How to Grow Eggplants and Prevent Flower Drop

Eggplant is a tasty vegetable gardeners often choose for home growing. Eggplant is a member of the same family as tomatoes, peppers and potatoes. It is a cold-tender plant that needs a long growing season and plenty of sunshine to bear an abundant crop. Eggplant can be a finicky plant that requires a bit of attention and experience to grow successfully. Understanding the right conditions for growing and how to prevent flower drop will guarantee a good yield of eggplant for your table.

Starting trays
Starting medium
Shovel
Plastic mulch
4-2-2 organic fertilizer
Stakes
Sheet or landscape cloth
Bacillus thuringiensis

Instructions

- 1
  Sow eggplant seeds indoors in a tray with seed-starting medium 10 weeks before the last date of frost in your area. Cover the seeds lightly with soil and water.
- 2
  Place the tray in a warm area of your home with indirect sunlight and keep it moist but not wet.
- 3
  Turn the tray frequently to allow light to all areas of the plant.
- 4
  Set the plants outdoors for gradually longer periods of time each day to harden them off when they are ready for transplanting.
- 5
  Set plants into the ground in a sunny area of the yard with well-draining soil. Add compost or processed manure to the soil to improve drainage, if necessary. Plants should be one foot apart with rows three feet apart.
- 6
  Fertilize the plants with a high-quality 4-2-2 organic fertilizer to get plants off to a good start.
- 7
  Water the eggplants regularly to keep the soil moist but not wet. Lay plastic mulch to retain moisture and keep soil temperatures warm to help increase fruit yield.
- 8
  Stake plants if necessary when fruits begin to get heavy.
- 9
  Monitor plants for pest problems and apply Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium that infects plant pests, if flea beetles or Colorado potato beetles chew holes or defoliate plants.
- 10
  Harvest fruit when it is one-third to fully grown. The skin of the fruit should be smooth and shiny for best taste and texture.

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