Can Eggplant Be Grown Vertically?

Garden Supports

• A variety of support structures, both purchased and homemade, work well for supporting eggplants in the garden bed. In larger beds, use conical or cylindrical tomato cages. Place the cage over the young plants. As the plants grow, the mesh of the cage supports the branches. Trellises installed behind the eggplant row can also provide support, although it's necessary to tie the main stem of the bush to the trellis as the plant grows. Stakes are cost-effective and take up minimal garden space. Use a single 5- to 6-foot stake for each plant.

Container Gardening

• Eggplants grow well in single 5-gallon containers. Use a container at least as deep as it is wide so it doesn't topple over due to the top-heaviness of the supported eggplant bush. Stakes provide the best option for supporting the plant in a container, since the stake takes up minimal room in the small growing container. Push the stake into the soil until it touches the bottom of the pot. Alternatively, set the pot against a trellis or espalier installed outside the pot. A trellis affixed to a fence or wall helps further anchor the pot as you attach the plant to the support.

Planting

• Install supports before you plant the eggplant; otherwise, the support may damage the plant's roots during installation. Plant eggplant seedlings and transplants no more than 4 to 6 inches from the base of the support structure. The only exception is cage supports. Place these over the young plant after planting so the eggplant sits in the center of the cage. When planting eggplants, set them no more than 2 inches deeper than they were growing in their seedling pot.

Vertical Growing Tips

• All support methods require plant ties, except for cages. Use plastic or cloth ties, as these don't cut into the stems. Strips from old T-shirts or nylon hosiery work well. Tie the main stem of the eggplant to the support every 8 inches along its length, adding more ties as the plant grows. Tie the stems loosely so the tie doesn't constrict or cut into the stem as it thickens and matures. Place ties above the fruiting stem. Doing so prevents the fruit from stripping from the stem if the plant sags, since the fruiting branch won't slip through the tie.