Newbie to growing Eggplant - needs advice

[Fert1]

I'm growing eggplant for the first time this year and need more advice. I know about when to separate out and repot my tomato plants, but I wasn't sure about eggplant.

When do I separate and repot them? Do I have to be more careful than with tomato plants? Tomato plants seem to thrive from a little abuse now and then.

How deeply do I plant them? As deeply as tomatoes? I know they are in the same general family as tomato plants, but wasn't sure how similar to treat them. I appreciate any advice from the eggplant gurus present.

[nctomatoman]

I treat eggplant seedlings exactly as I do tomatoes - transplant when the true leaves show, plant them deeply - they recover quickly and grow vigorously. I actually find peppers and eggplant transplant easier (less lanky, more robust stems) than tomatoes!

[Fert1]

Thanks! I appreciate the advice. Glad to hear they're not finicky.

[Grub]

I, too, was wondering all these things and, as evidenced above, Craig is most helpful in pointing a green eggie enthusiast in the right direction. His website has good info too. I followed that and everything worked out very well. Eggplants are slow, but then take off with the warmer weather. Stick with them and enjoy the great rewards. But for the bugs, they are great plants to grow

[Fert1]

Which particular bugs do they tend to attract?

[nctomatoman]

That's easy - they major in flea beetles, actually for me, it is a double major - japanese beetles love em - and minor in aphids and white fly. (though in some years, white fly can be bad). But flea beetles, esp. when the seedlings are young, can do the plants in, completely skeletonizing the foliage. It is really the only time that I use chemicals - I use very dilute sevin and malathion, mixed, every week or so, prior to formation of the fruit - once the plants get big enough they tend to outgrow flea beetle damage. The japanese beetles just need attention - crush them when you see them.

[Volvo]

Cut my very first really nice n shiny black fruit from the whole four plants yesterday..
Previousely i had major problems with fruit fly/grub infestation and kept throwing away halfe green halfe purple hardened fruit..
Sprayed with insecticide oil and bingo!!so far so good??..Mind you the nights have only just started to cool off so whether that is the main cause of help or the insecticide oil ??who knows..
Craig, ive been told that Egg plant craves for plenty of water whilst Tomato's you have to be extremely carefull on how much water you give them...Would that be correct???...

[barkeater]

Volvo, I can answer your question about eggplant and water. I'm not sure how much water is too much but I haven't seen it, and I've grown acres of eggplant. The more water the more eggplants in my experience. I do remember a September hurricane when some fruit did crack like tomatoes from too much water, but there were so many the next couple weeks it didn't matter.

[Fert1]

Now I have another question. How much fertilizing do eggplants require. I know tomatoes don't really need all that much compared to melons and other curcurbits, but what about eggplants?