If the temps dropped to 18 degrees Fahrenheit I am quite sure that they are dead. They just haven't got around to rotting out yet.

Eggplants are frost-tender perennials. If you had dug them up, repotted them in a nice mix and brought them indoors for the winter, then you could replant them out in the spring. But I'm sure that those outdoors are dead.

ok. thanks so much for the info. im new at the gardening stuff. its great to have people that can give me info. =)

I would not count them out just yet. I have read a report or two of eggplant coming back after being freeze killed to the ground.

It is probably best to start a few seeds and get them going, i have not found any eggplants that can take a freeze,, ofcourse i first read it as being 18 Celsius, i was envious, mmmmmmm the first eggplant will be a while here but so yummy.,

About bringing eggplants indoors...do they go dormant or do you keep then going with lights?

The problem I will run into is with the 115F and higher temps and awful humidity of the long summer here...

Over a long winter you let them go dormant. Reduce water, reduced temperatures, and not much light.

I'm not sure how one would handle it for extreme hot weather and humidity conditions. I don't think that you would want them to go dormant.

We would need to do some more research on how to handle those kinds of conditions. You might be limited to those plants that can tolerate that kind of climate.