Eggplant

Also known as: Brinjal, Aubergine
Tamil Name: Katharikkai; Scientific Name: Solanum melongena;

Beginner Level

B G T

Planting/Sowing

May – Jun; Dec – Jan;

Harvesting

Jul – Aug; Feb – Mar;

First Harvest

~60 Days

General Info

Crop category	Vegetable
Life span	Annual
Type of crop	Bush
Part(s) of the crop to harvest	Fruit
Avg. Height	24- 36 inches in height

Climate & Humidity

Brinjals require moderate warm days with temperatures consistently between 21°C – 32°C.

Planting / Sowing

When to plant / sow seeds (ideal season):
May to June; December to January;

How to plant:
Transplanting;

Soil Depth & Spacing Requirements

Seeds to be sprinkled over the nursery bed and seedlings to be maintained up to 30-35 days. Transplanting of seedlings to be done at 1 seedling per hole and spaced about 60 cm from each other.

NOTE: Please go through the Guides in the Knowledge Base for more details on topics ranging from Spacing & Lighting to Soil and Nutrients.

Irrigation

Irrigation to be done 3 days after sowing. After that, weekly irrigation to be followed. Irrigation at flowering stage is mandatory.

NOTE: Irrigation should depend on how moist / wet the soil is. Check your plants everyday to see if they require irrigation or not. Check the Watering & Irrigation guide for more info.

Harvesting

When to harvest
Harvest the fruits 55 -60 days after transplanting. Fruits are harvested at 4-5 day intervals. Harvesting early prevents fruit from becoming too seedy, and will encourage more production from the plants.

How to harvest
Pluck and cut the fruits at the tender stage.

NOTE: Harvest periods can vary depending on environmental, climatic, and soil conditions.

Pests & Diseases

Pests	Shoot and fruit borer, mealy bugs, stem borer, spotted beetle, ash weevil
Common Diseases/ Problems	Verticillium wilt, Leaf spot, Damping off, Tobacco Mosaic Virus
Pest and Disease prevention measure(s)	Read Pest & Disease Control for more information.

Did you know?

Eggplant belongs to the ‘Nightshade’ family and was once believed to be extremely poisonous. Keep in mind that the flowers and leaves can be poisonous if consumed in large quantities due to the presence of ‘solanine’. Another myth about the vegetable led to the name ‘mad-apple’ because it was thought to cause insanity!