Should I pick these?

[tjg911]

I need some advice. This is my 2nd year growing eggplant so I'm not too knowledgeable about them. Last year I grew Ichiban and this year it's Cloud Nine, obviously very different varieties.

My 1st few fruits from Cloud Nine were larger (7-8" long) than what's been on the plant for about a week that don't seem to be getting larger, about 4-5" long. All 3 plants are loaded with fruits (6-8 each) in different stages of growth. I have each plant in a 5 gallon pail, give each plant 1 gallon of water per day, fertilize with Neptune's Harvest fish and seaweed emulsion each week and osmocote 1 time per month. I think I'm doing this correctly.

Since the 3-4 largest fruits do not appear to have gotten any larger over the past 5-7 days, should I pick them? I suspect they are not going to get larger due to the number of fruits on the plants and are just getting older. Possibly the developing fruits are being stunted too?

Am I right? I think I should just pick the largest ones now rather than wait for growth that does not seem to be happening.

Tom

[nctomatoman]

Eggplant size is very variable - since they are edible at any stage, pick them when you want to use them - it also will stimulate the plant to set more fruit. Once they stop getting larger, they are ready to pick - leaving them much longer will turn them yellow and inedible (but ready for seed saving).

[tjg911]

thanks craig. i do know that they are edible at smaller sizes. see i wanted those larger ones to get to be 7" or larger so i've waited for that to happen. the more (volume of) eggplant i have the more baba ganush (i know that spelling is off but...) i can make. You confirm what I thought - that picking them stimulates the plant to produce more and help those smaller fruits (1-3") to grow too. I'll pick all the largest ones tonight.

tom