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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30 Oct 18, Kym H (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I only planted my eggplant tree about a month ago it is less than 30cm tall and is already growing fruit should I cut off the early fruit until the tree gets established
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30 Oct 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Sounds like you have poor soil - give it some fertiliser. Generally a plant goes to seed if it is under stress - lack of water fertiliser etc.
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01 Nov 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If the plants are small and weak then it is lack of fertiliser. I have strong plants about 15
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04 Nov 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have strong plants about 15-18 (?)
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10 Nov 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My plants are flowering from about 15-18
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19 Apr 18, Tracey (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi All I have Lebanese eggplants which are coming to an end. This is the first time I have grown them and they have fruited extremely well. Do you pull the plant out when they have finished or will they fruit again net year? Thanks
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04 Oct 18, Lucy Carson (Australia - temperate climate)
I dug mine up in Autumn, potted up and kept in greenhouse over winter (regular watering), they have already got buds on them and I'll replant back in the garden.
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22 Apr 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I believe they will grow again but I wouldn't bother - just grow new plants next year. My old plants are so straggly and fall over so much I just pull them out. Fresh new strong plants next year.
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20 Apr 18, Carol (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi Tracey. This is from the info here on eggplants.. "Perennial in tropical climates otherwise grown as an annual" So, if you're in a temperate climate, I'd pull them out. When I was in Fiji a few years ago, eggplants were used as hedges in one of the villages we stayed in!
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09 Mar 18, Heidi (Australia - temperate climate)
I have two Asian eggplant bushes which look like they are coming to an end in terms of producing fruit. Is there any chance I could prune these back and see if they regrow next spring? Also, what to do about the nasty grubs that get in and make tunnels, along with lots of black stuff. Sometimes you don't even know they are there till you cut the eggplant open.
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Showing 81 - 90 of 274 comments
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I’ve grown several eggplants for the past three years with great fruiting results. Of course as soon as one plant started to look “oldish” I’d cut that one right back (quite heavily) give it a decent fertilizing (liquid if in a pot or granular if in the ground) and it would recover just great. I also gave it a really good soaking watering immediately after or with the fertilizing. I’d do that about every 6 months for each plant (but not at the same time so as to ensure a continual fruit supply). However just recently those plants have had it… Just plain worn out… I suspect a very heavy build up of root knot nematodes and the start of root and stem collapse. I reckon if you can get 2-3 years from an eggplant then that’s more than enough and then call it quits. From my observations you can get up to 3 years happily from a plant growing in the soil and about 2-2.5 years from one growing in a large container. The pruning back also helps a lot in controlling a pest problem like spider mites. I live in a lovely sub-tropical climate on the Gold Coast so the plants continually grow and fruit. The variety I like is the dwarf Lebanese type. I am about to publish an e-book on growing herbs and veggies in small spaces but more about that later Cheers John

- John Bee

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