Eggplant
Select Your Climate
Eggplant is a much loved veg used in many classic dishes such as baba ganous and moussaka.
When to plant/sow in zone:
Requirements:
Nutrient-rich soil with good drainage, warm temperatures, sunny spot.
Soil:
Well-drained soil enriched with compost and/or well-rotted manure or organic pellets.
How to start: "SEED: Sow direct in the ground or in punnets into seed-raising mix, 5mm deep. Keep moist. Germinates in 7-14 days. SEEDLING: Plant outside or into a pot when seedlings are 5-10cm+ tall. Space 70cm apart, in rows 80cm apart. Water in and mulch with straw. Plant out only when cold weather and risk of frost has passed."
How to grow: Keep moist and mulched with straw. Apply seaweed solution or liquid fertiliser fortnightly. Apply organic fertiliser pellets monthly.
When to harvest: Start harvesting from 10 weeks. Snip off fruit when firm and shiny.
Troubleshooting:
Queensland fruit fly; aphids; whitefly; blossom end rot; powdery mildew
Wondering what to plant when?
Use our planner to create a planting calendar for your climate zone
View Planting Guide
Related Articles
What’s eating my eggplants?
Discover a few eggplant-destroying pests to look out for over summer.
Grow eggplants in pots
Eggplant is a summer favourite in the garden and the kitchen, and with a decent-sized pot, you can enjoy growing this attractive fruit on a patio or balcony.