Vegetable Garden - Tips on Growing Eggplant From Seed
If you garden in warm climates, you no doubt know what makes this plant happy, as the most pressing requirement is warmth, and the weather must remain warm throughout the plant's growing cycle.  If you live in a climate with hot summers, the plant is more forgiving than in regions with short, cool growing seasons.  In cooler regions, you'll have to resort to some tricks in order to have success.

Sowing

• Seed Depth: ¼" (6mm)
• Germination soil temperature: 70-75º F (21-24ºC)
• Days to Germination: 7
• Sow indoors: 4-6 weeks before last frost.Sow outdoors: Not recommended

Growing

• pH range: 5.5-7.0
• Stem & Cotyledon Growing soil temperature: 68-72º F (20-22ºC)Allow soil or medium to dry out Slightly prior to watering
• True Leaf soil temperature: 60-65º F (16-18ºC)Allow media to dry out slightly prior to watering and avoid wilting
• Spacing in containers : 10" staggered pattern
• Watering: Well drained, uniformly moist.
• Light: Full sun
• Nutrient requirements: N= moderate, P=high, K=high

Rotation considerations: Follow beans or peas.

• Good Companions: Bush beans, pea, pepper, potato
• Bad Companions: Fennel

Start eggplant indoors eight weeks before your transplanting date. You will want to transplant when you can count on these conditions:  soil temperatures at least 70º (21ºC) and daytime air temperatures consistently above 70ºF(21ºC), and night air temperatures not below 60ºF (16ºC).

Eggplants are very sensitive to transplant shock, so instead of sowing seed in flats, start the plants in 4-inch pots right away, 2-3 seeds per pot. Germinate with bottom heat and try to maintain soil temperature of at least 85ºF (27ºC) until the seedlings emerge and then 70ºF (21ºC) there after.

Thin to one plant per pot, but cutting the extras with scissors. Brush the plants gently with your hands twice a day to promote stocky growth and hefty stems. Harden the seedlings for a week before transplanting by decreasing the air temperature to 60ºF (16ºC) and cutting back on the water. Once outdoors cut slits into the plastic mulch and transplant carefully to avoid root damage.

USDA Hardiness Zone -First Frost Date- Last Frost Date

• Zone 1  -July 15th -June 15th
• Zone 2  -August 15th- May 15th
• Zone 3  -September 15th May 15th
• Zone 4  -September 15th May 15th
• Zone 5  -October 15th April 15th
• Zone 6  -October 15th April 15th
• Zone 7  -October 15th April 15th
• Zone 8  -November 15th March 15th
• Zone 9  -December 15th February 15th
• Zone 10 -December 15th January 31st (sometimes earlier)
• Zone 11 -No frost. No frost.

Squash, cucumbers, melons, eggplant, okra, tomatoes and other vegetables in your garden depend on bees to set fruit, so plant yourself some insurance with flowers that will attract them. Bee balm is one of their favorites.

As soon as the weather is dependably warm and sunny, you should see the bees visiting your plants. Bee balm is perennial in Zones 4 through 9, so put it in a corner of the garden were it can grow undisturbed. It will multiply, too. If you “deadhead,” or cut off the old blooms when they fade, bee balm will bloom longer.