I've never grown Black Beauty or any of the larger eggplants, but the smaller type eggplants I grew from seed have just started fruiting in the last week or so. Maybe yours needs more time?

Stellabee,

I'm in the same boat with my Black Beauty, but in Miami. Roughly the same timing, too. Just recently, last couple of weeks or so, I noticed that some of the flowers had fallen but the receptacles remained attached to the plant (instead of falling off in one piece, as had been happening for a few months already). Today, I noticed that some of those receptacles are looking more swollen than they had last time I examined them. I guess I'll keep my fingers crossed for the both of us!

This is my first year growing any eggplants. I selected black beauty to compare with store bought. I have 8 plants started from seed planted in February. All plants have had 3 or more flowers and only 4 blooms have set fruit, each on a different plant. The first one I harvested a week ago, the other three will be picked this week.

I don't know if this helps, it seems like a pretty low bloom to fruit ratio to me.

*Hey Amberroses, yeah, next year I am definitely going to plant some smaller types and maybe some oriental types, which are supposed to do well here in Florida:-)
*Hi Vegbed_mia, thanks! I'll take any luck I can get. You know, I was noticing that people who plant black beauty up North seem to get a high percentage of set fruit to flower yield. Maybe there's just something about our environment that isn't quite right for black beauty...?!
Hey Michael, at least you have some fruit:-)! You must have done something right. I agree though that it's a low bloom variety (at least here in Florida)...maybe some oriental eggplants will go in next year. In the meantime, I'll just wait it out...

Thanks Guys!!!

Stellabee

Thumping the blooms can help fruit set.

Though, I'm whacking my Black Beauty the oriental's are all bearing fruit but not the black beauty.

~dianne

PS - this picture is from last fall. The squished hand got fancy pictures taken, no breaks or dislocations. This is some good news. Hopefully it will continue to get better (on its own).

Definitely going to try shaking up the flowers. Thanks for the tip, Dianne!

black beauty loves the heat they love water do not have enough polenators so i hand pollinate have had 20 or more from 1 plant

My black beauty was flowering like crazy and not setting fruit but I noticed some bugs on the leaves so I sprayed it with PCO choice (an organic insecticide), which apparently is high nitrogen. All of a sudden it started fruiting like crazy. Not sure if it was a coincidence but they're beautiful!

I'd like to try the white ones next year but don't know the variety to look for to grow here. Does anyone know?

For a tiny white one try gretel. I also have the tiny purple one hansel and the tiny purple/white one fairytale. They all do very well and are a good size to eat. They would be great in a container too although mine are growing in the raised bed.

Hey Dianne, thanks for the tip! I'm going to run outside and do a little bit of flicking:-)
Hi MurphyJP, do you hand pollinate by flicking a bit, or do you have another way of hand pollinating?!
Hey Mrs. TLC...dat's so veird;-) Nice though!

Not so veird... apparently it's high nitrogen... LOL

Here is one I just picked.... a little too soon but seasoned it and grilled it last night.

Well mine is has large fruit on it and I am upset about it, LOL. I usually start from seed but picked this guy up at the box store and it isn't ichiban like I wanted. My fault I know better, its the mail reason I use seeds and know what Im getting. I don't care much for the large fruit, you have to salt them.

Woohoo!!! I've got two little baby eggplants!

I don't know if it was Dianne's flicking trick or all of the extra water I've been giving them, but from the looks of it, this is just the beginning!

Stellabee, how are your Black Beauties coming along?

VBM

Thanks for the flicking trick, my fruit to blossom ratio went up significantly almost 1:2.

If i throw out the ones i accidentally flicked off it is even higher!

When did most people plant their eggplant? Mine don't even have flowers yet, I planted them in middle of march, small seedlings in a raised bed. Oh well this is my first time to even have a vegetable garden and just happy that I got cucumbers coming everyday. Also my corn has some husk on them. :)

I started mine from seed back in late September and kept it in a small pot till the beginning of December when I put it into my veggie bed. It was very small (6 inches?) and grew very, very slowly for awhile before it started producing flowers, I'd say in March or so (don't know where you are, but in Miami, we had some "feels like 89" very hot days as far back as early February). It continued to lose flowers and grew taller until it started holding onto its receptacles in mid-April, like I mentioned earlier in this thread. It's now full of blooms with two baby eggplants and more on the way from the looks of it, and I guesstimate it to be about 5 feet tall. I really should take pictures.

If I could do a do-over, I would (A) start it waaaay later and use the space in my bed for some other veggie and (B) give it more water more often. I must admit that I was slacking on that duty for awhile (got cracks in my tomatoes because of it, too).

VBM

I live in Lake County, which is northwest of orlando. I started the seeds in mid feb and planted them outside in mid march.

Don't give up hope, Minderella! I am sure you will see flowers soon and when you do, flick 'em. In the meantime just keep watering and whispering to it that it is beautiful and you believe in its ability to flower. =)

VBM

I'm here in Pinellas county and just recently discovered I actually like eggplant. Planted an ichiban transplant a couple of weeks ago but was wondering if you Florida people have any suggestions where I could buy transplants of other small fruit kinds?

Oh, also the flicking suggestion was great! A huge cloud of pollen came out!

Stellabee - I hope that you have a lot of eggplants already.

Derbika - Look at HD and the eggplants that they carry, I think I saw Hansel and Gretel there.

My eggplants today

Orlando eggplant

Black Beauty

Silvia

I just found this thread. I have lots of buds, and some flowers on two of my three eggplants, but the flowers end up dropping off even after I try to hand pollinate with a q-tip. I will try the flicking method and let you know the results.

I have always had trouble with black beauty fruits especially with the fruits rotting and so have mainly stuck to the longer skinny type of eggplants because they do so much better here. This year I accidently bought a black beauty. It was on the wrong rack with the long fruited ones and I didnt notice the tag when I grabbed a bunch of them. Well low and behold this thing is fruiting like crazy and has a few huge ones on there right now and many babies. I had to stake it good because its so heavy it is pulling it over.

My Black Beauty Eggplant I’ve bought since January of this year! Blooming like crazy & not bearing at all. What’s the reason? Lack of nitrogen? No bees or butterflies are coming to the plant. Please help me? My plant has grown big & looks health, just not fruiting..

I've never had the least success with Black Beauty, or much with any of the large purple Italian-types. Pollinators don't like it and hand pollinating doesn't do anything, either. I'd just try another variety. Ping Tung Long is my best producer here in the Stuart area. They say Kurume is really the best around here, but I never have anything else to order from Kitazawa so I've never grown it.

I have lavender egg shaped ones this year and they are really prolific. I have way too many eggplants right now. Not really sure what to do with so many.

Indian stuffed eggplants would be perfect for those little ones.