Black BeautyThis delicious and versatile vegetable is very popular worldwide. Plants grow 2"-3" (60-90 cm) tall, with four or more oval fruits. One of the garden's best meat substitutes.
Culture: Sow eggplant seeds indoors 8 weeks before the last frost in spring using a seed starting kit. Accustom young plants to outdoor conditions by moving them to a sheltered place outside for a week. Excellent plants for beds, Intensive growing, and container growing. Harvest: Beginning 78 days from date of transplant, long harvest season. Nutrition: Fat, sodium, and cholesterol-free. Good source of vitamins A and B. Seed Saving: Because eggplant pollinates itself without the help of insects, cross pollination is not likely; however, separate different varieties by about 40' to guarantee genetic purity. When the fruit is fully ripe, it will drop off the plant; at this stage it will be dull and purplish brown with slightly puckered flesh. Cure for two weeks. Several methods for separating the seeds from the flesh are effective. Some seed savers grate the bottom portion of the eggplant, which contains the seeds - since these seeds have a protective coating and are very slippery, they will not be damaged. Place the grated mixture in a bowl with water and work it with your fingers; the good seed will sink to the bottom. Another method is to cut the eggplant into 1/2" squares, put them in a blender, and pulse for a few seconds; next, proceed with washing the seeds. Remove the seeds at the bottom of the container of water to a flat surface, and allow them to dry; store in a cool, dry location for up to five years. Notes:
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CategoriesFDL Seed Library
The FDL Seed Library is a collection of open-pollinated and heirloom seeds that you can borrow to plant and grow at home. By saving seeds as a community we help create local seed stocks that are better acclimated to our climate and which support an abundant and genetically diverse landscape.
We ask that seeds are “returned” by harvesting seeds from a plant or two that you grow. Donated seeds will help to add diversity to our collection. Archives
March 2022
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