NOT too cold, I wouldn't subject them to soil temps much under 70, or they'll sulk.

For a point of reference, I just recently planted eggplant seed in seed boxes that are kept outside on the patio just under the roof. The boxes receive sun in the afternoon. The seeds will usually germinate in about 10 days to 2 weeks - depending on temperature. Our average low temperature is in the lower 50's and average highs be around 70 (i.e. cold/warm spells not withstanding). The plants should be ready to set out around mid-April when the high temps will be near 80 degrees.

I have never had much success with trying to get an early setting of eggplant in the garden. They mostly will stay dormant until the weather warms.

Anney, I think you might be making it a little too warm for them. I usually start them in room temperature soil in a sunny window. As Grandad said, they take about 2 weeks to germinate this way.

Boo,

Four weeks percolating at 84 degreess produced nothing! The second batch was started two weeks after the first at the same temperature. Still nothing. Now, very warm, these are finally germinating, though not in huge numbers yet. If I can get one or two to grow (they're Rosa Biancas), I can save the seeds for next year, and they'll probably be close to 100% viable. I think the problem is these seeds.

According to the chart below, eggplant is supposed to germinate at between 60-95 degrees, optimum 75-90 degrees, so I don't think they're too warm. As soon as they've emerged a little more, I'll plant them in their own cups and keep them toasty warm at about 70 degrees. The heating mat seems to go from 75 to 85 to 95, and when the seedlings are in soil, the soil is not as warm as the mat.

Here is a link that might be useful: Germination chart

Anney, I think you are correct... I think the problem is with the seeds.

By the way, I never have been able to do well with Rosa Bianca. They produce a beautiful tasty eggplant but I usually could only get 1 or 2 from each plant. Also, the plant did not do too well in the mid-summer Louisiana heat - they did not make it into the fall. A gardening friend of mine had similar results, so I am assuming that they may be more suitable for other parts of the US.

The heirloom eggplant that did best for me was the Rosita. They grew well into the fall and the plants reached about 7 or 8 feet in height. They looked more like small trees instead of like eggplant bushes.

Oh, sorry, I guess your right. At this point I'd be thinking it was the seeds too. It sounds like you're doing things right.

Hi Anney,

I started my eggplant seeds at the same time as my tomato seeds (Jan 19) under identical conditions for both the tomato and eggplant seeds. The first eggplant seeds germinated on Jan 23 and the last came up on Feb 4. Some of the seeds were several years old and other were new this year. The age of the seeds made some difference - all of the new this year seeds came up by the 25th, but so did one type that was from older seeds. FWIW

Grandad,

Yikes! I can't imagine an 8' tall eggplant. I just checked the description on TGS and they didn't note that the Rosita was a large plant. I'm wondering if there are other varieties you've grown that get, say, over 4-1/2' to 5'. This year I'm growing lilac, neon, black beauty, Florida high bush, vittoria PS, long purple, and Fengyuan purple. Do any of these grow esp. large in your experience?

Anne

Anne,

Of the varieties that you mentioned, I've tried Vittoria and Long Purple. My main go-to eggplant is Ichiban (or Millionaire if I can find it). Most of eggplant I gow will get to about 4 1/2 to 5 feet as you indicated. Rosita was different. One reason for the Rosita growing to 7 or 8 feet ws becaue it grew well into the Fall.. See the picture that I posted in the Test Gallery. The wire remesh is 5 feet tall and the eggplant are about 2 to 3 feet over the top.

Here is a link that might be useful:

I'm lucky if I can get it knee high before the flea beetles get it. I have never had one eggplant.

Soonergrandmom, I could never get an eggplant either until I tried the Asian ones. They've done well every year with the help of row cover for the first month or so to keep them warm and keep the flea beetles from them. My favorite eggplant is called Pintung Long but I've also grown Bride and Louisiana Long Green. These eggplants have thin skin and wonderful flavor.

Pingtung Long is on my "gotta try" list. I was hoping to find it locally (via seed or plant) instead of having to place an order just for this one seed.

Great to hear that it does well in NY. Wonder how it would do in south Louisiana..

We sowed ours outside is plastic cell packets around Mid to Late April. Had about 50% germination of the Asian Eggplant and almost 80% germination of our regular Hybrid (fat eggplant) seeds. We kept them very moist and let nature do the rest. They only really started germinating in May though.

Well Anney, two months have gone by since you posted this and I'm having trouble this year with eggplant germination! I did receive almost all of my seeds from trade. I am trying Dusky, Louisiana Long Green (which germinated!), Antigua, Casper & Fairy Tale. I should have tried the germination test first (putting the seeds in a damp paper towel in a zip lock). Maybe I'll still try it, although it's late to be starting eggplant.

Takes me a couple weeks to germinate eggplant, which I do in early March along with the tomatoes. It is a slow one, for sure, and on those warm Spring days when the tomato transplants are out in the yard being hardened off, the eggplant stays in the magnified heat of the coldframe soaking it in. When I set it out in its bed, again, along with the tomatoes (this weekend!), I will put a plastic vented cover over it to give it once again that added dose of heat. Such a heat hog is eggplant - in the searing blaze of late August when even the tomatoes are fainting a little bit from the trauma, the eggplant is happy.

i think once you try some vigorous seeds you will have more success,,,, instead of the paper towel...try just sowing them in a starter mix, you seem to be supplying the bottom heat they like to germinate,,,i am not much of egg plant expert living in this marginal climate for them,,,however i am with grandad on the variety Millionaire, it has been the most productive for me out of any i have tried, very tasty tooo,,, it is interesting hearing others experiments with eggplants.