Finally interested in growing eggplant

[OmahaJB]

Honestly never thought I would want to try growing or at least eating eggplant, but after reading the threads here and also knowing my mother and sister love it, I thought I'd try it to see if it suits my tastebuds.

Thanks to the posts in this category I know Rosa Bianca and Diamond are very good tasting varieties. Today I called SSE and bought seeds of each. I may have to move for employment reasons before next summer's over, but I have a feeling if I start these my mother will take care of them. As I said she loves eggplant. She allowed me to use her yard last year to have a garden, as I live in an apartment as some here know.

I'm wondering if these are productive, or if I should try acquiring seeds for something like Italian White which I read in another thread is very productive. I'll probably try doing that anyways, but still would like to know if Rosa Bianca and Diamond have proven to be productive for other's who post here. I'll need to decide how many plants to grow based on whether they are normally productive. I've learned to take what seed catalogs say with a grain of salt.

Looking forward to trying eggplant this year. Maybe it wont taste offensive as I've always imagined it would.

Jeff

[Nightshade]

Last year was my first year to grow eggplant, too. Rosa Bianca in 5 gallon containers was very productive for me. I think it liked the warm soil. Surprisingly, the one that had most of its leaves eaten by a rabbit or an insect was the most productive of all, once it got going again.

Jan

[akgardengirl]

Do you start them indoors the same time as the tomatoes? I tried to grow it last year and had a very tiny "Black Egg" fruit. The flowers were sure nice tho. I will try again this year but not quite sure when to start them. The tomatoes are started approx. 12 weeks before they can be set outdoors.
Sue

[montanamato]

Jeff ...Diamond is pretty reliable for me, and where you are it should do well...They both should....Keep picking eggplant before they get dull and the plants usually keep pumping them out...
Sue...I start my eggplant a few weeks earlier than my tomatoes, as the transplants can drag their feet...Make sure they have ample root room after transplant, they like more space than either pepper or tomato transplants...
They do best for me in containers ....Italian White is earliest and produces well in any year. The others I grow can really vary depending on the season...I am trying Kamo and a Thai hybrid "Masego" this year, plus Diamond, White Italian, and Morden Midget (another one for short seasons)...I just sent out your seeds Sue, I have extra Morden Midgets I could have sent, but Italian White is getting low...

Jeanne

Another variety that is a showstopper in a container is the Elephant Tusk variety...

[OmahaJB]

Sue,

Accoding to the Tomato Growers Supply seed catalog: "Eggplant are easy to grow, so long as you wait until the weather is dependably warm to set out the plants. Ideal temperatures are days between 80 and 90 degrees F, with nights no lower than 60 degrees F. Start seeds 8 weeks before your last frost date, or about when you start tomatoes."

Being in Alaska it sounds like you'll need one with a very short DTM. TGS has a few that are range from 50 to 61 days.

Of course, I'll let the more experienced comment to give you better advice than I can give.

[OmahaJB]

Thanks Jeanne. After reading all the comments and blurbs in catalogs, I'm looking forward to Rosa Bianca, but Diamond as well, especially now that I know it produces decently.

[OmahaJB]

Jan,

Somehow I didn't see your comment the first time back to the thread. It's good to know RB worked well in 5-gallon containers. I've been trying to decide whether to use containers or the little bit of in-ground space I have at the expense of not planting something else. Only problem with containers is buying all the soil during trying times. Decisions, decisions.....

[Andrey_BY]

Start eggplants at the same time as sweet peppers. I'm doing it right now.

Almaz (English: Diamond) is a very reliable Ukrainian variety indeed. It will give you first fruits 1-2 weeks earlier than Rosa Bianca.

[akgardengirl]

Thanks for the advice...looks like I will be starting them soon. Thanks Jeanne for the offer but I have the "Black Egg" and "Diamond" to try out again this year. I really don't know if our season is long enough but I did have that tiny BE fruit in a very cool summer so there is hope. I like the flowers so all is not a waste if they don't produce.
Sue

[maryinoregon]

Jeanne, thank you for the info on Diamond. I think I have some seeds for it. Will have to check. We need either a cloche, WOW or a tunnel to get eggplant producing. Or a very hot summer. Hot for us anyway. I've been able to pull it off, but not always reliably.

[montanamato]

Mary...Most our summers are plenty hot, but since our season is still short ,I find the containers heat up fastest to get the plants to set fruit before the nights get too cool...

Jeanne

[AK110682]

I started eggplant and sweet pepper seeds about 8 days ago.... so far only Black Beauty and Listada de Gandia are up.

I hope all the others aren't too far behind

-Amber

[AK110682]

Long Purple Eggplant popped it's head up today! yay... who's next, who's next?

-Amber

[OmahaJB]

Amber,

I'm getting anxious to start mine. I should receive the seeds by the end of this week. However, I should probably wait until at least early March to sow the seeds since I wont be able to transplant until the soil gets warm enough.

I do have LOTS of daylily seedlings under lights that I started a couple of weeks ago. If I can't hold back starting something else maybe I'll begin the basil. Starting my giant Dill's Atlantic pumpkin seeds early might not be wise. I think they have to be started in the ground. Would not be funny if it started growing a pumpkin indoors and grew so big I couldn't get it out of my apartment to transplant. j/k of course....

Jeff

[Dukerdawg]

Jeff, that is a funny visual