Growing Eggplant, also Aubergine

Solanum sp. : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

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

(Best months for growing Eggplant in Australia - sub-tropical 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

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19 Oct 20, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
When frozen they tend to go bitter
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19 Oct 20, Anonymous (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
The bigger the better, 50-60cm+ diameter. Google about freezing it - I wouldn't think so..
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20 Sep 20, John W Taylor (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
I left my eggplant in the ground over winter in Auckland. It really doesn't get that cold up here even in winter. The leaves dropped off and the stalks are still green in mid Sept. I trimmed the dead wood back. Will it come back?
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27 Aug 20, Srini K (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, I have sown seeds in seed trays and its been 20 days, no sign of any seedlings. Understand its still cold in Auckland, Just wanted to check if the seeds will germinate once its get warm or I should considers sowing seeds again when its gets warm?
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28 Aug 20, Anonymous (New Zealand - temperate climate)
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.
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02 Sep 20, Srini K (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Thanks for your response. The guide for sub-tropical climate suggests to plant in Aug, Sep. Great news all seeds germinated in approximately 22 days :) Cant wait to plant these outside.
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24 Aug 20, Kylie (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hello, Can different varieties of eggplant be planted together? Also how long do eggplant plants last? I am located in Tamborine Mountain in QLD. TIA
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25 Aug 20, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Should be no problem. They are self pollinating although if bees cross pollinate them you may end up with different eggplant. If you are going to plant a few I would keep the rows apart if possible. They are perennial but most people treat them as annual, reason pest and diseases.
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19 Aug 20, Verna Arts (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
For the last 2 seasons I have planted Eggplant plants in raised beds in my garden north of Auckland. Both years The plants have immediately flowered and produced small fruit but neither the plant or the fruit have grown from then on What am I doing wrong? The raised beds are filled with garden mix and I use a fairly generous amount of fertilizer.
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20 Aug 20, Anonymous (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
The guide here says plant Sept Oct. They are a warm weather crop. You probably need 5-600mm deep soil and the same in width. Good rich soil, deep water 2-3 times a week and give a hit of fert after your first 2-3 weeks of picking. Don't go over board on the fertiliser though.
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Showing 61 - 70 of 358 comments
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A quick tip for those trying to grow eggplant in a cool climate with a short growing season - rather than waiting for the end of Spring frost (usually November here), you really should be getting eggplants in the ground by October at the latest. They need a long growing season to produce abundant fruit and the warm weather months in these climates are limited. They take a long time to raise from seed, so are best purchased at nurseries etc. at this time of year. To protect them from Spring frosts one trick is to cut off the top halves of plastic softdrink or mineral water bottles, remove the lid for ventilation, and securely place the top half in the circle of soil surrounding the young seedling. In the event of late frost, this will improve their chances of survival. If growing in containers, moving them to a sheltered, part-sun location (eg. under the dappled shade of a tree) may also help protect them from late frosts. The same can be done for other frost sensitive crops in the nightshade family eg. tomatoes, chillies, capsicum. Happy gardening, P.

- Prometheus

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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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