Wimpy eggplants

[tarpalsfan]

Are most eggplants wimpy? I can't seem to please any eggplant that I try to grow. The only one that thrives is good old Fashioned Black Beauty for me. It must be one tough plant.
The others swoon at a little to much water, or a tiny bit too little. Heaven forbid if the there is breeze. Or worse an insect of any kind around.
.
I have been accused of babying eggplant too much. They wilt at my slightest tough though, strangely, it is the same thing with cactus.
.
Help me, I want delicious eggplant! :cries: I will pass on delicious but painful cactus though.
.
No joking though, I really do have trouble getting my eggplant, store bought-or home grown plants, to do well. Any advice will be appreciated.

[HudsonValley]

I don't know much about eggplants (other than that they're delicious), but I have observed the same thing when I've grown them. Last year's Turkish Orange eggplants totally failed during hardening off -- they just couldn't take sun at all. Other varieties (Casper, Tsakoniki, Orient Express hybrid) fared better, but required a LOT of feeding, watering, and insecticide (an organic dust-type product).

I think that Black Beauty does well just about anywhere, but I've read that here in the Northeast, varieties like New York Improved and Asian types do well, but that other varieties, like Florida Market, are better suited to growing conditions in the South...

[KarenO]

Heat, even moisture and lots of fertilizer. I found I had no luck with them in the ground at all. Large black pots in the sun so the roots were nice and warm and they did great even in my Northern garden. Maybe give that a try. I think warm roots was the difference
KarenO

[Labradors2]

I must be lucky! I think it helps if you have a warm summer as one year they simply refused to grow, but the last three years have been excellent for me.

Sometimes they do wilt and cause me great concern, but they usually perk up and survive.

Ping Tung is an easy one to grow and goes absolutely nuts with production in my garden.

Linda

[tarpalsfan]

Originally Posted by HudsonValley

I don't know much about eggplants (other than that they're delicious), but I have observed the same thing when I've grown them. Last year's Turkish Orange eggplants totally failed during hardening off -- they just couldn't take sun at all. Other varieties (Casper, Tsakoniki, Orient Express hybrid) fared better, but required a LOT of feeding, watering, and insecticide (an organic dust-type product).

I think that Black Beauty does well just about anywhere, but I've read that here in the Northeast, varieties like New York Improved and Asian types do well, but that other varieties, like Florida Market, are better suited to growing conditions in the South...

Hi
Last season I grew from seed:
Apple Green
Slim Jim
and I also grew a Bonnie mini eggplant Patio Baby.
.
The eggplant I grew, I seeded in peat pellets, and on a heating pad. They came up great, a did quite well for awhile-but they sort of flopped after that. The fruit I finally got was tiny. About the length of my pinky. .
Oh well, I will try again! Thanks for the reply.

[tarpalsfan]

Originally Posted by KarenO

Heat, even moisture and lots of fertilizer. I found I had no luck with them in the ground at all. Large black pots in the sun so the roots were nice and warm and they did great even in my Northern garden. Maybe give that a try. I think warm roots was the difference
KarenO

Hi
I grew/ tried to grow, my eggplants in black pots last season too. :nod: I might try that again, or perhaps grow bags.
.
I didn't start my own eggplants this season. I thought I might buy some plants instead. My husband bought two Bonnie plants. One generic no named white eggplant, and the one plant that I did not like last season. Patio Baby. I have grown some nice eggplants before, in the garden and in pots. Perhaps last year just wasn't my eggplant year.
.
I sure hope I get some this season! I love them roasted in the oven.
.
I did get some Apple Green, but those little guys were very, very seedy.
.
Thank you for the reply

[HudsonValley]

Originally Posted by tarpalsfan

Hi
Last season I grew from seed:
Apple Green
Slim Jim
and I also grew a Bonnie mini eggplant Patio Baby.
.
The eggplant I grew, I seeded in peat pellets, and on a heating pad. They came up great, a did quite well for awhile-but they sort of flopped after that. The fruit I finally got was tiny. About the length of my pinky. .
Oh well, I will try again! Thanks for the reply.

FWIW, I haven't had much luck germinating eggplants in peat... For me, they germinate better in coconut coir. (Same thing is true of hot pepper seeds.)

[Patihum]

It has to be warm especially at night for eggplant to thrive. At least 62 and 70 is even better. Daytime temps up to 90 (that's pushing it). Row covers for the flea beetles at least while the plants are young and before they start to flower. If your plants are literally wilting it could be verticillium wilt.

[tarpalsfan]

Originally Posted by Patihum

It has to be warm especially at night for eggplant to thrive. At least 62 and 70 is even better. Daytime temps up to 90 (that's pushing it). Row covers for the flea beetles at least while the plants are young and before they start to flower. If your plants are literally wilting it could be verticillium wilt.

It was a hard season for everything last year. Not just plants, so I guess it all goes together.
.
We bought the new eggplants a few days ago. By the time we got home, one of the plants was just sagging in the pot. I thought it had gotten broken off beneath the 'dirt' in shipping. But today, even though it is quite windy here, the eggplants are looking much better. The plants were soggy wet when I got them. I sure hope that darn veticillum wilt stays away from here this year! I did give the plants good looking over-as Wal-Mart plants are bad about being infected with aphids.
.
Here in the summer-yes, we get those 70 temps' at night. 100's day temps.