Eggplant

Family: Solanaceae Nightshade

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Eggplant to a garden.

Silky, glossy fruit—deep purple as midnight velvet—hangs in graceful arcs from sturdy plants, offering a tender bite and a refined, mildly sweet flavor.

At maturity, the skins shine with a smooth, satiny finish while the flesh stays creamy and pleasantly firm, ideal for roasting and grilling, plus hearty sauces and savory braises. Grow Eggplant for a season of showy color and dependable, market-class performance in the home garden.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 80 DaysHabit: Upright

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Eggplant Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Protected Environment Only
Zone 2a	Apr 6th	Jul 20th	Oct 8th – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Sep 28th – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Sep 28th – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Mar 31st	Jul 14th	Oct 2nd – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Sep 28th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Mar 25th	Jul 8th	Sep 26th – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Mar 20th	Jul 3rd	Sep 21st – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Mar 16th	Jun 29th	Sep 17th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Mar 13th	Jun 26th	Sep 14th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Mar 7th	Jun 20th	Sep 8th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Mar 2nd	Jun 15th	Sep 3rd – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Feb 20th	Jun 5th	Aug 24th – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Feb 11th	May 27th	Aug 15th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Feb 2nd	May 18th	Aug 6th – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Jan 16th	May 1st	Jul 20th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Dec 22nd	Apr 6th	Jun 25th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	Continuous Production
Zone 10b	Continuous Production
Zone 11a	Continuous Production
Zone 11b	Continuous Production
Zone 12a	Continuous Production
Zone 12b	Continuous Production
Zone 13a	Continuous Production
Zone 13b	Continuous Production

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	80
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Upright
Support Needed	Stake
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	80
Min Soil Temp (°F)	60
Min Night Temp (°F)	50
Harden Off (days)	10

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Look for eggplant’s creamy, pleasantly firm bite: cook it hard enough to collapse the flesh and brown the sugars, but don’t overcook until it turns hollow. Its mild sweetness plus a little inherent bitterness loves fat and acid—so roast or char for body, then finish with lemon or tomato/anchovy brightness.

Best Uses

high-heat roasting until the flesh collapses and the edges go mahogany
grilling or charring for a smoky, meaty mouthfeel that holds up in sandwiches
slow-simmered sauces and savory braises where it melts into the pot
pan-frying with a thin crust, then finishing with salt and acid to tame bitterness

Flavor Profile

tender, mildly sweet interior creamy flesh with a lightly bitter eggplant edge silky, almost custardy texture when cooked skin that turns silky-roasted or nicely chewy-grilled

Kitchen Pairings

garlic tomato lemon olive oil parmesan anchovy

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest is most likely to hit Solanum melongena (eggplant), and how do I control it?

Watch for Colorado potato beetles and flea beetles on eggplant leaves, which can chew small holes early in the season. Hand-pick beetles when you see them and remove egg masses, then spray with a spinosad or insecticidal soap labeled for edible nightshades, reapplying according to label after 5–7 days if needed. Use row cover over transplants for the first few weeks to prevent new infestations.

How often should I water eggplant during its main growing phase (roughly after flowering starts)?

During fruiting, keep soil evenly moist by watering deeply about 2–3 times per week, aiming for roughly 1 inch (2.5 cm) per week total depending on heat. Let the top 1 inch of soil dry slightly between waterings, but don’t allow the root zone to go bone-dry—dry spells can cause flower drop and bitter, underdeveloped fruit. Mulch around the plants to stabilize moisture and reduce the frequency of watering.

How can I tell when eggplants are ready to harvest (Solanum melongena)?

Harvest when fruits are glossy and firm, with mature size for your variety but before seeds toughen—typically about 70–90 days from transplanting and within a few weeks of flowering. A simple test is that the skin should dent lightly with a fingernail but not feel leathery, and the calyx stays green and snug. Cut fruit with pruners, leaving a short stem, and pick every 2–3 days once production ramps up.