I have problems growing them from seeds too. I only have one plant out of 16 attempts. The one plant is just gonna be an experiment to see if I can develop myself a "dummy" proof eggplant... lol

I can grow eggplant pre started but I never see the varieties I want. So I just concentrate most of my time and effort on plants I CAN grow...

Thanks for the response, my wife and I have a running joke that our marriage depends on my success growing this dang eggplant. I picked the seeds up because she mentioned how she loved them when she was young. I thought it would be just like any other eggplant but it is tough to get to germinate for sure. I've planted about 14, using various techniques to promote success. I may just dump the rest in a pot and cross my fingers.....

I guess soaking them overnight helped, a few finally sprouted. the soaked seeds took maybe 2 weeks, and maybe 2 of 8 have sprouted. The unsoaked seeds were planted over a month ago, so i think they are goners.

Eggplant seeds ( and in particular Asian ones) can take a very long time (over a month or even longer) to germinate, especially if the seeds are a bit old. The same seems to apply to Capsicum seeds. So hang on to the seed-boxes, keep them moist and shaded and in times, they might all germinate!

When you soaked the seeds, were they loose, or already planted in their pots? I've had good luck starting various eggplants in plastic cells with soil-less seed starting mix, then soaking the cells soil & all with enough sterile water to completely saturate the mix (I generally do a tray at a time). I let the pots soak for from 12-24 hours, then pour off any excess water, and place the tray in a warm location; around 80 F. degrees seems to be best.

As Solanum1 mentioned, eggplants germinate more slowly than tomatoes or most peppers, and can do so sporadically over a period of several weeks - especially if the seed is weak from age or less than ideal storage. Using a nitrate solution for the soaking liquid can vastly improve germination, since that helps the seed to break dormancy. Whether using a chemical or organic fertilizer, add about 1 tsp. per gallon of water; for organic sources, I recommend boiling the solution if in doubt of its sterility.

This year I am growing three species of eggplant; S. melongena (common eggplant), S.
aethiopicum (a striped spindle-shaped African type), and S. integrifolium ("Turkish Orange"), and have grown several cultivars of S. gilo... all have responded well to these methods. The Turkish Orange had over 50% germination this year from 2005 seed. Ironically, it is one of the common eggplants ("Casper", a white-fruited variety) that often gives me the most erratic germination, even from fresh seed.

A few that I soaked (loose, in a bowl of water) then planted finally sprouted, so maybe there is hope. Feels a bit late in the season but I will give them a try. Next year I may just soak them and direct sow, I am thinking the area I use for my seedlings is a bit cooler than they would like. We will see, I will update later on my progress.

Even though your air temp is good, bottom heat does help with eggplant. If you put them on anything that gives off heat..(DVR player..anything electronic)...anything that's warm to the touch..then put a towel over them at night, it really helps.

Although I've always had good germination without it, bottom heat is generally recommended for eggplant seeds. I think the recommended soil temp is 80F for eggplant. Perhaps this more difficult variety would benefit from bottom heat to increase germination rates.

Where did you get the seed? I have had TERRIBLE luck with seed from Evergreen Seeds. Is it fresh, packed this year? Has it been exposed to moisture or excessive heat?

Kiwakaze seed company I think is the name, seeds packed this year. I honestly think it's just my inexperience growing eggplant. I treated them like squash and that grows so easy in my zone. I have a few sprouts but they are growing so slow I doubt I will get any fruit this year. I will keep playing around with some of the seeds I have this year so I can be more successful next year....