How to Grow Eggplants - Complete Growing Guide 

Exactly what I needed! My seeds are hatching, and I'm 3 weeks from my last frost date. I feel much more at ease now. Thank you, Luke! Yours is one of my favorite channels.

Thanks for the video. I grow eggplants here in N.Cali for last 5 years and this year I tested it out by topping off (just like peppers). The results are great, the production has increased, and the plant has a lot of vigor.

I like how you focus on the plant’s emotions . It helps so much more to internalize the information, rather than bombard us with scientific terms. It’s a more empathetic, and relatable way of getting to know, and take care your plant.

I'm growing three varieties in a mixture of composted horse manure, organic compost, vermicompost, coconut choir and rock dust. They are getting very large and fruiting. I'm so glad! Thanks for your videos.

For the first time ever I decided to grow Japanese Ichiban Eggplant. Grew very well in a raised bed. Liked that they were thin and long vs. the traditional larger eggplant. Made several delicious dishes as they were tasty and very versatile due to their shape and texture.

I am starting now for the first time. They have just sprouted. I hope our almost spring temperatures will be ok for them. Great video.

best video for growing eggplants and taking care of them. nice one Luke!

Your method of squeezing the eggplant to tell if it was ripe got me in big trouble with my Filipina wife. She bought in our Asian eggplants from the kitchen that I had pressed and cut the day before .... she had cut them in half along the length and showed me brown bruising exactly where I had squeezed them!

I'm growing eggplants for the 1st time; I found the info invaluable. U really educate me. I find that they are demanding tho, almost like tomatoes.

Hi Luke! I personally LOVE eggplant and I have around five plants growing in pots outside on my front spartment steps and they are doing GREAT!! I have one flower open and no others but I think I read that they are self-pollinating as well as green bell peppers. I hope so because only one eggplant flower is open and the others are still in the bud yet and not ready to open until a few days from now. GREAT video and oh, hey, I used "worm tea" from my first established worm bin and diluted it with water and watered them and my sweet bell peppers with it. I look forward to them getting bigger!

Eggplants are the non plus ultra on Italian cuisine. What a gift from earth

I’ve had tremendous luck with Black Beauty’s. Happy Gardening to all.

Thanks, I now know what to do next year. This was my first year and one test plant only.

Beautiful eggplant one of my favorite to eat & grow!! Mahalo for sharing!🌞

Thank you for all this information. I have black beauty eggplants in my grow box right now and am planning ahead when it’s time to get them in the ground. I have just ordered the trifecta plus and can’t wait to have a better garden.

Great video. Thanks so much! I'm in South Africa, so I'll be planting mine in a few weeks.

Very informative video Luke. Thanks for sharing your knowledge

I got a Shikou Eggplant at Lowes last year and they were delicious with a nutty flavor. I didn't know you could put them so close together and had a lone plant that really spread out. I want to put several of these in this year so I get more eggplants.

Thank you for sharing some great ideas ! We appreciate it!

interesting variety you have, I like it!

Nice succinct explanation, exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

This is SO SO helpful. Thank you.

Thank you for this vid, this is my first garden zone 8 and just planted my egg plants I did mine a foot apart hope I didn’t over crowd them will go back once they start coming up and get rid of the smaller ones so I have healthy happy eggplants

I am looking to grow eggplants for the first time this year. In my growing zone, it is suggested that we start sowing seeds soon, in preparation for spring. Here's hoping we don't have another dry period this year. Last time around, my efforts to work on my garden were hampered because of bushfires followed by flooding. Such is life living in Central Queensland.

I love your video's. You have great information. I live in NC zone 7. I haven't had much luck with egg plant.

It's my first year growing egg pants. My black beauty's just keep dropping their flowers, but my patio baby eggplants are finally starting to produce some fruit!

Another awesome video! Mr and Mrs Migardener keeps inspiring more people! Hopefully I can do that on my channel!

Thanks for the tips

Thanks for the great tips 😍

Thanks for this video. I have 4 black Beauty plants and I've ended up having to hand pollinate them.

thanks Luke love the videos been following you channel for a while now and i have gotten so much info from them.

Wow. terrific video. If I can't grow eggplant after this......... Thank you so much.

Learning a lot from this, Thanks

Enjoying your tutorial video while I have my oatmeal. Maybe I'll try and plant one of these today.

I've never grown eggplants, and the store bought ones have mostly been like you said, either spongy or bitter skinned. I'm excited to see the difference of homegrown. This video has all the information a person might like to know about eggplant, except what I was looking for... of course. Seed sprouting instructions? It seems like there was something special about sprouting them??

thanks for all your videos!!

what great instruction... the story helps memory. ❣️

Very Nice, Thanks.

I have never had a eggplant look that wonderful

So much interesting information :-)

Great video!

Interesting video thanks. We are growing some gorgeous black beauty variety.

Great video bro...

First yr growing,good video !

Good soil makes a difference. Last year I tried them in the garden out front and got 3. This year I have some in the front yard and some in the back yard. The ones in the back yard are like bushes. The ones out front are even sadder and more pathetic than last year. Since the lighting is the same...I'm blaming soil. The back yard garden is older and has had more years of soil amendment (fertilizer). And, I could have used this video last year. I figured this out by trial and error and help from Google. Last week, I made an eggplant dish for a potluck. Since the plants were just starting, I only had one fruit, so I supplemented with one from the store. Night and day difference! My own is best.

Thank You for the great information. When You say yhat you crowd them together, How far apart? You say the same thing about pepper plants. Are you talking about sweet peppers? if so. how far apart do you plant them? Again Thank You.

Very nice Sir Thanks you

I live in zone 9 so my eggplants gets lots of sun all year. Lately I'm getting little green worm eating the leaves and the flowers. What companion plant is recommended? I notice you have basil which grows excellent here too. Thank you for your support.

Great tips👍💕

Good job

Is it the same principle for the mini gge plant variety? Because in waiting for them to get "soft" for picking they have all turned yellow....kinda confusing for a beginner lol

Hi great video. Thanks a lot! I've heard people talking about pruning back or cutting back the eggplant plants especially when the frost is near... And that the trees can probably grow back. My thoughts have been if this is true then when the trees become big and they are starting to lean over to the side... After harvesting the crop for that bit of the Season then I can cut back the branches almost to making the plant nude and allowing new gross. What are your thoughts?

Mine are doing great thank you

I know this video isn't Bout squashes, but I want you to k ow I pruned my greenhouse zuccini, a lot, and watched my bees come in, first time this season. I love the foliage and flowers, but much prefer the fruit. Thanks for sharing.

I am trying eggplants for the first time this year. I have 6 raised beds that will get full sunlight. I was thinking of planting the eggplants in of my beans and cucumber. Seems they are good companion plants for beans.

Im growing and harvesting Little Fingers egg plants very good producer and tastes awesome but my favorite that I am growing is Kamo eggplant. Heavy producer and used by top chefs in Japan. Just delicious jewels!

Luke can I use trifecta plus in my straw bale garden?

Do you not need to prune them?

In past 22 years I have seen only one mature eggplant in Calgary area. The information provided are excellent, I have a question about germination to harvesting time, how long it is and what about daylight hours exceeding 16 hours a day?

Ichiban, sicilian, classic, hansel and gretel. Gretel has some gnarly thorns.

Thank you

Hey Luke! I saw your video on saving carrot seeds before this one on eggplant. In that video you talked about how carrots were from Afghanistan (I didn't know that!) and in this one you mentioned eggplant doesn't come from areas that drop into the 40s F. You're a knowledgeable guy and if you were to do a series on the origins of the common vegetables grown in North America I would absolutely geek out on that! I know a pretty good bit about gardening successfully, but the history of the crops I work with.... I know next to nothing. Might be an interesting series!

If I add trifecta+and worm casting to my potting mix with mushrooms compost would I need to add anything else to my eggplant growing in grow bags? Thank you for your videos

Hello very good video and i will put more attention in my eggplant next time .i have two verity plants and the asian eagplant after two months star to be the fruit yellow ..i am in zone 9 to 10 very hot summers.

Thanks man

this year the weather was awful summer kept on getting interrupted with cold and rain - London UK Last year i could get rid of anything had to give away loads of things this year i hardly got a harvest.

Thanks for the info. It is necessary to prune eggplants?

My first eggplant. Wow it's thriving. I am so happy with it. I have flowers all over it and 4 fruits .

Last year I successfully grew tomatoes from my balcony, so I hope that means I have enough sunlight for tomatoes *fingers crossed*. I've planted a fairytale eggplant and an asian eggplant, so I hope they grow well!

it is Oct 31, 2017. still getting eggplants temperature was 43 degrees F

Do u prune and pinch off the main terminals? And should I?

not only did I learn about eggplant I learned about peppers and here I am with my peppers more than 2 feet apart long. Live and learn I guess.

What is the recommended spacing for the eggplants? Is it best to direct sow or transplant?

I love my eggplants, I would like to protect the weight, how can I provide a good support system for the fruit as it grows?

I'm in zone 8 and would like to grow eggplant in a big container with herbs (oregano, sage and mint). Is this a good combination or should the eggplant be on it's own? Thank you!

Oh, the variety I'm growing is "Black Beauty" which is a medium-sized eggplant fruit. :-)

hey i was wondering and had a question?i saw a plant that you have and its yellow and orange,what is the name of the plant..and can you eat it?

What about pollinating? Pruning? Depth of soil in containers?

Finally getting the long purple I got seeds from you but they have been slow growers . Now producing but have holes all in leaves . Think for flea Beatles. How do I get rid of ?

I am in zone 8a and want to start my seeds today. am I going to be too late for thus season

Do you find it helps to grow them with basil next to them? Is that deliberate? is it for bug control?

Nice videos, MIG! Want to know about overwintering them here in the Midwest. Can you enlighten me?

I bought a single eggplant. Would it be better to put 2 or 3 together or will the one be ok alone? Really just wanted to do a test run this year.

If you don't want to use animal products, do you know what could be used for alternative N, P and K fertilisers, please?

I randomly picked up an Ichiban from the hardware store a few weeks after my peppers went in. Dumb luck I that I got the timing right. I harvested my first eggplant recently and put it in a stir fry. Now I wish I bought more plants that day.

It is so hot here, in the 100's. They are 5 ft tall, the blooms come out, and die. They keep growing and the flowers keeps falling off. So, I will try xtra bone meal. I really wanted some.

what is the 2 fertilizer that you use?

Eggplant is difficult in the south (N.Georgia). Neighborhood gardeners and I get bombed with flea beetles, and we are going to try Starting them later in the season. They seem to need a lot of water too.

Hi, first time growing acquired a antiqua eggplant some of them have yellow and purple streaks. Please advise🙏🏽

Awesome update never grow it thank you for sharing have a blessed day

Where do you get the trifecta to buy and is it organic

Hi Luke, I have eggplants and they are about 1 month old. They are not tall but lots of leaves. Just wondering when can I prune them cuz most of the leaves are touching the ground/soil? Im afraid that they might catch disease but at the same time dont want to get rid of the leaves that they need to grow taller. Thanks

how many years we can get harvest from eggplant,chelli&okra

Very much by accident I bought an eggplant seedling at the farmers market and it's been growing extremely well on my rooftop in the strong sun. After a lot of internet research I found out it is a Barbarella eggplant. Weird! Thanks for the tip on bone meal can't wait to try it.

In florida and have one little plant starting

Wow those are some big shiny EGGPLANTS nothing like a good EGGPLANT...nothing like a good MOULI!

I just planted 2 Ichiban Japanese Eggplant. Hoping for the best.

I just started growing eggplants. Or at least trying to. Just as an experiment, I planted a whole one that was going bad juat to see what would happen. Would that work?

iam from afghanistan ,thx for ur useful info , for how long (how may years)we can keep egg-chilli &okra plants thx

Trying egg plants for the first time this year. What about pruning? Do I left branches from the leaf nodes continue to grow?