Starting Eggplant from Seed

Barley · by **Barley** » April 21st, 2011, 3:11 pm

I've read with great interest the threads on indoor seeding and hardening of tomato plants. Does everything said there apply to eggplant as well? I seeded 20 jiffy peat pots with about 3 seeds per pot, and every single seed germinated. I am now putting them under fluorescent lights for 17 hours/day and keeping the seeding mix moist but not wet. Most of the plants only have cotyledons at this point. Do I wait until first true leaves to cull? Also, do I eventually have to worry about the plants being rootbound in the tiny peat pots? Should I feed them anything before herdening and transplanting?

Thanks!

GaryCinChicago · by **GaryCinChicago** » April 25th, 2011, 9:38 am

Do I wait until first true leaves to cull?

I just snip the slowest growers whenever.

Also, do I eventually have to worry about the plants being rootbound in the tiny peat pots?

Yes! I will transplant to 16 or 20 once styrofoam cups once they develop their second set of leaves.

Should I feed them anything before herdening and transplanting?

I personally do not. Eggplant will take off once it gets warm. They love the heat. June 1st or later.

Barley · by **Barley** » April 25th, 2011, 9:59 am

Thanks Gary!

When I transplant to the styrofoam cups, do I bury the stems up to the first set of leaves?
When I transplant to the garden, do I bury the stems up to the first set of leaves?

I know at least when planting in the garden you should bury tomatoes, but not sure about other veggies.

On a related note, when you bury plants like that, do you bury them vertically, diagonally, or horizontally? If gotten different answers from different people.

Thanks again!

GaryCinChicago · by **GaryCinChicago** » April 27th, 2011, 11:29 am

Barley wrote:Thanks Gary!

When I transplant to the styrofoam cups, do I bury the stems up to the first set of leaves?
When I transplant to the garden, do I bury the stems up to the first set of leaves?

I know at least when planting in the garden you should bury tomatoes, but not sure about other veggies.

Eggplant is in the nightshade family like tomatoes. So to answer your question, yes you can/should.
If the plant is getting a little too tall, just snip off the lower branches and bury up and past the wounds. Roots will sprout.

On a related note, when you bury plants like that, do you bury them vertically, diagonally, or horizontally? If gotten different answers from different people.

What I've read is it really depends on how leggy the plant is when transplanted.
If the plant is normal, just dig deeper and stick it down inside the hole.
But if really tall and leggy, then planting it diagonally on an angle helps best for the stem to get a foothold and develop roots.

Barley · by **Barley** » April 29th, 2011, 10:23 am

GaryCinChicago wrote:Yes! I will transplant to 16 or 20 once styrofoam cups once they develop their second set of leaves.

Where do I poke the wholes in the cups (bottom, sides, both?), and do I keep on using the peat-like seeding mix, or do I graduate to a more soil-like potting mix, or straight soil?

Michael Wise · by **Michael Wise** » April 29th, 2011, 10:31 am

Anywhere that lets excess water drain.

My cups had a rim that left most of the bottom raised so the holes could drain.

If the bottom is completely flat, holes on the outside at the lowest point will be fine.

With my tomatoes, I used the same seed starting mix to transplant into larger cups.

GaryCinChicago · by **GaryCinChicago** » April 30th, 2011, 9:36 am

Barley wrote: and do I keep on using the peat-like seeding mix, or do I graduate to a more soil-like potting mix, or straight soil?

Seeding mix - OK

Potting mix- Better. Will retain moisture better than seeding mix. With it warming up now, I might consider that point.

Soil - never .. High risk of disease. Plant to young to fight back yet. The mixes are sterile.

clay&crabgrass · by **clay&crabgrass** » April 30th, 2011, 11:48 am

eggplant, butternut squash, zuccini, mellons, all seem to do a great job of sprouting and growing from seeds that end up in a semi attended compost pile. accidents, volunteers, whatever you want to call them. once growing they can be relocated. left unmanaged they can get pretty rambunctious.

Starting Eggplant from Seed

Starting Eggplant from Seed

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