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'Ichiban' Eggplant
 
Sub-Category: Early
 
Sub-Category 2:
Description: Early Asian hybrid. 8- to 10-inch by 2- to 3-inch, slightly curved fruit on 36- to 40-inch plant.
Days To Maturity: 57-58
Seed Sources:
 
Rating Summary
 
Overall: (4.1 Stars)Overall
Taste: (4.1 Stars)Taste
Yield: (3.9 Stars)Yield
Ease/Reliability: (4.3 Stars)Ease/Reliability
 
Reviews
 
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Number of Reviews: 15

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KEY: O=Overall Rating, T=Taste, Y=Yield, E=Ease

Reviewed on 09/22/2011 by HartsdaleNY - A novice gardener

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Westchester, New York, United States
Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days
Soil Texture: Not Sure
Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

Available at any major garden centers/nurseries around here, $3/each plant. Very productive, low maintenance. Produces more than 50 eggplants, starting mid July in large self-watering containers.
 

Reviewed on 03/07/2011 by HippyChick - An intermediate gardener

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Brevard, Florida, United States
Frost Free Season: More than 203 days
Soil Texture: Sand
Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20')
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day

I've grown these for years, and have always had great luck with them. They produce reliably in warmer weather, and make it easily through the winter (even with the below freezing temps we've had the past few years.
 

Reviewed on 11/14/2010 by gardengab - An experienced gardener

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Lake, California, United States
Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days
Soil Texture: Clay
Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

Has been my favorite eggplant for five years: easy to grow, almost pest free, high yield until November, good taste. I love to use it for stir fry or bake it halved upside down in olive oil and tamari with a bit of rosemary and garlic. And yes, I will definitely grow it again next year!
 

Reviewed on 07/21/2010 by Sherilou - An intermediate gardener

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Otero, New Mexico, United States
Frost Free Season: 183 - 203 days
Soil Texture: Clay
Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20')
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day

Very poor yield, bland flavor and they "went seedy" very quickly. I will not grow this variety again. The plants had plenty of water and excellent soil in their raised garden bed. We had week after week of 100 degree heat , so I'm guessing that this variety of eggplant is not heat tolerant.
 

Reviewed on 03/10/2009 by GardenerHI - An experienced gardener

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Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Frost Free Season: More than 203 days
Soil Texture: Sand
Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

very unsatisfactory - low germination, poor yield, bland taste.
 

Reviewed on 09/27/2008 by backyd_grdnr - A novice gardener

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Boulder, Colorado, United States
Frost Free Season: 103 - 123 days
Soil Texture: Not Sure
Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

This was one of my favorite vegetables this year. We ate them stir-fried and simmered in Thai curries. The skin is very tender, and there are virtually no seeds. They produced maybe a half dozen or so eggplants per plant. I crowded them a bit at 1' spacing, but next year I'll go 1.5'.
 

Reviewed on 08/14/2008 by smurfette0424 -

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Montgomery, Maryland, United States
Frost Free Season:
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My 4 plants are healthy and quite productive. They're tall but require minimal support because they don't get bushy. Will likely grow again next year, although I am not crazy about the long/skinny varieties.
 

Reviewed on 08/02/2008 by SewingDiva - An intermediate gardener

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Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States
Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days
Soil Texture: Loam
Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20')
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day

Delicious long dark purple fruit with tender skin. Mostly straight, we did get a few curved fruits. The plants are beautiful in a potager style garden, the stems are dark purple and the leaves are blue-green.
 
1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.  

Reviewed on 07/31/2007 by putnambz4 - An experienced gardener

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Hamilton, Ohio, United States
Frost Free Season: 183 - 203 days
Soil Texture: Clay
Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day

Very good taste, texture good if you cut the eggplant thicker. That's for stir fry and such. Also for frying, cut thinner and its excllent deep fried with panko bread coating. The ground must be fully warmed before transplanting, otherwise it does not produce rapidly the rest of the season. I have two plants, one plant transplanted on 5/15/07 and one transplanted 6/20/07. The eggplant planted 6/20 out grew and out produced 3-1 the eggplant put in the ground in May. I think the ground was too cold for the May planting.
 

Reviewed on 01/30/2007 by hidebeetle - An intermediate gardener

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Multnomah, Oregon, United States
Frost Free Season: More than 203 days
Soil Texture: Clay
Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day

Another reliable eggplant (with Pingtung long) in cool short seasons. Beautiful tall plants sturdy but sometimes need staking. Firm purple-black fruit is not as lovely as Pingtung long, keeps longer in fridge though. Medium productive, but reliable, a big deal for us. Some years more productive than others.
 

Reviewed on 12/09/2006 by pepperhead212 - An experienced gardener

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Gloucester, New Jersey, United States
Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days
Soil Texture: Loam
Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40')
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day

One of the most reliable eggplants for me through the years. Plants tall, needing staking often, and a great yield, as long as it is picked often. Flavor is very good, though it will get a little bitter if left on the plant too long. Stays firm in recipes, taking a long time to soften, making it a good type for stir-fries.
 

Reviewed on 12/01/2006 by Cranberry fiend - An experienced gardener

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Fairfield, Connecticut, United States
Frost Free Season: 183 - 203 days
Soil Texture: Loam
Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day

Tall plant to 3' , large sweet Japanese type, 8-10" long with a blunt point on the end. 6+ fruits per plant. Always one of 3 high performing egplant varieties with Swallow and Ping Tung. Reliable germination too.
 

Reviewed on 05/12/2006 by farmerdill - An experienced gardener

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Richmond, Georgia, United States
Frost Free Season: 183 - 203 days
Soil Texture: Sand
Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

My favorite eggplant for taste, productivity and reliability. Out performs the similar Millionaire for me.
 

Reviewed on 01/22/2006 by KentB - An experienced gardener

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Minnesota, United States
Frost Free Season: 103 - 123 days
Soil Texture: Sand
Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day

Small fruit but overall more productive than larger varieties in our dry northern garden.
 

Reviewed on 02/08/2005 by Grandad - An experienced gardener

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East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Frost Free Season: More than 203 days
Soil Texture: Loam
Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

This has traditionally been my #1 eggplant. An excellant tasting eggplant; absolutely no bitterness. It has very few seeds. It does (for me) tend on occasion to be a lesser producer than are some of the other varieties. So you may want to set out a few extras plants to compensate.
 




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