Let me just start off by mentioning that I am a complete novice (and usually a bungler) when it comes to growing things. I did once keep two geraniums alive and blooming indoors over the winter for my sister, but I consider that a fluke rather than an indicator of any skill. But this summer I decided to try growing some tomatoes from seeds, some basil and I also really wanted to try to grow eggplant in a container. I'd read about various types of eggplant that were suited for containers. One nursery had a huge variety-but would only sell a minimum of 6 plants. I simply didn't have the money for that, and I was so pleased at GrowJoy's extremely reasonable prices for their plants and the array of shipping options! I chose to try the Hansel variety, and even though we've had a damp, dreary, and deluged late May and the entire month of June, my Hansel plant is thriving. (I used a mix of equal parts pottiing soil, perlite and peat moss in a 5-gallon bucket with drainage holes drilled into it, and I fed it MiracleGro vegetable plant food a few times.) I received my plant on May 28th. I'd spent hours that day away from home, but the plant was snug and safe in its ingenious plastic holding tray that kept it from being jostled or broken in transit. (It was upgraded to USPS Priority Mail, even though I had only paid for First Class.) I was really impressed at how carefully the plant was packed for shipping. It was a very gray, chilly day that day, but I planted my Hansel plant as soon as I got home. We got no sun for almost a week thereafter, and the poor plant was looking a little droopy. I brought it in under a couple of tiny LED grow lights for a few nights, which may or may not have made a difference. It took a couple of weeks, but once we started getting hot weather and a bit of sun now and then, Hansel really took off. I've made sure I move the plant throughout the 5-6 hours of sun my patio gets per day, and unlike my tall, leafy but un-blooming tomatoes, my little eggplant now has a number of flowers and...ONE teeny tiny beginning of an eggplant ! I've been very pleased with the quality of service and the quality of the plant I received from GrowJoy. If anything happens from this point on, I expect it will simply be a case of my inexperience, or lack of sun (which thus far hasn't seemed to deter this plant!). I will definitely buy more plants from GrowJoy in the future.
From Jean | June 30, 2015
the Hansel Eggplant has great flavor and perfect for grilling
From lynne | June 06, 2015
Plants arrived perfectly packed and looking really healthy (I had also ordered two varieties of tomato plants. It's now been about a month since I received them, and they are growing beautifully, flowering, and it won't be long before we're ready for harvest! I will add, I foolishly ordered some eggplant seedlings from another company around the same time - NEVER AGAIN. I will only order my seedlings from GrowJoy! The other company took ages, and when they finally arrived they were badly packed, and the seedlings were positively pitiful. THANK YOU GrowJoy for providing a quality product....now I'm off to browse your site for some more plants!
From Caroline | May 09, 2015