50 to 60 days
Grows beautifully in garden beds or containers. Add a cage to your eggplant to help support stems when heavy with fruit. Place in full sun, and feed regularly. Matures in 50 to 60 days.
Are Japanese eggplants perennial?
Eggplants are perennial, warm-weather vegetables from the nightshade family that are ideal for grilling, pickling, and incorporating into dishes like stir-fry and baba ghanoush. The Japanese eggplant is a unique cultivar that makes a fantastic addition to any vegetable garden.
Can you grow Japanese eggplant in a container?
A 20-inch container can handle up to three eggplants. When growing Japanese eggplant in containers, consistently check the moisture level of the soil. A glazed pot may keep the water level too high, while an unglazed pot will tend to dry out more quickly and leave the plants thirsty.
What is the best month to plant eggplant?
Eggplants can only grow in warm soil—50 degrees Fahrenheit or above. The best time to plant eggplant is in late spring after the last threat of frost. Eggplants have a long growing season, so you’ll need to start them indoors around eight weeks before your region’s last frost date.
How big do Japanese eggplants fruit get?
Size of Japanese Eggplant Fruit Unlike, the pear-shaped fruit of traditional eggplants, like the Black Beauty variety, Japanese eggplants grow up to 10-inches long. The fruit is slender with thin skin.
Do eggplants grow back every year?
The plant is in the same Solanaceae family as tomatoes and peppers, so it may grow from year to year, depending on the climate. However, the old plants and the new ones initially grew at the same rate and yielded the same number and size of fruits.
How many Japanese eggplants grow?
Asian varieties are somewhat smaller plants, however, usually growing only to about 18 inches tall, while the larger-fruited plants can reach 2 to 3 feet. If you want larger fruits from your Japanese eggplants, remove some so that you have perhaps five or six fruits per plant.
How do you fertilize Japanese eggplant?
Apply a balanced fertilizer twice over the summer, first when the fruits are quarter-sized, and again two or three weeks later. Growing Japanese eggplant in containers is similar, but you will need to water more frequently since the containers dry out more quickly than does the soil in your garden.
Do eggplants need direct sunlight?
As a basic rule of thumb, vegetables grown for their fruit or roots—such as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash, potatoes, or carrots—require full sun, which is defined as a garden location that receives at least six hours of direct sun each day. Keep in mind, though, that no vegetable can thrive in deep, dense shade.
Does eggplant need full sun?
Do eggplants need a lot of water?
Watering. Eggplant also needs consistent water, at least 1 inch per week. It is better to give one thorough soaking than several frequent, short waterings, because frequent watering promotes shallow roots. Weather and soil type, of course, will affect water demand.
When to harvest Japanese eggplant?
Japanese eggplant may be ready to harvest when the size of a finger or hot dog. Typically, eggplants are harvested at least once per week, preferably twice a week. The fruit stems of eggplant are tough and heavy, so harvest the fruits by cutting stems with a sharp knife.
How big does Japanese eggplant get?
Size of Japanese Eggplant. If grown under the right conditions, Japanese eggplants grow up to 4-feet tall and 3-feet wide. The plants reach full size in 50 to 60 days. They need plenty of space in the garden, so all parts of the plant get direct sunlight.
What is the Japanese word for eggplant?
The native Japanese word for eggplant is なすび or なす, but they liked to write it in Chinese characters (ateji) so it is commonly written as 茄子, just like in Chinese. But, 茄 is also a valid way to write eggplant in Chinese, so you can write it that way too.
How to grow eggplant?
Start eggplant seeds indoors 6-9 weeks before the last frost is expected. Eggplants need warmth, so it is best to…