How to grow eggplants in a raised bed
Needs warm soil. Pick fruit while the skin is still shiny.
Spacing1 plant per square foot
How to startStart seeds indoors 8 weeks before your last frost, or buy young plants
When to plantAbout 3 weeks after your last spring frost
Time to harvestAbout 75 days
Grows toAbout 2.5 ft tall
When to plant eggplants in your zone
Dates are based on the average frost dates for each zone. Don't know your zone? Enter your ZIP code in the planner.
| Zone | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the bed | Plant again for fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | Mar 25 | Jun 10 | — |
| Zone 3b | Mar 20 | Jun 5 | — |
| Zone 4a | Mar 17 | Jun 2 | — |
| Zone 4b | Mar 13 | May 29 | — |
| Zone 5a | Mar 9 | May 25 | — |
| Zone 5b | Mar 3 | May 19 | — |
| Zone 6a | Feb 25 | May 13 | — |
| Zone 6b | Feb 18 | May 6 | — |
| Zone 7a | Feb 11 | Apr 29 | — |
| Zone 7b | Feb 4 | Apr 22 | — |
| Zone 8a | Jan 28 | Apr 15 | — |
| Zone 8b | Jan 18 | Apr 5 | — |
| Zone 9a | Jan 4 | Mar 22 | — |
| Zone 9b | Dec 21 | Mar 8 | — |
| Zone 10a | Dec 6 | Feb 21 | — |
| Zone 10b | Nov 20 | Feb 5 | — |
Tips for raised beds
- In square-foot gardening, plant one plant in each 1 × 1 ft square.
- It stays fairly short, so it can go near the south (sunny) edge of the bed.
- Most vegetables and fruit need at least 6 hours of direct sun a day.
Where to buy eggplant seeds
Burpee · True Leaf Market · Botanical Interests
Plan where your eggplants go. Pick your bed size and material, choose your plants, and get a printable plan with measurements, a shopping list and planting dates for your ZIP code. Free, no sign-up.
Open the free planner →