Your comments and tips

17 Oct 08, Jenny Joynson (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

I am looking for eggplant growers in Victoria and South Australia, if anyone could help me I would greatly appreciate it. Please email me at [email protected]

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22 Dec 08, kelvin. living in perth (Australia - temperate climate)

When growing egg plants do you have to pinch out the small shoots like you do for tomatoes ??

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08 Jan 09, Rachel (Australia - temperate climate)

my parents are growing eggplant for the first time (perth), but need to know how to tell if the fruit are ready to pick.

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29 Jan 09, ian (Australia - temperate climate)

i have started growing eggplants this year,first time, did nothing special for them but they are growing fantastically well,have four plants that are about 30 inches high and they are yeilding heaps of excellent quality fruit,i water weekly except hot days i water at night even if its not the weekly water, even every day for 5 days here as its been 40+ HERE IN ADELAIDE FOR 4 DAYS STRAIGHT WITH MORE TO COME, I MULCHED ALL PLANTS FROM JOUNG VERY WELL AND HAVE A SORT OF TROUGH RUNNING THROUGH THEM WHICH HELPS WITH DIRECTING WATER . I HAVE ONLY USED BLOOD n bone manure so far but they are probably getting a bit from the previous plants i had in there which was planted with chook manure and fruit tree fertiliser, oh i did liquid fertilise them every week for the first 4 to 6 weeks cheers ian

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31 Jan 09, ray (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

i have grubs in my eggplants, what are they and how do i rid them?

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02 Feb 09, Andris (Australia - temperate climate)

To answer Kelvin: Yes, just like you do for tomatoes, and for the same reasons (pinch out the shoots between the main stems and the leaf stems to focus more energy on the fruit). To answer Rachel: Check what the mature size is (Black beauty, the most common one, grows to around 16cm) and pick a bit before that size when the skin should be firm, dark and shiny. They tend to be nicer a bit before full maturity. I am in adelaide and even with the intense (Intense!) weather (my citrus plants all have a fair few fried leaves), the eggplants can generally take it. A few flowers have died and dropped off (but lots more flowers coming up), but keep hitting them with heaps of water and they will be fine.

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11 Feb 09, LORRAINE (Australia - temperate climate)

To answer Ray & Joanne about grubs. They are probably Fruit Fly. This pest can destroy huge crops of fruit and fruiting vegetables.

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14 Feb 09, greg (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

I have grown 5 plants of black beauty this year all have cropped very well only problem is that they are not black. as they grow they get paler, some are quite greenish but they taste fine does anybody know why the colour is woshed out thanks

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15 Feb 09, Tandara (Australia - temperate climate)

Can eggplants become poisoness if left too long after ripening? Mine have become soft and lost there nice shiny lustre and have become dull and have green patches.

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02 Mar 09, Julian (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

I am growing eggplant in Wellington in a plastic house. Plants seem healthy enough and keep putting out flowers but i only got one fruit from the very first flower on one of the plants. I started catching bumble bees and putting them in the plastic house to pollinate the flowers, but still no results. Any ideas???

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