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| I remember being told that eggplants are perennials including the wonder eggplant. It is defoliating rather fast no matter how much sunlight I give it. Here are two photos:
I just put it outside so it can get more sunlight.
As you can see, it's a big problem. Is it dying or is it just going dormant? Will it come back when warm temperatures return? If it isn't going dormant and it is dying, what can I do to save it? I understand that this plant is practically new to the gardening world and not many people experimented with it yet, so if you can help me, that would probably be a miracle. lol Thanks for the help! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Nov 10, 12 at 9:19
| link at google says annual ... as such.. its going downhill fast ... you cant bring it into a warm house.. and then throw it back outside into 40 degree weather .. w/o tempering it to temp changes.. and the same with light intensity.. you cant develop leaves for a rather dark house.. and then throw them into sunshine.. w/o shocking them .. its time to start a few more seeds.. and a new plant.. if you want to mess around with it indoors .. including a light stand to provide the 18 hours of light it will need indoors ... but if you want to start some new plants for next summer in the garden.. you should probably wait until about Feb.. so they will be ready to go outdoors AFTER last frost/freeze.. which in my zone 5 is around the last week of may... give or take ... IMHO.. its time to say goodbye .. ken ps: it reminds me of my wifes annual poinsettia .. grown to perfection in a greenhouse.. brought into a dark cold winter house ... and tortured into eternity ... a lot of these things are basically tropical plants .. that struggle greatly with severe lack of light [especially food producing full sun plants].. and with cold house nights in the great white north .. when the furnace kicks down to 60 something every night ... [and with the cold house.. its usually a cold damp soil issue in the pot] ... pps: and dont get me wrong.. if you prefect the various variables.. you can get it to struggle thru winter.. it just aint gunna be pretty ... and in my case.. start irritating me no end every time i look at it ... |
Here is a link that might be useful: link
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Sun, Nov 11, 12 at 14:38
| It is a tropical perennial. As such it needs full sun and warm temperatures to survive. If you have a greenhouse, you may be in luck but this plant is unlikely to survive successfully under just typical houseplant conditions. |
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| As a tropical, it requires 55F or above. Less than that equals chilling damage, the final result of which is what you are seeing now -- lost leaves, perhaps a damaged plant that may not recover. Keep it cozy and see what happens next. If it fails, you'll know what to avoid next time. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Mon, Nov 12, 12 at 7:55
| the warm zone peeps crack me up ... in my z5.. the furnace thermostat allows the house to go down to 64 at night ... and that is NOT the cozy they are talking about ... i will go a step further.. and suggest that the decline will continue .. until you decide it is time to put it out of your misery .. i speculate.. that what does them the worse damage.. is that they do not like wet feet [damp media].. at 64 degrees.. for 8 to 10 hours per night ... the failure is usually at root level ... [not to mention lack of full sun on a veggie ... and the attendant lack of humidity in a forced air heated house] ... lol.. whats the upside.. lol ken |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Mon, Nov 12, 12 at 8:16
| and mind you .... i KNOW these two .. know the z5 issue.. they just forget to phrase it in terms we z5'ers understand ... in other words.. its a furnace issue.. not a greenhouse issue ... ken ps: enough words.. i better quit before gal starts counting words again .. lol ... |
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| I can't disagree with any of the above comments, but one more thing you may want to check: Those leaves look very much like leaves on a plant infested with spider mites. Just for the heck of it, check the undersides of the leaves for these nasties. Also check for any webbing on the leaves or stems. Mites can be a huge problem this time of the year on indoor plants, especially any plant stressed by less then ideal growing conditions. Kevin |
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