Growing Eggplant – From the Greenhouse to the Grill

Eggplants are easy to grow and their deep purple berry is beautiful. Did you know pumpkin on a stick is an ornamental eggplant?

Eggplant

• Family:Solanaceae
• Botanical Name:Solanum melongena
• Common Name: Eggplant, aubergine, brinjal
• Type: Perennial
• Light: Full sun
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic, 5.5 to 7.5
• Zone: 9b-12a (USDA) – Extended in a dome
• Size: 2-4 ft. tall, 1-3 ft. wide

Note: Eggplant’s leaves, stems, roots and flowers may be toxic to both humans and dogs.

Pumpkin on a Stick (Ornamental Eggplant)

• Family:Solanaceae
• Botanical Name:Solanum integrifolium
• Common Name: Pumpkin on a stick, pumpkin tree, mock tomato
• Type: Annual
• Light: Full sun
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic, 5.5 to 7.5
• Zone: 9-11 (USDA) – Extended in a dome
• Size: 3-4 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. wide

Note: Pumpkin on a stick is toxic to cats, dogs and horses.

Growing Eggplant

Eggplants are warm-season and full-sun plants. Much like tomatoes (they are in the same family), they grow best in temperatures between 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit. They will grow in cooler temperatures, but they will grow very slowly.

Pumpkin on a stick has the same requirements and is ready to harvest about 75 days after planting.

Best Location in a Dome

Where should you plant eggplants and pumpkin on a stick? The best location is the warmest area in your dome with the most sun. Remember to give them plenty of room also as they can grow up to three feet wide.

Planting Eggplant

Many gardeners start eggplant seeds indoors and transplant the seedlings after the last spring frost. It may be possible to plant seeds in your dome greenhouse earlier if you heat your dome.

To grow eggplants from seed, plant the seeds ¼ inch deep and 24-30 inches apart. Plant stakes or cages 1-2 inches away from each planting area. This prevents disturbing the roots later and will be necessary to support the weight of the fruit.

Pumpkin on a stick has the same growing requirements.

Caring for Eggplant

Light: Eggplant needs full sun, which is 6-8 hours of sunlight per day.

Temperature: They also need a very warm location. Temperatures between 70-85 degrees F will help them thrive.

Soil: Eggplants like loamy, well drained soil. Loam soil is sand, silt and clay.

Water: Eggplants need the soil moistened, but not soggy, to a depth of at least six inches. Using a soaker hose or drip system on the soil is good. This is especially important when the plants are setting fruit and during the fruit development period. Let the soil dry a bit between watering, but be consistent. Inconsistent watering can lead to misshapen eggplants!

Fertilizer: Since eggplants are heavy feeders, it can help to apply a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) about every two weeks. Test your soil. Knowing what your soil is providing to your plants or what it is lacking will make gardening easier. Feeding your eggplant periodically can help it thrive.

Best Companion Plants For Eggplant

Eggplants must be the life of the party because they have so many friends aka companions! Choose the ones you love and enjoy to help your eggplant thrive.

Basil, beans, borage, cabbage, calendula, chives, lettuce, marigolds, nasturtiums, oregano, peppers, potato, spinach, thyme, and tomatoes are some of the companion plants that do well with eggplant. They attract pollinators as well as repel pests. Some of them also improve flavor!

Dill and mint are also helpful for attracting pollinators and beneficial insects. However, we do not recommend planting mint in your dome as it is very invasive. To grow mint in your dome, we highly recommend growing it in a pot rather than in a raised bed.

Here is a brief summary of the benefits of a few of these companion plants.

• Borage – keeps pests away and attracts pollinators. Edible in small amounts.
• Calendula – a natural pest deterrent. It attracts predators and repels pests. Also used in herbal medicine.
• Chives – attract pollinators, repel pests, and enhance flavor.
• Dill – very aromatic and draws in pollinators.
• Garlic – the strong scent of garlic can repel pests like aphids, flea beetles, and whiteflies. Avoid disturbing garlic bulbs by planting eggplants away from garlic.
• Lettuce – will create a weed barrier and the lettuce is provided shade by the eggplant.
• Nasturtium – repels pests, acts as a trap crop, and is edible.
• Onions – repel common eggplant pests such as aphids and spider mites.
• Oregano – attracts pollinators and can increase your crop yield.
• Peas – nitrogen fixer, along with beans, so this helps to feed eggplants, which are heavy feeders.

Worst Companion Plants

Avoid these other heavy feeders near your eggplant as they will fight over the soil nutrients.

• Corn
• Cucumber
• Fennel
• Geranium – Will stunt eggplant growth
• Melons
• Pumpkin
• Other squash plants

Managing Pests and Diseases

Some of the pests to watch for with eggplants are whiteflies, tomato hornworms, Colorado potato beetles, and flea beetles.

With the exception of whiteflies, these pests make themselves known by chewing and destroying foliage. It is always wise to check your plants often, including the underside of the leaves.

Avoid many eggplant diseases by using proper watering techniques. Blight, powdery mildew, and blossom-end rot are often due to inadequate watering, lack of water drainage in the soil, and overhead watering.

Check for adequate air circulation around your plants. Do not crowd them together. Test your soil for nutrients and check the soil moisture.

Harvesting Eggplant

So when do you harvest eggplant? They are ready to harvest about 65-80 days after transplanting or 100-120 days when started from seed.

They taste best when harvested young. The most popular variety should be harvested when they are a dark, glossy purple. Harvest white varieties when they are glossy white.

Harvest Japanese eggplant once they reach finger size or hot dog size.

For all varieties the skin should be firm. If you wait too long and there is an abundance of brown seeds, it is too late and the eggplant will most likely be bitter. If you harvest early and frequently your plant will offer an abundance of fruit.

Many varieties have thorns on the stems and leaves, so be cautious and wear gloves when harvesting!

The best method is to cut the fruit from the plant with a sharp knife, pruners, or shears. We recommend gloves as the cap (calyx) at the top can be prickly.

Pumpkin on a stick are ready to harvest once they have matured and are bright orange. It is best to harvest them with pruners or shears and remember to wear gloves to avoid the thorns on the stems and leaves. To dry them for decorative purposes, cut the stem well below the fruit, remove the leaves and hang them upside down in a cool, dry location. When the stems dry, they will darken, but the fruit should stay orange.

To harvest for eating, cut the stem when they are orange. They are great in stir-fry recipes.

Eggplant History

Where eggplant actually originated is a mystery. One theory is they are native to South Asia and Africa. It may have been cultivated by Arabs during the early Middle Ages and then brought to Spain in the 8th century.

Introduced to Europe via the Iberian Peninsula, it became a staple in both Muslim and Jewish communities.

Here’s an interesting read from a 16th century England botany book. It was described as the “madde” or a raging apple.

“This plant groweth in Egypt almost everywhere… bringing foorth fruite of the bignes of a great Cucumber…. We have had the same in our London gardens, where it hath borne flowers, but the winter approching before the time of ripening, it perished: notwithstanding it came to beare fruite of the bignes of a goose egge one extraordinarie temperate yeere… but never to the full ripenesse.”

The Europeans brought it to the Americas in the early 1800s.

Eggplant is in the nightshade family, so it was considered poisonous. This is somewhat true as the flowers and leaves can be poisonous due to the presence of solanine. However, it would need to be consumed in large quantities to be poisonous.

Eggplant Trivia

In Italy, during the Renaissance, eggplant was called a “mala insana”. That translates to “crazy apples!”

Did you know eggplants are berries? They are called vegetables, but they are berries disguised as vegetables. Berry interesting!

In Japan there is a proverb that says: “The happiest omen for a New Year is first Mount Fuji, then the falcon, and lastly eggplant.”

Brought to America in the 1800s, pumpkin on a stick is an ornamental variety. Use it in fall flower arrangements or stir fry recipes.

Health Benefits

Eggplant is another nutrient rich food and an excellent choice for gardeners wanting the best value for the effort. They provide vitamins A, C, K and folate, plus the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.

Scientists believe that eggplants also help reduce the risk of heart disease, help control blood sugar, and may help with weight loss as they are high in fiber and low in calories.

Another benefit is that they have those amazing antioxidants that help protect us from damage caused by the harmful substances called free radicals.

For those of us who are a little bit older, eggplants are rich in anthocyanins. Particularly, nasunin, which helps protect against oxidative damage during aging!