Yellow Eggplant Leaves
The problem of eggplant leaves turning yellow can be caused by a variety of reasons. The following lists the most common issues that cause the foliage to yellow:
- Excessive shade – As your eggplants grow, the leaves become large and bushy. When this happens, the bottom leaves turn yellow due to lack of direct sunlight. Once the leaves turn yellow, they’re no longer useful, so you can remove them, which increases the air circulation around the rest of the foliage.
- Fungus growth – Blight or fungus on your eggplant leaves causes yellowing. Usually, the leaves will also have brown spots, as well. The brown spots will become larger, causing the leaves to drop off the plant. If blight is the cause, there’s not much you can do to save the plant. Think about crop rotation for next season’s garden.
- Nutrient deficiency – When the nitrogen and potassium of your soil are deficient, leaf yellowing occurs. A lack of nitrogen causes the entire plant to turn yellow, while lack of potassium will show up as bright yellow around the edges of the eggplant leaves. Applying organic mulch to the soil helps build up these nutrients.
- Magnesium deficiency – Magnesium deficiency causes the veins on mature leaves to yellow. You can spray a mixture of a tablespoon of Epsom salt mixed with a gallon of water onto the leaves. This will help them get green again.
- Eggplant pests – Several types of bugs on your eggplants can cause yellowed leaves. The most common eggplant pests are flea beetles, spider mites and lace bugs. The leaves become damaged as these insects feed on them. You can try several organic methods for controlling eggplant pests, such as companion trap plants, hand removal and plastic mulch.
Yellow Eggplant Fruit
When you think about eggplant, you’re probably picturing plump, deep purple fruit, but eggplant varieties grow in assorted colors. They can range from white, shades of green, striped and purple. If any of these eggplants are large and yellow, then they’re overripe. Allowing your eggplants to reach the mature stage, actually makes the fruit bitter. You want to pick your eggplant while it’s still young, tender and firm for the best taste and texture.
Another reason your eggplant fruit can turn yellow is from over-exposure to direct sunlight. If the temperature rises above 85°F (29°C), it can become too hot for eggplants, especially young plants. Ultraviolet rays can damage the tender, immature skin of young fruit. If the temperature in your area becomes too hot, cover your plants with garden mesh during the midday heat to prevent scorching of your eggplant fruit.