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 24°C and 32°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 60 - 75 cm 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

21 Apr 22, Anonymous (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Look in the egg plant section for the planting guide. Just good rich soil. A general all round fertiliser.
02 Apr 22, marco (Australia - tropical climate)
hi i am from the gold coast queensland . i have my seedlings in the ground 3 inch tall now all grown from seed .i have a older plant that has taken off it has flowers and eggplants are growing so it might be a good time to grow if u live in this area ....
28 Mar 22, Peter Ramgolam (Canada - Zone 5b Temperate Warm Summer climate)
Much needed ideas thank you
18 Jan 22, (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
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
04 Jan 22, Mark J Grzywa (USA - Zone 5a climate)
What varieties grow best in N. Illinois, if any? Thanks
11 Oct 23, TMR (USA - Zone 6b climate)
I know it's over a year later, but I've been looking for info for overwintering a huge eggplant plant, and saw your question here. Summer '22 I picked up three 5" Japanese eggplant plants from local Tractor supply store, on sale in 3 or 4" pots, for $4 each. I grew them in central MA, each in a 12 or 14" pot all summer. Got some good yield, and they grew to about 18" high, but I decided to bring them inside for the winter to see if I could get more fruit from them. I put them on a south facing bay window, air temp was never much above 68*, I watered, fertilized once (maybe 2x) from October-May, and hand pollinated flowers with a paint brush. Got about 10 fruits, which I thought was pretty good! Nice and tender and sweet. In late May/early June they went outside, (after hardened off properly) planted 1 into 2' tall raised wooden garden box (with tomatoes, potatoes, basil, borage), 1 into a large deep pot, and one in a conditioned straw bale. The pot one failed, the box and straw bale one thrived and are now 3' tall and maybe 2-3' wide. Tons of flowers, fruit, I couldn't keep up. I'm trying to figure out if I can bring one of them inside again (transplant into v. large pot) and get one more summer out of it! So you can probably grow Ichyban Japanese in your zone, just protect from cooler temps, and bring inside if your season isn't long enough.
06 Jan 22, Anonymous (USA - Zone 5a climate)
Plant Feb to May - look on the internet for some varieties.
10 Dec 21, Annamarie (USA - Zone 9b climate)
Can I grow eggplant year round in zone 9b? I’m hoping to use cuttings taken from existing plants. Thanks
04 Feb 22, Donna (USA - Zone 9b climate)
I grow mine in a pot and bring them in for winter. I am not sure about cuttings, but I have had a mature plant produce two years in a row growing it that way. Same for tomatoes. Fun to have fresh
28 Dec 21, Elisabeth (USA - Zone 7b climate)
YES! I lived in zone 9 in Florida. You can most definitely grow them. Start your seeds indoors in early January and put them out in mid February. They will be producing by April and over it by mid June when your temps start in the 90s. I then always planted okra in June where the eggplants were. They were a nice succession planting in zone 9.
Showing 31 - 40 of 345 comments

You need soil temperature of min of 15c and preferably 25-30c to germinate egg plant. The guide recommends planting seeds Sept Oct. Also if you over water the seeds they go rotten. Seeds should germinate in 12-18 days. Have a little dig around and see if they are ok or rotten. I would suggest planting mid Sept at the earliest. Or buy seedlings.

- 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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