Slim Jim
Slim Jim is a hybrid aubergine. Germination takes 7-14 days and fruit ripens from about day 65-75. Skin runs to dark glossy purple. Water need is high — consistent moisture needed. Suits zones 9-12. It will crop in a container. As a hybrid it will not breed true; saving seed from it is not worth the space.
Sowing
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Transplant to containers or garden when temperatures are consistently above 55°F.
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- High — consistent moisture needed
- Soil
- Well-drained potting mix or garden soil with good drainage
- Soil pH
- 6.0-6.8
- Spacing
- 15-18 inches
- Height
- 2-4 feet
- Season
- Year Round
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Dark glossy purple
- Size
- 6-8 inches long, 1-2 inches diameter
- Shape
- Long, slender, cylindrical
- Flavour
- Mild, sweet, and tender with minimal bitterness
In the kitchen
Grilling whole, stir-fries, ratatouille, pickling, roasting, Asian cuisine
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Flea beetles, aphids, spider mites, thrips
- Diseases
- Verticillium wilt, bacterial wilt, phomopsis blight
- Resistance
- Good resistance to common eggplant diseases
Planting calendar by USDA zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May | July – August | — | September – August |
| 2 | April – May | June – July | — | September |
| 3 | April | June – July | — | August – October |
| 4 | March – April | June | — | August – October |
| 5 | March | May – June | — | August – October |
| 6 | March | May – June | — | July – September |
| 7 | February – March | April – May | — | July – September |
| 8 | February | April – May | — | June – August |
| 9 | January | March – April | — | May – July |
| 10 | January | February – March | — | May – July |
| 11 | January | January – February | — | April – June |
| 12 | January | January – February | — | April – June |
| 13 | January | January – February | — | April – June |
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 Slim Jim?
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 Slim Jim suits these too.
- Millionaire 65 days
- Dusky F1 65 days
- Classic 65 days
- Thai Long Green 65 days
- Little Fingers 65 days
- Epic F1 65 days