Dibble

When to plant Eggplant

Eggplant craves heat, start indoors 8 weeks before last frost and transplant 2 weeks after, once the soil is warm.

Type: VegetablesSun: Full sunWater: Moderate waterDays to maturity: 75Spacing: 18"Hardiness: Tender

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When to plant Eggplant by zone

ZoneStart seeds indoorsSow or transplantHarvest
Zone 3March 20May 29August 12
Zone 4March 15May 24August 7
Zone 5March 5May 14July 28
Zone 6February 24May 5July 19
Zone 7February 13April 24July 8
Zone 8January 31April 11June 25
Zone 9January 4March 15May 29
Zone 10December 6February 14April 30
Zone 11November 6January 15March 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:

Bean (bush)PepperMarigold

Better kept apart:

Fennel

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.

Related crops

Tomato

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Pepper

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Potato

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Hot Pepper

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Tomatillo

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Onion

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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 eggplant take to grow?

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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