When to Plant Eggplant Seeds?

Eggplant requires long periods of warm weather.

Eggplant are a warm weather crop requiring, at minimum, a three-month growing season. Not many areas are able to provide this crop with the consistently balmy temperatures it demands. Thus, many growers start seeds indoors. By using heat mats and indoor lights, plants germinate and grow while gardeners wait for outdoor planting sites to thaw and warm.

Maturation

Given the right growing conditions -- loamy soil and 70 degree temperatures -- eggplant take 100 to 120 days to mature from seed. Some gardeners purchase starts, small hardened seedlings, from nurseries and garden centers. Starts take 65 to 80 days to yield a harvest, provided growing conditions are warm. Eggplant grows slowly in cool weather and not at all during frosts.

Germination

Even when started indoors, eggplants seeds require supplemental heat in order to germinate. Growers insulate grow pots and warm them from the bottom up using heat mats. At this stage, soil temperature is a greater consideration than air temperature. Gardeners warm soil to 75 degrees before sowing seeds. Seeds are lightly covered with soil and watered from the bottom up, which keeps irrigation water warm and avoids disturbing the seeds and driving them further into the soil mix. Light isn't a necessity for germination, but successful growers have used lights to better mimic natural growing conditions. Seeds germinate within seven to 14 days. They are usually started indoors 10 weeks prior to the last frost date and should not be transplanted or moved outdoors until daytime temperatures are a consistent 70 degrees Fahrenheit or more.

Varieties

Eggplants are long and slender or rotund. They are deep purple or mottled or white. Eggplant are used in a variety of dishes and can be baked, fried or grilled. Despite their many different appearances and uses, all of them require heat and time in order to grow. Some varieties are more tolerant of frost and pests than others types. Recommended garden varieties include Early Bird, Black Magic, Ichiban, Purple Rain and Pintung Long.

Considerations

Due to eggplant's need for warmth, gardeners place black plastic sheets over the soil to retain warmth. This practice is usually done early in the season, and the sheets are removed as the plants become adapted to their growing environment and the weather warms.

References

• Clemson University Cooperative Extension: Eggplant; Nancy Doubrava; Gilbert Miller; January 2009
• Fine Gardening: Growing Eggplants Successfully; Suzanne Ashworth
• University of Illinois Extension: Watch Your Garden Grow - Eggplant; Ron Wolford; Drusilla Banks