Photo: "An aubergine/eggplant/brinjal plant with a hanging fruit" by Azreey · CC BY-SA 4.0

Vegetable · Eggplant

Japanese Eggplant

Solanaceae

15-30 day SHORTER DTM than Black Beauty — key advantage for shorter seasons. Long, slim (6-12 inches), dark purple to black, thin delicate skin. Sweeter, milder flavor. No peeling needed. Produces continuously until frost. Ichiban most popular. Tolerates cooler climates better than globe types. Indoor start 6-10 weeks.

At a Glance

Days to Maturity

50–65 days

Sun

6+ hours

Container

Yes

3+ gallon pot

Height

1.5–4 ft

Zone Planting Guide

Your USDA Zone:

Growing Guide

Germination

Germination Time 7–14 days

Optimal Temp 75°F

Watering

Weekly Water 1 "

Needs Moderate

Resilience

Heat: High Cold: Low Drought: Medium

Nutrition

Feeding Intensity Heavy feeder

Recommended Recipes Worm castings topdress, Compost tea, Fish emulsion, Kelp foliar

Harvest

Glossy, firm, uniform color. Frequent harvest encourages more fruit.

Sources

seed-catalog Johnny's Seeds university SDSU Extension university UMN Extension

More Vegetables

Japanese Eggplant Planting Dates by Zone

Planting dates for Japanese Eggplant vary by USDA hardiness zone. Select your zone below for frost dates, start-indoors timing, and a full monthly planting calendar.

Zone 5A Zone 5B Zone 6A Zone 6B Zone 7A Zone 7B Zone 8A Zone 8B Zone 9A Zone 9B

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