Warm-season crops
Eggplant planting calendar and growing plan
Eggplant combines a substantial nursery period with sensitivity to cold nights. Make the outdoor move conditional instead of treating the date as an automatic instruction.
Plan dates for Eggplant
Editable exampleTransplant outside
May 15 – 22, 2027 Suggested windowDirect sow
A reviewed rule is not available for this action. StatusPaired transplant date (optional)
| Transplant outside | Start indoors |
|---|---|
| May 15, 2027 | Mar 20 – Apr 3, 2027 |
| May 22, 2027 | Mar 27 – Apr 10, 2027 |
Sowing windows combine possible transplant dates. Choose a paired transplant date to narrow the nursery window. Wait for suitable soil and local conditions.
Direct sowing and transplanting are alternative ways to start a crop. Keep the tasks that match your method.
Sources and conditions
The selected chart allows a six-to-eight-week nursery period before setting out.
- These are reviewed planning references. Check the variety, local soil and weather before acting; a frost date is not a forecast.
- Set out only when nighttime lows are consistently above 50°F. Cold exposure can impair later growth.
The two-to-three-week setting-out range does not override cold-night conditions.
- These are reviewed planning references. Check the variety, local soil and weather before acting; a frost date is not a forecast.
- Set out only when nighttime lows are consistently above 50°F. Cold exposure can impair later growth.
Direct sowing may be used in other systems, but no numeric window is reviewed here.
- These are reviewed planning references. Check the variety, local soil and weather before acting; a frost date is not a forecast.
- A direct-sowing date is not reviewed for this transplant method.
A planning reference, not a weather forecast.
Preserve the nursery range
The selected chart gives a range before setting out. Keep that dependency when comparing early and late starts, rather than subtracting the nursery duration directly from last frost.
Leave room for the mature plant
Use the outdoor plant and row spacing together. For a small bed, compare fewer accessible rows with a crowded arrangement before saving a layout.
Expect local adjustment
The reviewed temperature condition is stricter than simply reaching a frost-free date. Check the variety, night temperatures and plant condition; no automatic late-sowing deadline is supplied for every eggplant.
Questions growers ask
Does the last-frost date make eggplant ready to go outside?
No. The selected guide also requires consistently warm nights. The calculated range is a reference to review against those conditions.
Sources and conditions
These sources describe particular climates and growing methods. Use the conditions alongside the numbers.
Seed-Starting Date Calculator ↗
General nursery and setting-out reference, using a user-supplied spring frost-free date. Nursery duration is measured before setting out.
Growing eggplant in home gardens ↗
Minnesota home gardens; transplant spacing and sensitivity to cold nights.