When to plant eggplants in Leiria: from 12 May

In Leiria, eggplant: sow for seedlings from 20 February; plant into a greenhouse from 21 April; plant out into open ground from 12 May. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window.

Eggplant in Leiria: soil, season and weather

In Leiria the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 22 January, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 18 °C — the minimum on the eggplant card — only around 12 May, 110 days later. Leiria has no autumn frost in the median year, so frost does not end the season.

Last spring frost	22 January
Top 7 cm of soil at 18 °C	12 May, 110 days after the last frost
Into an unheated greenhouse	from 21 April; April outside: 9.8 °C at night, 19.1 °C by day; card 21–29 °C
Days in the bed to the first harvest (card)	70
First harvest, if planted in this window	from 21 July
Daylight	11:49 on 13 March, 14:15 on 12 May
Watering outdoors when fruiting (card)	every 3 days; the driest month, August, has 1 rainy day

The same dates in Leiria hold for Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Zucchini, Pumpkin and Watermelon.

Eggplant in Leiria: care after planting

Planted on 12 May: in the first weeks water every 4 days.

Feeding, by the card’s schedule from that day:

12 May — feed: balanced (NPK)
9 June — feed: nitrogen

Pests and diseases of eggplant to watch for:

Dates count from the first planting day of the window above; a later planting moves them by as many days.

Weather in Leiria during the eggplant season

No month of the season averages above the eggplant card's 21–29 °C by day; the warmest, August, averages 27.7 °C. Nights average below 21 °C in every month of the season, from 11.8 °C to 15.7 °C.

Month	Day, °C	Night, °C	Rain, mm	Rainy days	Daylight on the 15th
May	22	11.8	57	9	14:21
June	24.1	14.1	46	9	14:58
July	27	15.6	9	3	14:44
August	27.7	15.7	6	1	13:46
September	25.9	14.6	37	6	12:30
October	22.8	13.4	114	11	11:12

ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo

Eggplant in nearby cities

Around Leiria, Castelo Branco is 12 days earlier and Viseu 15 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Santarém	58 km	from 6 May	6 days earlier
Coimbra	61 km	from 12 May	same day
Castelo Branco	113 km	30 April – 5 September	12 days earlier
Viseu	128 km	27 May – 20 August	15 days later
Évora	151 km	from 5 May	7 days earlier
Porto	158 km	22 May – 29 August	10 days later

Where to buy eggplant plants and seeds near Leiria

Buy plants ready to set out from 12 May (from 21 April for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 20 February. Within 15 km of Leiria OpenStreetMap lists 2 garden centres, 4 farm-supply shops, 2 plant nurseries and 8 markets (collected 27 October 2026).

Feira dos 26 — market
7 km
Feira do Primeiro — market
9 km
Mercado Municipal da Maceira — market
10 km
Loja do Telheiro — market
9 km

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