Your comments and tips

09 Aug 16, Ann-Marie (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I live near toowoomba so we get much colder winters than you. This year my san marzano tomatoes not just survived but fruited heavily all winter. This varity is the best tomato I've ever grown.

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07 Aug 16, rad (Australia - temperate climate)

Eggplants are great I planted one last year and picked lots of big eggplants off it,it survived the cold weather and still growing strong and looks like a small tree now.same with my chilli plants two years old and still going strong

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29 Dec 16, daisy brown (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi, it is amazing to know an eggplant can survive winter. Do you grow the eggplant plant on the ground or in a pot?

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25 May 16, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Thank you for this timely info. I have prepared the garden bed and have added organic material to it. Now all I need to do is find the right eggplants to sow.

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15 May 16, Ian (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

If you live in Brisbane or similar subtropical you should be able to grow them year round. Mulch and slightly raised beds to keep soil temperature constant. Also try different varieties. Traditional big black grows best in spring. Try varegated purple or white varieties all year. Heavy fertilising or hot winds can cause dropped fruit. I've found full sun with western shade best position for long growth and moderate fruit. I think the gardenate planting times are a bit restrictive. If you get seedlings they are worth a try all year. They like free draining moderate heavy soil. Like 50%potting mix/ 50% mushroom or worm compost. Any brisbane black soil is good.

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14 May 16, siobhan (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

when are Eggplants in season in Australia?

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05 Mar 16, Robert Dunbar (Australia - temperate climate)

Can aubergines be frozen for storage.

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12 Oct 15, Prometheus (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

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.

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30 Oct 15, Steve (Australia - temperate climate)

Great advice! Thank you very much :-)

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03 Jun 15, Sally-Anne Pucek (Australia - temperate climate)

Eggplants are great chopped and added to a spicy curry,

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