Thai Green Pea Eggplant

[angelique]

Has anyone tried Thai Green Pea Eggplant? Baker Creek carries seeds for this variety. I am thinking about adding this to my 2007 grow list.

[montanamato]

Angelique....I have wanted to try that one too, but seems like I read somewhere it is a little later than most eggplants....I can only get a harvest here when I get a better than average year, so I have resisted.
If you grow it, I would be interested to know DTM as Baker Creek can sometimes leave that small detail out.

Jeanne

[robbins]

I grew it a few years ago. The first year it was probably 10 feet tall (from tiny seeds and the smallest slowest growing seedlings I've ever seen!) and loaded with blooms, but nary a fruit. Someone said they would only produce fruit the second year and to take cuttings, winter over and then plant the following spring. I did so and the second year got a 4 foot plant loaded with fruit, but the taste was extremely bitter and not for me.
I asked Jere about it, but seems he'd never tried growing it so had no idea.

[angelique]

Thank you both for the info. If it does take two years to produce fruit, I hold off buying seeds. I plan on giving BC a call before placing next year's order.

[johno]

I'm going to be starting TGP seeds soon (first try.) I talked to someone who grew them last year, and they got 10 or 12 feet tall, but never produced fruit. They thought maybe it was a daylength issue. I'm hoping it's just a DTM issue... I think I read somewhere that they live for two years, so maybe you're right about fruiting only in the second year. We'll see how it goes...

[cdntomato]

I've grown it. It's big, needs heat and LAAATTTTTEEEEE. Definitely a second season producer.

Jeanne, if you haven't already planned to, try Morden Midget and Diamond. Wonderful taste, prolific and within a very short season. I grew 14 varieties of eggplants in a very dismal season (for me) and those 2 shone shone shone.

Jennifer

[2much2do]

I wish I had seen this post b4 I bought the seeds. They are taking a long time to germinate. I sowed them on 1/18 I think and still no sign of anything. I didn't know it was gonna take 2 yrs to fruit. 2m2d

[Grub]

And the plant is really really spiky and 'orrible to work around...

[angelique]

Thank you all for the feedback. Although I have a very long summer season in Zone 9, I don't plan on growing this variety. Since I have very limited space for germinating seeds (peppers and tomatoes have already been started), I'll just try growing out the varieties that Craig sent me. I'll also pick up a few varieties from the local nurseries. Most local nurseries carry at least 4-8 varieties of eggplant.

[johno]

I was worried about poor germination with the TGP eggplant, so I planted a whole pack. Now I have dozens of the little buggers...

[johno]

I potted up the eight best seedlings. Just for the heck of it, I planted the rest outside. The outside ones have just survived two frosts in a row. Interesting...