DibbleGrowing eggplant: from seed to harvest
Eggplant craves heat, start indoors 8 weeks before last frost and transplant 2 weeks after, once the soil is warm.
Planting dates for eggplant by zone
| Zone | Start seeds indoors | Sow or transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | March 20 | May 29 | August 12 |
| Zone 4 | March 15 | May 24 | August 7 |
| Zone 5 | March 5 | May 14 | July 28 |
| Zone 6 | February 24 | May 5 | July 19 |
| Zone 7 | February 13 | April 24 | July 8 |
| Zone 8 | January 31 | April 11 | June 25 |
| Zone 9 | January 4 | March 15 | May 29 |
| Zone 10 | December 6 | February 14 | April 30 |
| Zone 11 | November 6 | January 15 | March 31 |
These dates use typical frost dates for each zone. Dibble tunes them to your exact ZIP and lets you adjust frost dates for your own yard.
Companion plants
Good neighbors for Eggplant:
Better kept apart:
Family and rotation
Eggplant is in the nightshades family. Heavy feeders and disease-prone. Rotate so nightshades don't return to a bed for 3 years. Learn about crop rotation.
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Questions
When should I plant eggplant?
It depends on your zone. Eggplant is a tender crop, so the timing follows your last spring frost. Look up your zone in the table below for exact start, sow, and harvest dates, or open Dibble and enter your ZIP to get your own calendar.
How long does it take to grow eggplant?
About 75 days from transplant to the first harvest, with a picking window of roughly 60 days after that.
What grows well with eggplant?
Good companions include Bean (bush), Pepper, Marigold. Keep it away from Fennel.
Plant at the right time this season
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