When to Plant Eggplant [7 States, 13 Regions]
What Zones Do Eggplants Grow In
Eggplants grow in USDA zones 5 through 12. In the southern part of the US you can overwinter the plant outdoors and grow it as a perennial for around 3 years. The benefit of growing it as a perennial is you’ll have more eggplant sooner in the season each year. This can be done in places like Southern California, Florida, Louisiana, and parts of Arizona and Texas.
In most of the country, they are grown as annuals, so you’ll have to seed and replant each year, but they taste just as good.
While eggplants do grow well in zones 9 and 10, production can suffer in hot or humid climates when the temperature reaches over 90 Fahrenheit. Plan on obtaining some shade nets if you are in these zones to protect them from the intense summer heat.
Soil Temperature for Planting Eggplants
When you plant eggplant seeds, whether indoors or outdoors depends on soil temperatures. Eggplants are tropical plants and they like it hot (but not too hot).
For eggplant seeds to germinate, soil temperatures should be between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Your seeds will take about one week to germinate, 5 to 7 days.
Can Eggplants Survive Frost
No, they are a tropical plant and will not tolerate frost or freezing temperatures. Mine have survived temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit for a few nights at a time, but I don’t know if they would tolerate long-term exposure to that temperature without being overwintered. Ideally, you don’t want your plant to suffer temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit while it is growing and producing fruit.
Can Eggplants Tolerate High Heat
They do love full sun and warm weather, but anything over 90 degrees Fahrenheit can stop them from fruiting or damage fruit that is growing. I’ve also experienced quite a bit of blossom drop and the fruits can become more bitter in flavor when the temperature exceeds 90.
When to Plant Eggplant Seeds
Eggplants have a long growing season. Eggplants need at least three months with nighttime temperatures above 60 degrees Fahrenheit and daytime temperatures below 90 degrees Fahrenheit to mature and produce fruit.
If you don’t have 90 days with these conditions where you live, start seeds indoors and transplant them when the nighttime temperatures don’t fall below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
When to Plant Eggplant Seeds Indoors
I typically sow my eggplant seeds directly in my garden in late Spring because I live in a warmer climate. But if you live in USDA zones 5 through 8, you’ll most likely start your seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before you plan to transplant them outdoors.
If you live in the southern part of the US, you can still start seeds indoors if you want an early harvest.
You can use a tool like Weather Spark to see average temperatures in your area. Find when the low is above 60 and count back 6 to 8 weeks.
I’ve found it easiest to plant seeds in peat, cow, or coconut pots because it reduces transplant shock later. You can plant the entire pot in the ground and let it biodegrade.
Some people use grow lights, but if you have somewhere that gets 10 hours of sunlight each day, you won’t need one. Just remember to turn them every other day so they grow straight.
One thing I would recommend is a heat mat, otherwise you could have trouble germinating your seeds. If your windows are like mine in the early spring, it’s colder next to them. If you can, buy a heat mat and set it to around 70 degrees.
If you misjudged when to start planting your seeds indoors, don’t worry. You can always put a sheet of black plastic or polythene on your soil to heat it up. It may change the soil temperature by 5+ degrees. Another option is to use a frost blanket after you’ve transplanted to help trap and retain heat.
When to Plant Eggplant Outside
My recommendation is to wait until you have at least two weeks with nighttime temperatures consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit before you sow seeds directly outdoors. Here in Southern California, if the nighttime temperature is over 50, the daytime temperature is usually in the 70’s which is perfect for eggplants to germinate and sprout.
When to Plant Eggplant in Arizona
Eggplants do well in Arizona both in the low desert areas and places like the Verde Valley. Some people elect to grow long purple (Japanese Eggplants), instead of the large, purple, black beauty ones you typically see in the grocery store, because they tend to ripen a little earlier. But you can grow both.
Most people start seeds indoors and then transplant a few weeks later.
When to Plant Eggplant in Low Deserts
If you’re in the low desert areas you can grow eggplant in the spring and fall. For spring planting, start seeds indoors in January or February and transplant them outside in March or April. For fall planting, start seeds indoors in May through July and transplant them outside in August or September.
When to Plant Eggplant in Verde Valley
If you’re in the Verde Valley area, you’ll want to wait until later in the year to sow seeds because of your elevation and climate. Start seeds indoors in March or April and transplant as soon as early May.
When to Plant Eggplant in California
California grows the second largest number of eggplants in the United States, second to only New Jersey. Eggplants do remarkably well here in both the south and northern parts of the state. However, depending on where you live, your planting schedule will look vastly different.
When to Plant Eggplant in Northern California
If you live in the northern half of the state, start your seeds indoors in February through April. After about 8 weeks, when the daytime temperatures are consistently over 75 degrees, transplant them outdoors. Most people transplant their eggplants sometime in May or June.
When to Plant Eggplant in Southern California
In Southern California, you can start seeds indoors in February or March and transplant eggplants outdoors by late April when the daytime temperatures are consistently around 75 degrees and the nighttime temperatures are closer to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (or at least in the upper 50-degree range).
Most commercial farmers use transplants, but a few use direct seeding.
In the Inland Empire and desert areas, planting can take place indoors in February with a harvest around June or you can plant in the summer around July and August for a harvest in October before the weather gets too cold.
In the San Joaquin Valley farmers plant eggplants under hot caps or plastic tunnels in late February.
You can also plant seeds in late July or early August and still get a fall crop before the temperatures drop too low.
When to Plant Eggplant in Florida
People grow eggplants in both the warm and cool seasons in Florida. It has an excellent climate for this fruit. Florida is the third largest producer of eggplants in the United States.
When to Plant Eggplant in North Florida
In North Florida, you can transplant eggplant into your garden in March or August. You have two growing seasons that work for you.
When to Plant Eggplant in Central Florida
In Central Florida, you can transplant eggplants outdoors as early as February for a spring harvest and again in August or September for a fall harvest.
When to Plant Eggplant in South Florida
In the south, it is usually grown only in the cool season. People start their eggplant gardens anytime between August and February. You want to avoid planting any later than that because the climate will become too hot for your plant to thrive.
When to Plant Eggplant in Georgia
Most people start eggplant seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting.
When to Plant Eggplant in North Georgia
In North Georgia, start seeds indoors at the end of March and transplant outdoors in May when the daytime temperature is around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
When to Plant Eggplant in South Georgia
In South Georgia, you can start seeds at the end of February and transplant them at the end of April.
When to Plant Eggplant in Louisiana
In Louisiana, it is recommended to start seeds indoors 6 to 10 weeks before transplanting.
When to Plant Eggplant in North Louisiana
In the northern part of the state, plan on starting seeds indoors in late January through February and transplanting in late April. The growing season is long enough that you can choose to direct seed eggplants in your garden in late April once the daytime temperatures are consistently around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
When to Plant Eggplant in South Louisiana
In the southern part of the state, start seeds indoors in early January and transplant in mid to late March. You can also choose to direct seed eggplants in your garden in late March once temperatures are warm enough.
When to Plant Eggplant in Texas
I don’t have a lot of information from Texas gardeners, but from those I have heard from you can start seeds indoors or direct seed in your garden.
When to Plant Eggplant in Central Texas
In Central Texas, direct seed or plant transplants in late April or early May.
When to Plant Eggplant in Southern Coastal Texas
In the southern, coastal regions (which are perfect for growing eggplants) direct seed or transplant anytime between March through May.
When to Plant Eggplant in Virginia
Virginia has USDA zones 5 through 8 in the state and you can grow eggplant in all of those zones. Start seeds indoors 8 to 12 weeks before transplanting them, usually in early March. Wait until mid to late May before planting them in your garden because one out-of-the-ordinary cold spell could kill all your hard work.