Eggplant Varieties
The following list describes a variety of eggplant cultivars. It also explains how tall each of the plants grow:
- Diamond – These eggplants grow to about 2-feet tall, producing dark purple fruit in clusters of four to six.
- Ichiban – This Japanese eggplant grows to the height of 3 to 4 feet. It produces long, slender purple fruit.
- Fairy Tale – This is a compact eggplant producing purple fruit with white stripes. It grows to about 2-feet tall.
- Black Beauty – This popular cultivar grows to about 30 to 36 inches tall and 16-inches wide. It yields deep purple fruit.
- White Eggplant – This eggplant cultivar grows up to 4-feet tall and 3-feet wide, producing pure white fruit.
- Baby Bell – This dwarf eggplant only grows to 10 inches, and grows well is small, 6-inch pots. It produces 2-inch miniature fruits.
Eggplant Spacing
The spacing you need for your eggplants depends on the varieties you choose for your garden. The most popular varieties, such as Black Beauty require about 24 inches between the plants and rows about 36-inches apart. This allows space for growth, air circulation, and sunlight to reach all parts of the plant. If you’re planning to plant your eggplants in containers, choosing compact varieties would give you the best results.
Eggplant Harvesting
Pick your eggplants while they’re still young for the best flavor. If you wait too long to harvest your eggplants, they will become soft, dull and mushy with a bitter taste. Choose young, firm, shiny eggplants for the sweetest fruit for all your eggplant recipes. The height of the plant doesn’t matter when it comes to tasty eggplant. Any eggplant cultivar will give you tender, sweet fruit, if harvested at the right time. Picking the eggplant fruit regularly helps your plants to produce more fruit.
