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Vegetable Full Sun Regular water

Eggplant

Written by the GrowByCity Editorial Team · Updated April 2026
2 min read

Heat-loving nightshade. A warmth-loving plant that does best between 22°C and 30°C, eggplant adapts well to tropical and subtropical conditions but cannot tolerate frost. Give it full sun (6-8 hours of direct light daily) and regular watering to keep soil consistently moist, and expect to harvest in roughly 65-80 days. A staple of kitchen gardens and allotments, it rewards even first-time growers with a generous harvest.

Harvest 65-80 days
Temp Range 15°C — 35°C

Quick Answer: How to Grow Eggplant

Eggplant takes 65-80 days to harvest. It grows best in 22–30°C with full sun and regular watering. Eggplant is not frost tolerant — wait until after the last frost to plant. It can be grown in 350 cities worldwide.

Find the best time to plant Eggplant in your city →

Growing Requirements

☀️
Sun
Full Sun
💧
Water
Regular
❄️
Frost
Sensitive
📅
Harvest
65-80 days

Temperature Range

22-30°C
-10°C 45°C
Optimal: 22–30°C Tolerates: 15–35°C
Tropical suitable: Yes
Cities growing: 350 of 350

Growing Tips

💡

Expert Tips

Start indoors 8 weeks before last frost. Needs warm soil -- use black mulch. Wait until soil warms to at least 22°C before transplanting outdoors — cold soil stunts growth and can invite root rot. Aim for about 2.5 cm of water per week, adjusting for rainfall. Organic mulch around the base helps maintain even moisture.

Quick Facts

  • Grows in 350 of 350 cities
  • Available in 7 regions worldwide
  • Temperature range: 15°C to 35°C
  • Optimal growing: 22°C to 30°C
  • Harvest in 65-80 days

Did You Know?

  • 🌱 Eggplant loves the heat! It thrives in tropical and subtropical climates year-round.
  • 🌱 Eggplant needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth.

Step-by-Step Growing Guide

Eggplant (aubergine) is one of the most heat-demanding vegetables in cultivation — it absolutely refuses to perform without sustained warmth. Start seeds indoors 8–10 weeks before last frost at 25–30°C soil temperature (a heat mat is essential). Transplant when soil temperature exceeds 18°C and night temperatures are reliably above 15°C. Grow in rich, well-draining soil at pH 5.5–6.8. Incorporate generous compost and a balanced slow-release fertiliser (10-10-10) at 200g per square metre. Space plants 60–75cm apart in rows 90cm apart. Plant at nursery pot depth. Use black plastic mulch to maximise soil warmth — the single most effective intervention for eggplant in marginal climates. Water regularly and consistently — 2.5–4cm per week — drought stress causes bitter fruit. Feed every 2–3 weeks with a balanced fertiliser at first, then switch to a potassium-heavy fertiliser once fruit sets. Stake tall varieties at planting.

Common Pests & Problems

Flea beetles (Phyllotreta spp.) are devastating on eggplant transplants — tiny beetles create dozens of pinhole lesions in young leaves, potentially killing seedlings. Use row covers until plants are large and vigorous; apply diatomaceous earth as a deterrent. Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae) causes one-sided yellowing and wilting with brown vascular tissue visible in a cut stem — there is no cure; rotate nightshades on a 4-year cycle and plant resistant varieties. Colorado potato beetle feeds on foliage — handpick adults and squash orange egg clusters on leaf undersides; spray larvae with Bt tenebrionis.

Harvest & Storage

Harvest when the skin is taut, glossy, and deeply coloured for the variety — test by pressing the skin gently with a thumbnail; if the indentation springs back slowly, the fruit is ready. If the skin has turned dull and the flesh feels spongy, it is overripe and will be bitter and seedy. Cut with secateurs leaving 3–5cm of stem. Handle gently — eggplant bruises easily. Store at 12–15°C (never standard fridge temperature, which causes chilling injury) for up to 7 days. Cut surfaces brown rapidly; use promptly after cutting.

Popular Varieties

Black Beauty is the classic large, oval, purple-black variety with dense, creamy flesh — the standard for baking, roasting, and moussaka. Rosa Bianca is a beautiful Italian heirloom with lavender-and-white striped fruit, very mild flavour and few seeds — exceptional for grilling. Ichiban is a long (25–30cm), slim Japanese variety with tender, thin skin and very few seeds — cooks quickly and absorbs flavours deeply. Ping Tung Long is a Taiwanese variety producing masses of slender, deep-purple fruits that hang in clusters — highly productive in warm climates.

Companion Plants for Eggplant

Good Companions

These plants grow well alongside Eggplant:

Avoid Planting Near

Keep these plants away from Eggplant:

Learn more about companion planting.

Where to Grow Eggplant

Eggplant can be grown in 350 cities across 7 regions worldwide

🌍 Europe (80 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Aarhus, DK hard
Amsterdam, NL hard
Ankara, TR hard
Antalya, TR hard
Athens, GR hard
Barcelona, ES hard
Bari, IT hard
Belgrade, RS hard
Bergen, NO hard
Berlin, DE hard
Bilbao, ES hard
Bologna, IT hard
Bordeaux, FR hard
Bratislava, SK hard
Brussels, BE hard
Bucharest, RO hard
Budapest, HU hard
Catania, IT hard
Cologne, DE hard
Copenhagen, DK hard
Corfu, GR hard
Cork, IE hard
Dublin, IE hard
Dubrovnik, HR hard
Edinburgh, GB hard
Florence, IT hard
Frankfurt, DE hard
Gdansk, PL hard
Genoa, IT hard
Glasgow, GB hard
Gothenburg, SE hard
Hamburg, DE hard
Helsinki, FI hard
Heraklion, GR hard
Istanbul, TR hard
Izmir, TR hard
Krakow, PL hard
Kyiv, UA hard
Limassol, CY hard
Lisbon, PT hard
Ljubljana, SI hard
London, GB hard
Lyon, FR hard
Madrid, ES hard
Malaga, ES hard
Marseille, FR hard
Milan, IT hard
Munich, DE hard
Naples, IT hard
Nice, FR hard
Nicosia, CY hard
Oslo, NO hard
Palermo, IT hard
Paris, FR hard
Porto, PT hard
Poznan, PL hard
Prague, CZ hard
Reykjavik, IS hard
Riga, LV hard
Rome, IT hard
Seville, ES hard
Sofia, BG hard
Split, HR hard
Stockholm, SE hard
Strasbourg, FR hard
Stuttgart, DE hard
Tallinn, EE hard
Thessaloniki, GR hard
Tirana, AL hard
Toulouse, FR hard
Turin, IT hard
Turku, FI hard
Valencia, ES hard
Valletta, MT hard
Verona, IT hard
Vienna, AT hard
Vilnius, LT hard
Warsaw, PL hard
Zagreb, HR hard
Zurich, CH hard

🌏 Asia (79 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Ahmedabad, IN hard
Almaty, KZ hard
Bali, ID hard
Bandung, ID hard
Bangalore, IN hard
Bangkok, TH hard
Beijing, CN hard
Busan, KR hard
Cebu, PH hard
Chandigarh, IN hard
Chengdu, CN hard
Chennai, IN hard
Chiang Mai, TH hard
Chittagong, BD hard
Chongqing, CN hard
Coimbatore, IN hard
Colombo, LK hard
Da Nang, VN hard
Dalian, CN hard
Davao, PH hard
Delhi, IN hard
Dhaka, BD hard
Dharan, NP hard
Fukuoka, JP hard
Galle, LK hard
Guangzhou, CN hard
Hangzhou, CN hard
Hanoi, VN hard
Harbin, CN hard
Ho Chi Minh City, VN hard
Hong Kong, HK hard
Hyderabad, IN hard
Incheon, KR hard
Indore, IN hard
Islamabad, PK hard
Jaipur, IN hard
Jakarta, ID hard
Jeju, KR hard
Johor Bahru, MY hard
Karachi, PK hard
Kathmandu, NP hard
Kochi, IN hard
Kolkata, IN hard
Kuala Lumpur, MY hard
Kunming, CN hard
Kyoto, JP hard
Lahore, PK hard
Lucknow, IN hard
Manila, PH hard
Mumbai, IN hard
Nagoya, JP hard
Nanjing, CN hard
Nha Trang, VN hard
Okinawa, JP hard
Osaka, JP hard
Pattaya, TH hard
Penang, MY hard
Phnom Penh, KH hard
Pune, IN hard
Sapporo, JP hard
Seoul, KR hard
Shanghai, CN hard
Shenzhen, CN hard
Siem Reap, KH hard
Singapore, SG hard
Surabaya, ID hard
Surat, IN hard
Taipei, TW hard
Tashkent, UZ hard
Tbilisi, GE hard
Tokyo, JP hard
Ulaanbaatar, MN hard
Varanasi, IN hard
Vientiane, LA hard
Visakhapatnam, IN hard
Wuhan, CN hard
Xi'an, CN hard
Xiamen, CN hard
Yangon, MM hard

🌎 North America (78 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Albuquerque, US hard
Anchorage, US hard
Atlanta, US hard
Austin, US hard
Baltimore, US hard
Baton Rouge, US hard
Boise, US hard
Boston, US hard
Bridgetown, BB hard
Buffalo, US hard
Calgary, CA hard
Cancun, MX hard
Charleston, US hard
Charlotte, US hard
Chattanooga, US hard
Chicago, US hard
Denver, US hard
Des Moines, US hard
Detroit, US hard
Edmonton, CA hard
El Paso, US hard
Fargo, US hard
Fresno, US hard
Guadalajara, MX hard
Halifax, CA hard
Hartford, US hard
Havana, CU hard
Honolulu, US hard
Houston, US hard
Jacksonville, US hard
Kansas City, US hard
Kingston, JM hard
Knoxville, US hard
Las Vegas, US hard
Little Rock, US hard
Los Angeles, US hard
Louisville, US hard
Lubbock, US hard
Madison, US hard
Memphis, US hard
Mexico City, MX hard
Miami, US hard
Milwaukee, US hard
Minneapolis, US hard
Monterrey, MX hard
Montreal, CA hard
Nashville, US hard
New Orleans, US hard
New York, US hard
Oaxaca, MX hard
Oklahoma City, US hard
Omaha, US hard
Ottawa, CA hard
Panama City, PA hard
Phoenix, US hard
Pittsburgh, US hard
Portland, US hard
Puebla, MX hard
Quebec City, CA hard
Raleigh, US hard
Richmond, US hard
Sacramento, US hard
Salt Lake City, US hard
San Diego, US hard
San Francisco, US hard
San Jose, CR hard
Santo Domingo, DO hard
Saskatoon, CA hard
Savannah, US hard
Seattle, US hard
Spokane, US hard
St. Louis, US hard
Tampa, US hard
Toronto, CA hard
Tucson, US hard
Vancouver, CA hard
Victoria, CA hard
Winnipeg, CA hard

🌍 Africa (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abidjan, CI hard
Accra, GH hard
Addis Ababa, ET hard
Algiers, DZ hard
Antananarivo, MG hard
Arusha, TZ hard
Bamako, ML hard
Bloemfontein, ZA hard
Cairo, EG hard
Cape Town, ZA hard
Casablanca, MA hard
Dakar, SN hard
Dar es Salaam, TZ hard
Douala, CM hard
Durban, ZA hard
Entebbe, UG hard
Fez, MA hard
Freetown, SL hard
Harare, ZW hard
Johannesburg, ZA hard
Kampala, UG hard
Kigali, RW hard
Kinshasa, CD hard
Lagos, NG hard
Libreville, GA hard
Lilongwe, MW hard
Lome, TG hard
Luanda, AO hard
Lusaka, ZM hard
Maputo, MZ hard
Marrakech, MA hard
Mombasa, KE hard
Nairobi, KE hard
Ouagadougou, BF hard
Port Louis, MU hard
Pretoria, ZA hard
Tunis, TN hard
Windhoek, NA hard
Zanzibar, TZ hard

🌎 South America (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Arequipa, PE hard
Asuncion, PY hard
Barranquilla, CO hard
Belem, BR hard
Bogota, CO hard
Brasilia, BR hard
Buenos Aires, AR hard
Cali, CO hard
Campinas, BR hard
Caracas, VE hard
Cartagena, CO hard
Concepcion, CL hard
Cordoba, AR hard
Curitiba, BR hard
Cusco, PE hard
Fortaleza, BR hard
Georgetown, GY hard
Goiania, BR hard
Guayaquil, EC hard
La Paz, BO hard
Lima, PE hard
Manaus, BR hard
Medellin, CO hard
Mendoza, AR hard
Montevideo, UY hard
Paramaribo, SR hard
Port of Spain, TT hard
Porto Alegre, BR hard
Quito, EC hard
Recife, BR hard
Rio de Janeiro, BR hard
Rosario, AR hard
Salvador, BR hard
Santa Cruz, BO hard
Santiago, CL hard
Sao Paulo, BR hard
Sucre, BO hard
Trujillo, PE hard
Valparaiso, CL hard

🌊 Oceania (19 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Adelaide, AU hard
Alice Springs, AU hard
Auckland, NZ hard
Brisbane, AU hard
Cairns, AU hard
Canberra, AU hard
Christchurch, NZ hard
Darwin, AU hard
Dunedin, NZ hard
Gold Coast, AU hard
Hamilton, NZ hard
Hobart, AU hard
Melbourne, AU hard
Noumea, NC hard
Perth, AU hard
Suva, FJ hard
Sydney, AU hard
Townsville, AU hard
Wellington, NZ hard

🕌 Middle East (16 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abu Dhabi, AE hard
Amman, JO hard
Baghdad, IQ hard
Beirut, LB hard
Doha, QA hard
Dubai, AE hard
Erbil, IQ hard
Jeddah, SA hard
Kuwait City, KW hard
Manama, BH hard
Muscat, OM hard
Riyadh, SA hard
Sana'a, YE hard
Tabriz, IR hard
Tehran, IR hard
Tel Aviv, IL hard

When should I plant eggplant in my city?

The best time to plant eggplant depends on your local climate zone. It thrives in temperatures between 22°C and 30°C. Wait until after the last frost in your area. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact dates.

Can I grow eggplant in winter?

Eggplant is not frost tolerant and cannot survive winter outdoors in most temperate climates. In tropical areas (USDA Zones 10+), it may grow year-round.

Get Eggplant Seeds & Plants

Ready to start growing? Find Eggplant seeds and starter plants online.

People Also Search For

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Similar Growing Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions about Eggplant

When should I plant eggplant?

The best time to plant eggplant depends on your local climate. Eggplant grows best in temperatures between 22°C and 30°C (can tolerate 15°C to 35°C). Eggplant is not frost tolerant, so wait until after the last frost in your area. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact planting months.

Can eggplant grow in tropical climates?

Yes! Eggplant can grow in tropical climates. It's successfully grown in tropical cities like Abidjan, Abu Dhabi, Accra. Eggplant requires full sun and regular watering.

How long does eggplant take to grow?

Eggplant typically takes 65-80 days from planting to harvest. It requires full sun and regular watering. Start indoors 8 weeks before last frost. Needs warm soil -- use black mulch. Wait until soil warms to at least 22°C before transplanting outdoors — cold soil stunts growth and can invite root rot. Aim for about 2.5 cm of water per week, adjusting for rainfall. Organic mulch around the base helps maintain even moisture.

Find the Best Time to Plant Eggplant

See the planting calendar for Eggplant in these popular cities:

Last updated: March 2026 · Climate data from NOAA, FAO, USDA

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