Eggplant slow to flower & produce fruit or something wro

[Brown Thumbs]

I planted an eggplant along with my other vegetables about 2 months ago. Squash, tomatoes, peppers are beginning to produce mature fruits, but the eggplant has yet to flower or begin making a fruit. Do it just take them longer or is something wrong? The plant appears healthy and is approximately 18 inches tall.

[gumbo2176]

I planted an eggplant along with my other vegetables about 2 months ago. Squash, tomatoes, peppers are beginning to produce mature fruits, but the eggplant has yet to flower or begin making a fruit. Do it just take them longer or is something wrong? The plant appears healthy and is approximately 18 inches tall.

Be patient. I planted mine back in early March and I just picked 6 off the plants today for my second harvest. I only picked a couple about 2 weeks ago, both Ichiban. I have Ichiban and white globe eggplant.

If you haven't already done so, I would suggest staking the eggplants. Once they start bearing fruit, they tend to fall over from the weight of their produce, especially if you have 2-3 eggplant maturing per plant.

[Brown Thumbs]

I planted an eggplant along with my other vegetables about 2 months ago. Squash, tomatoes, peppers are beginning to produce mature fruits, but the eggplant has yet to flower or begin making a fruit. Do it just take them longer or is something wrong? The plant appears healthy and is approximately 18 inches tall.

Be patient. I planted mine back in early March and I just picked 6 off the plants today for my second harvest. I only picked a couple about 2 weeks ago, both Ichiban. I have Ichiban and white globe eggplant.

If you haven't already done so, I would suggest staking the eggplants. Once they start bearing fruit, they tend to fall over from the weight of their produce, especially if you have 2-3 eggplant maturing per plant.

Ok thanks. I went out and added a stake in case my plant ever decides to start blooming and forming an egg plant. I have the large variety, I think that's called an American eggplant but not positive.

[applestar]

Yeah. Eggplants need more heat than the other crops. They go in the garden robably at least 3 weeks after tomatoes and 1-2weeks after peppers, and still need more heat than the others to grow.

[jal_ut]

I guess that is why I have no luck with eggplant here in this high mountain desert.

[hendi_alex]

Everything in my garden is very early this year. Egg plant finally started coming off last week. That is about a month behind my cukes, zucchini, and squash.

[dahoss2002]

Eggplant takes longer.

[sheeshshe]

Yeah. Eggplants need more heat than the other crops. They go in the garden robably at least 3 weeks after tomatoes and 1-2weeks after peppers, and still need more heat than the others to grow.

well then, I guess that explains why mine still has just 1 leaf after starting the darn thing 3 months ago LOL

[Brown Thumbs]

Glad to hear nothing is wrong then. My plant looks very healthy with several large leaves, so I'll just keep waiting for a bloom to appear. If it likes heat then it should be a happy camper because we've hit the low 90's here. I only have one though, so I hope they self pollinate!

[rainbowgardener]

Sheshee, I think you will be a lot less frustrated if you focus more on growing the things that work with your climate and soil, instead of trying to grow the things that grow well in TX. It's a tough lesson, we all want to grow what we want.

I had to learn it the hard way. I have a hillside that I am trying to turn into a native woodland shade plants garden. There's a number of the woodland plants that I really wanted, including mountain laurel, bunchberry, and wintergreen. But they are acid lovers and my soil is on the other end from yours, testing out at 8 or 8.5 I tortured a number of expensive plants to death that way, thinking I could amend the soil for them. I could amend it enough for them to get started, but then it is still in a sea of surrounding alkaline soil and I never could keep them happy for very long....

I finally had to decide to grow what likes my conditions.

[sheeshshe]

Well, each year I try and grow something new just for fun. I picked this eggplant because it was a short season variety that is supposed to grow in my climate, I got it through pine tree seeds. https://www.superseeds.com/details.php?id=156

[barrelslime]

Yes patience. I consider egg plant as one of my later producers.

[gardenvt]

I've been growing eggplant for 4 years here in VT and have had good success with them. I start them in mid-March and move them into larger containers as needed to keep them going until I plant out - about Memorial Day.

Perhaps using containers makes a difference as they keep the soil warm and provide a protected environment for the plant. I am growing Rosa Bianca and Beatrice this year. Both varieties have blooms and 2 of the plants have baby egplants. I hope to begin harvesting in a few weeks.

My eggplants usually produce into early October.

[Avonnow]

Even in Florida where lack of heat is not a issue, I have tried various varieties and some take soooooo long, I have no patience - I don't grow them anymore. I Grow mostly Ichaban, it grows so fast and I get so many veggies off the plant. I tried the White eggplant this year as well. Planted both at same time, it took about 30 days longer to get anything on the white, and the Ichaban had already given me about 7 eggplants per plant. They also will continue all summer here. Good luck, I am like you always wanting to try something new, it is fun to see if it works. This year I tried those lemon cucumbers - so cute, plant did well, then some funk got it, so that was the end of that experiment. Those seed catalogs are just too inviting.