So who's growing eggplant this year? We're trying a new variety - KERMIT!!!

[HopeHoops]

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-5720-kermit-f1.aspx

[Denninmi]

1. I grew those 2 or 3 years ago.

I liked it -- it gave a different look. And it seemed pretty hardy and productive overall. The summer I grew it was cold and dry, so none of them gave peak performance, but it did above average in terms of yield for the growing conditions.

[HopeHoops]

10. How about storage? Do they degrade quickly or can you keep them a while?

Also, fridge or table?

[NEOhiodemocrat]

2. Me :)

Well, at least I am going to try to. I planted some last year and they never even came up, so hoping this year for better results. Do you start yours indoors? I didn't, thought maybe that was my problem. I genereally don't do many starts as my green thumb only kicks in outdoors.

[HopeHoops]

3. When I have space for the a-frame (which I made 20 years ago), I do them indoors.

Otherwise, I get the non-"direct seed" plants from a local garden center. I built an a-frame that's four feet wide, can take trays along the top level and two trays wide along the bottom level and uses two 4' fluorescent shop lights per row. It works rather well.

[NEOhiodemocrat]

4. Your a-frame sounds nice

My husbands cousin has a (comercial) green house and yells at me whenever I try to grow my own plants. And since we help him out (putting on new plastic, selling occasionally etc.) I get the plants there dirt cheap. So I will have to check if he has eggplant, he probably does, but bet that they sell out and I just never got any there. I generally wait around until near the end when he is just sick of the plants and take in a lot of the orphans no one else wants. As long as I get my tomato and pepper plants for sure I am happy!

[Denninmi]

5. Well, one problem with buying plants is that ...

... very few growers want to take a chance on anything outside of the "normal".

You kind find a million big box nurseries, garden centers, mom and pop stands every spring selling some boring, old standby variety of veggies, such as 'Dusky' or 'Black Beauty' eggplants, 'California Wonder' or 'Keystone Giant' peppers, 'Big Boy', 'Celebrity', 'Champion' tomatoes.

But, if you want something unusual, good luck. You might, might find it at a farmer's market, a few of the growers are sometimes willing to take a chance on the "exotic."

But, generally, you have to grow it yourself from seed.

[NEOhiodemocrat]

6. One of the perks of having family running a greenhouse

My husbsand's cousin is willing to take my seeds and grow them for me or will get a certain thing if I ask him to or tell him there is interest in it. He grows celery now for an Italian lady I know, and he does have a very varied tomato selection, and I got 8 kinds of pepper plants from him last year. I will have to check if he has eggplant however, and what kinds. What kinds of tomato's do you grow? I get a plum tomato started by seed by the Italian mother-in-law of my friend, she brought the seeds over from Italy decades ago and grows them each year. I use them as my main tomato plant. Just put in a half dozen or so of sandwich tomato's and a few cherry or grape tomatoes for salad. She grows eggplant, I will have to ask her what type she grows, since I have never really had luck with any here.

[HopeHoops]

7. I built the a-frame (my own design) a long time ago and it has also served for displaying things.

I do woodworking and I converted it into a pegboard display so I could use pegboard hooks to hang things and used the bottom shelves for larger items. Now I just need to locate or recreate the remaining parts (3 shelves, and four light hangers). I know where the a-frames and shop lights are. I know I've got plenty of screws that will fit.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. I'll be growing Black Beauty or Black King, Prosperosa, and Casper.

King is a lot like Black Beauty.
Prosperosa is a pleated heirloom variety and the seeds aren't bitter until very, very late in the season.


Casper is a well behaved, tasty and very productive white eggplant. The skin is a little tougher than I'd like but it's such a good producer I plant some every year.
http://www.territorialseed.com/product/1363/159

[Vanje]

9. Cute

Heres my fav ;
'Long Green' open pollinated from Thailand. Its thin-skinned. Dosn't need peeling.

[HopeHoops]

11. I've had something really similar - a local Indian grocery store always has eggplant like that.

Eggplant is one of the best fruits on the planet and NO - THEY DO NOT NEED TO BE SALTED TO DRAW OUT THE BITTERNESS!!!!! I like it raw as well as cooked. Amazingly versatile fruit - and a nightshade at that so you can grow it in the same spot every year (with minor organic additives - go easy on the nitrogen).

[Denninmi]

12. The growing environment makes a big difference.

Water stress those puppies, and they often turn out bitter. Give them even, consistent moisture and good fertility and no problems with bitterness.

[HopeHoops]

13. Agreed. I've never grown one that was bitter. They prefer drip irrigation, but rain works.

I've got a drip system, but I don't know where the hell it got off to. It's in a box that hasn't been opened since we moved from NH 12 or so years ago. I used it well when we were there. It's much more efficient, but I just can't justify buying more of it when I know I still have it. And all nightshades like even consistent moisture. I didn't plant any heirloom tomatoes last season because I just knew it wasn't the right kind of year. They're very likely to get blossom end rot if their feet stay wet.