Where Can Eggplant Grow?

Temperature Requirements

• Because eggplant craves long periods of warm temperatures, it stands to reason that this vegetable can be grown more successfully in the south and southwest. But success is possible in all U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones from 4 to 9 if you make sure the plants get an adequate amount of heat -- and this needs to begin when the very first seed goes into the planting medium. A consistent temperature range of 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit must be maintained once the seeds are in the soil, and is best achieved using bottom heaters and grow-lights placed roughly 6 inches above the planting trays. Bottom watering is preferable, as it does not dislodge the seeds from their recommended planting depth of 1/2 inch. Bottom heat is uniform, and overhead lighting produces sturdy, stocky seedlings as opposed to leggy seedlings that to struggled for light.

Location, Location

• Another factor crucial to producing a good crop of eggplants is choosing a location that receives at least six to eight hours of bright, direct sunlight per day. You can use the two months the seedlings have to spend indoors under controlled conditions to select such a site and prepare the soil to receive the seedlings once the ground has warmed to at least 70 degrees F and all danger of frost has passed. The soil in the garden should be high in organic matter and very well-drained, as eggplants do not appreciate standing in soggy soil. Plants should be spaced 18 to 24 inches apart with 30 to 36 inches between rows.

Nutritional Needs

• Once eggplant seedlings have become fully established in a warm, well-drained sunny location, their care should include applications of a high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as a 33-0-0, when the plants are half-grown, which is roughly 30 days after transplanting, and right after the first fruits have been harvested, about 70 days from the transplant date depending upon variety. Given enough moisture, which means watering any time the soil appears dry, eggplants are very well-suited to summer's hottest and driest weather.

Considerations

• Because eggplants are highly susceptible to verticillium wilt, a fungal soil-borne disease, they should never be planted in soil previously used to grow tomatoes, peppers or strawberries. Cornell University recommends growing eggplants in a different spot in the garden or in containers if there is any doubt about the quality of the soil. Among the pests most likely to affect eggplants are aphids and flea beetles. Aphids can be washed off with a strong stream of water, and flea beetles deterred by covering new plants with row covers at planting time. Covers should be removed as the temperature rises or when the eggplants begin flowering.