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Bonica Eggplant growing in a tub over January 2025 in Curtin, Canberra, AustraliaHere is a picture of an ornamental Bonica eggplant that I grew in my hot, paved cottage courtyard garden, which is really sheltered to the back of the home in the suburb of Curtin, Canberra, Australia in the January summer of 2025. I grew this eggplant due to the fact that it didn't take up too much room when you have a small space and the attractiveness of the plant, especially the fruit and flowers. Had to keep the plant tub out in the sun all day to provide it with enough paved concrete warmth in the mid-20's for it to grow for its entire 12 weeks(4 months) that it takes to grow an average eggplant. A nice sized eggplant that wasn't too big and good for one or two people to enjoy, such as myself who lives by themselves to eat in a variety of dips, stir-fries, moussaka or stuffed eggplants. Home grown, organic eggplants are so much sweeter and tastier than any shop-bought variety and also cost a lot less when buying them at Bunnings Warehouse, where I regularly buy them from in Tuggeranong, Gungahlin and Belconnen. I also grew a number of capsicums, mild chilies, melons, tomatoes, flowers, pumpkin vines and cucumbers in my courtyard as well that summer. I water all these plants every few days, every day if it gets really hot and fertilise them every 2-3 weeks. I usually start planting eggplants out in my paved courtyard in early-mid October(late September if weather conditions are mild enough).
Materials
Plant seedling, premium potting mix, Osmocot Pellet Fertiliser(NPK), Seasol, Compost Improver, Powerfeed Tomato Fertiliser, Dynamic Lifter, all bought from Bunnings Warehouse, Water, Large 30-40cm garden planting tub with drainage holes I had spare for a number of years.
Tools
Hand Trowel, gardening gloves, watering can
Steps
Step 1
1. Put premium potting mix into large garden tub which is 30-40cm large. Put on gardening gloves
2. Add dynamic lifter and osmocot pellet fertiliser on top of soil, before mixing in with gloved hands.
3. Dig a large hole in the middle of the premium potting mix in the large gardening tub with a gardening trowel.
4. Take Bonica eggplant seedling carefully out of transported pot that it came in after it had been bought in Bunnings Warehouse store.
5. Place Bonica eggplant seedling into hole and put soil over the top of the root-ball and lightly press down. Add a bit more osmocot pellet fertiliser around the edge.
6. Slowly water the Bonica eggplant seedling in, including small amounts of the Powerfeed, Compost Improver and Seasol liquid fertilisers mixed in in order to help to settle it down into its new home and provide it with enough nutrients for the next 6 months from October. Fertilise the plants every 3-4 weeks with small amounts of the liquid fertilisers, as they can be hungry plants, especially when it is hot. Just use plain water every day if it is hot, every couple of days if the weather is a bit cooler.
7. Gradually put a layer of clipped grass over the top in order to keep the moisture in the soil around the base of the Bonica Eggplant seedling.
8. Keep a close eye on the Bonica Eggplant seedling to make sure it grows well over the next few months and move it to a more suitable location in the courtyard if necessary.
9. Cover it up of a night if the temperatures are still fairly cool.
10. Watch the plant grow over the next 12 weeks(4 months from October), produce flowers, which I pollinate using a cotton bud in order to produce the eggplant fruit on the Bonica Eggplant seedling if there aren't enough pollinating insects around. Works well for me after watching it on Yutube. Often use this site to get ideas of what to grow in a colder climate, which Canberra has.
Hello @RebeccaH1
Thank you so much for sharing the steps you took to grow that beautiful eggplant. Your description of the possible cooking options has truly made me hungry for eggplant all of a sudden.
Eric
