7 Reasons Why Eggplant Blossoms Fall Off
Recently, I grew a batch of eggplants despite my inability to eat nightshades. It’s a complicated story pertaining to an autoimmune disease, but that doesn’t stop me from planting and growing eggplants for my family to enjoy. This last harvest was fantastic, but not without some pitfalls. I couldn’t help but notice that some of my eggplant blossoms were falling off.
I managed to figure out why, and it boils down to the scorching summer’s heat, no pun intended.
But, upon further study, I found a half a bunch of reasons why eggplant blossoms fall off, and I wanted to share them with you.
Reasons Why Eggplant Flowers Fall Off
1. Temperature Extremes: Like many fruit and vegetable-bearing plants, eggplants are sensitive to high temperatures, especially during flowering. Temperatures above 90°F (32°C) can cause blossoms to drop off, which is exactly what happened to mine during a streak of super hot days. If only I had made use of shadecloths and watered them a bit more frequently during the summer heat, I could have prevented this issue from occurring :(.
2. Poor Pollination: Eggplants require proper pollination for a successful fruit set. Inadequate pollination caused by a lack of pollinators (butterflies, bees, etc.) may be a leading cause for why eggplant blossoms fall off.
3. Moisture Stress: Improper or infrequent watering will sabotage the growth and fruit production of eggplants. You have to consider the weather and adjust your frequency of watering accordingly. Too little water during high temperatures will cause blossoms to fall off, and too much water from excessive rain may have a similar effect.
4. Pest and Disease Pressure: When growing kale, I noticed that these bugs were eating them and destroying my crop. It turns out that pests such as aphids, thrips, or spider mites can damage eggplant flowers, causing them to drop off. Also, diseases tend to be an issue but are avoidable in many cases.
5. Nutrient Imbalance: Improper soil treatment or imbalances in nutrients, specifically potassium and phosphorus, can cause flower abortion in eggplants.
6. Genetic Factors: Some eggplant varieties may naturally have a tendency for blossom fall-off under certain conditions.
7. Stress Factors: We’ve touched on extreme temperatures and moisture stress, but we would be remiss not to talk about transplant shock, competition from weeds, and root disturbances. These stressors could play a pivotal role in why eggplant blossoms fall off or the plant withers and dies prematurely. Proper care and maintenance are paramount, especially after transplanting eggplants to a new location.
As far as I know, these are all the possible reasons why eggplant flowers fall off prematurely. Try to place your eggplants in a location that is safe from excessive sunlight exposure and rain. At the same time, adjust the soil pH levels and make sure that it’s adequately enriched with fertilizer or compost tea. If you have a pest or disease issue, try applying the right chemicals to resolve the issue.
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