Self-watering containers

• 1). Purchase or make three self-watering containers. Follow the instructions for set-up, opting for a potting mix with time-release fertilizer. In the day, when desert temperatures have warmed, place the boxes where the eggplants will get desert sun.
  
  
• 2). Cover the container with the plastic mulch cover included with the kit, white side out to reduce heat from the desert sun. Cut two slits in the cover, one in opposite corners of the container. Dig holes through the slits in the potting mix. Plant the eggplants ¼ to ½ inch deep. Stake or cage the eggplants once they start spreading.
  
  
• 3). Add water to the reservoir frequently, particularly when the desert temperatures soars. After four months, add ½ cup of time-release fertilizer to the soil.
  
  

Eggplants grown in regular containers

• 1). Fill six approximately 12-inch diameter, well-draining containers with potting mix. Plant one eggplant in each pot ¼ to ½ inches deep.
  
  
• 2). Cover the top of the soil with organic or plastic mulch. After three months, feed the potted plants according to directions with a good time-release fertilizer. Stake or cage each eggplant when it grows large enough to produce fruit.
  
  
• 3). Water thoroughly three or more times weekly as regular containers dry out quickly in the desert sun. Make certain the containers drain completely and water does not pool beneath them. Place the containers on a deck or patio in full sun.
  
  

In ground

• 1). Add gardening fertilizer according to directions to soil that sees six or more hours of daily sun. Eggplants are not cold-hardy so plant them outside only after all danger of frost has passed.
  
  
• 2). Break the ground for planting the eggplants. Enrich the soil with compost and cow manure. Dig 6 holes in the ground approximately ¼ to ½ inches deep.
  
  
• 3). Transplant the eggplant seedlings when the desert temperatures warm to the mid-60s. Space plants about 2 to 2-1/2 feet apart. Cover with 1 to 2 inches of organic mulch to add nutrients and help with moisture retention.
  
  
• 4). Water the eggplants deeply and often (approximately 1-inch down). Avoid leaving them standing in water. Fertilize regularly, particularly during the hottest summer months. Stake or cage the eggplants when they start spreading.