I love eggplant and I love the plants - they're gorgeous so I put them all over in my flower border as well. I prefer growing heirlooms but I'm not adverse to growing a hybrid if it's amazing. Can you all let me know which eggplants you've grown and liked? I don't have a lot of growing space so production is key - at the same time, I'd rather have fewer delicious eggplants than a mess of mediocre ones.
I'm ordering more Ichiban seeds for next year and I've already got Applegreen, Louisiana Long Green, Thai Long Green and Udmalbet seeds. Any others I need to try? I'm interested in some of the ones that Baker Creek offers - any really unusual varieties you think are worth trying?
Thanks!
Favorite eggplant variety?
Only ones I got this year were Hansel and Gretal. They are small ones and Im just trying to warm up to EP, so I thought the little ones might do the trick
I really enjoyed the "Fairy Tale" eggplant. We grew them at our Master Gardener's demonstration bed last year. They were really hearty, good production, and the only egg plant I have ever enjoyed (not bitter at all). The fruits are best when small --just about 3" long or so. I enjoyed them so much I'm planning on growing them in my garden this year.
My family's favorite is Ichiban - prolific, tender and delicious, will produce right up to frost as long as long as you pick them frequently (when they are about six inches).
Am trying Diamond and Ukrainian Beauty along with Ichiban this season.
What do you do to get them to germinate?
germination is pretty much the same as for tomatoes. I am using BocaBob's seed starting trays http://davesgarden.com/products/market/view/5391/ for the first time this year, in 2 inch net pots that are packed with coco coir. start indoors 4-6 weeks before average last frost date. soak seeds overnite in plain tap water, load net pots and set tray on a regulated heat pad. move tray under shop lights as soon as they sprout.
in Zone 8a our average last frost date is March 18, so I will start them prolly next weekend Feb. 14 and transplant net pots and all [do not remove peppers from the pots] into a raised bed somewhere around March 25 or so, when weather appears to be favorable and the moon is just rite. I will shield them from the cruel wind for a while with some old 5 gal. Ozarka water jugs (tops and bottoms cut off).
they may sulk for a while because of the early spring cool but will take off after Easter. they like it hot.
I'd love to be able to buy expensive equipment but what has worked for me in the past is heating pads set on low. I intensively plant my seeds. I use 2" x 3" containers and plant about 20 seeds in each container. These get put in black flats with clear plastic lids.
EVERYTHING else that I started at the same time (Peppers and tomatoes) have germinated. I don't use anything expensive, in fact my light fixtures are setting on mason jars. I thought the peppers took forever but egg plant is worse.
Lisa
last year i grew hansel eggplants and i enjoyed them. didn't get many (i garden in 5 gallon containers). i tend to start my eggplants about 10 weeks before my last frost date which is may 15th. soemtimes i start thenm even sooner. i find they take a long time to germinate.
Listada di Gandia Italian heirloom eggplant.
These are not only beautiful to look at, the plant is prolific and they taste great!
I like Listada di Gandia too--it's the most flavorful I've grown, but doesn't produce a lot. My all-around favorite is an Italian hybrid called Gitana, also known as Linda. This is a long curved purple fruit. Very tasty. Comes on late, but makes a lot of good-sized eggplants. It's done well for me for the past three years. growitalian.com has the seeds.
I'm trying my hand at my first real vegetable garden this year. First time growing anything besides tomatoes, peppers, a few melons, a few herbs and a failed row of corn!
For eggplant I chose Listada di Gandia too. There are little seedlings growing in a east facing window and they receive light from a south window too. Some germinated right away - within a day or two of sowing on January 17th but they are just now getting their first true leaves. They are not leggy so I wonder why the leaves are taking so long to appear. My mouth is watering for eggplant parmesan already!
Linda is the only one I am growing this year--I threw it in with all the filet grean beans I got from them.
I'm TRYING to grow Listada De Gandia and Rosa Bianca. I started the first batch on Jan. 27 and nothing. I then got new seeds for the RB because I had a low germination rate last year. Anyway, I have a second batch started in a sunny window with heat. Still no signs of life.
Lisa
A sandard: Eggplant Black Beauty Heirloom
http://www.burpee.com/category/vegetables/eggplant.do
Jerry
This message was edited Feb 8, 2009 11:35 AM
Lisa, I got my seed from http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/1665/
Near 100% germination on everything I have tried so far. 10 of 12 of the eggplant have sprouted and I understand that eggplant could be harder than other kinds of seed.
I kept them covered and out of direct sun until they sprouted. Temps in my home have been 70+ degrees at all times too. Also, I did not bury the seed - just pushed them slightly into the potting soil. Beginner's luck I'm guessing and there is a long way to go till eggplant parmesan, knock on wood!
edited to say: I forgot I soaked the seed for an hour in warm water before potting.
This message was edited Feb 8, 2009 10:02 AM
AHHHHHHHHH!
Lisa
I like Ping Tung eggplants which were originally from Taiwan, I think. They have wonderful eggplants at Asian seed companies, like Evergreen. I have grown several of them.
http://www.evergreenseeds.com/oreg.html
pr
http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seeds_eggplant.html
Asians eat a lot of eggplant and have spent a lot of time breeding really good ones. I also use Itchiban when I don't grow my own plants from seed because it is all they sell around here that is Asian. Millionaire is very popular with Asians, but I haven't tried it.
pajaritomt, Thanks for the links. Very interesting.
I think some of the most beautiful fruits in the garden are the eggplants and nice red ripe tomatoes.
Jerry
For those who have a shorter growing season, Hansel & Fairy tale are great.
There is a white variety called Casper that I will be trying. EP's make for good eating & have ornamental value.
I'm not big on eating eggplant, I'll use it sometimes; but more often in Italian cooking. It's super easy to grow way down here in the heat--but I usually only grow 2-3 plants each year.
Have you tried Chinese eggplant poached in soy sauce or stir fried with lots of chile and garlic? Those are fantastic. I also love Italian eggplant, as well.
Next time you go to an Asian restaurant try ordering Sezhuan Eggplant. I bet you will love it. You would never know it was an eggplant.
I agree. I love eggplant done sezhuan style. You can also marinate it in a mixture of mirin, hoisin sauce and garlic and grill it. This is one of my favorite ways to eat it. Baba Ghanoush is always really tasty as well.
angele - you will need more light than the seedlings are getting on the window sill. once they herminate they need to be under lights for at least 16 hours a day and the window sill just isn't enough.
egg plant parm is my favorite.
oooh all of those sound so yummy
paracelsus, I'm wondering if your soil may be low in something that eggplants prefer?
The Listada di Gandia produces so many eggplant for us that we really need heavy duty stakes to support the plant. I had so many fruits from this variety I was beginning to suspect they were related to zucchini! The Rosa Bianca, Black Beauty and Japanese eggplant varieties did not produce even half as much per plant for us.
My other thought is that perhaps the Listada's need more heat than some other varieties?
I think the heat thing might be key for me, although I did read some remarks on Cornell's rate-the-vegetables site that also said it was not as productive as other varieties. But I am in upstate NY, and last summer, which is the last time I grew it, was not very hot. I think the only variety that did worse than the Listada for me last year was Casper, which I won't grow again. I've been growing eggplants in 5-gallon pots for the past several years because the soil here is rocky clay and we can have summers like the last one, where it never gets really hot enough for the most warmth-loving plants (my melons, for instance, never ripened). I can grow tomatoes and peppers in-ground, but eggplants just don't seem to do much unless they're in big pots here. I used nursery potting soil with top dressings of composted manure. Pots were on the west side of the house on the driveway.
Paracelsus - Casper: poor performance.
I'm always checking out the short season crops due to the lack of heat units in my area. Generally speaking, these typically produce better than their longer-season counterparts. Did you grow any that did well last year?
Summer 2008 was such a bust here; hoping it doesn't repeat this year.
Katye,the best I have found that is early is Apple Green, which is also very productive. Thing is I just don't like them. They don't look like eggplants to me, because they are round and green. They taste fine, but still I will not grow them because for some reason I just don't like their color and I am quite stubborn about things like that.:)
I'm sorry Herbie, I completely missed your advice to me. I guess I was distracted by the recipes! 16 hours of light! I don't have any grow lights. I think we are at 10 hours 50 miutes of natural light right now. I better figure something out.
Thanks, Paracelsus!
I grew Casper about 3 years ago. It grew reasonably well in my rather cool summer, but it wasn't very tasty. I will not be trying it again.
I haven't tried Apple Green, but I have eaten several Thai green eggplants. They tend to be bitter -- which the Thai people like-- but I don't much care for the bitter taste. I always think of the small green ones as bitter. Was that your problem?
Thanks Paj - I will be crossing Casper off my list. Too many others to choose from!
Apple Green wasn't bitter for me. It is a dense fruit but not tough. I just didn't like its appearance.
No green eggs and ham for you!
I'm thinking about using a couple of Wall O' waters this year so I can set them out abit sooner. It's almost September before we usually get any.
I know it's silly.:) It just looks unripe. Not appealing. If only it were some other color. I would love it, because it is very prolific.
I'm going to try some of a similar shape this summer and see if they are as productive.
There are a couple of varieties of long green eggplants. One is called something like Louisiana farmers' and another is a Thai one. They are supposed to be delicious, but I have to say, I do love the color of the purple ones and even the pink ones. Perhaps that is why I have never tried the long green ones.