants. The Black Beauty types are not among them. These are huge plants. I have two Black Beauty plants in an 18 gal tote that look terrible but they have about nine or ten fruit growing. I also have two Ichaban sp in smaller containers doing very well.

All are in the mix. I had Hansel and Dusky in my clay soil garden that produced well early but flea beetles and potato bugs got em. I finally resorted to sevin dust against my better judgement but it has already made a big diff. Got peppers and tomatoes in containers also and turnips in the garden amongst the weeds.. Thats what I have for seed for next season. I guess black beauty was jst a poor choice space wise. I have not grown Pingtung, But other Taiwanese eggplant like Fond May are moderate in size about getting about 24 inches and quite upright, wheras Black beauty, Florida High Bush, Edna etc usually exceed 4 ft in height and tend to sprawl if not caged.

I have grown Pingtung for three years now. It gets about 3 feet high and two feet wide. Each year I have reduced the number of plants I grow, so that this year I have had only one.

They make so many eggplants we cannot eat them fast enough. And the fruit is delicious. You will love it. My eggplant never gets that large. They get at most maybe 3ft, but stay rather slim. I also only get fruits off each plant. I have black beauty too. Indem Sie weiterhin auf der Website surfen bzw. Mehr erfahren. Bathroom Fixtures. Dining Furniture.