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Boutique Tomatoes · April 21, 2012

Does anyone know if eggplant responds to cold treatment in the same way that tomatoes do?

I've been trying different eggplants varieties for several years, but have yet to hit on the right variety/technique to get them to grow here where the summer temps just don't get that high. If I start them inside they're tall and spindly by the time the soil is warm enough to put them out. This year I decided to take over more of the flower beds on and plant eggplants in black grow bags the way I do a lot of the peppers, figuring the extra heat in the root zone works for peppers so maybe it will work for eggplant.

I also started them a touch early, and was thinking of moving them to the unheated garage where their soil temp will probably stay in the low 60's for the next few weeks until the weather turns. That would hopefully keep them from getting spindly and trigger earlier fruit set. However, an friend told me recently that he thought that once they had been chilled they'd be stunted and not recover since they're such a heat lover.

Any opinions? I have enough started I might try doing half and half and track the results...

April 21, 2012	#1
Boutique Tomatoes Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Northeast Wisconsin, Zone 5a Posts: 1,109	Cold Treatment Does anyone know if eggplant responds to cold treatment in the same way that tomatoes do? I've been trying different eggplants varieties for several years, but have yet to hit on the right variety/technique to get them to grow here where the summer temps just don't get that high. If I start them inside they're tall and spindly by the time the soil is warm enough to put them out. This year I decided to take over more of the flower beds on and plant eggplants in black grow bags the way I do a lot of the peppers, figuring the extra heat in the root zone works for peppers so maybe it will work for eggplant. I also started them a touch early, and was thinking of moving them to the unheated garage where their soil temp will probably stay in the low 60's for the next few weeks until the weather turns. That would hopefully keep them from getting spindly and trigger earlier fruit set. However, an friend told me recently that he thought that once they had been chilled they'd be stunted and not recover since they're such a heat lover. Any opinions? I have enough started I might try doing half and half and track the results...