Eggplants are a summer vegetable that is native to South Asia. In North America, they are grown as annual vegetables. They do best in warm weather similar to peppers. They are fast growers when the temperatures are between 70° and 85°F (21° and 30°C).
The dark glossy purple eggplant is the type most people are familiar with, but eggplants come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Most eggplant are 6-12″ long and can be egg-shaped, long and slender or round. Colors include dark purple, striped purple and white, shades of purple, shades of green and white.
Eggplant is somewhat drought tolerant and should not be overly watered as this may cause the plant to develop root rot. Mulching can help to keep the plant moist and watering can be increased once flowering has occurred. When the side of the fruit is pressed slightly with thumbnail and an indentation remains, the fruit is ripe.
Follow the link to learn how to grow eggplants.
We offer eggplant in our 1204 Vegetables and #4 Charley’s Vegetables size categories and grow Classic, Louisiana Long Green, Millionaire and Rosa Bianca Eggplants in both sizes. We grow Ping Tung Long Eggplant in the #4 Charley’s Vegetables only. We also off Black Beauty Eggplant in our #4 Peace Farm Organic category.
Classic Eggplant
Classic Eggplants are glossy, elongated oval shaped with a black-purple color. Classic eggplants produce fruit that is 8-9″inches long. At harvest, fruit should be large, shiny and uniform in color.
Classic Eggplant matures in 76 days.
Plant in full sun 24″ apart in 40″ rows. Grows 24-48″ wide and 24-36″ tall.
Louisiana Long Green Eggplant
Louisiana Long Green Eggplant is an heirloom eggplant. It’s eggplants are 8 to 10 inches long, light green, banana shaped and grow on tall, vigorous plants. The fruit can weigh about 6 ounces and have a sweet, nutty flavor with no bitterness.
Louisiana Long Green Eggplant matures in about 100 days.
Plant in full sun 24″ apart in 40″ rows. Grows 24-36″ tall and 18-24″ wide.
Millionaire Eggplant
Eggplant Millionaire is a popular Japanese (oriental) type hybrid eggplant. Millionaire has a proven record of great flavor, top performance and adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions. It is the variety we chose to replace Ichiban Eggplant when the seed for it was discontinued.
It is an early variety that produces 8-10 inch long eggplants on upright plants. The eggplant are shiny black with a purple calyx. The long, slender eggplant are 1.5-2″ in diameter and have smooth, tender skin and nearly seedless flesh. Its delicious flavor is excellent for stir fry and other dishes.
Millionaire Eggplant matures in 55 days.
Plant in full sun 16-20″ apart in 36″ rows. They grow 18-24″ tall and 16″ wide.
Ping Tung Long Eggplant
Ping Tung Long Eggplant originates in Pingtung, Taiwan. It produces a long fruit that is an iridescent purple. The eggplants can grow to around 18 inches in length and 2 inches wide.
This eggplant variety is fairly disease resistant and produces very high yields so it is recommended that you stake the plant to support the weight. At harvest, fruit should be large, shiny and uniform in color.
Ping Tung Long Eggplant mature in 65-90 days.
Plant in full sun 18-24″ apart in 30-36″ rows. Grows 24-36″ tall and 18-24″ wide.
Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Rosa Bianca Eggplant is an heirloom eggplant. It starts out with beautiful lavender blooms that produce rosy-lavender, oval-shaped eggplants. The fruit has a creamy consistency and a rarely bitter, delicate flavor in 5-8″ fruit of culinary goodness.
Rosa Bianca Eggplant matures in 75-90 days.
Plant in full sun 24″ apart in 40″ rows. Grows 24-36″ tall and 18-24″ wide.