How often do eggplants need to be watered?

Did you know that Eggplants if not watered enough can develop a bitter taste? Here we will check everything about how often do eggplants need to be watered?

Eggplant is almost a dietary staple in a number of cultures around the globe, it is a power-packed vegetable with several health benefits. This versatile vegetable can be enjoyed in various forms, they can be stuffed, grilled, and even pickled.

Along with the richness in taste, the eggplant is loaded with nutrients and hence is the most common plant in vegetable home gardens.

Perfect eggplants require a fixed watering schedule. Through this blog, we aim at answering the question, how often do eggplants need to be watered?

How much water does an eggplant need?

Eggplant consumes a lot of water, especially during the growing period. This plant belongs to the ‘nightshade family’ along with other vegetables like potatoes, green peppers, and tomatoes. Like other members of the family, it needs a considerable amount of water to grow.

The more water the higher the fruit quality. The size of the fruits also depends on the quantity of water provided.

To be on the safe side you will need to water it about an inch every week. This increases as the weather get warmer and reduce when it gets cooler. But as a rule of thumb, this plant needs soil that is moist.

Along with regular watering, the eggplant loves a good soak in the sun and fertile soil. If these requirements are met be sure to have a good quality crop in no time.

When watering eggplant it is important to pay attention to the soil. These plants love moist soil but if it gets soggy the roots will begin to rot. They will also pick up some other diseases resulting in the plant wilting.

Secondly, it depends on where you plan to plant the eggplant. If you plan on doing it indoors in pots or planters get larger pots with drainage holes at the bottom. This will allow the excess water to drain easily. we suggest you use plastic pots for this plant.

In view of environmental safety, most of us avoid plastic but these pots will help the soil retain moisture. Plastic pots are also durable.

With earthen pots, the moisture is soaked up by the pot. This makes it difficult to have moist soil. they are also heavier compared to plastic pots making it difficult to move them around if needed.

Alternatively, if you plant them outdoors you can water them as soon as the soil seems dry. As the area is bigger there are a number of ways in which this plant can be watered and cared for.

Along with these weather conditions need to be taken under consideration as well. These plants do not do well in cold temperatures and you will need to wait for the hotter climate to plant them.

It is totally up to the gardened on how they would like to start growing eggplant plants. they can opt for growing the plants from the seed at home or by buying saplings available at stores across the US.

Getting saplings is an easier option as these plants can be a little finicky making them more difficult to grow from seed. Whatever the case here are details on how often do eggplants need to be watered?

Read How to get rid of broccoli worms naturally?

How to water the eggplant?

First of all, Watering the eggplant depends on the location. If you are placing them indoors you can water them every alternate day. Before watering the plant check the amount of moisture present in the soil.

This can be done manually by sticking your finger in the soil and checking for the amount of potting mix that sticks to your finger. If that is not something you would like to do on a regular basis you can invest in a moisture meter.

A moisture meter is available on e-commerce websites and in gardening aisles at shopping centers. These can be left in the pot or in the ground to measure the amount of moisture present. This way you will know when to water the plant, making it easier to keep track of the needs of the plant.

With eggplants that are planted outdoors, you will need to pay attention to weather conditions before watering. First of all, these plants will need to be planted only when the soil is warmer, this way you lose a lot of time when it comes to the plant growth.

One option is to grow the plant indoors and transfer it to your garden once the growing conditions are better.

While watering eggplant plants you can do it more often of hotter days and less frequently on cooler days. You can invest in automated watering systems to reduce stress.

So, how often do eggplants need to be watered? The answer to this is simple, regularly – even if it means watering the plant a little too often on a hot day. The amount of sunlight the plant receives also plays a role as more sun means more evaporation and water loss. 

Eggplant watering is not a complex task if done right. As this plant needs a good soak in the sun and a dip in the water pool. Finding a balance becomes difficult. It sometimes becomes tough to decide how often eggplants need to be watered.

For this purpose, most people resort to different techniques to kelp retain moisture. One of these is mulching.

Mulching is nothing but a form of insulation, in this, you have an organic or plastic layer covering the surface of the soil. This is done in a way that the soil can breathe at the same time. Mulching helps to extend the time between watering sessions.

In this way, you do not need to water your plants often on hot days as most of the moisture will remain trapped.

Tip: While mulching, be careful to keep the mulch away from the stem of the plant.

After understanding how to water the plant it is important to look at things that you need to consider. This will take us a step closer to understanding how often do eggplants need to be watered?

Read Why is my broccoli plant not growing heads?

What are the things to consider while watering the eggplant?

The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to eggplants is that they love moist soil.

Experts suggest that eggplants require at least 1-inch water per week to grow well. This theory is contradicted by a few that suggest that you increase the amount of water to 6 inches.

They back their theory with research that suggests that when the eggplant is given excess water especially when planted outdoors, the plant grows roots that bury deeper in the soil.

Making them stronger and able to anchor the plant better. They say that by watering the plant with just an inch of water, the roots are shorter.

These shallow roots dry out quickly which can cause the leaves to turn yellow. Amid the various theories, however, it is important to refrain from overwatering the plant.

Hence apart from paying attention to how often do, eggplants need to be watered. It is also important to check the quantity of water that you provide.

After understanding the amount of water, the eggplant needs to grow it is necessary to have a look at when to water these plants.

Read How to Grow Greener Broccolis?

When to water eggplants?

The best time to water eggplants is early morning or late evening when temperatures are lower. Watering eggplant plants is less stressful as these plants like moist soil.

Hence, they need to be watered early morning or at night so the plant has enough time to soak up moisture before the sun comes up.

When watered during the day there is a loss in moisture due to evaporation. Experts suggest that it is better to water these plants in the morning so that the excess water on leaves can evaporate during the course of the day reducing the chances of fungus.

It may so happen that the plant looks a little dehydrated during the day. This is common in places that are hot and dry. In such cases, you could give the plant a mid-day watering. This will reduce the chances of the plant wilting and displaying curly leaves.

As stated, earlier eggplants love moisture but are it possible that you overwater this plant? this is a question that shows up a number of times where novice gardeners do not understand if overwatering a plant that loves water is a possibility.

Can you over water eggplant?

Can you over-water eggplant? When it comes to gardening overwatering and underwatering are the two common problems gardeners face. There is always a chance that you will overwater a plant. The same is the case with eggplants, even though these plants love moisture Eggplant overwatering is a reality.

Yes, it is, you can overwater eggplants.

The chances of overwatering are slightly less when it comes to plants in the ground as there is always a possibility that the water will seep deeper into the soil or move in other directions. This being said you can flood an entire field, so be careful.

Water retention depends on the type of soil in the garden. Is it light and will the water pass through it or will the soil retain moisture and become soggy? These questions make it easier to estimate the amount of water the garden will require.

When it comes to eggplants in planters overwatering becomes more problematic. As there is no way the water can drain out other than the holes at the bottom. This couple with a heavy potting mix will cause water to stay in longer.

Overwatering the eggplant causes root rot resulting in wilting. So the question arises if overwatering is such a serious problem does the type of soil you use matter?

Read easy tips for growing turnips in containers

Is the type of soil important when watering eggplants?

When it comes to planting and caring for eggplants, the type of soil plays an important role. This plant needs soil that will retain moisture but not something that will go soggy easily.

If you have sandy soil where you live, you will need to water the plant more often to make do for the light sandy soil. things get easier with loamy soil as it retains more moisture.

Hence, the answer to how often do eggplants need to be watered? Is not that simple. The number of times or the amount of water also depends on the type of soil.

Another factor that plays a pivotal role in the amount of water an eggplant requires is the weather conditions prevalent where its planted. If you live in a place that’s hot and dry these plants will need to be watered more often as compared to a colder location.

The hotter the place the more evaporation and loss of water. Hence, along with the type of soil, it is also important to consider the weather conditions to decide how often do eggplants need to be watered.

If you live in an extremely dry locality, consider potting your eggplants as you will be able to water them more often and keep them safe.

Read What Vegetables Grow Well Together In Containers?

Methods to retain water in the soil

If you look at the basic constitution of eggplant it is fibre and water. when a plant constitutes the majorly of water it becomes important to keep them hydrated. If you leave the plant as it is the fruit will not only be bitter but the leaves will start to curl and wilt.

If you live in a dry area the amount of water the plant will require will increase drastically hence it becomes important to conserve water and retain it in the soil used.

Here are a few things you can do.

Water your plants well and let them soak in the water. After you have watered the plants you can follow it with one of the following.

Plastic mulch

Plastic mulch is a good way to retain moisture. Spread the mulch at the base of the plant. people use plastic mulch as it is more durable and does not need to be replaced often as compared to the organic kind.

Organic mulch

Applying organic mulch like hay, leaves, or grass clippings helps retain moisture. This can be done by spreading a 3 to 4-inch layer on the soil at the base of the plant.

Jug irrigation

Jug irrigation is an age-old technique used to keep the soil moist. For this, all you need is a jug. Puncher a few holes around the jug and bury it close to the plant with its head above the soil. once that’s done, all you need to do is fill the jug with water and let it stay.

As the water seeps through the holes into the soil the plant will be able to absorb the required amount. It also keeps the soil moist longer.

Perforated tubes

If you have a larger plantation it will become impossible to maintain the jugs. For times like these, you can use perforated piped under the soil. these are normal PVC pipes with holes to let out water. it works well-spreading water evenly around the garden.

Secondly, as these pipes are under the surface of the soil the moisture remains trapped longer. 

Read Corn Plant brown leaves care and Tips

Black beauty eggplant watering

When it comes to eggplants, there are several variants available. some are easier to grow and care for as compared to others. The Black beauty eggplant is one of them. This is the most common variant of eggplants grown and consumed.

They are bigger and fuller as compared to other variants. These are also fairly simple to plant and hence gardening novices prefer to start eggplant gardening with this variant.

These plants start to yield fruit in about 72 to 80 days during the growing season. As this is a larger variant it requires a lot of water as compared to others.

During the growth period, the black beauty plant requires a lot of od water fertilizers, and salt. When it comes to watering the black beauty eggplant, we see that it is not always possible to manually water them.

The fact that these plants thrive in hotter temperatures makes watering them even more difficult.

In order to water the black beauty eggplant adequately look for automated systems. Drip irrigation, perforated tubes, self-watering planters, and many more. With the advancement in technology, there are various options to choose from.

If these are not in your purview you can look for DIY options like the watering jug or other forms of manual irrigation. You could also add a layer of mulch to the surface of the soil to retain moisture so that the plant can grow well.

Read Square Foot Gardening Potatoes

How often do Black beauty eggplants need to be watered?

Black beauty eggplants as mentioned in the previous section are easy to grow and need a lot of water to produce fruits. These plants need to be watered regularly, at least once a day when the weather is moderately hot or warm.

As the temperature increases, you will need to water them more often, on the contrary as the temperature decreases the watering frequency will decrease.

Hence there is no fixed number of times a day or week the Black beauty eggplant needs to be watered. It depends on the weather the quality of soil and the stage at which the plant is. This means that the plant will need to be watered more often during the growing season as compared to other times of the year. 

Now that we have information about one common variant let’s have a look at another variant that most gardeners choose to grow, the Japanese eggplant

Watering Japanese eggplant

Japanese eggplants are the most common variant after the Black beauty and are easy to care for. These plants have fruits with thick skin. They thrive in warm conditions and love USDA zones 9 to 12. When it comes to growing and caring for these plants the Japanese eggplant is easy to grow.

They like most eggplant variants require a lot of water to grow. These plants need to be watered regularly in the growing season and take about 70 to 80 days to grow.

The Japanese eggplant can be grown in both planters as well as in the ground. Watering the Japanese eggplant, however, depends on the weather conditions in your area. As these plants prefer warmer temperatures the amount of water lost due to evaporation is high.

Hence when watering the Japanese eggplant be sure that you have an irrigation system ready to replenish the plant.

When planted in the ground or oven in pots you can use a layer of mulch to retain moisture. Mulch acts as a barrier between the soil and harsh sun rays. Hence, the water is retained.

Secondly, the Japanese eggplant will benefit from jug irrigation when planted in pots as well as in soil. this wat water is continuously dispensed in the soil close to the roots of the plant, keeping it hydrated.

Read How to grow kohlrabi

Watering eggplant in pots

As eggplants can be grown in both plants as well as directly in the soil. These plants are very popular. The yielding capacity of both is different and hence the amount of water they require will also differ.

While watering container eggplant the amount of water it will need will reduce drastically as compared to the ones planted in the ground. Even though the soil in pots dries quickly and needs to be re-watered more often they can be managed better. There are a number of factors associated with this.

First of all, the area is smaller, when you plant eggplants in a pot however big the pot may be the surface area is always smaller as compared to the surface area of the ground. Less surface area means less water while watering the plants.

When planted in the ground the roots of the plants dig deeper and they absorb a lot of water. in pots, the roots are comparatively shorter and hence the amount of water they require reduces.

Lastly, when it comes to growing eggplants in pots the amount of water lost due to evaporation is also reduced. When planted in the ground there is more water lost due to evaporation, this makes it difficult to retain moisture increasing the amount of water used to water the plant.

When it comes to pots as the surface is smaller you can easily reduce the amount of water that evaporates.

In order to keep the soil moist, you can use the jug irrigation technique and one in which you have self-watering pots that dispense water at regular intervals.  

In this way watering eggplant in pots is easier. But at the same time, the size of the fruits is smaller compared to the ones grown on the ground.

You may like the following gardening articles:

• How to reuse bathroom water for gardening
• What Garden Plants Need Lime
• How to purify water for gardening
• How to use kitchen waste water for gardening
• How to Keep Raccoons and Squirrels Out of Garden
• How to grow mint from seed
• Top 15 Vegetables to Grow in October
• Grow Corn in Square Foot Gardening

In conclusion

If you are wondering about eggplant care and how often do eggplants need to be watered? The answer depends on several factors like the amount of sunlight the plant will receive, the soil it is planted in, the temperature, and most importantly the mode or where are you planning to plant them (in pots or the ground). Almost all variants of this plant have their own watering needs but all in all the eggplant needs to be watered frequently.