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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11 Dec 12, Jack (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I think what you are describing is not actually an Eggplant but a related species. Try looking up Solanum mauritianum. It is an invasive weed, I had one recently and immediately thought it looked like an Eggplant. Do not eat! it is posinous.
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15 Sep 12, Anne Eaton (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My eggplant is mature and has lots and lots of flowers and leaves but no fruit. What am i doing wrong?
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29 Oct 12, Vai (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Anne, The only thing I can suggest is sprinkling some sulphate of potash around the plant and watering it in. Alternatively, you could bury a couple of bananas (with skin) around the plant but I'd suggest the concentrated sulphate of potash. As you probably know, potassium promotes healthy flower and fruit growth in most plants. Nitrogen promotes new stem and leaf growth so its possible you have too much nitrogen in the soil (using cow or sheep manure?) and not enough potassium.
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13 Jul 12, julie (Australia - tropical climate)
They could be sun burnt. Even in winter sun strong enough to burnt the tender skin of your eggplants
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03 Jun 12, (Australia - temperate climate)
You need to cross-pollinate manually. Bees are the pollinators. We had bees in the garden & fruit on the eggplants, then no bees & no fruit. The flowers are hermaphrodite. Pick a freshly opened flower from one bush & gently brush the stamen against flowers on other plants.
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24 May 12, Mandy (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I am trying to grow a lebanese eggplant. The plant was completely healthy two three days ago. Then suddenly one of its branches started wilting and now the whole plant looks wilted. Its still got fruit on it which looks fine and flowers don't look wilted at all but the whole plant seems to be dying down. what could be the problem. Could someone please help.
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17 Jan 13, Felicity (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Mandy - did you ever find a solution - because you are describing exactly what is happening to my eggplants!!
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16 May 12, Janelle Coppel (Australia - temperate climate)
What months/seasons is the eggplant at its best quality
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06 May 12, Mick Houareau (Australia - temperate climate)
what causes some of my fruit to turn a light brown colour. about half the crop is affected.
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30 Mar 12, Scott (Australia - temperate climate)
Our Lebanese eggplants fruited prolifically this year. However many of them, instead of turning purple have gone a yellowish brown. The fruits feel firm, so they're not rotting. Are they safe for eating? Thank you. Scotty
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Showing 171 - 180 of 274 comments
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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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