Take care
Leaves, stems, flowers and roots are poisonous (solanine) — eat only the fruit. Keep children and pets away from the plant; it is toxic to dogs, cats and horses.
Eggplant
Solanum melongena
Start eggplant indoors 5 weeks before your last spring frost, then plant out 2 weeks after your last spring frost. Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart.
Photo: Joydeep, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
When to plant
Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.
Optimal Indoor Start
From seedRecommended- Start indoors5 weeks before your last spring frost
- Begin hardening off1 week after your last spring frost
- Plant out2 weeks after your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 60 days after planting out
Optimal Transplant
From seed- Plant out2 weeks after your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 60 days after planting out
Growing eggplant
- Spacing in the row
- 18 in (46 cm)
- Between rows
- 30 in (76 cm)
- Planting depth
- 0.25 inches
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Soil
- Well-draining, rich in organic matter, pH balanced
- Germination
- 7-14 days at 75-90°F
- Harvest season
- Summer, Early Fall
- Mature height
- 24-48 inches
- Support
- Stake
- Life cycle
- Annual
Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in warm, moist soil.
Watering. Consistent, deep watering. Avoid water stress, especially during fruiting.
Neighbours
The companion chart →
Nasturtium
Spinach
Pepper
Tomato
Corn
FennelFeeding
- Seedlings
- Balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength after true leaves emerge.
- Growing
- Balanced fertilizer every 2-4 weeks post-transplant.
- Flowering and fruiting
- High potassium fertilizer once flowering begins to encourage fruit set.
- How often
- Every 2-4 weeks after establishment
- Note
- Avoid excessive nitrogen once plants are established to prevent leafy growth at the expense of fruit.
Your eggplant, planned to the day.
Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.