Why are my eggplants turning yellow?!
Sure, eggplants come in a variety of beautiful colors; but this shade of yellow ain’t one of them. When you’re expecting glossy, magazine worthy fruit and instead find discolored fruits like these, it can be so discouraging. Here’s what may be the culprit:
1.) Your eggplants are overripe.
This is especially true if you’re growing a lighter colored eggplant, like some of the white varieties, like Casper or White Egg. The skin will no longer be shiny and if you give the fruit a light squeeze, it may be verging on soft.
In this case, double-check the optimal harvest size for the variety you’re growing. You may find it is smaller than expected!
2.) Your eggplants are sunburned.
Here’s a (not so) fun fact: an eggplant’s skin will turn yellow when it’s exposed to too much sun. Here in 8b, we’ve reached the part of summer where the sun is absolutely unrelenting. And as you can see in the pic, this eggplant doesn’t have much shade on one side, increasing its sun exposure at certain angles. Over time, the ultraviolet radiation takes its toll, and can leave the eggplant with splotches of yellow or tan, or even full discoloration.
Luckily, there are a couple things you can do. First, be mindful when pruning to leave as many leaves as possible around growing fruit or flowers (future fruit) to maintain good shade cover. Second, consider adding a shade cloth for an extra line of defense. This is a great solution from Gardener’s Supply. (In fact, I own one and should probably follow my own advice and actually put it up.)
3.) Your eggplants are actually supposed to be yellow.
While we tend to think of eggplant as some version of purple or white, there are some really cool heirloom Asian varieties that are yellow (and supposed to be that way). So, if you bought a packet of seeds with no picture, or received a gift from a friend, it’s entirely plausible you’re in this boat. In which case, look up Thai Yellow Egg, Golden Eggs, Makhuea Kheun, and Baby Yellow to see if any look like the eggplant in question. You might just have a rare gem on your hands!
