Seed Germination Eggplant

[CapnChkn]

I read through the "Saving eggplant seed" sticky in the Eggplant aka Aubergine forum. The 10th poster writes he refrigerates the seed to stimulate it by stratification. Now I'm confused. I know Eggplants are indigenous to sub-saharan Africa, east to India.

Scary looking isn't it?

If this is true, there should only be a dry and wet season, and after a prolonged period of dryness the seed should charge gangbusters to get established before the next dry spell. This isn't working out in practice.

Am I having a 70's moment here, or is there something I'm missing? Does this actually work? I'm looking at a batch of store-bought seed that started easily, and seed I saved from last year complaining about being awakened.

I discover eggplants are also stubborn pollnators, and need sonification like tomatoes. Seeing the number of seeds in the fruit itself, would the plant produce a huge mass of infertile seed? None of this is adding up!

[Gavriil]

Had some egg plant seed I saved from last year (Ichiban) that I tried germinating in a wet paper towel that didn't want to go so I assumed the fruit wasn't ripe enough when I saved the seeds, were as the seeds I bought commercially (Long Purple, Ping Tung) germinated quite easily in some Jiffy expandable pellets.

[livinonfaith]

When I finally harvested my Ratnayake eggplant seed in December, I did put the seeds in the fridge. Can't remember why, now. I must have read something about it around that time.

Anyway, apparently it works well because I just checked them. The seeds have been on wet paper towels for about a week and they have almost all germinated.

In fact, I'm afraid they have been on the towels too long as they are starting to unfold into little plants! I need to get them in the soil, tonight!

[CapnChkn]

Well, I have a few seeds in the freezer, and the rest in the fridge for 2 days now. I'm going to try and get this stuff going again, because these eggplants are laughing at me.

I'm not a big eggplant eater. I grew some because someone wanted eggplant for Eggplant Parmesan. I managed to get them to grow, I did even better last year, and now I'm here with a couple of hundred seeds that don't seem to do anything.

I'll let everyone know if I see results.

[peppero]

they do take a while longer than some veggies. i always presoak mine and put them in a pill bottle for a day or two in a warm place and them put in potting soil and kept in a constant warm place and this seems to get faster results for me.. right now i am waiting for some growth on the seedlings. jon

[livinonfaith]

Well, I'm going to have to replant these as they were too large to get out of the paper towel without damaging the roots.

The other two types of eggplant have yet to germinate, but the seeds look healthy, so I'm thinking they just need more time.

[Doug9345]

Are they far enough that you can cut the paper towel in little pieces? After you get them separated plant them towel and all.

[Father'sDaughter]

I tried saving eggplant seeds for the first time last year and have some in DE that have been in the "incubator" (the TV cabinet) for four days. I figure if I was unsuccessful and they don't sprout by next week, I still have time to go back to the purchased seeds!

[Father'sDaughter]

Well, I guess I'm okay because the first one sprouted today. My concern was that I didn't leave the eggplant I had chosen for seed saving on the plant long enough. Frost was going to set in, so I picked it and brought it in. It was a really dull sort of brownish purple color, but still firm, and I had read someplace that it had to go beyond that to the soft and starting to collapse stage. I let it sit around for another couple of weeks before I finally got tired of looking at it sitting on my table--it never did get any softer. I used the blender for processing the seeds and it worked great. And I did store the seeds in the fridge only because I do that with the majority of my seeds anyway, so I don't know if that had any effect.

CapnChkn, definitely keep us posted on your results with the chilled seeds!

[livinonfaith]

Originally Posted by Doug9345

Are they far enough that you can cut the paper towel in little pieces? After you get them separated plant them towel and all.

Doug, I did that with some others earlier and they just never seemed to do as well as ones that had gotten so big on the paper. Maybe I disturbed the roots too much?

Since they sprouted so quickly and easily the first time, I just threw them in the soil. It will only cost me about a week so I'm not upset.

Fathersdaughter, I ran into the same thing saving eggplant. I ended up picking the fruit in August, but didn't seed it until December as it never softened or lost it's color and shine.

Mine was a variety called Ratnayake. It turned from white with dark purple stripes to a bright, shiny gold with maroon stripes. It was really beautiful all the way up until I cut it open for the seeds. If I get some this year, I'll try to remember to post a picture.

I do wonder how long it would have held that texture and color, as it made a great decoration. This year, I may keep a few so that they can just sit in a bowl somewhere and look beautiful. (Of course, that will be hard to do, as they are tasty, too!)

[CapnChkn]

I've decided I needed to change the way things are heated. The computer monitor does keep the starters at around 90°F (32°C), when it's on. Off, the temps drop to around 70°F (21°C). The one seed that had a root tipping, stopped and never went any further.

I've now placed the seed that was in the freezer and the refrigerated seed on the gas heater. The pilot light keeps that area around the same temp (90°F), covered with a plastic tent, and the seed covered with the silvered potato chip bag.

If I turn the heat up, I can put all on the monitor, I will be in front of the computer then.

[clkeiper]

I always start my eggplant on a heat mat, otherwise they won't germinate for me. One year I bought a Burpee's mixed seed packet and not one germinated. I was so disappointed.

I have never heard of needing to chill the seeds to start them, though. I would think that wouldn't help them any. Maybe even slow the germination down, but I will give it a try to see if there is any difference in germination. I have plenty of seed.

[CapnChkn]

Well, on seed started 2/22, I've finally gotten a tiny root to poke through and stall like the last time. The 35 frozen seeds didn't show anything, the 20 refrigerated seed had one little tip showing, and I decided to dry the seed and wet it again.

On a paper towel suspended over a tray of water with the edges hanging in the reservoir, set on the gas heater kept at a temperature between 80 & 90℉ by the pilot light, I've managed to get two stubborn Cherokee Purples, started on 2/20, out of 5 to sprout, 95% in 3 days of Yellow pear tomatoes I harvested seed from last fall, and am showing a good root on a Rosa Bianca sown on 3/3 with 8 more hopeful.

I have now seen two more roots on these frustrating seeds after drying and re-wetting on 3/8. The one seed with a root tip showing was kept wet in another tray, the rest of the seeds I poured any standing water out and let the towel dry completely for around 24 hours, then refilled the tray. The original root tip is stalled, I have a good root and another stalled on the two that sprouted from the drying process.

I'm not sure what's going on. I've decided I didn't let the seed mature. Unless something changes dramatically, I'm assuming the seed is too young or unfertilized, which seems unlikely as the seed is formed. I've bought a package of Ferry-Morse Black Beauty eggplant seed, started on 3/8, and am in the process of comparing. One thing I notice is the seeds take on a tan color when moistened. The seed I've saved is cream colored when wet.