Eggplant Issue

I sowed my Eggplant seeds far too late in the season, as I was unaware that they required an extended growing season to bear fruit. Is it possible to over Winter them, so they may continue to grow & get a head start on NEXT season? I have no idea if this plant grows as a perennial in warmer climates, or if it has a natural lifespan of a single season. Any ideas on this? I thought I would give it a shot if there was a chance it would work! The plants are about 1 1/2 to 2 feet in height now.
Julie

The only way you "might" get away with it is if you potted them up & wintered them indoors. But as tropicals they'd need really bright light & warmth.

I don't know when you started yours, but I normally start my eggplant seeds indoors end of March here.

I set my plants (Dusky) June 1 up here in the mountains (zone 4a) and harvested the first one last week. Set up some plastic "tents" over the growing beds to keep our early frost off and expect more to mature over the next week or so.

Do you have flowers or small fruits on the plants? If so, way down south where you live, with some frost protection, you might get fruits this season.

Though they are perennials, I never heard of us northern gardeners keeping eggplants overwinter.

(My plants never got 2' tall.)

Wayne

I started them around late May or so. I was really interested in finding out if they were ever considered perennials - thank you Wayne! I have no flowers as of yet, but the 3 plants are stocky & healthy. They are already in a large pot. I could keep them growing under lamps, & hope their growth slows until they get back out into real sunshine next Spring. I know there is a variety that is described in the Scheeper's catalog that is appropriate for us Northerners, bearing fruit in our short growing season. So someone out there understands us! I think I will give it a try - a lesson learned at the least~
Thanks for the info :)
Julie

julie - i started my "neon" eggplants indoors 12 weeks before i put them in the garden which was june first. i had 7 plants and each one was over 3 ft. tall, (the biggest i have ever grown) and each plant had at least 5 to 7 fruits on them. they tasted better that the black beautys i have used in the past.

Julie,

I think its OK to experiment with trying to over-winter them, but I doubt that it is worth the trouble unless you happen to have a greenhouse. Our growing season is shorter than yours and I start my eggplants a month or two early indoors under extra-bright overdriven fluorescent lights. By the time I set them out around the first of June they are quite large and some already have blooms.

"I know there is a variety that is described in the Scheeper's catalog that is appropriate for us Northerners, bearing fruit in our short growing season."

There are many varieties of eggplant that do well here in Maine, provided you give them an early start. Johnny's Seeds is a good source of varieties for cooler climates: http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/prodlist.html?source=&cat_id=1&parent_id=1&topcatid=1&subcatid=21&topname=Vegetable%20Seeds&subname=Eggplant&ct=hg&level=1

We had very good luck with Tango eggplant from Johnny's, although the seed is exotically expensive. We intend to grow Tango again next year, as well as several other varieties.

Stokes Seeds is another good cooler climate source: http://www.stokeseeds.com/cgi-bin/StokesSeeds.storefront

MM

This message was edited Sep 15, 2005 2:19 PM

The worst part is: I am not even all that crazy about Eggplant! I have heard of the "black beauties" - that they are very tasty. I may try this just for fun - I am sure the plants would be very leggy - even under lamps. Could they be safely mailed to someone in a warmer climate? Or do they fail when they are uprooted? I know I am putting WAY too much energy into this, but it's just one tiny part of my obsession.

Also keep in mind that it's not just about light for eggplant - they really need & thrive with HEAT. Like tropical heat.

Folks who make the mistake of planting their eggplant seedlings out too early often think there's something wrong when the plants don't take off like the other garden seedlings, but eggplants won't do a darn thing until the temps start to get way up there.

I have a heated enclosure for a critter in my bedroom - the temps will be quite toasty for the plants! I agree that many seedlings falter when sown early - & then we shock them again when we set them outdoors. I find that step the hardest - getting my plants acclimated to the outside light & air. The lamps help a bit, but you have to keep them on for about 14 hours to come close to actual sunlight...