How to Grow a Thai Eggplant

Eggplants might be oblong or round, depending on the variety.

Thai eggplant varieties, which might be purple, white, red or green, tend to be smaller than other eggplant varieties. Instead of oblong in shape, Thai eggplants are roundish. Often used as a meat substitute in recipes, eggplants have fewer than 40 calories per cup. When selecting an eggplant, choose one with a shiny skin and a firm body. When growing eggplant in your garden, preserve additional eggplants by freezing in casseroles or pickling. An eggplant alone does not freeze well, nor is it suitable for canning. Schedule planting of seedlings after all danger of frost has passed.

Things You'll Need

• Seedlings
• Garden spade
• Pots
• 5-10-5 fertilizer

Instructions

1. Plant the seedlings about 2 feet apart.

2. Set an inverted pot over each plant during the evening to protect it during cold nights. Do this if you get a sudden cold spell.

3. Soak each plant thoroughly each week, if there has been no rain during the week. Do not let the soil completely dry. If necessary, irrigate twice a week.

4. Pinch off some of the fruit from each plant. There should be no more than four fruits per bush.

5. Scatter 1/4 cup of fertilizer around the soil of each plant. Do this every three weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• Eggplants prefer soil with a pH between 5.5 to 6.5 and do well in raised beds.

• They are a warm-weather plant and not suitable for areas where the night temperature dips below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

References

• University of California: Eggplant
• "Vegetable and Fruits"; James Crockett; 1972