2008 Eggplant growouts - first interesting observation

[nctomatoman]

As you probably figured, I don't like to do anything ordinary with respect to what I grow each year. My eggplants this year are Udmalbet (from a fruit Diane Whealy brought with her to Monticello last year and gave me - so from saved seed), Cloud Nine F2, Green Goddess F2, Ichiban F2, Antigua, Listada di Gandia, Orient Charm F3 (two plants), Louisiana Long Green (two plants), Zebra F2, and Orient Express F1.

When I grow out saved seeds from a hybrid, I look for subtle differences in the seedling color and then decide how many to grow out (crude and tiny sampling, I know, but I only have so much room!). Orient Charm F2 seed gave me two types of seedlings - about half had darker purple leaf veining - so I have one of each. With Louisiana Long Green, for some years now, I've noted that using my saved seed gives me two types of seedlings - about half have pale green stems with no purple blush at all, and half are slightly purple blushed. I finally decided to grow one of each - the slightly blushed seedlings have lavendar flowers, and the green stemmed seedlings are producing snow white flowers! I could see no variation in the Zebra or Cloud Nine or Ichiban F2 seedlings, so I am growing one of each. And I managed to get only one Green Goddess F2 to germinate, so that is what I have.

I am growing Orient Express because it always produces like a machine and gives me my first eggplant; this year is no exception, I am about to pick one, it will be picked 40 days from transplant, which must be a record, and a testament both to the advantage of growing eggplant in pots, and the incredible heat we had this spring.

I could only get one seedling of Listada di Gandia and Antigua to germinate, so these are growouts to get fresh seed. I do want to compare Antigua to Udmalbet - they look similar in pictures, but I suspect they are quite different.

I will post pics in this thread as things develop.