Growing eggplant in zone 8b
(Zone 8b = an average winter low of 15°F to 20°F.)
In USDA zone 8b, the typical last spring frost is March 17 and the first fall frost is November 14. Here is when to plant eggplant against those dates.
Typical timing
Zone 8b planting schedule
Evidence trail
How these dates are built
Sprout applies the cited planting offsets to the typical zone 8b frost anchors. The result is a planning baseline for the zone, not a local weather forecast.
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023USDA Agricultural Research Service / Oregon State University PRISM Group. Supports the USDA hardiness-zone band.
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Supports the median spring and fall freeze dates.
- Growing eggplant in home gardensUniversity of Minnesota Extension. Supports indoor seed-starting timing (normalized) and outdoor transplant timing (normalized).
Method note
Sow-indoors offset (about eight weeks before planting outside), transplant timing (after nighttime lows above 50F, expressed at the frost anchor), seed depth, spacing, water rate, soil pH (5.5 to 7.5), problem list. The two-week transplant span follows the store convention from the tomato exemplar; UMN states only the start condition.
These are zone 8b averages
Computed from 3,378 ZIP codes in zone 8b. Your town's frost dates vary; enter your ZIP for dates built on your nearest weather station.
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Put these dates to work
The plant profile covers spacing, light, water, soil, and source-backed timing details. The growing guide covers preparation, care, and harvest technique.