Fairytale Eggplant

Latin name: Solanum melongena

🌱 Days to Sprout: 10-21 

😋 Plant food: after true leaves 

✂️ Thin to: 1 plant per yCube

🍅 Days to Maturity: 65-85 

💡 Light Zone: Maximum

📏 Plant Size: 2 ft

💚 Care Level: Advanced

Eggplants were first domesticated in India, where evidence of the plants’ early cultivation dates back 2,000 years. Today, a wide variety of eggplants that range in size, shape, and color are available worldwide. 

This All-America Selections (AAS) winner is a stunning, compact eggplant variety featuring white fruit with violet and purple stripes. These beautiful eggplants are tender and sweet, and retain their non-bitter flavor even as they get larger. That means you enjoy a much longer harvest window without risking a change in taste! Stems and leaves can sometimes grow small thorns, so use care (or thicker gloves) when handling your plant.

Fairytale Eggplants make an excellent treat when marinated and grilled whole. The fruits can be enjoyed small when only an ounce or two, or they can be allowed to double in size without compromising their tenderness or flavor. 

💡Temperature: Prefers warmer temperatures (70-85°F).

🐝 Pollination: Eggplants require pollination. When purple flowers appear, hand-pollinate them by gently shaking the entire plant to replicate the effects of wind, or gently disturb the inside of blossoms with your finger or a small brush.

🫶  Support: We suggest using our Plant Belt to support the plant and its heavy fruit as it matures.

✂️ Pruning: To prune, snip away yellow or brown leaves if they appear, and trim branches to ensure the plant stays within your Gardyn’s light. Check the roots monthly and trim any that are brown or extending past the yPod. 

🔎 Plant Health: Eggplants are prolific producers, even if they show signs of edema, a harmless disorder. Aphids are a common pest, but you can use our prevention tricks to keep them at bay!

🍆 Harvest: These Eggplants are ready to harvest once they reach 2-4 inches long and about 1 inch in diameter. To harvest, snip fruit with clean shears at their individual stems - feel free to harvest in clusters! The skin should appear glossy, as dull skin can indicate overripe fruit. Harvest regularly to encourage new fruit production.

Our Plant Health & Nutrition Team thoroughly tests each variety we offer to bring you the most flavorful and high-quality plants. We regularly rotate our plant portfolio, so please note, availability varies.