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Old June 25, 2008   #4
nctomatoman
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7
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Yes, Eggplant do self-pollinate - just like their relatives, tomatoes and peppers. You can save seeds (wait until the fruits get yellow and soft, just cut in half and hold in a bowl of water, run your fingers around the flesh - sieve and dry the seeds). And, saving seeds from hybrids is fun, since you end up with something different and unexpected (one of the parents or something in between!). This year I am growing out all sorts of F2 and F3s.

You can pick them at any size you like - but be sure that it is before they get dull and start to fade in color or turn yellow or get soft. I stake mine to a 4 foot stake, but eventual height does vary by variety. New York Improved, a big black purple bulbous thing, can get nearly 5 feet tall. Most are in the 3-4 foot range.
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