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JRinPA · October 28, 2018

Do you normally cut suckers from your eggplants? I am definitely interested to hear from people that do overhead twine and clips, though I haven't used that method for eggplant as yet.

For eggplant I've been doing a double row diamond with about 15-18" spacing (15-18" equilateral triangles) and basically stick and string (florida weave) the parallel rows individually for two weaves. Then an exterior box around the double row to allow a diamond weave between the two rows for the last weave or two. The diamond must be performed with bundled string, not directly from the box, as the bundle is the "shuttle". I re-use old string bundles and splice as necessary. Harder to explain than to do, and plenty of support. I've been letting all suckers grow, and it has worked well for three seasons. I do similar for peppers but 12" diamond. I haven't tried cages that I can recall.

The first couple years I did eggplant I tied string to the top of a tall stake and wrapped it down the main stem, but the other stems would fall and split from the wind when they got weight on them. I didn't use clips. I really like the diamond as it allows use of ag19 over a double row before the weaving starts. The only drawback is finding false potato beetle larvae, as the foliage gets dense.

October 28, 2018	#3
JRinPA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: SE PA Posts: 963	suckering eggplant? Do you normally cut suckers from your eggplants? I am definitely interested to hear from people that do overhead twine and clips, though I haven't used that method for eggplant as yet. For eggplant I've been doing a double row diamond with about 15-18" spacing (15-18" equilateral triangles) and basically stick and string (florida weave) the parallel rows individually for two weaves. Then an exterior box around the double row to allow a diamond weave between the two rows for the last weave or two. The diamond must be performed with bundled string, not directly from the box, as the bundle is the "shuttle". I re-use old string bundles and splice as necessary. Harder to explain than to do, and plenty of support. I've been letting all suckers grow, and it has worked well for three seasons. I do similar for peppers but 12" diamond. I haven't tried cages that I can recall. The first couple years I did eggplant I tied string to the top of a tall stake and wrapped it down the main stem, but the other stems would fall and split from the wind when they got weight on them. I didn't use clips. I really like the diamond as it allows use of ag19 over a double row before the weaving starts. The only drawback is finding false potato beetle larvae, as the foliage gets dense.