Mitoyo fruits not growing bigger..?

peebee · July 21, 2019

This is the first time I've grown Mitoyos from seed, based on positive reviews here. Well, the plants were impressively lush with large leaves and sturdy stems. However the fruits are just not growing any bigger than they were over a month ago. They are still small but I decided to eat one and it was so bitter and hard I realized it wasn't ripe yet. I planted these out in late March. Could spider mites be the problem? There is no huge infestation, just a little but enough to affect the leaves. I've been spraying the new growth with water daily and also wiping them manually so its not bad now.

The other Japanese eggplants growing right next to them (all eggplants in Earthboxes by the way) were purchased as seedlings way later and are also slightly affected by mites but they are producing bonkers. I believe they are Millionaires.

If the Mitoyos don't grow bigger or ripen I don't know if I'll bother growing them next year. Is it normal for this variety to take so long to ripen? They are also not as productive as the ones I am used to, the elongated Japanese varieties. I have grown Kamo and they were more productive than the Mitoyos with similar shaped fruits.

jtjmartin · July 21, 2019

I'm getting very mixed results with my eggplant this year. Commented to my wife yesterday that they all appear to be smaller than last - but producing good. That includes Mitoyo.

We've had brutally hot, sunny weather with a good bit of rain. Not sure how much this weather accounts for my results.

Jeff

peebee · July 21, 2019

Hmmmm, I don't think weather is a factor here. We've had many overcast days with cooler temps than normal but that hasn't affected the other eggplants at all. I took another look at the Mitoyos today, most are rock hard fruits no bigger than a large ping pong ball if that. Only like 3 fruits per plant. I have 6 plants of this variety in Earthboxes w/ fresh medium in full sun just like my other eggplants.

zipcode · July 22, 2019

I notice some varieties, apparently because of high nitrogen, will delay fruit growth by quite some time. So it can just sit there for a long time and not grow (should be very small though, like usually not visible from under the calyx).
Or it could just be unpollinated fruit that forms sometimes (again, nitrogen balance has a role) just like with tomatoes mostly in early season, that is just a very small fruit.

Was the fruit shiny or somewhat dull? That should clear up it's age, if it's anything like Kamo, which loses shininess quite early.

ac21686 · July 24, 2019

I've grown somewhere around 50-60 Mitoyo plants and I've literally NEVER had a bitter one off any of those, even at larger sizes. Pictured is the size I typically picked them at and they were always delicious. I'm no expert, but it sounds like they were stunted for whatever reason and you left it too long.

peebee · July 27, 2019

Whoa those are beautiful! Yeah I don't what happened to mine, 2 Earthboxes wasted this time but at least I have 2 more ERs filled with the other variety and they are just producing so many right now I am harvesting more than we can eat ourselves so I'll have to give some away.
I'll give up on the Mitoyos now and try again next year.

July 21, 2019	#1
peebee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Southern CA Posts: 1,714	Mitoyo fruits not growing bigger..? This is the first time I've grown Mitoyos from seed, based on positive reviews here. Well, the plants were impressively lush with large leaves and sturdy stems. However the fruits are just not growing any bigger than they were over a month ago. They are still small but I decided to eat one and it was so bitter and hard I realized it wasn't ripe yet. I planted these out in late March. Could spider mites be the problem? There is no huge infestation, just a little but enough to affect the leaves. I've been spraying the new growth with water daily and also wiping them manually so its not bad now. The other Japanese eggplants growing right next to them (all eggplants in Earthboxes by the way) were purchased as seedlings way later and are also slightly affected by mites but they are producing bonkers. I believe they are Millionaires. If the Mitoyos don't grow bigger or ripen I don't know if I'll bother growing them next year. Is it normal for this variety to take so long to ripen? They are also not as productive as the ones I am used to, the elongated Japanese varieties. I have grown Kamo and they were more productive than the Mitoyos with similar shaped fruits.

July 21, 2019	#2
jtjmartin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Williamsburg VA Zone 7b Posts: 1,110	I'm getting very mixed results with my eggplant this year. Commented to my wife yesterday that they all appear to be smaller than last - but producing good. That includes Mitoyo. We've had brutally hot, sunny weather with a good bit of rain. Not sure how much this weather accounts for my results. Jeff

July 22, 2019	#4
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	I notice some varieties, apparently because of high nitrogen, will delay fruit growth by quite some time. So it can just sit there for a long time and not grow (should be very small though, like usually not visible from under the calyx). Or it could just be unpollinated fruit that forms sometimes (again, nitrogen balance has a role) just like with tomatoes mostly in early season, that is just a very small fruit. Was the fruit shiny or somewhat dull? That should clear up it's age, if it's anything like Kamo, which loses shininess quite early.

July 27, 2019	#6
peebee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Southern CA Posts: 1,714	Whoa those are beautiful! Yeah I don't what happened to mine, 2 Earthboxes wasted this time but at least I have 2 more ERs filled with the other variety and they are just producing so many right now I am harvesting more than we can eat ourselves so I'll have to give some away. I'll give up on the Mitoyos now and try again next year.