I'm a bit to the east of Remy- I haven't had much luck with eggplants since moving back to NY from NC. I'm going to try them in pots on the deck this year. I've started Rosa Bianca, Violetta di Firenze and Arugaman's (I got in a trade, originated from Baker Creek). I'll need to save the RB and VdF seeds this year as I planted the last of my original packages from Cook's Garden.

[quote=remy;166660]Goober,
I'm just below you in WNY and have no problems with eggplant. I have found they do better in pots on the deck though.
[/quote]

I was actually thinking of planting a couple in pots to see if they do better than those in the ground. I have a south-facing porch, so they'll get a good 8 hours of sun during the summer - hopefully it's enough to keep them happy.

If you don't mind me asking, what size of pots do you use? I was thinking of converting a few 5-gallon plastic buckets into self-watering pots, but I've never done it before. I also have smaller buckets (3 gallon), but that might be too small for their root system?

Hi Goober,
I use 12" pots. Would that be equivalent to 3 gallon do you think? I used 5 gallon buckets for cucumbers last year and that worked really good. Anyway, I wouldn't go any smaller than 12", but with 12" they do fine. In fact last year I had so many I actually gave some away!
Remy

I started 18 varieties from seed along w/ peppers and egg plants. The whole dense planting tray died off at about two weeks. Tried direct sowing some and that didn't work either. I wasn't sure how long I'd be in the area so didn't want to put a whole lot into it. Now it looks like I should be here through August so I ordered some from Darrel Jones at selectedplants.com

spudakee, indian stripe, black from Tula potato leaf, black cherry. I also found mucho nacho the same place as last year and planted a six pack.

I over wintered 8 peppers, one is showing signs of life, the others none. It'll be a mystery what it turns out to be, I guess I forgot to label them. I pulled them out of the garden last minute when frost hit. It's a bigger stem so I'm hoping it was my biggest mucho nacho from last year, I'll be excited to get some second year something :D

[quote=remy;166773]Hi Goober,
I use 12" pots. Would that be equivalent to 3 gallon do you think? I used 5 gallon buckets for cucumbers last year and that worked really good. Anyway, I wouldn't go any smaller than 12", but with 12" they do fine. In fact last year I had so many I actually gave some away!
Remy[/quote]

Thanks for your response, Remy. I had to go digging in the garage for those 3 gallon buckets. I couldn't remember where I put them. Anyways, they're just under 12" - it won't hurt to try this year with a couple of plants.

I hope to get a good harvest this year as I also plan on sharing with our neighbors. I know they're all very curious as to what varieties I'm growing...I hope I won't disappoint with the eggplants this year...:o

[quote=GooberStraw;167114]Thanks for your response, Remy. I had to go digging in the garage for those 3 gallon buckets. I couldn't remember where I put them. Anyways, they're just under 12" - it won't hurt to try this year with a couple of plants.

I hope to get a good harvest this year as I also plan on sharing with our neighbors. I know they're all very curious as to what varieties I'm growing...I hope I won't disappoint with the eggplants this year...:o[/quote]
You're welcome. I'm sure you won't disappoint the neighbors:). BTW, I use good potting mix and mix that up with Garden Tone Organic Fertilizer. I'm not sure if you have that in CA, but any good fertilizer mixed will do. Oh, and I make sure nights are staying above 50 before keeping them out at night.
Remy

Looks like I'll just have Rossa Bianca & Diamond this year, since they were the only two to germinate. Glad to have them since they are good varieties. Just wish the others had germinated for me.

Last year I tried growing eggplant in the ground. They didn't do real well due to poor soil in one of the growing areas, and not enough sun in the other. Although the area with inadequate sunlight did see several Diamond eggplant grow. Problem was the squirrels got all but 2 of them. The only one I tasted actually was pleasant. It was still very small so just got a bite to see what eggplant tasted like. Think I'll like it when I finally get some of decent size.

Eggplant is a bad name for it, imo. Doesn't sound appetizing and turns people away before they even try it, I'm sure.

This year the eggplant will be grown in containers. Should help with production. And the squirrels will enjoy a few good meals. :(

"Eggplant is a bad name for it, imo. Doesn't sound appetizing and turns people away before they even try it, I'm sure."
:lol: Well, you could call it by its French name aubergine, and you could say it with an accent. Then again that might scare people afraid of eggplant too. They are the same ones, I think, who hear escarole and think you are serving snails.
Remy

[QUOTE=remy;167341]"Eggplant is a bad name for it, imo. Doesn't sound appetizing and turns people away before they even try it, I'm sure."
:lol: Well, you could call it by its French name aubergine, and you could say it with an accent. Then again that might scare people afraid of eggplant too. They are the same ones, I think, who hear escarole and think you are serving snails.
Remy[/QUOTE]

Being completely honest, I don't know what escarole is! I've heard the word but figured it was something I wouldn't like. hah... I am one of those people who have normally shied away from eggplant and other things because they didn't 'sound good'. Guess as we get older and start growing gardens ourselves we discover what certain things actually are.

[quote]
This year the eggplant will be grown in containers. Should help with production. And the squirrels will enjoy a few good meals. :([/quote]Yikes! Had no idea squirrels like eggplants. Something was munching on my neighbor's eggplants last year, but she never caught the perpetrator. We have an explosion in population here, since another neighbor feeds them peanuts on a daily basis :evil:

Has anyone tried protecting the entire plant with bird-netting or chicken wire?

[quote]I use good potting mix and mix that up with Garden Tone Organic Fertilizer. I'm not sure if you have that in CA, but any good fertilizer mixed will do. Oh, and I make sure nights are staying above 50 before keeping them out at night.
Remy[/quote]Can I use a mixture of aged sheep manure and garden soil (both from Home Depot)? I was also thinking of using black plastic to cover the top of the container to keep the soil warm. Not sure if it's necessary, maybe just use leaves as mulch to retain moisture?

[quote=OmahaJB;167348]Being completely honest, I don't know what escarole is! I've heard the word but figured it was something I wouldn't like. hah... I am one of those people who have normally shied away from eggplant and other things because they didn't 'sound good'. Guess as we get older and start growing gardens ourselves we discover what certain things actually are.[/quote]
Don't take it in a bad way! I'm used to making fun of family. Escarole is a chicory type lettuce so you don't go looking it up:). When I make a salad, my husband's family will look at it and comment on how pretty it is, but won't touch it because the lettuce is not iceburg. I keep trying to get them to taste different food though!

Goober,
"Has anyone tried protecting the entire plant with bird-netting or chicken wire?"
I've used it to protect from rabbits eating the young plants. I've not had squirrel problems, they like my other things like apples much better.
Remy

[QUOTE=GooberStraw;167349]Yikes! Had no idea squirrels like eggplants. Something was munching on my neighbor's eggplants last year, but she never caught the perpetrator. We have an explosion in population here, since another neighbor feeds them peanuts on a daily basis :evil:

Has anyone tried protecting the entire plant with bird-netting or chicken wire?[/QUOTE]

My best guess is the eggplant theft here was done by squirrels. The cucumbers always had a bite or two taken out of them, sometimes left on the vine, other times left as far away as 10' partially eaten. The eggplant just disappeared completely. There are ALOT of squirrels in my mother's neighborhood where I grow the garden. The neighbor on one side feeds the squirrels. The neighbor on the other side allows his backyard to overgrow. Says it's good "for the wildlife". A few years ago possum lived in his yard. One day my mother found the mother and a baby dead in the swimming pool filter area.

Last year while I planted my seedlings a squirrel ran as fast as he could back and forth across the yard about 5' behind me. Each time when he got to one side he stopped and looked at what I was doing. So I'm pretty sure he was the culprit.

Birdnetting might work. That's the advice I was given by someone.

Maybe you can try putting a small tomato cage around eggplant and then
drape some tulle netting on it. I know they sell it at Walmart's here in
U.S, or try fabic stores.

How about adopting a dog! I have 2, I keep a fence around the veg garden. We have a huge squirrel popluation, the little dog spends most of her day outside, she hides behind bushes and peonies and will chase any squirrel, rabbit or chipmunk that shows it's face. At this point they won't set foot in our yard even when she's in the house. The big dog has caught a squirrel (in his younger days)