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 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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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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19 Aug 20, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Eggplants need plenty of water. Perhaps yours are drying out too quickly in your raised beds.
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02 Sep 20, em (Australia - temperate climate)
I found that my eggplants needed a lot of water and they really appreciated a good mulch (I mostly just mulched with grass clippings) and they grew until the end of autumn.
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15 Aug 20, Preethi Balamurugan (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi i live in Melbourne im growing my eggplant seedlings indoor i have got the fungoes gnat so i have move my seedlings outsides in alfersco now my seedlings leaves are curlying Up Is it normal? Can I keep my seedlings in alfresco? Thanks in advance
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17 Aug 20, Anonymous (Australia - temperate climate)
i read that fungus gnat are mainly on indoor plants. Once seeds have germinated I find it best to put them out in the sun a bit. Some sun, some shade during the day. The amount of each will depend on how hot or cold it is during the day. Google fungus gnats and read the article about them on The Farmers Almanac
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12 Aug 20, vannezza (Australia - temperate climate)
from flowers it will become fruit in two to three weeks time depending the temperature. the hotter the area the more it quickly become fruit.
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17 May 20, Alenka Bosnic (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi it's mid May do I pull out my eggplants or can I prune them back and get them ready for Spring Summer.
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Showing 31 - 40 of 274 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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