Vegetable · Fruiting vegetable
Eggplant
Solanum melongenaA heat-loving relative of tomatoes and peppers, prized for its glossy, meaty fruit. It sulks in cool soil and rewards patience with a long, steady harvest once nights stay warm. The one rule: never rush it outdoors before the soil has properly warmed.
Sow depth
¼ in
Spacing
18 in apart · rows 24 in
Sun
Full sun
Germination
7–14 days
Time to harvest
60–80 days
Difficulty
Moderate
When to sow eggplant
- Sow from about 2 weeks after your last expected frost until about 14 weeks before the first expected autumn frost.
Start indoors — sow into trays 8–10 weeks before transplanting out.Keep the compost around 24°C; cool soil delays germination for weeks.Harden off gradually and transplant only once nights stay reliably warm.
Feed steadily — a balanced fertilizer every few weeks keeps fruit coming.Stake or cage plants; heavy fruit can snap unsupported stems.Water deeply and evenly to prevent bitter, seedy fruit developing.
Cut, don't pull — snip fruit with a short stem still attached.Pick while skin is glossy and taut; dull skin signals over-ripeness.Harvest young and often to keep the plant flowering and producing.
Companion plants
Beans fix nitrogen nearby while marigolds help deter root-knot nematodes that trouble eggplant.
Watch out for
Flea beetles — Riddle young leaves with small holes soon after transplanting. Cover seedlings with fleece until plants are established and sturdy.