Sowed aubergines! & Thai Green Peas

[veg4681]

You're right, the Thai Green Long ones is the one to go for, along with most eggplant variety...the pictures speak for themselves and the Thai looks like the sort that can ACTUALLY feed me from just one plant. I'm really not keen on growing too many plants for a given vegetable, I have space and resource issues growing in a small garden (so why I had to ditch normal size sweet/bell peppers).

[smallblueplanet]

The ichiban and the ping tung were also reasonably prolific, its just I didn't take a photo at the right time!

[smallblueplanet]

Got up this morning and checked - a baby rosa bianca and farmers long F1 are thru too.

Edit - oh and a Early long purple 2 (Wilkos)!

[Alison]

I sowed a couple of ichiban and black beauty last month. Both the black beauty came through and one of the ichiban and they are now starting to form second leaves. Will be sowing some more this weekend as well as some De Barbentane seeds I've been given. Fingers crossed for something better than last year when I got lots of flowers but no fruit!

[Glasshousevirgin]

Congrats on your delivery of baby aubs so far Blue!
I am finding your whole approach to these "difficult to grow vege" educational and inspiring! Those photos are great despite what you have said.
I was given 3 GH grown aubergines year before last from a friend which did better than my home grown and slow to mature ones. However it must have been a reasonably good year for them as when the weather was right they produced quite well (mine and donated).
I did note that windy or cloudy weather seemed to set them back and stop production but they picked up if sheltered behind screens.
With a this experience behind me and a GH last year I was hopeful last year I would do well too but none really did more than produce lots of leaves or flowers (inside or out).
My suspicions were the GH was actually too hot or variable due to only having roof vents on auto openers and need to open door as well. I do not have luxury of GH / allotment in same town ( in same place as I work/ used to live ) so walking mine to from house not an option for me.
So far I have 3 Black beauty in our flat planted (01.02.08) in compost blocks sitting on a low heater. Wish me well!

[veg4681]

Got up this morning and checked - a baby rosa bianca and farmers long F1 are thru too.

Edit - oh and a Early long purple 2 (Wilkos)!

Grrrr.....I've fallen behind BIG TIME already despite the early sowing . I'm ditching the Ichiban, Ping Tung and Diamond that were sown in middle of January, they've had their chance! On a positive side, they're doing me a favour anyway to concentrate on the Calliope (eggplant) variety. I've decided that I'll only grow the eggplant and long shaped aubergine variety. BTW I was a given aubergine seeds for variety called Florida Market, have you heard of it? I checked it out on the Net but it sounded like giant size to me so I chickened out .

I'm sure all of yours will be a runaway success as you've grown them before successfully with 4 years of experience behind you. I think it helps that you allocate good space for them growing in the ground of the greenhouse as opposed to pots which may not be often ideal.

Good luck to those growing the conventional biggish shaped aubergines, I don't think I can try hard enough for them as I don't have the confidence nor the patience.

I sowed a couple of ichiban and black beauty last month. Both the black beauty came through and one of the ichiban and they are now starting to form second leaves. Will be sowing some more De Barbentane this weekend as well as some seeds I've been given. Fingers crossed for something better than last year when I got lots of flowers but no fruit!

Alison, I recognised your 'De Barbentane' as Real Seeds aubergine. Hopefully that should be quite a performer unless you can report otherwise. SBP didn't have much to say about the other Real Seeds' aubergine called 'Diamond' so I'm not too disappointed that the seeds failed to germinate.

Congrats on your delivery of baby aubs so far Blue! I am finding your whole approach to these "difficult to grow vege" educational and inspiring! Those photos are great despite what you have said.

They are indeed difficult to grow veggie . All the best of luck to your Black Beauty but do consider the smaller fruiting (eggplant, baby sized) and long ones too.

[smallblueplanet]

.....With this experience behind me and a GH last year I was hopeful last year I would do well too but none really did more than produce lots of leaves or flowers (inside or out).

Last year we got very few fruit, rosa bianca did the best with 4 or so. As with yours the others were lots of leaves and flowers, but no setting.

My suspicions were the GH was actually too hot or variable due to only having roof vents on auto openers and need to open door as well....

We grow directly into the borders of our greenhouse, this makes a big difference with plant size compared to pot grown. We change the border compost every other year - we've a wormery for compost enrichment.

I'm sure some will disagree, but I keep my g/h as hot as possible, aubs love heat & humidity. (I found some info last year that said they won't grow at less than 21C, think its about 15C for toms.) I open the door only when it is very hot, otherwise just the top window for ventilation is open. Lots of last summer neither were open. If its really hot & dry I'll splash a watering can of water over the path to bring the temp down and keep some humidity.

I don't worry about it being too hot for our toms to set as they will set in the evenings when its cooler - never had any problems with toms not fruiting.

We plant a couple of small french marigolds for insect attractant and whitefly protection. We grow basil in the gaps between plants - they go wild!

Good luck, from what you say with your growing last year you'll do well if we get the weather! Also try some of the smaller (not mini) fruiting aubs like the long thin ones that fruit in clusters - the thai long green was great, just a bit bland for me.

[smallblueplanet]

Grrrr.....I've fallen behind BIG TIME already despite the early sowing . I'm ditching the Ichiban, Ping Tung and Diamond that were sown in middle of January, they've had their chance!

You could just stand them to one side out of the prop and leave them to see if they grow? Not really wasting anything.

On a positive side, they're doing me a favour anyway to concentrate on the Calliope (eggplant) variety. I've decided that I'll only grow the eggplant and long shaped aubergine variety. BTW I was a given aubergine seeds for variety called Florida Market, have you heard of it?

Good idea, we started trying growing aubs in Derbyshire with the small fruiting apple green. Heard of Florida Market is all, never seen a piccy or owt.

...I think it helps that you allocate good space for them growing in the ground of the greenhouse as opposed to pots which may not be often ideal.

I agree, I think it helps when it comes to getting fruit - but you should still be able to germinate your seeds.

Alison, I recognised your 'De Barbentane' as Real Seeds aubergine. Hopefully that should be quite a performer unless you can report otherwise. SBP didn't have much to say about the other Real Seeds' aubergine called 'Diamond' so I'm not too disappointed that the seeds failed to germinate.

Diamond was from Dave's Seeds in the USA, it did okay but was a large purple oval-shaped aub, which I find it seems you don't get quite as many fruit from a single plant? Althought the year we cheated and bought a plant from the GC - called Black Bell - it was very prolific fruiting, and a similar type. It's often sold as a plant for market gardeners in the US and I've not seen seed of it.

I've seen de Barbentane called different names - Hative (ie Early) de Barbentane and Violette de Barbentane - lets hope Real Seeds have the 'Hative' one!

[Glasshousevirgin]

Thx for feedback. I did try using the beds last year (in GH) but not much prep done (often my failing).
I am trying some Grow bags this year and will dig them in for next year.

[smallblueplanet]

Thx for feedback. I did try using the beds last year (in GH) but not much prep done (often my failing).
I am trying some Grow bags this year and will dig them in for next year.

We don't do much prep, but scatter some organic chicken poo pellets in the planting hole.

[smallblueplanet]

I'm posting some piccies of our propagator cos I can't understand why you're struggling so veg4681.

- prop & reflector

- modules

- 5 baby aubs

Good luck with the Calliope seeds.

[Glasshousevirgin]

makes it sound so easy! I prop ok with unheated propagator using heater in house - seems to take longer but ok so far.
Will bear that in mind as have a lot of chicken poo pellets and they well for most plants.

[smallblueplanet]

makes it sound so easy! I prop ok with unheated propagator using heater in house - seems to take longer but ok so far.

Never done anything special, but never really had a problem, only when sowing too early or when something (like lettuce!) doesn't need heat. Unheated prop in a warm house is good too - but I'm a bit impatient (okay a lot impatient!) and the heated prop was half-price.

[Seahorse]

I'm posting some piccies of our propagator cos I can't understand why you're struggling so veg4681.

[ATTACH]3901[/ATTACH] - prop & reflector

[ATTACH]3902[/ATTACH] - modules

[ATTACH]3903[/ATTACH] - 5 baby aubs

Good luck with the Calliope seeds.

Just out of curiosity Manda, in my kitchen I can choose between having my little propagators under the window or next to the radiator (opposite sides of the room). Which do you think matters more for aubs?

[smallblueplanet]

Just out of curiosity Manda, in my kitchen I can choose between having my little propagators under the window or next to the radiator (opposite sides of the room). Which do you think matters more for aubs?

I'm guessing, but as long as your room isn't too cold (around 18-20C?), then when the aubs have germinated light is important. Mine are already leaning towards the window. The 'reflector' I knocked up (piece of cardboard box covered with tin foil, stuck on with sellotape) really helps with this and stops them leaning so much. (Edit - you may notice that the box used is an empty wine box, the bottle seperating bits of card make a good stand for the reflector. Oh and you get to empty the wine box. )

I'm guessing light cos of the difference it made to the toms/chillis/aubs last year when they were walked to the g/h (and back) as early as is possible, depending on unheated g/h temp. (Also the exercise is good for me too!)