Whether you garden in the ground, in raised beds, or in containers, eggplants are a great addition or re-addition to your plant family. Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing eggplants, also known as aubergines.
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Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | Yield Per Plant | Ingestibility | Further Reading
What Family Do Eggplants Belong To?
Eggplant (Solanum melongena) belongs to the Solanaceae family, also known as the nightshade family.
Some of their relatives include tomatoes, potatoes, and bell peppers.
What Size Container Should I Use for Growing Eggplants?
The minimum container size recommended for eggplants is 5 gallons.
Learn more in our Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden article here.
What Are Good Companion Plants for Eggplants?
Some of eggplants' best companions are as follows:
- Amaranth
- Beans like green beans
- Peas
- Marigold
- Peppers such as jalapeño and bell pepper
- Spinach
- Orach
- Thyme
- Tarragon
- Toothache plant
- Garlic
What Are Bad Companion Plants for Eggplants?
Eggplants are not compatible with every plant. Some things to avoid planting with eggplants are as follows:
- Fennel
- Walnut
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Zucchini
- Squash
- Melons
- Blackberry
- Wild ginger
What Soil Conditions Do Eggplants Need?
Eggplants prefer rich, well-draining soil. The soil pH should be between 5.5 and 7.5, though a stricter range of 6.0 to 7.0 is even better.
How Long Do Eggplants Take to Germinate?
Eggplants take 6-12 days to germinate at a temperature of 65-90°F.
How Much Sun Do Eggplants Need?
Eggplants need full sun. They will not fruit in the shade.
Sun recommendations can vary by region and weather conditions.
How Much Water Do Eggplants Need?
Eggplants need 1 inch of water per week.
What Is the Ideal Temperature Range for Growing Eggplants?
Eggplants grow fastest in temperatures of 70-95°F.
This is their ideal temperature range. Although they will grow in temperatures both cooler and warmer than this range, the growth could be slower or even stunted.
Minimum and maximum temperatures will vary by variety. Some eggplant varieties are bred for later harvests and others for warmer climates.
How Tall Do Eggplants Get?
The average height of eggplant plants is 18-48 inches.
Are Eggplants Annual, Biennial, or Perennial?
Eggplants are perennial vegetables, meaning that they live for longer than a couple years, in areas whose temperatures are not lower than 50ºF. In colder climates, they can also be perennial if brought inside or into a greenhouse whose temperatures stay above 50ºF.
Otherwise, in cool and cold climates, they are usually grown as annuals, meaning that they start and end their lives in the same year.
How Do Eggplants Reproduce?
Eggplants reproduce by seed.
How Many Eggplants Are Produced Per Plant?
For eggplants, how many are produced per plant (also called the yield) largely depends on the type of eggplant and, at times, the variety.
Most eggplant varieties produce 4-6 fruits per plant.
Can Eggplant Be Ingested?
Eggplant fruits, which are considered vegetables in a culinary sense, are edible when cooked. They should not be eaten raw.
Eggplant fruits have hypotensive and emollient properties and can be used in certain herbal preparations. The most common preparations are broths and lotions. Eggplants are not usually used in other common preparations like tea and tincture, though they could be added to a decoction.
There are no known safety concerns associated with ingesting cooked eggplant fruits.
Further Reading
This article is intended as a quick-reference guide for gardeners. Consult your seed packet or seed catalog for variety-specific information.
When you have a bumper crop of eggplants rolling in, you may not have enough time for long, complicated recipes or many-step preservation procedures. Check out my article on quick, simple uses for eggplants here!
Eggplants are featured in these Plant to Plate articles: