{"product_id":"round-green-african-eggplant","title":"Round Green African Eggplant","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease note: this listing is for \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eSEEDS\u003c\/span\u003e, not fresh eggplants!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRound, green and white striped African garden eggplant. People like to eat this real African Eggplant for its health benefits and to replace meat in various dishes. For preparation, they are mixed with fish, meat, oil, fried and eaten with sauce, or simply boiled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile these look like Thai Eggplants, these are much larger and harvested at about 4\" wide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnown as: Bitterballs, Garden Egg\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDays to maturity:\u003c\/strong\u003e 90\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeeds per pack:\u003c\/strong\u003e 60-65\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGermination rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 88% on 05\/07\/2026\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePlanting \/ harvesting notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are heat-loving, and seeds should be started indoors about 1\/4 inches deep, about 8 weeks before the last frost. The growing characteristics are like most eggplants. The plants reach about 1-2 feet tall and should be planted 18 inches apart. They need full sun and fertile soil. The eggplants begin green or white with green stripes but should be picked when they are fully grown round and white with green stripes or fully green in colors. They must be picked regularly to keep production and ensure they don't over ripen. For seed saving the fruits ripen to yellow or orange.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSeed keeping notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEggplants are generally self-pollinating, though we isolate different varieties of the same species by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e300 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003efeet, in hopes that flying insects will not cross pollinate them unexpectedly. \u003c\/span\u003eEggplant seeds are darkened when the fruits get far past their edible stage, and fruits have turned yellow or orange. Cut the fruit, scrape out seeds into a vessel, add a little water and allow the seeds to settle. Pour off the floating material and then strain the seeds through a strainer and allow them to dry in heat or sunlight. Lay out the seed to dry on a screen or paper tower in a heated area like the greenhouse or right in the kitchen cabinet over the stove.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Providence Farm Collective","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44073206022382,"sku":"EGG-016","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2406\/3467\/products\/RoundGreenAfricanEggplant.jpg?v=1678137276","url":"https:\/\/trueloveseeds.sbs\/products\/round-green-african-eggplant","provider":"Truelove Seeds","version":"1.0","type":"link"}