When do you all start eggplants? - Page 2

Greatgardens · January 18, 2016

In zone 5b, I start my eggplant a little before April 1st. But I follow the old melon adage "plant them in May; you'll throw them away..." So I plant them about 2-3 weeks after planting (unprotected) tomatoes -- about June 1st.

BTW peebee, what zone are you in?

-GG

charline · January 18, 2016

I started them a few days ago as last year they didnt germinate well and then it was too late. Hope this year it will do fine.
I have bianca rosa, ping tung long and early purple long

AlittleSalt · January 18, 2016

I started 5 Ping Tung eggplant seeds this morning along with tomatoes, peppers, and tomatillos.

Nattybo! · January 18, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I started 5 Ping Tung eggplant seeds this morning along with tomatoes, peppers, and tomatillos.

And tomatillos! Ack! I totally forgot about them and the Aunt Molly's ground cherries. Thank you AlittleSalt

.

My memory has been absolutely dreadful lately. My memory began slipping about...hmmm, I can't remember when it started... What were we talking about? Ha Ha. Happy planting everyone

Worth1 · January 18, 2016

I remember the Rodriguez family that lived behind me.
They had a garden that they grew things but left it up to me to grow the peppers and eggplant.
This way we shared everything, great people.

One day they came over with a bunch of eggplants for me to grow so I did.
They came around later and asked how they were doing.
I showed them and to their horror they were the little variety called Ivory.
Ivory gets to the same size as an egg and looks like one.

Totally worthless for what we wanted.

Worth

peebee · January 19, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greatgardens

In zone 5b, I start my eggplant a little before April 1st. But I follow the old melon adage "plant them in May; you'll throw them away..." So I plant them about 2-3 weeks after planting (unprotected) tomatoes -- about June 1st.

BTW peebee, what zone are you in?

-GG

I'm in zone 10, but since CA is so big we also go by the Sunset Magazine's zone guide and I would be zone 24 in there (southern, coastal, mild winters). I just say zone Paradise.

ibraash · January 19, 2016

I started yesterday.

SummerSky · January 19, 2016

I'm going to echo the same time as the peppers advice. I start them about three to four weeks before the tomatoes. That's what I've had the most success with, anyway. It seems like eggplants and peppers need some size to produce well in my garden...

ibraash · January 26, 2016

Let the seed germination begin. In this photo are lraqi sweet Erbil pepper, mammoth jalapeño, Carolina reaper pepper, California wonder bell pepper, regular jalapeño, habanero, and long chilli pepper, black beauty eggplant, Japanese long purple eggplant, and diamond eggplant.
Stay tuned

Delerium · January 27, 2016

I start them last as Eggplants like hot temps. I like to get my tomatoes and peppers out of the way first then start the eggplants after or else aphids will attack the peppers if i grow them both at the same time.

Gardeneer · February 2, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delerium

I start them last as Eggplants like hot temps. I like to get my tomatoes and peppers out of the way first then start the eggplants after or else aphids will attack the peppers if i grow them both at the same time.

Agree. Eggplants need real warm weather, perhaps more so than pepper.

Flea beetles love eggplants. The damage is serious when they are small.
Aphids also like eggplants. The damage is more serious than flea beetle. I jet spray with neem oil at 1/2 strength. Even plain water will do but neem oil is better.

Gardeneer

January 18, 2016	#16
Greatgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,124	In zone 5b, I start my eggplant a little before April 1st. But I follow the old melon adage "plant them in May; you'll throw them away..." So I plant them about 2-3 weeks after planting (unprotected) tomatoes -- about June 1st. BTW peebee, what zone are you in? -GG

January 18, 2016	#17
charline Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: France Posts: 688	I started them a few days ago as last year they didnt germinate well and then it was too late. Hope this year it will do fine. I have bianca rosa, ping tung long and early purple long

January 18, 2016	#18
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I started 5 Ping Tung eggplant seeds this morning along with tomatoes, peppers, and tomatillos.

January 18, 2016	#20
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I remember the Rodriguez family that lived behind me. They had a garden that they grew things but left it up to me to grow the peppers and eggplant. This way we shared everything, great people. One day they came over with a bunch of eggplants for me to grow so I did. They came around later and asked how they were doing. I showed them and to their horror they were the little variety called Ivory. Ivory gets to the same size as an egg and looks like one. Totally worthless for what we wanted. Worth

January 19, 2016	#22
ibraash Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Lawrenceville, GA Posts: 164	I started yesterday.

January 19, 2016	#23
SummerSky Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Michigan Posts: 126	I'm going to echo the same time as the peppers advice. I start them about three to four weeks before the tomatoes. That's what I've had the most success with, anyway. It seems like eggplants and peppers need some size to produce well in my garden...

January 27, 2016	#25
Delerium Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: California Posts: 942	I start them last as Eggplants like hot temps. I like to get my tomatoes and peppers out of the way first then start the eggplants after or else aphids will attack the peppers if i grow them both at the same time.