A picture would help. They normally thrive in our hot weather. I rarely water them and they grow by leaps and bounds. Our seedlings just started flowering. I know they normally get the same sort of ailments as other plants they are related to (tomatoes/peppers etc). Perhaps the containers weren't washed out that well last season?

Also, when blossoms or young fruit shrivel and fall off prematurely, it is sometimes an effect of one of two problems. Either your plants are not being fully pollinated, or they are receiving too much water.

The q-tip method should take care of pollination...also try planting more bright annuals around the area to attract more pollinators.

Water only once or twice per week but very deeply. Shallow watering results in poor root development and smaller harvests. Also, be sure to mulch heavily with straw or dried grass clippings around the plants to keep in the moisture and to reduce the need for watering.

One of my three plants has fruit; but the plants are really small. They're stunted. Everything else in the garden is normal size. On top of that, some bug has been eating at the leaves and I've been spraying them with an organic spray but it seems pretty futile at this point since they plants are just not up to par.
The soil has a good amount of compost in it and they're spaced well and get plenty of sun and the soil is rich and well turned. Maybe I need to check the PH because this is the second year I haven't been able to grow a proper eggplant here.
My beans, squash, broccoli, tomatoes are all doing well, so this is a puzzlement. Maybe I should try growing them in my big containers next year.
We have a lot of bees, but then I have a lot of bee balm and other flowers growing near my vegetable terraces.
I guess you can hand pollinate them with a Q tip.

June

I also have eggplant growing beautifully in containers and I also once had problems with pests and the blossoms dropping and such.I will say that all of those problems stopped as soon as I put them in the full sun by my butterfly bushes. The bees that visit the butterfly bushes love the eggplant blossoms and the pests cannot stand the full sun.The eggplants definitely appreciate the hot North Carolina sun (they even gave me 3 new baby eggplants within days!). Good luck!