splitting little fingers

tjg911 · August 25, 2007

i'm growing these in a 5 gal pail on the asphalt part of driveway in full sun all day. is little fingers a variety that's known to split? several have cracked or split. why?
i suspect too much water.
i fertilize 1x a week with nh fish and seaweed emulsion, 1x a month with oscomote. water 1 gallon per day. all other eggplants i've grown including classic this year never did this.

tom

GManess · August 26, 2007

Tom,
I grew 22 varieties this year (Little Fingers was not one of them) and I drip 3/10's a gallon per day and have not had any of my eggs to split, sorry I couldn't be of any more help. Gary

barkeater · August 26, 2007

Yes, eggplant do split from too much water, especially when they have reached their full size and are ripe, just like tomatoes. The smaller varieties are especially susceptible, like little fingers. You have to pick them as soon as they reach maturity, especially if heavy rain (or watering) is imminent!

tjg911 · August 27, 2007

little fingers are so small i am waiting for them to get bigger then i realize after a week that's it!

this is year 3 for eggplants in 5 gal pails. i grew 6 different varieties and none of the other 5 split. little fingers can load a plant with 10-15 eggplant but they are small, ie LITTLE fingers. i won't grow these again.

of the 6 varieties i have grown i like classic the best. fairly large, good yields, won't grow a white eggplant again too hard to see if all the skin is off. all the oriental long thin types are no big deal as you get long skinny fruits. ironicly, the "classic" look of classic suits me better, i'm sure black beauty would be fine too.

i don't have a grill so i can't grill these but if i did maybe i'd like the long thin ones better.

tom

Grub · August 28, 2007

Thanks Tom,

I had some splitters on Waimenelo Long, a l-o-n-g curly eel-like eggplant that I thought was fun and pretty tasty though a bit foamy in texture.

I agree splitting relates to watering or rain.

Tom, if you haven't a grill you can get the same result on the barbecue or, easier still, in a pan... heat pan, spray oil on cut eggplant, thow salt in pan, put cut side down and brown,, turn and cook till there's some colour, and then get it out and do it again. Don't spray the pan with oil, too hard to clean, spray just the cut eggplant.

Oh, yeh, Prue is back in... Prue likes my yard.
Thanks for Prue, Tom.

)

August 25, 2007	#1
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	splitting little fingers i'm growing these in a 5 gal pail on the asphalt part of driveway in full sun all day. is little fingers a variety that's known to split? several have cracked or split. why? i suspect too much water. i fertilize 1x a week with nh fish and seaweed emulsion, 1x a month with oscomote. water 1 gallon per day. all other eggplants i've grown including classic this year never did this. tom

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August 26, 2007	#2
GManess Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Greensboro, N.C. Posts: 70	Tom, I grew 22 varieties this year (Little Fingers was not one of them) and I drip 3/10's a gallon per day and have not had any of my eggs to split, sorry I couldn't be of any more help. Gary

August 26, 2007	#3
barkeater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b Posts: 1,439	Yes, eggplant do split from too much water, especially when they have reached their full size and are ripe, just like tomatoes. The smaller varieties are especially susceptible, like little fingers. You have to pick them as soon as they reach maturity, especially if heavy rain (or watering) is imminent!

August 27, 2007	#4
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	little fingers are so small i am waiting for them to get bigger then i realize after a week that's it! this is year 3 for eggplants in 5 gal pails. i grew 6 different varieties and none of the other 5 split. little fingers can load a plant with 10-15 eggplant but they are small, ie LITTLE fingers. i won't grow these again. of the 6 varieties i have grown i like classic the best. fairly large, good yields, won't grow a white eggplant again too hard to see if all the skin is off. all the oriental long thin types are no big deal as you get long skinny fruits. ironicly, the "classic" look of classic suits me better, i'm sure black beauty would be fine too. i don't have a grill so i can't grill these but if i did maybe i'd like the long thin ones better. tom

August 28, 2007	#5
Grub Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,722	Thanks Tom, I had some splitters on Waimenelo Long, a l-o-n-g curly eel-like eggplant that I thought was fun and pretty tasty though a bit foamy in texture. I agree splitting relates to watering or rain. Tom, if you haven't a grill you can get the same result on the barbecue or, easier still, in a pan... heat pan, spray oil on cut eggplant, thow salt in pan, put cut side down and brown,, turn and cook till there's some colour, and then get it out and do it again. Don't spray the pan with oil, too hard to clean, spray just the cut eggplant. Oh, yeh, Prue is back in... Prue likes my yard. Thanks for Prue, Tom. )