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 T T          
      P P              

(Best months for growing Eggplant in Australia - 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

25 Mar 12, Savithri (Australia - temperate climate)
thanks for the reply.....I didn't find any snails around but recently I noticed brown insect(Garden Weevils???) eating everything in my garden. They are attacking the leaves/stems and the young shoots of all the plants. How do you get rid of Garden Weevils? Thank you.
22 Feb 12, Terry (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My eggplant has many fruit of varying size but I need to know when they are ripe as all are the same dark colour
21 Feb 12, Andrew (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My eggplant growing well but not turning fully black and are a yellow brown colour at base of eggplant is there something that can be done about this
12 Feb 12, Rob Brown (Australia - tropical climate)
I've planted my eggplants out to my aquaponics system 5 weeks ago (just after christmas), all had flowered within 2 weeks and at week 3 they have fruit about 5cm long, I planted both redskin and normal shop variety.
10 Feb 12, yvonne cardy (Australia - tropical climate)
I have a 'yellow' eggplant, round in shape and a bright colour. My neighbour gave me the seedling but I can't find anything on yellow eggplant. Can you help?
08 Feb 12, Chandra Akhil (Australia - temperate climate)
I planted seedlings (varieties) early December and started harvesting very healthy good size fruit late January. I am still harvesting almost every three weeks.It just grows and grows and gives lots of fruit. I give it good watering and lot of compost from time to time. I have left a fruit on each plant for seeds which will be handy come July.
01 Jan 12, lukevdh (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
i had a simillar problem, but i had heaps of flowers yet they all dropped off after a week or so. i am going to try a fertilizer with a high level of phosphorus.
30 Mar 12, Margret (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
my question: how old do plants get? how often to replace?
11 Feb 12, Chandra (Australia - temperate climate)
Instead of a Chemical based fertilzer try an Organic Fertilizer like Cow Manure, Horse Manure. Do not use Chicken Manure. It is too hot when moist and will burn your plants. Water well and give it a lot of Compost.
16 Dec 11, chehade bghaoui (Australia - temperate climate)
what is the solution for leaves wilt and for leavessudenly yellowing and drying
Showing 181 - 190 of 269 comments

I've got three Asian eggplants growing, all from the same source, one in the ground and the other two in a raised garden bed. They all get equal treatment re fertiliser and watering but the two in the raised bed produce smaller fruit that is a very pale purple and tougher while the other has long much bigger deep purple fruit that's perfect. What could the likely cause be? pH or something else?

- Phil Morton

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put Gardenate in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use Gardenate and subscribe to the free Gardenate planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About Gardenate | Contact us | Privacy Policy

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.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.