31/05/2026
Overwintering is when plants survive the harsher conditions of winter. By overwintering tender perennials instead of treating them as annuals, you can get a head start for next season.
Overwintering eggplants.
With our fairly mild winters on the Bass coast, quite often we are able to " overwinter" eggplant, capsicum, chillies and cucamelons in the permaculture garden.. Pruning back severely and laying down a heavy mulch is recommended. Keep an eye out for any potential frost and if expected, throw a net over dormant plants.
Note - in this video, I have utilised the bed by planting peas in between the rows of dormant eggplants. By doing this method, I not only get a harvest of peas, as they grow, the pea plants will help the eggplants in case of a frost and then at the end of the pea season I will cut the pea plant at the base, leaving the roots in the soil to rot and feeding the eggplant of nitrogen.