My first eggplants of the season!! I am excited to harvest these.

Eggplants have trouble growing in my garden because of flea beetles. Last year I had didn’t get any eggplants, though I planted a dozen plants. The leaves had more holes than green, the plants barely grew, and no fruit.

I tried again anyway and it’s much better this year. I guess there are fewer flea beetles this year. I know they hatch in waves and like to feed on hot sunny days. I think maybe we had a good period of rain when they were out this year. Plus I planted my eggplant seedlings late, after leaving them in my hoop house as long as I could. I think they survive the flea beetles better if they are big plants when they go out.

I also am trying eggplants in big pots in different locations around my house. I have a pot in my hoop house, another in a sunny spot near my patio. I’ll see how they compare. These first few are from my vegetable garden. The varieties are Hansel (the two longer ones) and Akastrom.