This year I'm trying Blush - a light lavendar, medium size; Snowy - white 8-10" long, open pollen; and Shooting Star - purple with white streaks, 3-4" long.

I aim for easy to grow with no bitterness and no tough skin varieties.

I have black beauty, rosita and miso nasu (japanese) in the ground. I transplanted all at the same time. They didnt take the transplanting very well. I thought I was going to lose them all, but they look like they are coming back. I never have much success with eggplants in the past years.

only new variety this year Is San Marino. So far it not matching the pace of

Night Shadow , the best performing large variety that I have grown. or Black Shine, top performing semi-long

Ichiban has been my best long type, altho Fond May is not bad.

Calliope I've grown for a couple years. Casper is new this year.

The back row are the Calliope I grew last year and have 2 plants this year.

Do I need to put something under my eggplants that are touching the ground? Are they prone to rot or disease touching the ground?

https://extension2.missouri.edu/g6369

Staking

Like tomatoes and peppers, eggplants should be staked for optimum growth and yield (Figure 2). Staking keeps the eggplant fruit from touching the ground, which reduces disease and improves fruit shape, particularly on elongated fruit. Staking also makes harvesting easier. Eggplants can be staked like tomatoes, placing a wooden stake 1 inch thick and 48 to 60 inches long between every other plant in a row. String is placed along the plants and looped around each stake to support the growing stems and fruit (Figure 3).

Do I need to put something under my eggplants that are touching the ground? Are they prone to rot or disease touching the ground?

If they are touching the ground the fruit can become misshapen or discolored. If you put thick mulch under the plants this will be reduced. I cage and stake my plants but sometimes the earliest fruit produced when the plants are still small will touch the ground. Since I always peel them it's not a big deal to me.

I enjoy the Asian type eggplants cause there are only 2 of us, you don't have to peel or salt them, one EP and one small zuk on the grill is perfect for 2.