materman
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Post by materman on Apr 14, 2013 17:17:40 GMT -5
Was kind of curious as to what varieties folks plan of putting into their garden? I love growing eggplant just about as much as peppers, so here is my list so far for this year.
Antigua Bride Dourga India Paint Kamo Listada De Grandia Long Purple Pingtung Long Rosa Biana Rosita Waimanalo Long
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Post by daylilydude on Apr 15, 2013 4:34:08 GMT -5
I usally plant the black beauty, but I'm the only one that eats it so I'm skipping it this year.
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whistech
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Post by whistech on Apr 16, 2013 12:29:23 GMT -5
I am trying to grow Louisiana Long Green, that is, if my seed growing ability improves about one thousand percent! I have some seedlings growing that have just made their first true leaves. If I can keep them going until they are big enough to set out in the garden, I should have eggplant by August.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Apr 16, 2013 12:59:59 GMT -5
Black Beauty Ichiban Neon Southern Pink
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Post by txdirtdog on Apr 16, 2013 17:16:37 GMT -5
None! I may (may mind you) give some a shot again next year.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2013 12:18:03 GMT -5
black beauty here.... hope they will grow where we put them in community garden... not sure about the sun it will get in coming months.
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Post by gulfcoastguy on Apr 21, 2013 19:26:06 GMT -5
Udalmet from India and Tadifi from Syria. Looking forward to Tadifi the most.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 19, 2013 20:52:02 GMT -5
I have gotten two fruits so far from Southern Pink and seven from Ichiban. The first Southern Pink was starting to dull a little when I picked it, and it was a little bitter. The second Southern Pink I picked today, and it was still glossy. Hopefully since it is younger, it will not be bitter. I plan to eat it tomorrow. The Ichiban are really tasty, no bitterness at all. Nice that I don't have to peel them for some things, like grilling. Good thing I like them, since it looks like that plant is going to make a LOT. I picked six today and there will be about three more ready in a few days. Just love that plant - and it's pretty, too: Neon has its first fruit about 2" long, and Black Beauty just set its first one. So I won't get to taste those for a while. I'm tracking yield, so later on this season I can give information on relative productivity if anyone is interested.
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materman
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Post by materman on May 19, 2013 23:21:09 GMT -5
Around here Black Beauty has no production or at least the production it requires to grow in my garden. Yes hard to beat the oriental eggplant and the no peeling. And yes do pick them when still glossy. I still have about 50 plants to get out like I am way behind. Let us know how the other Southern Pink tasted for I have not grown that one.
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materman
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Post by materman on May 19, 2014 22:43:35 GMT -5
well I finally decided to get the eggplant out. Wife has been hounding me to get it planted but I knew better. But I believe the cold weather is past us now so I got over 200 plants for her to eat! We will see if she can scarf down that many. About a dozen varieties in all, and here is a pic of the first flat to get planted this evening.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 20, 2014 12:12:06 GMT -5
200 plants? That's a lot of eggplant! It's usually all I can do to use everything from just 2-3 plants.
Mark, I forgot to follow up with you last year about the Southern Pink. Even picked young and glossy, I found them bitter. After suffering through a few I decided I didn't want to eat them, and pulled that plant early. That variety is not on my repeat list. It's a shame, because they made a nice, vigorous, productive plant.
Neon didn't produce all that much, but that was my fault because I didn't count on the growth of my bananas - their leaves shaded it most of the summer. The few fruit it made were pretty and tasty. I should grow it again in a sunnier spot.
Black Beauty didn't do anything; it was shaded, too. Ichiban (in the sun) did great, as usual.
This year I have Ichiban and Hari going, and I am about to have my first harvest.
Ichiban is the first to produce again - mostly because it has superior cool-weather tolerance and will grow at temperatures that make most other eggplants sulk. (It still won't take any frost, and of course it is happier when the weather gets really warm to hot. But it can definitely be set out a bit earlier in spring than other eggplants.)
Hari I have not been able to try yet, but once it got warm that plant really took off, and has now caught up to Ichiban in size. Soon I will have some ready to taste.
A friend on another forum sent me Aswad seeds to try, but I can't seem to get them to germinate. (Normally I don't have trouble with eggplant seeds, so I don't understand why these are not germinating if the seed is viable.) I am going to give them one more try (I have a long growing season here, so there is still time). Maybe the third try will be the charm.
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Post by daylilydude on May 20, 2014 12:12:21 GMT -5
materman they look great... lol better than what I've seen in anyone of the box stores! It's a good thing we aren't neighbors or I would have to buy some of those, and as I said before... I'm the only one that eats them.
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materman
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Post by materman on May 20, 2014 13:24:44 GMT -5
Yes Laura, 200 plants is indeed a lot of eggplant! I will sneak a few for seed but she says she wants them all, but we will see! Aswad was a hard germinater for me too, and imagine we got the seed from the same source. Dropped about a 100 seeds and only got 17 to come up. Saved two for myself and sold the rest to Jere Gentle at Baker Creek. Wife is not a Italian eggplant eater, so two will work for seed. Save me some seed out of one of your Hari, maybe 100 seeds if you could. Heard many good things about it and want to see what happens if the line is ran out. And Richard I try to take pride in all I grow no mater for resale or my own use. I give them the little extra tender loving care that they don't get at a box store and it shows and it sales. By the way, I like the Italian type when cooking it my way and not the wifes way. Here is how I like it.
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swamper
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Post by swamper on May 20, 2014 14:23:26 GMT -5
I'm growing Mangan f1 for the first time. It's a japanese type with dark purple skin and calyx; shape is oval 6". Described as good for pickling. Hopefully it will yield as well as other japanese types. I'll use an agrofabric cover to protect young plants from flea beetles. www.johnnyseeds.com/p-7330-mangan-f1.aspx
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desertrat
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Post by desertrat on May 20, 2014 15:02:51 GMT -5
I'm still picking Pingtungs from last summer's planting, I started Diamond and Thai Pea eggplant seeds but neither of them made it so I'm starting seeds for them again. I just picked a very ripe pingtung to save seeds from, never done it before so first attempt to save seeds.
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Post by pepperhead212 on May 21, 2014 23:13:06 GMT -5
I'm only planting two this season - Hari and Ichiban. Oh yeah, the Thai pea EP, too, but that's another story. The Hari I grew last year for the first time, and it did better than any other I have grown for a long time. It is a long, green, Asian EP, that did not get bitter at all, and grew through the hottest spells we had, that totally stopped the other varieties. It was incredibly productive, and I have never seen an EP that grew so large - well over 5 feet, and the stalk was so large, and the roots so deep that I had to dig it up when it was done.
Ichiban was my favorite EP for many years, then several years ago, it dropped out of the market! I tried many other Asian varieties while I was growing it, and since I stopped, but most did not like the heat - much like my tomatoes - and would stop producing when it would get over 95º, even ones that seemed like they were from tropical areas. It is back this season, and I even see it in plants in Home Depot and other places! There must have been some others out there asking for it back.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 22, 2014 9:11:25 GMT -5
Dave, I have a Hari question.
My Hari plant is producing fruit, but they are not especially shiny even when very young. They seem to lose what little gloss they have even while they are still growing. So...how do you know when to pick them, and how do you know when they are over-mature?
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Post by pepperhead212 on May 22, 2014 21:19:31 GMT -5
Laura,
Hari are never very shiny, but this does not indicate over-ripeness, as with many other varieties. I try to pick them around 8-10", but I have had them grow to 14", and the seeds were just starting to darken, but there was no bitterness. I have never had a bitter or over-ripe one, but I was not trying to save seeds, so I don't know what they get like. I may bag one this season, to get some seeds, and see what happens, and how big they really get.
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materman
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Post by materman on May 22, 2014 21:43:36 GMT -5
i did take a survay of what was out there in the greenhouse and see that I am growing the following.
Antigua Kamo Listada De Grandia Ping Tung Long Rosa Bianca Rosita Waimanalo Long Orient Charm F2 Thai Long Green Filipino Aswad Rotonda Bianca And three crosses at F1 and F2 Too many!
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dirtguy50
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My avatar got in trouble for digging in the garden
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Post by dirtguy50 on May 22, 2014 21:54:29 GMT -5
Black Beauty for us here as we prefer grilled. They work out great as well as the black and yellow zucchini on the grill. This is our preference and worth growing them for this way.
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dogfish
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Post by dogfish on Jun 30, 2014 9:19:06 GMT -5
Usually grow Fairytail and Black beauty. Did not put the BB in this year for what ever reason(?) so it is just the little Fairytail's this year.
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elliemater
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Post by elliemater on Jun 30, 2014 19:26:07 GMT -5
This summer I have a few more than before:
Thai Green/Lavender (don't know the name, the package writing is in Thai) Cloud Nine Little Spooky Longship Florida Market
Pompano Market no germination Lavender Touch Raveena Early Long Purple Pingtung Long Black Beauty Orient Express Machiaw Orient Charm F1 Black Bell II Turkish Orange Orient Charm F2 Thai Long Green Rotonda Bianca Stumata di Rosa Louisiana Long Green Antigua
They are enjoying the heat this week.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jun 30, 2014 22:43:09 GMT -5
Ellie,
Keep me informed as to which of those EP continue producing in the intense heat down there. Almost every variety stops producing for me for many years every time it gets in the high 90s. Last year, only that Hari continued through the heat wave we had of 11 days in the high 90s and 100s. I always wonder how all these EP I've tried from Thailand, Malaysia, and other tropical areas could not withstand the heat of NJ!
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elliemater
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Post by elliemater on Jul 1, 2014 20:57:10 GMT -5
Ellie, Keep me informed as to which of those EP continue producing in the intense heat down there. Almost every variety stops producing for me for many years every time it gets in the high 90s. Last year, only that Hari continued through the heat wave we had of 11 days in the high 90s and 100s. I always wonder how all these EP I've tried from Thailand, Malaysia, and other tropical areas could not withstand the heat of NJ! Each summer I find that they all do well production-wise, even in the heat, if given PLENTY of water. Water every day. In the hottest days I water the raised bed zone twice. When the fruits get brown corky spots you know they are getting too much sun/heat and not enough water.
Pingtung Long is probably one of the best EP of the lot. Production, tender skin, BW resistance...it is a really excellent variety...and OP. Orient Charm produced extremely well for me from July-November, resistant to BW, but it is a hybrid. I am growing the F2 seeds this year to compare.
Thailand gets lots of water with the heat. The northern section gets 55+" per year, which is similar to my area (I get about 60-70" per year)...the southern area gets 94+" per year. So unless NJ gets lots of rain, it may be the dry plus the heat which bothers the eggplant production. Maybe?
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jul 2, 2014 10:10:35 GMT -5
Ellie, Keep me informed as to which of those EP continue producing in the intense heat down there. Almost every variety stops producing for me for many years every time it gets in the high 90s. Last year, only that Hari continued through the heat wave we had of 11 days in the high 90s and 100s. I always wonder how all these EP I've tried from Thailand, Malaysia, and other tropical areas could not withstand the heat of NJ! Each summer I find that they all do well production-wise, even in the heat, if given PLENTY of water. Water every day. In the hottest days I water the raised bed zone twice. When the fruits get brown corky spots you know they are getting too much sun/heat and not enough water.
Pingtung Long is probably one of the best EP of the lot. Production, tender skin, BW resistance...it is a really excellent variety...and OP. Orient Charm produced extremely well for me from July-November, resistant to BW, but it is a hybrid. I am growing the F2 seeds this year to compare.
Thailand gets lots of water with the heat. The northern section gets 55+" per year, which is similar to my area (I get about 60-70" per year)...the southern area gets 94+" per year. So unless NJ gets lots of rain, it may be the dry plus the heat which bothers the eggplant production. Maybe?
Last year we got record rainfall here, but I still had all but hari stop producing in the heat. Maybe it has something to do with daylight hours? I do usually have my EP in the same row as many of my peppers, which don't need so much water, so maybe I'll switch their emitters to higher output than the 1/2 gal/hr, so they get more than the peppers using the same timer setting. I tried pingtung long way back, but didn't get great production, though I did like the ones I did get. Until it started getting much hotter up here, Neon hybrid was my best producer, followed closely by Ichiban.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jul 2, 2014 11:22:45 GMT -5
I have had Ichiban shut down in the heat for me before, even if kept constantly watered in an Earthbox. But it starts earlier in the spring than most and starts back up as soon as the edge comes off the heat, then produces all the way to hard frost most years. In a late frost year I have harvested eggplants from Ichiban in December. Not many, but still!
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Post by bestofour on Jul 2, 2014 11:51:52 GMT -5
I grew a row of egg plant last year, I think it was black beauty, and it did really well. I ended up giving most of it away. I will eat it but don't particularly like it and my husband wants it the "way my mama cooked it." His mama is dead so I can't ask her and he says she diced it up and fried it. When I tried that, it stuck to the pan and got all mushy. (he said that's not how his mama cooked it) Maybe that's why I don't like it - mushy. Ideas on what he's talking about?
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Aug 19, 2014 12:39:20 GMT -5
Yes Laura, 200 plants is indeed a lot of eggplant! I will sneak a few for seed but she says she wants them all, but we will see! Aswad was a hard germinater for me too, and imagine we got the seed from the same source. Dropped about a 100 seeds and only got 17 to come up. Saved two for myself and sold the rest to Jere Gentle at Baker Creek. Wife is not a Italian eggplant eater, so two will work for seed. Save me some seed out of one of your Hari, maybe 100 seeds if you could. Heard many good things about it and want to see what happens if the line is ran out. And Richard I try to take pride in all I grow no mater for resale or my own use. I give them the little extra tender loving care that they don't get at a box store and it shows and it sales. By the way, I like the Italian type when cooking it my way and not the wifes way. Here is how I like it. Materman, I didn't forget your request for seeds. As usual, my Ichiban shut down production in the heat, but Hari has kept producing. Now I have six Hari fruits growing that set while Hari was the only eggplant blooming in my garden. Since my close neighbors aren't growing eggplant, these fruit should provide pure seed. Barring unforeseen disaster, I should be able to get plenty of seeds for you when these fruits mature. I should get many more than 100 seeds, but you never know how many plants your wife will want you to grow for her next year. Just to make sure you know, Hari is a hybrid...so there may be some variability when you grow these out.
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materman
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Post by materman on Aug 19, 2014 16:39:14 GMT -5
Yes Laura, 200 plants is indeed a lot of eggplant! I will sneak a few for seed but she says she wants them all, but we will see! Aswad was a hard germinater for me too, and imagine we got the seed from the same source. Dropped about a 100 seeds and only got 17 to come up. Saved two for myself and sold the rest to Jere Gentle at Baker Creek. Wife is not a Italian eggplant eater, so two will work for seed. Save me some seed out of one of your Hari, maybe 100 seeds if you could. Heard many good things about it and want to see what happens if the line is ran out. And Richard I try to take pride in all I grow no mater for resale or my own use. I give them the little extra tender loving care that they don't get at a box store and it shows and it sales. By the way, I like the Italian type when cooking it my way and not the wifes way. Here is how I like it. Materman, I didn't forget your request for seeds. As usual, my Ichiban shut down production in the heat, but Hari has kept producing. Now I have six Hari fruits growing that set while Hari was the only eggplant blooming in my garden. Since my close neighbors aren't growing eggplant, these fruit should provide pure seed. Barring unforeseen disaster, I should be able to get plenty of seeds for you when these fruits mature. I should get many more than 100 seeds, but you never know how many plants your wife will want you to grow for her next year. Just to make sure you know, Hari is a hybrid...so there may be some variability when you grow these out. Yes I do know they are a hybrid, but out of curiosity, I want to see what the F2s might look like. Had one F2 this year that actually didn't show much variance in the 30 plants I planted. No variation like my maters anyway. Now rush, and actually I had forgot all about it. Thanks
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Post by pepperhead212 on Aug 19, 2014 19:49:29 GMT -5
materman, I told Laura when I sent her the seeds that they were listed as hybrids, but that I doubted that they were, since I had gotten a generous tsp. of seeds in the packet. Normally, they are not that generous with hybrid seeds. It is my theory that many varieties are listed as hybrids to discourage us from saving seeds! My ichiban didn't stop producing, but it did slow down, while the hari is producing incredibly well. No super heat this year, so I guess that's why ichiban is still going, esp. in the EB.
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