We moved our containers from the deck to the yard to get LESS sun, well less heat. Last year we had a problem with tomatoes dropping blossoms and never fruiting and we were told they were too hot. It depends on how how your deck gets. This year we did smart pots (I really love them!) and have many more plants, including eggplants, peppers and squash. We've had a very hot stretch and some of the maters slowed down a lot, but it's back to normal now. I think when it gets really hot, if you can move them to get some shade, that may be beneficial.

Buford, that makes sense -- I could put them out in the yard for now, and then move them to the cooler deck later in the summer. What are smart pots?

They are fabric pots that are supposed to be better for plants. Here is a pic of mine earlier this year and a link.

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Smartpots

I think the partial shade is good, my black beauty Eggplant tends to not only wilt a bit in full hot sun but the fruit goes from ripe to a big raisin pretty quick if you dont pick it soon enough. I just lost 3 yesterday to leaving them on the vine a day or two too long. My Ichiban is in partial shade and is thriving in a 5 gal. clay pot.
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Buford, thanks for the information on the smart pots. Nice setup.

Bigduff, wow, that's a gorgeous eggplant. I have 2 ichibans -- hope they do half that well! Glad to know it's happy in the partial shade.

We always grow our Asian variety eggplants in Pots and in full sun. Of course we in the Puget Sound area of the PNW do not experience the heat,direct Sunlight as you folks in Virginia.

I also have Black Beauty and Ichiban in containersfor the first time and they are huge with blooms. I've BB, Ichiban and Dusky in the garden and they are fair. Some flea beetle damage but that is an every yr problem. Seems to me that big adult eggplant plants like a lot of sun but I am new to the container business. I have two BBs in a large tote and single Iciban plants in 7 gal cans. All in the 5-1-1 and they are healthy looking but some of the tomatoes have BER. Hope my bells and eggplants avoid that.