You don't say much about your growing conditions... I tried to grow eggplant for years and had very spotty results due to Verticillium Wilt. Some years the Vert. wasn't bad and I got a decent crop (mostly Black Beauty). Most years, the plants would load up and then the plants would wilt -- at most I'd get an eggplant or two!
Then I decided that I'd try a container -- just a couple of tubs about 30 gal. No self watering, just some drain holes in the bottom to prevent water logging. Two plants each. WOW! I really started getting eggplant. By then I'd moved to hybrids. I think that Neon and Nadia were among the first I tried.
A few years later, I moved to EarthBoxes, and my fortunes improved again! I use apx 12" square, 4 ft. tomato cages to support the plants and plant two per box. I tie the cages to prevent "blowover" in storms, and since I now have 11 Earthboxes, I made a stand for them to make it easier on my back. (As a bonus, by keeping the weeds and grass from contacting the plants, I reduce flea beetles greatly, but I still have to spray occasionally.)
Varieties... My experience is that with few exceptions, hybrids do *MUCH* better than OP's. Much greater difference than in tomatoes, IMO.
Neon -- the best, but no longer in production AFAIK,
Dancer -- it's successor, and nearly as good (Johnny's)
White Lightning -- excellent and early. (May no longer be available?)
White Star -- first time this year. Looks like a bigger plant than White Lightning.
Burpee's Early Midnight -- Earliest and most productive eggplant I've ever seen.
Nadia -- vigorous and supposedly somewhat resistant to Verticillium. (But that's not an issue in containers, anyway.) (Tomato Growers Supply)
We like the white and light purple eggplant. I'm convinced that they are milder than the dark purple varieties -- especially after the first few eggplants are harvested.
Photo shows my stand, cages, and lashing of the cages. Early Midnight (left); White Lightning (right). Dancer just visible in the rear on the right.
-GG
Quote:
Originally Posted by lakelady
unless someone can tell me otherwise. Last year I grew 4 varieties, and none of them were really very productive. It seemed like an awful lot of work for about 4 fruits per plant. I had Rosa Bianca, and Indian variety, and 2 others that were not too memorable.
I've never done much eggplant growing, and the only one that seemed to really rock out was the little Prince from Renee's Seeds. (hybrid baby eggplant).
Does anyone have a good eggplant that is really productive?
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