One of the first steps you take when you are estimating your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

By referring to the USDA zone info for Bellwood you should be able to figure out when to plant eggplants.

Planting Calendar for Eggplants

Frost tolerance for eggplants:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

It's probably not a good idea to plant eggplants until after the last frost when the weather gets warmer because they are not cold tolerant.

The earliest that you can plant eggplants in Bellwood is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant eggplants and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your eggplants may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your eggplants indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Bellwood. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of -15°F.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Bellwood is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Bellwood last frost occurs after April 15 so make sure that you are ready to cover your eggplants in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Bellwood

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-15°F
Highest Expected Low	-10°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -15°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -10°F.

Plants to Grow in Bellwood

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Bellwood.