Patio Baby
Patio Baby is a hybrid aubergine variety (Solanum melongena). Harvest begins around day 50; seed germinates in 7-14 days. Set plants 12-15 inches apart. Grow in soil pH 6.0-7.0, zones 9-12, full sun (6+ hours). Plants reach 2-4 feet. It will crop in a container. Hybrid seed does not come true, so it has to be bought fresh each season rather than saved.
Sowing
Start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost. Can direct sow in containers after soil reaches 70°F consistently.
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- High — consistent moisture needed
- Soil
- Well-drained potting mix with good organic content
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.0
- Spacing
- 12-15 inches
- Height
- 2-4 feet
- Season
- Year Round
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Deep purple-black
- Size
- 2-3"
- Shape
- Small oval, classic eggplant shape
- Flavour
- Sweet, tender, mild flavor with creamy texture
In the kitchen
Perfect for individual servings, stuffing, grilling, baby eggplant appetizers, Mediterranean dishes
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Flea beetles, aphids, spider mites
- Diseases
- Verticillium wilt, bacterial spot, early blight
- Resistance
- Good overall disease resistance for a compact variety
Planting calendar by USDA zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May | July – August | — | September – August |
| 2 | April – May | June – July | — | August – September |
| 3 | April | June – July | — | August – October |
| 4 | March – April | June | — | July – September |
| 5 | March | May – June | — | July – September |
| 6 | March | May – June | — | July – September |
| 7 | February – March | April – May | — | June – August |
| 8 | February | April – May | — | June – August |
| 9 | January | March – April | — | May – July |
| 10 | January | February – March | — | April – June |
| 11 | January | January – February | — | March – May |
| 12 | January | January – February | — | March – May |
| 13 | January | January – February | — | March – May |
Companion planting
8 beneficial pairings indexed for this variety, 3 to avoid.
Avoid
Nutrition (per 100 g)
- Calories (per 100 g)
- 25
- Protein (g)
- 0.98
- Fat (g)
- 0.18
- Carbohydrate (g)
- 5.88
- Fibre (g)
- 3
- Sugars (g)
- 3.53
- Vitamin A (µg)
- 1
- Vitamin C (mg)
- 2.2
- Vitamin E (mg)
- 0.3
- Vitamin K (µg)
- 3.5
- Vitamin B6 (mg)
- 0.084
- Folate (µg)
- 22
- Calcium (mg)
- 9
- Iron (mg)
- 0.23
- Magnesium (mg)
- 14
- Phosphorus (mg)
- 24
- Potassium (mg)
- 229
- Zinc (mg)
- 0.16
- Selenium (µg)
- 0.3
Where to buy seed and equipment
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Cultivar facts compiled from public horticultural references including USDA GRIN and NC State Extension. Descriptions are original to this catalogue.
Grown Patio Baby?
Post a crop report — day counts, reservoir readings, what worked. Variety-specific logs are the most useful thing on the forum.
Similar varieties
Other eggplants with a comparable time to harvest, so a season that suits Patio Baby suits these too.
- Bambino F1 45 days
- Hansel F1 55 days
- Ichiban 61 days
- Purple Top 37 days
- Calliope 64 days
- Beatrice F1 65 days