The Plant Spacing for Eggplant

Planting Time for Eggplants

As the weather warms up in spring it is tempting to rush out into the garden and start planting. This works with some cold-tolerant vegetables, but not with eggplants. Eggplant starts easily get killed off by frost. You can prepare the soil in spring, but wait until the last frost date has passed to plant eggplant starts. Wait until eggplant seedlings are six to eight weeks old before planting them.

Plant eggplant starts in a sunny garden bed that gets at least six hours of sun a day, though more is better for these sun-loving vegetables. Space eggplants 18 to 30 inches apart to give each plant room to grow and develop. If you choose to plant your garden in rows, leave 30 to 36 inches between rows. To maximize space in a small garden, skip the rows and plant eggplants throughout an area. Just leave 24 inches between each plant.

Container gardening makes it possible to grow fruits and vegetables even if your home lacks garden space. Plant one eggplant in a 5-gallon container and set it on a sunny balcony or porch area. Select a long planter 18 or more inches wide for multiple plants. Space eggplants in the planter leaving 18 to 24 inches between each plant. Look for dwarf varieties and plant them 16 to 18 inches apart to save room in your planters.

Companion planting helps maximize space and it keeps plants healthy, too. Plant beans with eggplants. Beans fix nitrogen in the soil, naturally improving the soil the eggplants are growing in. Plant bush or pole beans around the eggplants, but leave enough room for both plants to develop. A spacing of 18 to 30 inches works well. Marigolds deter insects in the garden. Plant these colorful flowers 6 to 8 inches from the base of each eggplant plant.