Eggplants for the Garden!

[digitS']

I like 'em!

After the miserable results the last 2 years, don't know if it is wise to try this year . . :/ Still, I've had good luck with them in seasons past !

Four tried-and-trues (except in '10 & '11 ) and one experiment:

Dusky (tried & true, altho' it is now known as "Epic," the seed company tells us)
AppleGreen (a University of New Hampshire release from long ago, looks just like a big Granny Smith )
Roleks (I bet whoever developed this long green Asian type got in trouble with the name and Rolex threatened to sue if they didn't change it )
Shoya (an early Japanese purple that has the best flavor of those I've tried)
Rose Bianca (says 88 days tooooo long in some catalogs and 73 days in others; a Colorado gardener says Rose Bianca does just fine for her so I'll try)

Will now sprinkle some seed in the container!

Steve

BTW - Cool weather was the problem for these heat-lovers in 2011. Colorado potato beetles was the problem in 2010. I was able to kill the bugs with Spinosad last year, so they'll have that defense.

 

[ninnymary]

Steve, I did well with my rosa bianca despite my cool weather. I got 8 good size eggplants from one plant. I love eggplant soooo much that this year I will squeeze 3 plants in my tiny garden! Of course, I'm partial to the name since that's my daughter's name.

Mary

 

[digitS']

You got "8 good size eggplants from one plant," Mary? That is encouraging! I have never done so well.

I just realized that I missed the seed for the long, purple Asian!!?

Shoya - Shucks, I'll plant more seed in a week or so. That 1 will have to wait. I'll go back to that original post and edit that in . . .

Kitazawa Seed sells both the Roleks and the Shoya.

Steve

 

[Detlor Poultry]

This officially removed post on behalf of Detlor Poultry was removed because I thought this was the tomato thread when I posted. Oops.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I tried eggplant one year and it was a terrible mess. I put them out in the garden in June because it wasn't supposed to tolerate cold. They were devasted by bugs, eaten to numbs in two days. never planted them again.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

these are what i'm planning on for my garden this year for eggplants.
Easter Egg
Turkish Orange
Tsakoniki
Black Beauty
Long Purple
Bianca Rosa
and i'm on the search for a regular sized white variety. i have my eye on one that should do nicely in our area called White Star.

 

[nachoqtpie]

I've got a few eggplants I'm going to put out this year. They're still kickin after I left them outside all night long that one night! (OOPS!!)

I guess that's the only bad thing about the company hubs ordered all our seeds thru last year. NONE of them are marked... other than with their company name and what it is (Eggplant, 7 Variety Tomato, Broccoli, etc) They're ALL like that! So, if I ever not get seed, I will never know what it is to be able to order it again... unless I go with that company again. I don't think that's going to happen tho. LOL

 

[digitS']

I can understand the desire to save seed.

I have done that with eggplants. Without the pulp, eggplant seed is easier to save than tomatoes. You do seem to have to allow the fruit to mature past its edible stage to feel confident in having mature seed.

The AppleGreen is one that I should save seed from. The others are hybrids. The catalog outfits so often go with the dazzling new hybrids. That would kind of be a shame for me because AppleGreen comes as a fairly sure-bet in my garden. It is very early and because it is round, I can better slice and fry it than some of the little eggplants, which are also quick. Well, it seems that way to me but you can slice & fry an eggplant that is only the diameter of a quarter, if'n you want to . I like to cut the long, thin eggplants on the oblique (isn't that what cooks call it).

Dusky has been "my bell" for quite a long time. The others tend to have earlier days-to-maturity than the bells.

I don't know that any eggplant is a determinate (could be wrong). If they produce 1 early fruit, they just keep going and produce more. Earliness is probably, or mostly, just a matter of when the plants can grow to a size that they can begin to flower and how long that flower takes to become a full-size fruit. Still, I've seen pictures of huge eggplant plants that are as tall as the gardener! Those won't happen in my garden .

Steve

 

[seedcorn]

these are what i'm planning on for my garden this year for eggplants.
Easter Egg
Turkish Orange
Tsakoniki
Black Beauty
Long Purple
Bianca Rosa
and i'm on the search for a regular sized white variety. i have my eye on one that should do nicely in our area called White Star.

Do you sell them? How large is your family to eat that many eggplants? I need your guidance on different "good" ways to eat them. I put out 3 plants and they keep me in eggplant all summer. It's an excellent vegetable to eat, need more ways to eat it instead of meat. I'm not giving up meat, just trying to cut down.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Steve, I'm in a totally different climate than you regarding a warm-weather crop like eggplant. The only two I plant are Ichiban for the thin-skinned Japanese variety and the regular Black Beauty. I get starts for both from my local garden store instead of starting fromn seeds.

HunkieDorie, I find that Flea Beetles will destroy my eggplant if I don't manage them. I used insecticides three times in my garden last year. Once for Blister Beetles on potatoes, chard, and kale, and twice on the eggplant for Flea Beetles. If I don't manage the flea beetles, they turn the leaves to lace, the leaves dry up and crumble away, and the eggplant dies. For those that don't like insecticides in their garden, you can even plant eggplant nearby as a trap plant to attract the flea beetles. They like it that much.

Seedcorn, I've tried just grilling it or baking it and using it as a side dish, not a main course. Cut it into strips and season it the way you like. I also make a variety of eggplant parmesan. Slice it and put it in a baking dish, pour seasoned tomato sauce over it (season the tomato sauce any way you like. I like onion, oregano, thyme, and basil), top it with cheese (parmesan obviously works but use your imagination as to which cheese), and bake it. I still have three of these in the freezer from last year.