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

(Best months for growing Eggplant in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings

September: Bring on in pots - need a long growing season

  • 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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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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30 Mar 12, Margret (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
my question: how old do plants get? how often to replace?
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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.
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16 Dec 11, chehade bghaoui (Australia - temperate climate)
what is the solution for leaves wilt and for leavessudenly yellowing and drying
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11 Feb 12, (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi ! chehade. Your problem seems to be the soil. It is I think too acidic and sticky (not porous). What you need is some Lime and Sand to nutralise the acidity and to enable it to breathe respectively. Let me know whether this has been helpful.
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03 Dec 11, Tanya (Australia - temperate climate)
My young eggplant seedling leaves are turning yellow and growth has been minimal in the last month since planting. There are no obvious bugs/ pests. They receive close to a full day of sun, and are planted next to beans. Any suggestions?
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02 Dec 11, Marlene (Australia - temperate climate)
Please help.My eggplants are growing tall and look healthy.No flowers.What can I use to promote fruit?I have fertilized with blue MPK and blood and bone
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Showing 261 - 270 of 358 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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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. GardenGrow 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.
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