I don't know much about eggplants (other than that they're delicious), but I have observed the same thing when I've grown them. Last year's Turkish Orange eggplants totally failed during hardening off -- they just couldn't take sun at all. Other varieties (Casper, Tsakoniki, Orient Express hybrid) fared better, but required a LOT of feeding, watering, and insecticide (an organic dust-type product).
I think that Black Beauty does well just about anywhere, but I've read that here in the Northeast, varieties like New York Improved and Asian types do well, but that other varieties, like Florida Market, are better suited to growing conditions in the South...
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