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

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17 Jan 15, Roger (Australia - temperate climate)
I have experienced the same issue as Pam. Planted my Eggplant in November from seeds. Got healthy plants with flowers , but only one small fruit about the size of a large apple on one plant. Water not an issue. Garden reticulated. Any suggestions
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07 Oct 14, Michael (Australia - temperate climate)
I am trying to find out where I might be able to find some Thai Pea Eggplants in Australia/Victoria do you have any suggestions
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16 Oct 14, Michael (Australia - temperate climate)
Thankyou for your suggestion about the Thai Pea Eggplants at Bunning's, I will have to check it out this week end
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10 Oct 14, Arani (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, I have seen these in Bunning's seedlings section. Its in the heirloom variety section.
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05 Oct 14, Kirsten Camilleri (Australia - tropical climate)
My eggplant is healthy and has doubled in size since planting. I have had many flowers develop however they fall off, stem and all, and I haven't produced any fruit as a result of it. How can I can the problem? Ta
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03 Jan 15, Roy (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hello Jan and Kirsten, Same problem, healthy plants which have grown well, I should have said "I had the same problem" until having taken one of the flowers off and rubbing that one into the stamens of other flowers and voila, fruit. in fact too many.
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06 Dec 14, Jan (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Kirsten, did you get any answers to this question, I have the same problem. I purchased a grafted eggplant from Bunnings. same as I did last year but I had an abundance of eggplant last year. This year the flowers form then shrink and fall off. no eggplant behind them. Has anyone got any clues to this problem?
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25 Mar 14, Donald Chandraratna (Australia - arid climate)
Can I prune the old plants and wait for the next summer
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15 Mar 14, Phil (Australia - temperate climate)
Have picked 2 eggplants from my bushes once they turned purple but the remainder of the fruit have turned yellow and seem to be softening. Is this normal?
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22 Apr 14, Alpeshkumar Patel (Australia - temperate climate)
Turning yellow means they are now ripe. You can get seeds for next year from them.
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Showing 141 - 150 of 274 comments
See comments for all plants

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.

- TMR

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