My first ever hand-sown eggplant !

Tomstrees · March 26, 2008

Well everyone ??? This is ground breaking -
I've finally successfully germinated my own eggplant...
Its called Antigua, and I'm real excited about it !

~ Tom

ps. sometimes in gardening, its the "little things" !

shelleybean · March 26, 2008

Congratulations, Tom!

celestina · March 26, 2008

Tom-- I just planted my first hand sown eggplant a few days ago--have always bought them. You inspire me! Hope mine come up too!

**mdvpc** · March 26, 2008

Tom-I grew Antigua last year-you will like it-dont let it get too big-at least where I am growing, Antigua was much better a little early than a little late.

rxkeith · March 27, 2008

yup, its all about the little things. i start eggplant every year. my problem is colorado potato beetles. they love eggplant even more than potatos. if i don't keep the little blankety blanks under control i don't get eggplants. i have diamond, ukrainian beauty, pingtung long, and some unknown to me variety i got from an iranian lady my wife was tutoring in english.
have fun.

keith

phreddy · March 27, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by rxkeith

my problem is colorado potato beetles. they love eggplant even more than potatos. keith

We have those little buggers in BG. Have to do a daily patrol and pick them off, destroy the eggs. Tried an insecticide but it didn't work well enough for me.

Tomstrees · March 27, 2008

Thanks everyone!

I'm also trying these as well:
Casper
Violetta Lunga

Very excited and "ground breaking" ~ lol

~ Tom

soleado · April 4, 2008

Congratulations! I too have recently sprouted eggplant. I can't believe it, because I've always read it can be tricky. I hope it likes the heat here in Georgia. The variety I sowed was the common black beauty. Good luck everyone.

rxkeith · April 4, 2008

i have never had a problem sprouting eggplant. i treat them as i do peppers, and tomatos. they seem to take their time getting going early on though. it took nearly a month for my unknown iranian variety to come up. my 3 other varieties came up over a 3 week period. germination has been very good with seeds up to 5 years old.

keith

Tomstrees · April 4, 2008

Glad you posted Keith - as I just found out that the variety that hasn't come up yet is from 2004. I may need to resow!

Hope all is well,

~ Tom

jhp · April 9, 2008

I too have sown my very first eggplant seeds. Sowed them a week ago today and almost all are up as of this morning. I am growing Ping Tung Long and Lavender Touch. I had planned to grow them in an earth box, is the wet feet thing something I should worry about? I could always stick them in a pot. I don't want to kill my first eggplant babies. I've never even grown eggplant before.

Any thoughts on the wet feet/earth box issue?

Thanks,

Jen

Tomstrees · April 10, 2008

Jen,

Very good question as I've ordered a few earthboxes with a coworker and plan on growing 3 eggys in one of them on the patio.

My neighbor ONLY grows in earhtboxes - & every season has been stellar for him but last season: his eggplants were black in the middle - only thing I can come up with after doing some reading about earhtboxes is he may have "over watered" them - and as I'm reading eggys don't like wet feet.

Gonna really have to test these things this season. Maybe we shouldn't fill them "all the way" to prevent "too wet" of feet ... hmmmmmm

~ Tom

Tomstrees · April 17, 2008

When potting up eggplants, can you plant them deeper like tomatoes?

~ Tom

jhp · April 11, 2008

Since I only have 3 earth boxes, maybe I'll use them for something that I know will like it in there. I think I'm gonna put my eggplants in regular pots or in one of my regular raised beds. Glad I came across this post.

Thanks,

Jen

bryanccfshr · April 25, 2008

This is my first year growing eggplant I started from seed as well Tom.(these were far more difficult to germinate to me compared to peppers, they seem to NEED heat) I am culturing mine like peppers as far as planting depth etc. I am growing Black beuty and early long varieties. I do enjoy eating eggplant so this is a wonderfull little project.

March 26, 2008	#1
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	My first ever hand-sown eggplant ! Well everyone ??? This is ground breaking - I've finally successfully germinated my own eggplant... Its called Antigua, and I'm real excited about it ! ~ Tom ps. sometimes in gardening, its the "little things" ! __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

March 26, 2008	#2
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	Congratulations, Tom! __________________ Michele

March 26, 2008	#4
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Tom-I grew Antigua last year-you will like it-dont let it get too big-at least where I am growing, Antigua was much better a little early than a little late. __________________ Michael

March 27, 2008	#7
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Thanks everyone! I'm also trying these as well: Casper Violetta Lunga Very excited and "ground breaking" ~ lol ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

April 4, 2008	#10
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Glad you posted Keith - as I just found out that the variety that hasn't come up yet is from 2004. I may need to resow! Hope all is well, ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

March 26, 2008	#3
celestina Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico Posts: 153	Tom-- I just planted my first hand sown eggplant a few days ago--have always bought them. You inspire me! Hope mine come up too!

March 27, 2008	#5
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,848	yup, its all about the little things. i start eggplant every year. my problem is colorado potato beetles. they love eggplant even more than potatos. if i don't keep the little blankety blanks under control i don't get eggplants. i have diamond, ukrainian beauty, pingtung long, and some unknown to me variety i got from an iranian lady my wife was tutoring in english. have fun. keith

April 4, 2008	#8
soleado Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Northern Georgia, USA Posts: 10	Congratulations! I too have recently sprouted eggplant. I can't believe it, because I've always read it can be tricky. I hope it likes the heat here in Georgia. The variety I sowed was the common black beauty. Good luck everyone.

April 9, 2008	#11
jhp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Danbury, CT Posts: 492	I too have sown my very first eggplant seeds. Sowed them a week ago today and almost all are up as of this morning. I am growing Ping Tung Long and Lavender Touch. I had planned to grow them in an earth box, is the wet feet thing something I should worry about? I could always stick them in a pot. I don't want to kill my first eggplant babies. I've never even grown eggplant before. Any thoughts on the wet feet/earth box issue? Thanks, Jen

April 10, 2008	#12
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Jen, Very good question as I've ordered a few earthboxes with a coworker and plan on growing 3 eggys in one of them on the patio. My neighbor ONLY grows in earhtboxes - & every season has been stellar for him but last season: his eggplants were black in the middle - only thing I can come up with after doing some reading about earhtboxes is he may have "over watered" them - and as I'm reading eggys don't like wet feet. Gonna really have to test these things this season. Maybe we shouldn't fill them "all the way" to prevent "too wet" of feet ... hmmmmmm ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

April 17, 2008	#13
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	When potting up eggplants, can you plant them deeper like tomatoes? ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

April 11, 2008	#14
jhp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Danbury, CT Posts: 492	Since I only have 3 earth boxes, maybe I'll use them for something that I know will like it in there. I think I'm gonna put my eggplants in regular pots or in one of my regular raised beds. Glad I came across this post. Thanks, Jen

April 25, 2008	#15
bryanccfshr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Farmington, Nm Posts: 450	This is my first year growing eggplant I started from seed as well Tom.(these were far more difficult to germinate to me compared to peppers, they seem to NEED heat) I am culturing mine like peppers as far as planting depth etc. I am growing Black beuty and early long varieties. I do enjoy eating eggplant so this is a wonderfull little project. __________________ I moved!