Before Planting: Eggplants do best in rich, well-drained soil. Mulch can help eggplants boost their growth in the spring, and adding a light-colored straw-like mulch in the summer helps reduce heat build-up.

Watering: Water 1 to 2 inches per week.

Fertilizer: Fertilize with a complete nutrient solution to keep plants dark green and healthy.

Days to Maturity: Eggplants are ready to harvest as soon as 70 days after sowing the seeds.

Harvesting: Harvest fruit at desired size. Baby eggplant around 8 ounces and mini eggplant around 4 ounces. Harvesting eggplant frequently encourages more growth. To harvest, beware of the eggplant’s prickly stem. The fruit bruises easily, so be gentle while harvesting. Use prunes or a sharp knife to cut the fruit from the plant, but be sure to keep a short piece of stem on the fruit.

Tips: Harvestable fruits should be firm and inside seeds should not be visible once cut open. The inside flesh of the eggplant should be cream colored.