Eggplants for seed
Another step in my attempt to breed an northern outdoor eggplant
Today was the day. I think eggplants development in the garden has come to a halt now that autumn is cooling the garden down. I took the scissors, and cut all the plants off the root. I had plants scattered across the bed, but could now dig the labels out of the ground by each plant, and sort according to their parents in the last generation. It gives me an idea ofthe value of parental plants in breeding – it is what Carol Deppe call “Power Breeding”.
To get an idea of What it would be without power breeding, imagine what it would look like if I had simply mixed the plants as they stood in the garden, without sorting according to parental plants.
Rima F3 No.1
Mother plant to Rima F3 No.1 in its time hurried into setting a tiny eggplant, which was so early that the mature seeds rotted and dried up, while the other plants were still struggling to set fruits. This year, the plant to the right is especially interesting because it has set 4 big beautiful fruits in the open ground. My concrete tile measures 40x40cm for comparison (40 cm = 15.7 in).
Rima F3 No.2, and in the box the fruits from the best plant of Rima F3 No.1
Mother plant to Rima F3 No.2 is certainly not to rely on. One plant put a small eggplant, another nothing at all! No need to dig into the seed bag a second time, practising Power Breeding!
Rima F3 No.3
Mother plant to Rima F3 No.3 in turn has potential, and it is hereditary! All the plants set fruit, almost all up in the attractive size. 3 out of 7 plants set the abundant fruits in big size!
A favourite seed bag found. Hope I get seeds out of just some of the fruits.
Rima F3 “Largest fruit in the F2 generation”
This I grew a lot of last year as the mother plant had such a great fruit. Last year, it produced no fruits, when several of the others produced some fruits, however, no seeds. For this reason it is not my favourite line (Power Breeding again), but since I do not want to risk losing potential seed, I still saved the biggest fruits for ripening the seeds – imagine if it were the only ones who make seeds this year!
To the chef au cuisine 🙂
Eventually there were all those lovely, shiny aubergines with no chance to mature seeds. They will be cooked in the kitchen and enjoyed in meals the next days. My dream is that most of my eggplants can go into the kitchen. But as long as the plant breeding work need to be consolidated, I mainly try to save seeds.
In the toad's garden 
September 26, 2011 at 13:22
[…] Home-bred eggplants. Or aubergines. […]
September 26, 2011 at 22:12
I harvested my eggplants and cucumbers just the other day and was happily ready to work over them in my kitchen when I discovered that most of them had been infiltrated by worms.
I’ve been gardening for 20 years and have encountered worms in my tomatoes but never eggplants or cucumbers. My friend says that the economy has forced worms into acts of desperation. Do you have a more horticultural explanation?
October 3, 2011 at 20:14
I have slugs eating (especially this rainy summer) my eggplants, but no infiltrating worms. Not even sure your species of worms will be living up here in my garden.
Could it be, that a new species of worm has established in your garden/neighbourhood?
October 10, 2011 at 15:31
I had slugs around my eggplants as well as other veggies in my garden but I solved the problem by setting out a bunch of small containers of beer. The slugs are attracted to the beer and swarm towards it and drown. Sounds cruel but save my veggies.