Eggplant Suggestions

[lavandulagirl]

Somebody remind me... are eggplant flowers similar to tomato flowers, in that the structure discourages outside pollination? (Not that it doesn't happen, just that the mechanics make it less likely).

Johno - whether they crossed or not, I'll bet they'll be good. Plus, we can hope that the characteristics of the Listada - like size, and that they fruited when none of the others did - are passed on. I'll take seeds if you have enough. Do you want some of the poppies CFF is sending to me? Or some Tahitian squash?

[raymondo]

The flower structure is similar but more open. It would be much easier for an insect to transfer pollen so my guess is that natural crossing would occur quite easily.

[lavandulagirl]

Thanks, Raymondo! I haven't ever been worried about crossing my eggplant, as I don't normally save eggplant seed. Therefore, I usually just pass by the eggplant bed thinking... "Hey! What tomatoes did I put over here?! Oh yeah... those are the eggplants."

Like I said earlier in the thread, my last foray into eggplants took a nasty flea beetle turn. I'm hopeful that I don't have quite as much of an issue out here in California. When we got here last summer, it was too hot even for the bugs, I think!