Pumpkin on a Stick Eggplant - Solanum Integrifolium - Delicious & Ornamental
Quantity: 10 Seeds
Pumpkin on a Stick, aka Solanum Integrifolium, is a fruit producing plant in the Solanaceae (nightshade) family. It's a relatively unknown plant, but is finally making its debut in North America. The plant grows vigorously, and the branches are strong enough that it doesn't need to be trellised. Pumpkin on a Stick produces an abundance of ornamental fruits that are both edible and delicious. The fruits are harvested young while they're still green. They taste similar to other eggplant varieties, so can be cooked in similar ways. The plants are perennial down to zone 9, but can be taken indoors for the winter or grown as an annual anywhere else.
All seeds are organic and open pollinated.
Growing Instructions
For the highest yields, It’s best to start Pumpkin on a Stick seeds indoors about 6-8 weeks before the last frost; we start them here on the farm in mid March. It's good to sow them in a sterile growing medium; most available seed starting soils should do the job nicely; we use sunshine mix (peat moss and perlite). The soil should be made moist, but not damp. Sow the seeds 1/8 inch below the soil surface. Store in a warm area until tiny sprouts emerge from the soil. A heat mat greatly aids in this step, but is not necessary. Seeds can take up to 3 weeks to germinate, but may take less time too. Once germinated, and the first true leaf has formed, it's time to pot up to a larger container that contains a good quality potting soil. Transplant to their final location when the nighttime temperatures are consistently 10°C or higher; for us at the farm, this is around early May, but they are quite resilient, so can be planted out early without sacrificing yields later on in the season.