New to Growing Eggplants

That's why I don't grow potatoes in my garden. The only year I attempted that it seemed as though I had put in an order for Colorado Potato Beetles. They came in swarms. I had never had a problem with them before, but the potatoes brought them out of the woodwork and they attacked not only those but also my tomatoes and eggplant. I have since tried growing them in bags, barrels, and other containers far away from my garden. I've never had CPBs again but I've never had decent luck with potatoes, either...

And I still find the occasional CPB on my tomatoes.

Gym girl, they had a shield shaped shell or back, like an inverted triangle. Brownish in color and with a darker mark at the bottom of the shield. I confess I knocked them off and stepped on them. Can't say I really smelled anything, but I haven't seen anymore. I have been checking my tomato plants, the eggplants and my perennials, so I'm hoping it was just a few, I think I caught about 5. Haven't seen any eggs.

There is a wonderful recipe on Mr Food today for egg plant. Hope you all print it off.

Lavina

More and more blooms comming on my eggplants every day.

Shield bug, instar of a stink bug, leaf footed bug... Good kill.

Kittriana, thanks. I haven't seen them since, at least on the eggplants, unless they have laid eggs but I'm checking daily. Kind of freaked me out.
Rita, I'm also getting lots of blooms and the beginning of eggplants. Exciting. Now if only the rain would go away!!!! Mind you the leaves are so big on the eggplants I have still had to water. Are you fertilizing on any kind of a regular basis?

Hugobee,
The eggplants are big eaters! I'm feeding mine the Mittleider Weekly Feed (a mixture of Triple 13 Granulated Fertilizer, Epsom Salts and Mittleider Magic Minerals), once a week.

After the first harvest of about 10-12 eggplants, the plant is again full of blooms, and throwing a new flush of fruits.

Water AND Food...

You can check out the Mittleider Magic Minerals here:
http://growfood.com/shop/natural-mineral-fertilizers/

Even if you don't go with the Mittleider Minerals, you can still feed them with a mixture of a balanced fertilizer (having any 3 numbers the same between 13 and 19, e.g., 14-14-14, 16-16-16), Epsom Salts, some 20 Mule Team Borax, and either Dolomite Lime (if your avg. annual rainfall is more than 20") or gypsum (if your avg. annual rainfall is less than 20").

I'll post the recipe measurements in a few...

Linda

Hurray, hurray. Small fruit set on Fairy Tale and also some on my white Gretal eggplant. Last picture is of the group of eggplants in their pots all pretty much together.

You go Rita! Whoa, looks great!

They're going to town! Congrats, Rita.

I just hope they do. I need lots of eggplants. I want lots of eggplants. I can't wait!

Rita, looks great! Yep, I'm also fertilizing, mostly with a liquid fert. I'm only growing two varieties. But today, when I went to check, I was so excited at how many flowers there are and eggplants starting!! They're doing better than some of my tomatoes. Of course, that's another thread, LOL!
I must say, eggplants in containers is the way to go!

Yep.

Oh, I have lots and lots and lots of green tomatoes but only afew small, really small eggplants starting. But congrats on the eggplants starting. I think it is so exciting to see those baby eggplants starting.

I've got a great "Spicy Asian Eggplant" recipe ready when you are!

I love Thai-style eggplant, either alone or with ground chicken.

I've got a few fruits on "patio princess" and just waiting to see if they come through!

First picture of Gretal white eggplant, second pictire Fairy Tale eggplant.

Eggplantville!

Great stuff! Mine are loaded with flowers and eggplants starting. Now if only my maters will be so lucky! Not sure what I'm going to do with all my eggplants. Gym girl I want our recipe.

Rita, Eggplantville is fabulous! Great job! Hi everyone.

Eggplantville is "'DA BOMB!!!!"

Hubobee,
It is SUPER simple. Once you put everything together, you smother it all down for about 20-30 minutes and then spoon it over steamed rice.

I usually add 6 large HEB Brand EZ peel shrimps to mine about the last 5-8 minutes. And, I made some this week using some leftover cubed up pork roast. That was good, too.

Many added proteins will work in this dish: cubed up chicken, probably some cubed up extra firm tofu, shrimp, fish filets (lay them in while the eggplant smothers down so the filets cook gently, and don't break apart) turkey, pork.

I prefer a seafood flavor to my eggplant dishes, so I go for the shrimp or filets!

I'll post the recipe soonest.

Linda

I can't wait! I'm always looking for a new recipe to impress my family! LOL!

Classic eggplant and fruit.

Purple Rain Egglant. And Eggplantville!

Finially picked my first eggplants. Not sure if I should have waited or not. White Gretal and then Fairy Tale.

Beautiful! You let your Fairytale get bigger than I did. I wasn't having as much patience when growing them. Now I have all Classic eggplant. They're doing okay but have been hit hard by the flee beetles. It's just hard for me to keep up with everything I've got. But they're still making fruit :) Janet

Fruit on my Classic are still too small to pick.

Those look great!

I finally pulled all the old blooms off my There's cuz the fruit was turning yellow. I started a new fertilizer regime, and they're full of brand new, healthier blooms.

My first fruit off Purple Rain.

NYR,
That is a nice size for an eggplant! Just enough to make about 2 hearty servings of Asian Spiced Eggplant.

Rita, nice! mine are growing, but nothing to show for it yet. I got really excited the other day as I was watering cause I saw an eggplant under all the leaves, and when I pulled the leaves back to check, it was the photo on the plastic marker! LOL! Must have been the heat.....

Since this is my first year growing eggplants, I wasn't sure when to harvest. I was afraid to leave it longer as I didn't want it to get overdone and bitter. It look right to me.

I have some nice Classic Eggplant fruits comming along but I know those should get bigger.

Next year I will be growing lots more than I put in this year.

Just harvest them close to the recommended growth size on your seed packet, and definitely before they begin to turn dull, which = bitter...

Get 'em while they're nice and shiny!

Having a real bad problem with flea beetles. They only bother eggplant. No fruit at all yet. Stunted plants fighting for their lives. Usually I can just pick them off but this year I can't get ahead. What do you do about those tiny pests?!

I never see the darned flea beetles, but they did put a lot of holes in my egg plant leaves. I never did spray them with anything, and the egg plants seemed to do fine even with the holes. I do not like the why the plants look though, next year I will be better prepared! Humm, seems Iike I say that every year!

From experience, I too noticed eggplants attract flea beetle larvae. And those buggers seem to await on the plant and jump out to bite the gardener(s). I squish them thing every chance I get. But then I've got ta wash my hands real well once I do. Them fleas carry disease! One thing seem to discourage their habitat is plant your eggplant in a well ventilated area. They don't seem to like windy area.

That's it, Lily!

I couldn't member that. My yard sits on a natural wind tunnel and (arrggghhh!) enjoys wind most days. My eggplants are growing along one of those currents. A very few flea beetles try to hold on, but they can't cause much damage to a large, established plant.

Thanks!

My Classic Eggplants are 6 inches long. Are they ready to pick? Should I pick them now? Afraid they will go to seed.