Gardening: How to Plant Eggplant

Eggplant grows during the warm summer months, and the purple-skinned vegetables are delicious grilled, sauteed, baked or steamed. Gardeners can choose from traditional pear-shaped eggplant and the more slender Japanese eggplant varieties.

Time Frame

Eggplant grows best at temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Frost damages eggplant, so wait until the danger of frost has passed before planting eggplant. Look up the frost date in your area for an estimate of when you can plant eggplant.

Seedlings

Start growing eggplant from seed indoors about eight weeks before planting outside. Eggplant seeds germinate most quickly at temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Alternately, purchase seedlings that are 6 to 8 inches tall from a local gardening center when it is time to plant outdoors.

Planting

Plant eggplant seedlings in rows with 18 to 30 inches between plants and 30 to 48 inches between rows. If growing eggplant in a raised bed, allow between 2 and 3 feet around the plants in all directions.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Eggplant
• Clemson Cooperative Extension: Eggplant
• North Carolina State University: Eggplant

Resources

• The Old Farmer's Almanac: Frost Chart for United States