Eggplant 2024 Started

[karstopography]

Aswad
Rosa Bianca
Kamo

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[PlainJane]

Wow, you are getting a jump!

[karstopography]

Wow, you are getting a jump!

I’m not planning on using a heating pad and given the normal house and/or outside temperatures this time of year I don’t expect a rapid germination. Today through Monday is expected to be fairly warm, a notch above 70° for the most part during the day and I’ll have these outside on my copper warmed by the sun, maybe that will be just warmth enough to get them going reasonably well.

Our county ag extension service has on their planting calendar eggplant going into the garden as transplants 2/20-4/1 and peppers 2/20-3/10. I figure not using a heating pad to start germination sets them back a week or so.

Once they are up as seedlings, I’ll bring them in under the grow lights or if it gets too cool outside. Our house we keep pretty cool, cooler than most people do, in the winter and the temperature is pretty spot on for growing seedling peppers, eggplant and tomatoes. I abhor overheated houses and buildings so something around 65° or 67° inside during the day and a notch cooler at night in the winter is great for me and not too bad for seedlings like these. I’ll run the seedlings outside on warmer January and February days. Cooler temperatures help prevent them getting too leggy.

[karstopography]

All the eggplant have at least one sprout up now. Kamo, Rosa Bianca and Aswad. I like the wider, more globe shaped types over the long and thin so called Asian eggplants. Kamo is from Kyoto, Japan so I guess that is an Asian type, but the shape is a globe. Persia is in Asia and Aswad eggplant would be Asian too. I might still pick up a Black Beauty transplant at the feed store when the time comes as that is one vegetable that has been pretty fool proof in my garden, me being the chief fool.

Wherever they are from, I have not been getting enough eggplant in my garden or life and hopefully 2024 will be different in that regard.

[Cranraspberry]

Have you grown Rosa Bianca before? I’m very curious, but we had bad luck with Listada de Gandia last year (poor production, lots of seeds and turned bitter at a very small size), so I’m a little nervous to try anything new. We had an AMAZING harvest of Asian Delite (also that plant was indestructible ans kept flowering even after first frost!) and found Mitoyo very tasty, but not super productive.

[karstopography]

Have you grown Rosa Bianca before? I’m very curious, but we had bad luck with Listada de Gandia last year (poor production, lots of seeds and turned bitter at a very small size), so I’m a little nervous to try anything new. We had an AMAZING harvest of Asian Delite (also that plant was indestructible ans kept flowering even after first frost!) and found Mitoyo very tasty, but not super productive.

No, first time for Rosa Bianca. Rosa Bianca is reportedly from Sicily and looking at climatic norms for Palermo and Siracusa there in Sicily the climate isn’t wildly different than the climate here. Plenty of heat and some humidity as well. I haven’t grown all that many types of eggplant except black beauty and three or four long, thin Chinese or Japanese types. Unfortunately, We haven’t connected with the texture and flavor of the long thin types, but they are productive.

Mitoyo looks like the kind of eggplant we like. Might have to put that on my radar for the future.

[karstopography]

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I’ve got 10 eggplant going, but only one is allegedly Kamo, the famous eggplant variety of Kyoto. Kamo isn’t a warm and fuzzy plant, look at those thorns!

My black beauty eggplant get thorns on the stems a little. But, I can’t remember the little plants getting them like Kamo.

[habitat-gardener]

I’ve got 10 eggplant going, but only one is allegedly Kamo, the famous eggplant variety of Kyoto. Kamo isn’t a warm and fuzzy plant, look at those thorns!

My black beauty eggplant get thorns on the stems a little. But, I can’t remember the little plants getting them like Kamo.

wow! I've grown Kamo twice and don't recall feeling any prickliness on them.

[karstopography]

https://kyoyasai.kyoto/eng/2017/09/16892

I found this link about Kamo eggplant from Japan. The link does mention thorns.

[MissS]

My Kamo eggplants do have thorns. They aren't horrible to work with but you do need to be careful.

[karstopography]

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Transplanted six eggplant today. Three Rosa Bianca, two Aswad, one Kamo.

Unlikely to plant anymore unless I find some space for a Black Beauty.

[karstopography]

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Rosa Bianca has an impressive stem and calyx.

[karstopography]

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First Rosa Bianca eggplant. Looks great.

[PlainJane]

Wow, it sure does @karstopography.

[karstopography]

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I’ve decided most all eggplant are all indeterminate, so long as they get some fertilizer every now and then.

I’ve finally figured out baba ganoush. Grilled eggplant is delicious also. Next mountain to climb is caponata.

[pepperhead212]

Oooohhh...caponata - a favorite eggplant dish of mine! Using two fused recipes, since each has certain favorite ingredients.

[karstopography]

Oooohhh...caponata - a favorite eggplant dish of mine! Using two fused recipes, since each has certain favorite ingredients.

What do you think are the keys to good caponata? Lots and lots of recipes online and lots of variations.

Delicious Baba ganoush, I have I believe finally cracked the code, for my tastes at any rate.
1. Roast and char the heck out of the eggplant over a hot semi-indirect charcoal fire, eggplant should be very soft, charred in places and deflated after roasting.
2. Roast garlic whole in their wrappers until soft over the same fire.
3. Use real, fresh squeezed lemon juice
4. Pan toast hulless white sesame seeds until at least 1/2 are golden brown and then mash in a mortar and pestle. This is in my experience a big improvement over jarred commercial tahini.
5. Use high quality EVOO.
6. Mix in a little creme fraiche or plain greek yogurt for a creamier consistency.

[karstopography]

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I love all my eggplant this year. Rosa Bianca is the prettiest. Everything has been productive. I never knew what to do with eggplant, but we are figuring it out.

[karstopography]

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All the eggplant seem about identical in ability to set fruit in our typical summer weather. None are showing any signs of slowing down. All appear to be indeterminate. 90° plus in daytime and 70° plus at night presents zero issues for eggplant.

[bboomer]

I love eggplant but have terrible luck growing it in Wisconsin. First, I have to do battle with flea beetles. They will practically destroy my plants overnight. Then I have to figure out what makes the darned things grow and produce more than one eggplant. I have stopped planting them all together and just purchased them from the farmers market.
Any tips?