Overview:
This document is a detailed seed catalog from Seeds By Design Inc., focusing on a wide variety of eggplant cultivars. It provides descriptions, characteristics, and specifications for each eggplant variety offered, targeting commercial growers and home gardeners.

1. Varietal Specifications and Descriptions

The catalog lists multiple eggplant varieties, each with detailed traits including fruit shape, color, plant height, maturity, and suitability for different climates and culinary uses.

• Apple Green: Beautiful round pale green fruit on sturdy bushy plants.
• Black Egg: Japanese variety, pear-shaped, slightly blocky fruits 5-7 inches, bushy 3-foot plants, early maturing, suited for cool climates.
• Black Moon F1: Black long oval smooth fruit with glossy skin, 30-inch plants, early maturing, purple calyx, up to 8 fruits per plant.
• Eclipse F1: Very early maturing, tear-drop shaped large fruit with green calyx and purple skin, disease resistant, suited for commercial markets.
• Finger Fruit Series (Green, Purple, White): Miniature finger-shaped fruits, very sweet and tender, with color variants (green, purple, white). White version is sweet enough to eat fresh.
• Full Moon F1: Bushy spreading 28-inch plants with purplish-black smooth oval fruits, 6 inches diameter, 1-3 pounds, excellent for northern climates.
• Italian Long Purple: Dark purple Italian heirloom with green calyx, tender and non-bitter flesh, 8-inch cylindrical fruits, best harvested young.
• Louisiana Long Green: Prolific plants with 8-inch light green fruits, meaty and mild, no bitterness, excellent for stir fry and Asian cuisine, 30-inch sturdy plants.
• Odyssey F1: Florida market hybrid with glossy dark purple almost black long oval fruits, green calyx, suited for southern climates.
• Pink Twilight F1: Attractive light purple long fruit with excellent flavor, very early, Asian hybrid with fantastic eating quality.
• Purple Comet F1: Classic Asian long eggplant with green and purple calyx, matures in 70 days, fruits lighten as they grow, bitter-free white flesh.
• Rosia Bianca: Italian heirloom with medium-sized 5-8 inch oval light pink fruits with creamy white shading, meaty and mild flavor, early maturing.
• Thai Purple F1: Round mini eggplant, bright purple, 2-3 inch fruits, 3-foot tall plants, abundant production.
• Turkish Orange: Unique orange ribbed fruits from Turkey, insect resistant plants 20 inches tall, best eaten green or stuffed orange, ornamental value.
• White Star F1: White hybrid eggplant, can be harvested as baby or mature tear-drop shaped glossy white fruit, very early, excellent for northern climates.

2. Fruit and Plant Characteristics

The catalog provides detailed parameters for each variety including:

• Fruit Shape: Round, oval, tear-drop, elongated, cylindrical, finger-shaped.
• Fruit Color: Purple, green, black, white, orange, pink, lavender to grey.
• Calyx Color: Green, purple, black.
• Plant Height: Ranges from 20 inches (Turkish Orange) to 36 inches or more.
• Maturity Days: Varies from very early (around 45 days) to about 90 days.

3. Cultivation and Usage Recommendations

• Many varieties are noted for their suitability to specific climates: Northern climates (Full Moon F1, White Star F1), Southern climates (Odyssey F1, Louisiana Long Green).
• Several varieties are recommended for commercial markets due to disease resistance and yield (Eclipse F1, Black Moon F1).
• Culinary uses include stir fry, fresh eating (Finger Fruit varieties), stuffing (Turkish Orange), and ornamental gardening (Rosia Bianca, Turkish Orange).
• Some varieties are prized for their non-bitter, tender flesh (Italian Long Purple, Rosia Bianca, Purple Comet F1).

4. Additional Information

The document includes contact information for Seeds By Design Inc. located in Maxwell, California, with phone and fax numbers provided for orders or inquiries.

Summary:
This seed catalog is a comprehensive guide to a diverse collection of eggplant varieties, emphasizing fruit characteristics, plant growth habits, maturity, and suitability for different climates and markets. It serves as a valuable resource for growers seeking specific traits such as early maturity, disease resistance, unique fruit colors and shapes, and culinary qualities.