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(Best months for planting Eggplant in Australia - cool/mountain regions)

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

• Harvest in 90-110 days
• 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.
• Space plants: 60-75cm

A large bushy plant with attractive purple flowers. Has spiky stems. Wear gloves to harvest fruit as the spikes on the calyx are sharp enough to break one's skin.

In United Kingdom - grow in heated greenhouse. Reduce artificial heat during summer months

Needs a long season. Start under cover and plant out when frosts have finished.

Some varieties with slim, long fruit such as Asian Bride produce their fruit earlier. Mulch well and keep well watered. May need staking

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Eggplant

Cut and use the same day if possible.
Slice, no need to peel, and fry in olive oil.
Brush with oil and grill or bake.
Or microwave,plain, for about 4 minutes on high.
Makes a good substitute for pasta in lasagne or moussaka.
Can be smoked over a gas ring or barbecue, cooled and peeled and used to make dips.

Your comments and tips

02 Jun 09 Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hi vegewitch (love the name!) I wonder if a complete high-potassium fertiliser would help, such as the tomato-food version of Dynamic Lifter. I have found a little paintbrush helps make sure the flowers pollinate and set fruit. The other issue might be the cold - my eggplants do much better in summer.

18 Aug 09 Thora Dutton (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

My baby aubergines are full of flowers although a number of flowers seem to die for no reason. I have had 1 little fruit and now there are only 2 more on one plant and both of these fruit are green and don't seem to be going the aubergine colour. Could you please help? Many thanks

20 Sep 09 Joan Maguire (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

one fruit going well but the balance of flowers have died - plse advise

06 Oct 09 monkey (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

dear vegewitch - eggplants don't fruit until October/November in sub-tropical climates such as Brisbane - it is too cold. If the flowers still drop in November try putting some dolomite on the soil and watering in - the Ph may be wrong in your soil.

10 Oct 09 newtovegegardening (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

I've just planted eggplant seedlings, yes - they have a tent to protect from the frost. But a couple of them have been eaten down to the stems. Is there a natural pesticide that I could use to save the rest?

08 Dec 09 Roz (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I've tried growing corriander from seed without success during November straight into the garden bed. Do they need any special requirements to get seeds sprouting other than watering to start with? Is November not a good time I've given them a partial shady position to guard against the scorching summer sun and have been pretty consistent with watering. I felt I prepared the soil well by mixing cow manure compost existing soil coconut fibre for moisture retention blood & bone and some lime left it for a week or so then planted seeds. My eggplant seeds did not come up either so I have put in seedlings from Bunnings. What am I doing wrong?

15 Feb 10 2 green thumbs (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Dear Roz, I have just had an explosion of Corriander from seed in seedling trays. I was given fresh seeds off a friends plant, which I dried in a paper bag til brown, then planted them in a seedling tray filled with seed raising mix. Maybe try that.

17 Feb 10 AURELIO (Australia - temperate climate)

HELLO 1ST TIME GROWER PLANTED EVERYTHING IN NOVEMBER MOST THINGS HAVE GROWN BUT CANT SEEM TO STOP THEM LITTLE GREEN WORM LOOKIN THINGS THEY SEEM EAT ALL MY LEAVES AND LEAVE HOLES IN THE LEAVES IVE TRIED SPRAYS POWDERS ANY HELP PLZ P/S IM PROUD OF ME EGG PLANT ITS ONLY GOT 1 AT MOMENT BUT ITS GROWIN GREAT

26 Feb 10 Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hi Aurelio, If it's green caterpillars then try using Dipel, which is a bacteria product that only affects caterpillars. Best not to use sprays/powders as they don't affect caterpillars, but they will hurt beneficial insects. Some wasps will attack caterpillars, so make sure you have flowers around to attract the wasps, and don't use pesticides as they harm the good bugs that help keep things in balance.

02 Mar 10 Pru (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

To stop flowers falling off plants put a 10 cm straight line of Epsom salts about an inch away from the main stem. Works a treat. I now have 9 fruit on one plant.