My twin toddlers just uprooted all but three of my pepper and eggplant starts. I grow heirloom ones from seed ever year, but am wondering if it is now too late to start over. If only they would have gotten the basil instead! It grows sooo much quicker! I'm in redlands ca, but not sure what zone that is.

I would expect that you have plenty of time to start over, but I don't know the California climate. Here in Georgia I can start them as late as June.You have a longer season. Eggplants can take heat, peppers will will sulk in triple digit heat but pick up production in late summer early fall. http://garden.org/apps/calenda...

Heidlberg said: I'm in redlands ca, but not sure what zone that is.

Peppers, I don't know from Adam, but it looks like the USDA would say "9b" but PlantMaps would say "9a".

So depending on how many years of data you look at, and how recently the data runs, and your local micro-climate, an average year would dip below 20, 25 or 30 F at least once.

http://www.plantmaps.com/92373

"Zip code 92373, Redlands CA is in USDA Hardiness Zone 9b: 25F to 30F.

Using updated climate data through 2010, 92373 is in the Plantmaps Hardiness Zone 9a: 20F to 25F.

The average first frost in 92373 is between December 1 - 10, while the average last frost occurs between February 11 - 20."