first flower
 

I was out in my garden today with my electric tootbrush stimulating my tomato plants when I noticed the first flower on my black beauty eggplant. I touched it with the toothbrush and saw pollen squirt out. I know they are self pollinating but wonder if I hurt or helped the plant by doing this. The flower is beautiful by the way. First ever eggplant for me.

Duane

congrats Duane!

I have a few seedlings, and hope to join you in about 4-6 weeks!

the plant looks real healthy but has dropped all of its blossoms to this point. at this rate I wont be eating any eggplant this year:(

give it some time, mine has been dropping some too, but last year we had some black beauty eggplant growing in the center of the hot humid summer (July) they produced just fine. All 3 of my eggplants have dropped a bloom or 2. (2 ping tung longs and one Ichiban. Although I just picked an Ichiban, which was the first flower it put on, but it has dropped a couple since.

[quote=duajones;57647]the plant looks real healthy but has dropped all of its blossoms to this point. at this rate I wont be eating any eggplant this year:([/quote]

Duane, do you have any fruitset yet? My eggplants just started setting about a week or so ago.

I'm in the same situation it seems, my ping tung long seems to have lots of blooms, they keep dropping, hope it starts holding on to those blooms. A comparative: My Aunt gerties gold tomato plant has created a huge plant, and all the blooms have dropped, I thought it was the heat, but I was wrong, it is now starting set some fruit, 3 tomatoes I see now. So.. maybe it just needs to create a big plant first, who knows:/

[quote=Suze;58279]Duane, do you have any fruitset yet? My eggplants just started setting about a week or so ago.[/quote]


No mam I sure dont. It has been dropping blossoms from the get go. It still looks great and has new blossoms forming, just doesnt want to set for whatever reason.

I noticed yesterday that I finally have a fruit set. Hope more follow

3 have set so far with the biggest being maybe the size of a softball. How do you know when to harvest these babies?

Harvest them when you want to use them. Softball size sounds pretty good; when they get too large the seeds tend to predominate and they can get a bit pithy. If you leave a fruit on the plant later on for seed saving, it is easy - eggplant turn yellow when they are ready for picking for seed saving (NOT eating!)...just cut them in quarters, push out the seeds while holding under water in a bowl - rub the flesh from the seeds, scoop out the flesh (which floats), then put the whole thing through a sieve...air dry on paper plates for a few weeks. I've found that you can get more eggplant seed than you will ever need from one fruit, and it is viable for at least 5 years.

Thanks for the quick reply craig. I havent eaten eggplant since I was a kid and dont even remember if I liked it. Looking forward to tasting it for the first time all over again.

My wife made me an Aubergine convert! She adores the stuff, and I now look forward to them. My favorite thing to do is peel, slice thinly, dip in egg then breadcrumbs, add a pinch of parmesan to the top, lay them out on a cookie sheet, spray with bit of olive oil and bake at 400 for 15-20 min, until browned and crisp. Eat them as they are as a veggie, or use them for Eggplant Parmesan (layer them alternating with sauce and mozarella cheese, cover, bake till bubbly.). Other great use - Ratatouille - one of our summer staples (made better if you can use your home harvested zucchini, sweet peppers and tomatoes!).

I may try that recipe tonight or tomorrow. I had also thought of trying japanese style bread crumbs and actually frying them. Either way, I am looking forward to it.

Tried it last night using italian style bread crumbs and it was very good. It was actually closer to baseball size so I plan to harvest the next one a little bit larger. I sure hope my lone plant sets more fruit.