🌱 Free USDA zone, frost dates & planting calendar, by ZIP About & data sources
My Planting Zone know your zone

Plant Eggplant in Zone 11b

Seed-starting, transplant & harvest dates for USDA Zone 11b

Direct sow
Feb 1
Harvest (~85d)
Apr 27

Zone 11b is effectively frost-free, so the Zone 11b calendar for eggplant is set by heat, not cold. There is no last frost to count backward from and no first frost to beat, which means the question is not whether eggplant will finish but whether it will sit through the hottest stretch of the year. Eggplant is a tender crop needing about 85 days from sowing to harvest.

Planting eggplant for a fall harvest in Zone 11b

Zone 11b has no meaningful frost, so the fall and winter months are the easiest time of year to grow eggplant here. Sow from about October 1 onward.

Eggplant needs a long warm run to finish, so a second planting is realistic only in zone 9 and warmer.

Fall dates are counted backward from the Zone 11b average first frost, not forward from a sowing date. See the fall planting calendar by zone for the full method.

Spring vs fall eggplant in Zone 11b

Planting Sow or start In the ground Harvest
Spring Feb 1 Feb 1 Apr 27
Fall Oct onward Oct onward Winter
Last spring frost
Frost-free
First fall frost
Frost-free
Growing season
365 days

Eggplant in nearby zones

Eggplant in Zone 11a (colder) Eggplant in Zone 12a (warmer) Full Eggplant grow guide Zone 11b planting calendar

Further reading on eggplant

Other crops in Zone 11b

Tomatoes in Zone 11b Peppers in Zone 11b Cucumbers in Zone 11b Lettuce in Zone 11b Zucchini in Zone 11b Carrots in Zone 11b Beans (bush) in Zone 11b Peas in Zone 11b Broccoli in Zone 11b Spinach in Zone 11b Kale in Zone 11b Onions in Zone 11b Garlic in Zone 11b Potatoes in Zone 11b Squash (winter) in Zone 11b Corn in Zone 11b Radishes in Zone 11b Beets in Zone 11b Basil in Zone 11b Cilantro in Zone 11b Parsley in Zone 11b Pumpkins in Zone 11b Sunflowers in Zone 11b

Frequently asked questions

When should I start eggplant in Zone 11b?

Direct sow outdoors around Feb 1.

Can I direct sow eggplant in Zone 11b?

Yes, direct sow around Feb 1.

Can I plant eggplant in the fall in Zone 11b?

Zone 11b has no meaningful frost, so the fall and winter months are the easiest time of year to grow eggplant here. Sow from about October 1 onward.

Will eggplant survive frost in Zone 11b?

No. Eggplant is a tender crop and a single light frost ends it, so every Zone 11b planting has to finish before the average first frost (Zone 11b rarely sees one).