The Ultimate (and Slightly Entertaining) Guide to Growing and Saving Eggplant Seeds
So, you want to grow eggplant? Excellent choice! Eggplant is not only a delicious and versatile vegetable (or fruit, if you want to get technical), but it also makes a stunning addition to any garden. Whether you're in it for the baba ghanoush, the eggplant parmesan, or just the satisfaction of watching your little purple (or white, or green) buddies thrive, this guide has got you covered.
How to Grow Eggplant
Eggplants are like that friend who loves summer and refuses to wear a jacket in winter. They demand warmth and sunshine, but with a little planning, you can keep them happy and thriving.
Time of Planting
Eggplants need a head start, so don’t just toss seeds in the dirt and hope for the best. Start them indoors about 7-10 weeks before they move to their outdoor home. Ideally, sow them 3-4 weeks before the last frost and transplant them outside 4-6 weeks after the last frost. Patience is key here—eggplants hate the cold more than a cat hates bath time.
Spacing Requirements
Give your eggplants some breathing room! Sow seeds ½ inch deep and space plants 18-24 inches apart. Trust me, they will thank you for not making them compete for space like people fighting over the last slice of pizza.
Time to Germination
Expect to see tiny sprouts within 10-14 days. If nothing happens, don’t panic—just make sure they’re warm enough and resist the urge to yell at them (they don’t respond well to pressure).
Special Considerations
Eggplants are divas when it comes to temperature. Before moving them outdoors, ensure the soil temperature is at least 55-60°F. Any colder, and they’ll sulk (or worse, not grow at all).
Common Pests and Diseases
Eggplants are a favorite snack for aphids, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, and other garden menaces. They’re also susceptible to anthracnose and Tobacco Mosaic Virus. Cover young plants with row covers in the spring to keep pests from turning your eggplant dreams into a nightmare.
Harvesting Eggplant (for Eating)
When harvesting eggplant for consumption, look for fruits that are large but still slightly soft when pressed. If they feel like rocks, they need more time. If they feel like overripe avocados, you waited too long. Freshly harvested eggplants can be stored in the fridge for about a week—if they last that long before you devour them.
Eating
Eggplant is a culinary chameleon. Roast it, grill it, puree it into baba ghanoush, or fry it into crispy goodness. Its meaty texture makes it perfect for long cooking times, so throw it in a stew, a curry, or even a tart.
How to Save Eggplant Seeds
Alright, so you’ve mastered growing eggplants. Now, let’s talk about keeping the magic alive by saving seeds for future generations (or just for next season).
Life Cycle
Eggplant is an annual, meaning you’ll need to replant it each year. No magical self-regenerating eggplants here, unfortunately.
Recommended Isolation Distance
Eggplants can cross-pollinate, so if you’re growing multiple varieties, keep them separated by at least 300-1,600 feet unless you want some weird and unpredictable eggplant offspring.
Recommended Population Sizes
- If you’re just saving seeds for yourself, one plant will do.
- For maintaining a variety over many generations, save seeds from 5-20 plants.
- If you’re preserving a rare variety, go big—save seeds from at least 50 plants.
Assessing Seed Maturity
Unlike harvesting for eating, you need to let the eggplant fruit go way beyond its prime for seed saving. The skin will turn yellow or brownish, lose its shine, and the flesh will soften. At this point, they look pretty unappetizing, but that’s exactly what you want!
Harvesting Seeds
When your eggplant looks like it belongs in a compost bin rather than a dinner plate, it’s time to harvest the seeds. Simply pull the ripe fruits from the plant and prepare to get a little messy.
Cleaning and Processing
- Chop it up: Cube the overripe eggplant and throw it in a food processor with a bit of water.
- Blend carefully: Use a dough blade instead of a chopping blade to avoid mangling your precious seeds.
- Separate seeds from pulp: Pour the seed slurry into a container, add more water, and stir. The viable seeds will sink, while the pulp and dud seeds will float. Repeated decanting will remove most of the gunk.
- Final rinse: Strain the seeds and give them a strong rinse to remove any remaining pulp.
- Dry properly: Spread the seeds on a screen or coffee filter and let them dry in a warm, well-ventilated space. No mold allowed!
Storage and Viability
Store your dried seeds in an airtight container in a cool, dark, and dry place. If stored correctly, eggplant seeds will remain viable for 4-6 years. That means you can take a break and still come back to your eggplant empire later.
Final Thoughts
Growing and saving eggplant seeds isn’t rocket science, but it does require a bit of patience and planning. Treat them well, and they’ll reward you with delicious fruits year after year. Plus, there’s something incredibly satisfying about knowing your future eggplants came from seeds you saved yourself.
Now go forth, grow some eggplants, and remember—if all else fails, at least you tried. Happy gardening!