There are many kinds of plants that you can grow in your garden. If you have a tropical climate in your location you can easily grow eggplant.
Eggplant grows well in sunny places, especially in tropical countries. The weather in those countries really fits the eggplant growing condition.
But there are problems that you may or may not encounter in growing eggplant. One problem that you may experience is curling leaves on eggplant.
There are many reasons why a leaf or leaves on eggplant curl. When this problem happens, it can affect the overall growth of the plant.
The plant may grow poorer or it can lead to the harvest of fewer eggplants.
Why Eggplant Leaves Curl?
Under Watering
How many times do you water your eggplant plant per week? If you are not watering your eggplant regularly it can get some problems like leaf curl.
Water helps the eggplant to grow well. The water helps the plant grow more leaves, flowers, and fruits. It also helps the eggplant to increase its stem size which makes them stronger.
An eggplant needs at least 1 inch of water per week. When the plant is receiving adequate water per week, the plant will grow well.
The best time to water eggplant is early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Avoid watering eggplant when the sun is already shining bright.
If you are watering your eggplants regularly then some other reasons cause leaf curl.
Overwatering Can Cause Curling Leaves On Eggplant
Too much water can also cause leaf curl on eggplants. You need to give the eggplant just the right amount of water it needs to prevent overwatering.
A well-draining soil can help to prevent waterlogging. When rainfall is abundant, you don’t need to water the eggplant.
Giving additional water can cause overwatering which can lead to curling of eggplant leaves or cause some other problem like root rot.
If your eggplants are planted in containers, make sure that each container has good drainage so that water can pass through the very end.
Spider Mites And Other Pests Can Make The Eggplant Leaves Curl
Spider mites feed on the plant’s leaves, get the juice and drain it. These pests are tiny but they can make your eggplants grow poorer.
When the leaves are affected, they may show bronze and brown spots and eventually make them curl. You need to control spider mites on your eggplant to prevent them from damaging the leaves.
You can control spider mites with a stream of water coming from a water hose. You can also use insecticidal soaps and horticultural oil to control mites.
Whiteflies and leafhoppers can also affect the eggplant leaves. You need to use insecticidal soap to control those pests.
When there are no pests on eggplant, the leaves will be safer and they will grow better. Having healthy leaves for the plant will allow more sunlight to be converted into food.
Eggplant Diseases
There are diseases that can affect eggplant. Fungicides can help to control diseases on eggplants that can cause left curl and other problems.
It is important to keep eggplants healthy so that they will thrive better. When the roots are healthy the plant can transfer water and nutrients to all parts of the eggplant.
When the leaves are healthy, the plant can make more food and the energy it gets will be used to increase the number of flowers and fruits.
You will see bigger fruits when the plants are in good shape.
Lacking Sunlight
There are people who grow eggplants in a container and place them in partial shade. Sometimes the eggplants don’t get enough sunlight which causes leaf curl.
When you are growing eggplant in the container you must place them in a well sunny place in order for them to create food. Or if you are growing them in the ground, you must look for a place where sunlight is available for a long period.
Grow eggplants at a distance away from tall trees. Trees that are growing so tall can block the sunlight away from your plants which limits the food they can make.
At least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight is enough for the eggplants to thrive well.
Extreme Heat
Sunlight is good for the plants to grow but when extreme heat comes it will not be great for the plant. There are places where the temperature increases sometimes.
Extreme heat can affect the eggplant leaves which makes them curl. But if you are living in a place that doesn’t get extreme heat then your plants will be good.
Transplant Shock
It is common to transplant eggplant seedlings and the transplant shock is a little bit low. But there are cases where mature or old eggplants are being transplanted.
It is not good to transplant established eggplants because the transplant shock is a little bit high. You must not transplant eggplants especially if they are already mature.
Transplant shock causes stress on the plant and because of that curling leaves on eggplant happens.
If you want to transplant eggplants, it is better to do it when they are still young. In that way, the plant will thrive and continue to grow.
When transplanting eggplants, you must water them immediately so that they will get water which makes them better.
Aging Leaves
If you are seeing one or two eggplant leaves that are turning yellow, sometimes they are just aged leaves. It is common to see yellow leaves on plants and trees because the leaves get old which makes them yellow.
Those yellow leaves will eventually turn brown, curl, and fall to the ground. The cycle of eggplant leaf growth is just similar to other plants. Small leaves will grow then grow bigger, and they will turn yellow and brown and curl. And sooner they fall to the ground
FAQ
Why Are My Eggplant Leaves Curling?
Some causes why eggplant leaves curl are due to water problems, lacking sunlight, extreme heat, pests, diseases, transplant shock, and aging leaves.
How To Prevent Curling Leaves On Eggplant?
Give the eggplant the right amount of water to prevent watering problems, make sure the plant is getting enough sunlight for at least 6 hours per day, control pests and diseases, and avoid transplanting mature eggplants to prevent eggplant leaves from curling.