Thai Red

Family: Solanaceae Fruit Vegetable

Sink your senses into Thai Red’s glossy, ruby-scarlet fruit—sleek as lacquer and shaped like a small, elegant baton.

The flesh is tender and lightly spongy with a mild, balanced flavor that shines in quick, vibrant preparations, while its slender size makes it especially satisfying for roasting and grilling, as well as for bright sauces and pickling.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 75 DaysHabit: Upright

Planting schedules and alerts are optimized for Columbus (Zone 6b).

Crop Dates

Milestone	Date
Start Indoors	Feb 28th
Last Frost	Apr 25th
Transplant / Sow Outdoors	Jun 20th
Harvest Begins	Sep 3rd
Harvest Ends	Oct 16th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	75
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Upright
Support Needed	Stake
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	80
Min Soil Temp (°F)	60
Min Night Temp (°F)	50
Harden Off (days)	10

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Thai Red’s slender batons cook up quickly—char first, creamy center second—so you get that juicy, oil-sucking texture without turning it to mush. It stays mild enough to hold its own in salty-sour sauces and pickles, where its spongy flesh becomes a flavor sponge instead of a spongey problem.

Best Uses

fast grill or broil to char the exterior before the flesh collapses
roeaster: split lengthwise and roast until creamy at the center
stir-fry with bold aromatics and a glossy salty-sour sauce
quick pickles or vinegar-based batons for snappy contrast

Flavor Profile

mild, balanced eggplant savoriness tender, lightly spongy interior that drinks oil sweet-roasty finish when grilled or blistered bright, tang-friendly when pickled or sauced

Kitchen Pairings

soy sauce fish sauce garlic lime chili paste coconut milk

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease is most likely on Solanum melongena (eggplant) like Thai Red, and how should I manage it?

Eggplant commonly suffers from flea beetles and later from bacterial wilt, especially in warm weather. For flea beetles, cover seedlings with row cover until flowering, then remove to allow pollination, and use yellow sticky traps to monitor peaks. If you see sudden wilting with dark streaking in stems (bacterial wilt signs), remove affected plants immediately and don’t replant eggplant or other Solanaceae in the same spot for several years.

How often should I water Thai Red eggplant during the main growing phase?

During active growth and fruiting, keep soil evenly moist—aim for about 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week, adjusting for heat and container size. Water at the soil line early in the day and avoid letting the root zone dry out completely, because eggplant sets poorly when it repeatedly dries and then re-wets. Use a mulch layer to reduce rapid moisture swings around the plants.

How can I tell when Thai Red eggplant is ready to harvest?

Harvest when fruits are glossy, firm, and fully colored for the variety, typically starting around 75 days after sowing/transplanting. Pick fruits while they’re still relatively slender—if the skin looks dull or the fruit feels soft and bulky, it’s past peak quality. Use pruning shears and leave a short stem; harvested fruits should keep producing with regular picking.