Growing Eggplant, also Aubergine

Solanum sp. : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
  S S                  
        T              
        P              

(Best months for growing Eggplant in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 24 - 30 inches apart
  • Harvest in 12-15 weeks. Cut fruit with scissors or sharp knife.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Beans, capsicum, lettuce, amaranth, thyme
  • Avoid growing close to: Potatoes

Your comments and tips

06 Sep 23, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Give the bush a light shake about 9-10am.
01 Jun 23, Julie Tasker (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Do I pull the eggplant bush up or cut back over winter?
10 Jun 23, (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I plant new seeds/seedlings each year.
22 Mar 23, Kim H (USA - Zone 10a climate)
What eggplant grow best in zone 10A? Our nights get pretty chilly through July, although days can be quite warm.
17 Feb 23, Carol (USA - Zone 9b climate)
My last eggplants from last fall were tough and flavorless but right now I have at least 9! How do I know when they are ripe to pick?
20 Feb 23, (USA - Zone 9b climate)
When they reach a good size, pick them. The longer you leave them the tougher and less flavor. Planting to harvest time is a good guide.
15 Jan 23, christina (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
hi... i have several plants in different vegie beds.... but they have all been attacked my a little tiny black beetle... all the leaves on every plant have been decimated and eaten how can i stop them please and any advice .....
03 Jul 23, Tim (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
The little beetles are flea beetles. Soil born and emerge as the weather warms up and very difficult to control especially organically. I use pyganic and this season I will try Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis (vectobac) in the soil to try control the larvae when they hatch. It is expensive and a bulk buy however there is an online hydro shop selling in smaller batches. There is also the powdered form. Neem oil should work however I am hopeless at remembering to spray every 10 days. They are usually around in the warmer months and love the Solanaceae family. I also bag my flowers as they can wreck them overnight.
13 Jan 23, Lori (USA - Zone 9a climate)
What varieties of eggplant grows best in 9a?
30 Jun 23, Ava (USA - Zone 9b climate)
I live in Texas City and this is my second time growing egg plant. Last year it was unsuccessful due to the heat and planting too late in the season. This year I’m doing really good because I planted my seeds early in the Spring. This is also my first time cooking eggplant. My husband and I are loving them.
Showing 11 - 20 of 345 comments

actually in southern ecuador in the sierras. subtropical humid and rainy now until march then flowing into very dry season. Difference from your other sites in southern hemisphere is the winds. My location is about 5000ft above sea level. the real temps (not with humidity) hover about 27c to 30C and it can drop to 10C overnight in the dry season and everything turns brown, in the rainy season it may cool down if there is cloud cover for two days (we are in the Sierras). . I notice that eggplant can become a perennial but how long might it last in a container. this seems a better option. climate control is easier and digging a pit thru rocky soil to use compost is laborious. I hire people to do that for large bushes and fruit trees and even the roses - which seem to thrive here in this climate pose a learning curve LOL

- Anonymous

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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