Eggplant rot? (forum)

kitstar starts with ...
Hi,

I was just wondering if anyone might know what could be causing my eggplant to split and rot like this? And if I just cut off those rotted bits can I still eat the rest?

It's my first time growing eggplant - I bought it mostly established and fruiting.

The first fruit was fine (really yummy actually!) but about a month ago the plant was wilting a lot despite daily watering, so I took it out of the black plastic bag thing it was in and put it in the ground. It hasn't wilted since, but I don't know if that trauma might have caused this or whether it's something I need to worry about with the other 2 fruits on the plant.

Thanks in advance for any advice! =)

Cheers

Jacelyn
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Time: 9th December 2013 5:01pm

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MaryT says...
Hi Jacelyn. Eggplants tends to split if it grows too fast - that sometimes happen when there is too much fertiliser. Best to use compost and slow release fertiliser so it gets an even feed. Too much direct sun can also cause splitting. Too much water also. Mulching would help. Oh dear, it's not easy, is it? If the split is recent you can eat the rest but if bacteria has entered you may want to be careful which bits you eat.

Time: 11th December 2013 9:29am

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Original Post was last edited: 11th December 2013 9:29am
About the Author MaryT
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kitstar says...
Thanks for the advice, MaryT! I cut all the rotted bits off and ate the other (white) bits and haven't died yet, so hopefully it'll be ok haha

I did notice that that particular fruit seemed to get big super quickly as compared to an older but much smaller fruit that hasn't grown very much. I must've gotten a little overexcited with the fertiliser a few weeks ago lol

I'm a bit of a newbie gardener, and definitely finding it quite hard to get the right balance of everything - I read that I shouldn't water overhead to avoid powdery mildew on the leaves... but then this morning I discovered spider mites on the leaves due to dry conditions...!!

Hopefully one day I will get it right =P

Time: 12th December 2013 2:14pm

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MaryT says...
kitstar They still teach it at horticulture college (not watering overhead) and in other courses ( I asked what about rain when I was told that - I was a cheeky student). Look - it depends if your local condition is hot and humid or hot and dry or something in between. I always say garden with your eyes then act accordingly (via the brain hopefully). You'll get it right though most of us are still getting it wrong after decades of gardening :)

The other thing I meant to say to you is that you said you like to get advanced, fruiting plants; well sometimes it's just as well to get smaller, less pushed specimens. One, they're cheaper and two they'll get a chance to establish properly in your garden.

Time: 12th December 2013 3:29pm

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Julie says...
Mary, I do agree with you on that. Advanced plants are nearly always root bound, and the roots have to be teased apart. This disturbs them and doesn't always work well.

Time: 12th December 2013 3:36pm

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kitstar says...
Thanks for the advice!

Just to clarify though - I don't actually have a preference re younger plants vs advanced, it just happened that I was in Swan Valley and passed a market garden stall thing and they had some eggplant plants for sale so I picked one up on a whim - they were all at around the same stage of development so I asked the lady to recommend one as I would have no idea what to look for .. I'm used to buying tiny seedlings because they're cheaper and I like watching them grow =)

A humorous aside on the note of getting the right balance, I hosed the leaves with high pressure water to get rid of those spider mites... and 2 days later I can see powdery mildew. Honestly, why am I so cursed!!! hahahaha

Also, a second eggplant fruit has had the same thing happen to it (the rotting thing) but much worse - I have been watering deeply a lot, but it's because of the recent heatwave (4 days in a row over 35 deg)but now that that seems to have passed, I'm going to leave it be for a while and see how the other fruits on the plant go..

Wish me luck! =D

Jacelyn

Time: 18th December 2013 4:49pm

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Chris123 says...
I am trying to grow an acre of eggplants. I was told not to because there are people planting melons and they would harvest before my eggplants are harvested.
I was told that post harvesting of the melons, the farmers would rip out the melons and all the pests would attack my crop. Wondering if this is true and whether i should still plant eggplants or switch to another crop?

Thanks
CWL

Time: 3rd April 2016 3:02am

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jakfruit etiquette says...
I'd say "all the pests would attack my crop" sounds a bit broad. Exactly what pests attack melons in your area, and are these going to be attracted to eggplants ?? Anyway you are going to have to run your own pest control program in your crops, that could be anything from insecticides to companion planting.
I would check if there is really any common pest species worth worrying about.

Time: 3rd April 2016 6:58pm

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Julie says...
It's never a good idea to grow a monoculture crop. One, if you lose the eggplants, you lose everything - nothing to fall back on.

Two, all one veg will attract insects specific to that plant. Mixed crops are more confusing to them.

Can't really respond re the melons, but they are not in the same family, so it doesn't really make sense to me. Are his melons infested with pests?

Time: 3rd April 2016 8:46pm

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