How to Grow Eggplants: From Seed to Harvest with a Side of Sass

Eggplants (or as the Brits say, “aubergines,” because who doesn’t love a fancy accent?) are the underrated divas of the garden. They look fabulous, come in shades of purple that would make royalty jealous, and when prepared right, they’ll make you forget they were ever that vegetable you were too intimidated to cook. Whether you’re growing them for their beauty or their culinary potential, I’m here to take you through the entire journey—seed to harvest, with some giggles along the way.

Step 1: The Seed Stage – “Tiny but Mighty”

Every epic plant journey starts with a single seed. Eggplants are no different. These tiny brown seeds might look like specks of dust, but give them the right start, and they’ll be the Beyoncé of your garden.

What you’ll need:

• If you are like me and live in a frosty/snowy part of the world, I suggest you start them indoors.

        •       Seed trays or biodegradable pots (if you want to feel eco-friendly). These make sure your baby eggplants have enough room to sprout and spread their roots. I like Jiffy’s Biodegradable Peat Pots for a no-transplant-shock experience! https://amzn.to/4eb0c9x

        •       A good seed-starting mix, because like all celebs, eggplants need pampering from the start. Check out this amazing expanding soil that's perfect for Organic Seed Starting https://amzn.to/3BGr3Mt. It’s like the VIP spa treatment for your seeds.

Pro Tip: Eggplant seeds need warmth—like, beach-vacation-in-the-Maldives level warmth. Keep them at a toasty 75-85°F for germination. A Seedling Heat Mat can help maintain the right vibes (pun intended) in cooler environments https://amzn.to/3ZlWAwW

Step 2: The Seedling Stage – “Drama Queen Begins”

Once those seeds have germinated (expect a week or two of suspense), the real fun begins! You’ll soon see little green leaves, and your eggplants will start demanding more light than your cat.

Give them:

        •       Grow lights if you’re starting indoors. Eggplants are sun divas, and they need about 14-16 hours of light per day. GE’s LED Grow Light is a solid choice to keep them happy. Here's a link to the best grow light that I find very helpful in kick starting your seeds - https://amzn.to/3XLx96G

        •       Water, but not too much. We’re aiming for moist, not swampy—kind of like how you want your cake to be.

"My collection of home

grown seedlings

after thinning out the

weakest ones"

Pro Tip: Thin your seedlings out once they’ve got a couple of true leaves. It’s harsh, but only the strongest get to become the garden superstars they were destined to be.

Step 3: Transplanting – “Moving Day”

Once your seedlings have grown into teenagers and the weather’s warmed up (nighttime temps above 50°F), it’s time to move them outdoors. Just like with any teen moving out for the first time, you’ve got to help them adjust.

I moved mine under my covered canopy close to the house before fully moving them out in the open. Since we are still in spring season at this stage, I covered them with a mini greenhouse cover to keep them warm at night time (the temperatures drop significantly during the night time where I live). You can buy these from amazon using this link https://amzn.to/4gWGpfQ

That way it keeps them protected and toasty warm at night!

"The mini greenhouse cover is the perfect protector to keep your seedlings warm until transplanting day comes"

Before the big move:

        •       Harden them off by gradually exposing them to the outdoors. Start with a couple of hours in partial shade and build up to full sun exposure. Imagine it like introducing them to the real world—gently.

        •       Choose a spot with full sun, because eggplants are sun-worshippers. (Get them less than 6 hours of sunlight, and you’ll have a cranky plant on your hands.)

What you’ll need:

        •       High-quality garden soil enriched with compost. Try Miracle-Gro’s All Purpose Garden Soil for some extra growing power.

        •       Mulch, because eggplants hate having their roots dried out. Use EZ-Straw Seeding Mulch to keep them hydrated.

Pro Tip: Space your eggplants about 2 feet apart. They like their personal space—think of them as introverts at a garden party.

Step 4: Growing Big and Strong – “Look at Me Now!”

Eggplants need a bit of attention during their teenage phase, but don’t worry—they don’t slam the garden gate or blast loud music.

Keep them happy by:

        •       Watering regularly: Eggplants are divas about water. Keep the soil moist, but avoid watering the leaves, as this can lead to fungal issues. Use a Drip Irrigation System to give them consistent hydration.

        •       Fertilizing: These plants are heavy feeders. Use a balanced fertilizer, like Miracle-Gro’s Performance Organics https://amzn.to/3BaEyUs to keep them thriving.

Pro Tip: Support your eggplants with stakes or cages. They tend to get heavy with all the gorgeous fruit they’ll be producing. Panacea’s Tomato Cage https://amzn.to/3B2GpKG works perfectly for this.

Step 5: Flower Power – “Bees, We Need You!”

Once your eggplant is mature, you’ll start seeing beautiful purple flowers. These are the gateway to those delicious eggplants we’ve all been waiting for. But here’s the thing—eggplants need pollination. If bees aren’t showing up to the party, you might need to do the honors. Use a pollination brush to spread that pollen like you’re giving out candy on Halloween. Another personal tip I can give you is to gently tap your flowers for a few seconds. What this does is it spreads the pollen in the air gently and cross pollinates the other flowers. And this is exactly what we need to get those yummy abundant fruits forming.

Pro Tip: Prune off any flowers or fruits during cooler months to prevent the plant from wasting energy on fruits that won’t mature.

Step 6: Harvest Time – “Ready for the Spotlight”

Eggplants mature about 16-24 weeks after planting. The trick is to harvest them when they’re glossy and firm, but before they go full-on dull diva. Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to snip them from the plant. Have a look at this amazing easy to use shears on this link https://amzn.to/4gtg1tJ

Pro Tip: If you leave them on the plant too long, they’ll start tasting bitter. No one wants that. Keep checking and harvesting as soon as they’re ripe for the picking!

I will throw in my favourite tip for you guys here. I always and I emphasize, always leave one fruit to mature and harden off on the tree. Why you might ask? Well, I save my seeds for the next season. Not only is this cheap and makes me self-sufficient, but it adds to the collection of my heirloom variety ready for sowing the following year!

Step 7: Eat, Cook, Repeat – “Let the Eggplant Feasts Begin”

You’ve grown them with love, now it’s time to enjoy! Grill them, roast them, bake them into eggplant parm… eggplants are the chameleons of the kitchen. They can be anything you want them to be!

Disclaimer : Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purr-chase through these links. This helps support the blog and allows me to continue providing purr-fect content like this.

Thank you for your sup-paw-t!