Easy. Hedge your bets. Depending on where you are and when you will plant out, you might do both to see what works there.

Johnny's is well known for giving very accurate recommendations. And they are hardly alone in recommending 8-10 weeks for eggplants.

Does that mean you give your eggplants 8-10 weeks?

Yes I do. But my point was comparing the recommendations from Johnny's et al against "what we remember" normally isn't a valid comparison for many reasons. :)

Eggplants benefit greatly from the extra time in root development, which is far more important than top growth. And, if for no other reason,it lets them develop greater tolerance for flea beetle damage, the bane of their existence.

Yes my eggplant seedlings last year were decimated by flea beetles. Johnny's also says to plant out 2 weeks after last frost on May 4th, and any peppers or eggplant I put out then is going to do miserably.

I started my peppers and eggplants today. Still waiting on the tomatoes.

No idea where you are located or what your zone is so I can't comment on the plant-out date info. But 2 weeks after last frost date is pretty standard recommendation - weather permitting of course. All depends on what your soil temps are at that time.

But if you have had flea beetle decimation in the past then the bigger the plant is when planted out into their world the better it will survive. Or you can just use row covers on them as many of us do until the short flea beetle season passes.

I planted out early last year, zone 6 ny, 2 weeks after last frost, and temps still dipped into the 40s at night unexpectedly, and the plants sulked unhappily. Also there was too much rain in early spring. I will definitely not be doing that again. I have found plenty of standard recommendations to wait until the nights warm to 55-60F.

I may throw a row cover over the eggplants, sounds like a good idea.

One of the eggplants came up already! 48 hour sprouting!

I am pretty sure that eggplant sprout is a Brassica. Not sure how I could have gotten a brassica seed in the soil by accident. It must be a weed. :(

Eggplants sprouting today! 1 week, not too bad. I have them on a shelf over a radiator. No sign of life yet from the peppers.