Tower Garden Grow Guide: How to Grow Eggplant
GROWING INFORMATION
Eggplant
DIFFICULTY
2 out of 5 leaves
TIME TO HARVEST
8-10 weeks
INDOOR VS OUTDOOR
Outdoor
BEST TOWER POSITION
Bottom
Why We Love Eggplant
A cousin of tomatoes and potatoes, eggplant is a very versatile vegetable. Not only that, but eggplant is healthy, too! It is high in fiber, has a low glycemic index, contains folic acid and potassium, and is chock-full of antioxidants. Eggplant’s rich, purple hues make it a beautiful addition to any garden space. A wonderful crop for beginning gardeners, eggplant will produce a consistent harvest of plump, delicious fruit grown conveniently on your back porch to enjoy throughout the growing season.
- Western Eggplant – Most common eggplant you’ll find on grocery shelves. Characterized by large, glossy, deep-purple, pear-shaped fruits.
- Japanese Eggplants – Long, slender and typically thin-skinned. They come in an array of colors, usually purple to light violet, sometimes combined with green or white stripes.
Planting Your Seedlings
What You’ll Need
- Tower Garden Growing System
- Seedling Starter Kit (if starting with seeds)
- Eggplant seeds/seedlings
- Net pots
- Tower Garden Support Cage
- Access to power source
More information on starting your seeds is here.
- Germinate your seeds. This step will take roughly 1-2 weeks. Eggplant seeds should be ready for transplant (about 3-4 weeks) when they have a good root system growing from the rockwool cubes.
- Place one seedling cube into each net pot on your Tower Garden Growing System. We suggest placing the plant(s) in the lower tier(s) of your Tower Garden. This will allow the vines to spill over onto the ground surface. You can also train the vines onto the support cage and let them fountain over the sides.
- Gently press the seedling cube until it touches the base of the net pot.
Growing Conditions
Temperature: 65-90° F
Light exposure and watering cycle can be controlled by our digital timer, but for manual reference:
Light
For outdoor – minimum 6-8 hours of full sunlight daily
Watering Cycle
Please set the Tower timer to “O” for outdoor growing
Maintenance & Pest Prevention
- Check water and pH levels at least weekly.
- Keep roots away from pump.
- If growing outdoors, rotate garden regularly for even growing.
- Clean pump monthly.
- Check regularly for pests.
- Remove dead plant debris.
- Destroy diseased plant material.
More information on Tower Garden maintenance is here, as well as extra help for pests and troubleshooting. Growing eggplant with Tower Garden may also require occasional manual pollination, learn why and how here.
Harvesting
- You should expect to harvest your delicious eggplant about 8-10 weeks after transplanting it into the Tower Garden.
- Make sure to use a knife or shears to remove the eggplant from the plant without injuring the rest of the plant.
- Make a cut above the cap of the eggplant leaving a portion on the stem still attached.
- Plan to begin harvesting the fruits when they are 6”–8” inches long.
- Cook immediately for the best flavor since eggplant does not store well.
- If eggplants are left on the vine and grow too large, they will become pithy and may taste bitter. It’s best to remove these fruits from the vine and allow others to develop.
Ways to Enjoy
- Eggplant Parm – A classic Italian dish loved by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Toss eggplant in flour, then egg-wash, then bread crumbs. Bake in the oven and top with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Serve over pasta and garnish with fresh parsley and basil.
- Stir-Fry – Elevate your stir-fries with freshly harvested eggplant. Dice up the peeled eggplant into smaller pieces. Add early on into the cooking process to ensure it gets cooked through.
- Grilled – Save some room on the summertime grill for some sliced eggplant. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, and grill on both sides. Serve with salad and garnish with fresh mint.
Looking for more recipes and kitchen inspiration? Check out Let’s Cook.
