If plants don’t grow fruits well (or at all), several eggplant growing mistakes could be to blame: incorrect watering, poor soil health, sowing too soon, or inadequate temperature regulation. If flowers drop prematurely, this could be due to stress on account of dehydration, temperature extremes (above 75°F/below 40°F) or poor feeding. However, if flowers look healthy but don’t turn into fruits, the main culprit is pollination (or lack of). This is an increased risk if you are growing eggplants under glass.
In this case, you can pollinate flowers by hand using a small paintbrush. Anne has an even more adventurous suggestion. ‘The best way to get a better fruit set rate is an electric toothbrush,’ says Anne. ‘Gently touch the back of flowers for a few seconds. The vibrations do an incredible job of dislodging pollen off the male organ onto the female.’