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Vegetable
Eggplant
Solanum melongena · also Aubergine
A heat-loving summer crop that does very well in Adelaide once it gets going. Plant seedlings only when nights are reliably warm and keep them sheltered from cold winds. Water deeply and feed regularly; well-fed plants crop from midsummer to autumn.
- SunFull sun
- Spacing60 cm apart
- First pick13–17 weeks
- FrostFrost tender
- HeatHandles heat well
- Sow depth5 mm
When to plant where you live
Checking your area…
Add eggplant to my gardenVarieties (4)
- Bambino / mini typesSmall fruit on compact plants for pots
- Black BeautyClassic large, glossy purple fruit; productive
- Lebanese (long, slim)Slender fruit that cooks quickly; very productive and earlier
- Listada de GandiaStriped Italian heirloom; mild, creamy flesh
Neighbours
Grows well with
From seed to plate
Plant
60 cm apart, seed 5 mm deep. Full sun.
Water
Regular deep watering.
Feed
Compost and a balanced feed monthly.
Pick, from about 13 weeks
Pick while skin is glossy.
Good to know
- Pick fruit while the skin is glossy; dull skin means overripe and seedy
- Stake plants once fruit forms
- Use secateurs; stems are tough and spiny
Common problems
- Mites and whitefly in hot dry weatherhose under leaves, keep plants well watered; use a registered product following label directions if severe
- Fruit not settingplant at the right time; cold nights or extreme heat stop fruit set
- Blossom end rotwater deeply and regularly, mulch
- Fruit flypick fruit at full gloss and remove fallen fruit; follow SA biosecurity guidance
If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.
Guides
Safety: Mildly toxic to pets and children (leaves, green fruit).
Where this information comes from
- Australian seed company regional sowing charts (temperate zone) (germination, low confidence)
- Alberta Agriculture: Soil temperature and field vegetable germination (FAQ) (germination, medium confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
- ABC Gardening Australia fact sheets (growing, medium confidence)
- ABC Gardening Australia plant finder: Eggplant (growing, high confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
- Gardenate: Growing Eggplant (comparison only) (growing comparison, medium confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
- Sustainable Gardening Australia: planting guides (sowing window, medium confidence)
- Poisons information centre plant guidance (Australia) (toxicity, medium confidence)
Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 27 Oct 2026. Version 2.