Eggplant
Aubergine, Brinjal, Garden Egg, Eggplant
Needs the warmest spot in the garden — soil above 65°F. Very frost-sensitive; transplant 2–3 weeks after last frost. Row covers help young plants if temperatures dip. Harvest before fruit loses its glossy sheen. Stake in wind. Rotate with non-Solanaceae crops.
- Germination
- 7–14 days
- Soil temperature
- 24–32 °C
- Harvest after planting
- 65–80 days
- Spacing
- 45–60 cm
When to plant eggplant
Start seeds indoors 8–10 weeks before your last spring frost, and plant out 2–3 weeks after it.
Dashed line: typical last spring frost in zone 7 (Apr 5). Zone dates are averages; most of the UK is zone 8–9, central Europe 6–7 and the Baltics and Scandinavia 4–6. In the app, Tomatograph uses your garden's own frost dates.
How to grow eggplant
- 1
Sow indoors
Sow 6 mm deep 8–10 weeks before the last frost and keep the compost above 27 °C. Seedlings appear in 7–14 days.
- 2
Plant out
Give eggplant the warmest spot you have and wait until 2–3 weeks after the last frost, with soil above 18 °C. A fleece cover helps if nights dip.
- 3
Mulch and feed
Mulch thickly to hold warmth and moisture, and feed with a phosphorus-rich fertiliser to encourage flowers. Stake plants in wind and rotate away from tomato-family crops next year.
- 4
Harvest
Cut fruit while the skin is still glossy, 65–80 days after planting out. Dull skin means the fruit is over-mature and turning bitter.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun
Water
Medium water
Temperature
15–35 °C
Frost tolerance
Frost-sensitive — protect below 0 °C
Days to maturity
80 days
Plant spacing
60 cm
How Tomatograph watches your eggplant
Tomatograph checks your local forecast every morning and only speaks up when one of these applies to your garden.
- Forecast of 2 °C or lowerFrost alert the evening before: cover plants with fleece or bring pots inside.
- 3 days at 35 °C or aboveHeat-wave alert while plants are flowering or fruiting: shade and water early.
- Humidity above 80% for 48 hoursCheck for verticillium wilt, which thrives in those conditions.
- Within a week of maturityHarvest-window reminder based on when you planted.
Eggplant questions
- When should I plant eggplant?
- Start seeds indoors 8–10 weeks before your last spring frost, and plant out 2–3 weeks after it.
- How long do eggplant seeds take to germinate?
- Usually 7–14 days at a soil temperature of 24–32 °C.
- How long until I can harvest eggplant?
- About 65–80 days after planting out, depending on variety and weather.
- How far apart should I plant eggplant?
- Allow 45–60 cm between plants.
- What grows well with eggplant?
- Good neighbours include basil, pepper, tomato.
Growing guide written by Tomatograph. Planting figures from openplantdb (CC0 1.0). Zone frost dates are averages from openplantdb (CC0 1.0).