Aubergine disaster

[queen of the cobs]

Well thank you guys for the overwhelming response! I guess the consensus is they wont grow without the sun. I think next year I might just grow a couple in the conservatory and bring them on early as poss.

If you like, I will send you some of the seeds from my violetta longa? Don't mean to boast, but got an average of 5 fruits of each plant (ok, so I am boasting!) PM me and I'll put them in the post to you. Happy to do the same for others too, don't give up on aubergines, everyone!

[lottie dolly]

think i must have beginers luck,first time i growing them,planted the seed in january,then nearly lost them,eventually they decided to grow,i put them in the unheated green house end may/june,and all 6 plants took off,have had 8 or 9 fruits so far,all of a good size,although they where a not regulare shape,some plants have got nothing,whilst 1 had 5,they still have some growing although not as vigerouse,and a lot of the flowers have droped of,i spray them with water as well as water the pots,i must give them another feed,i am very happy with my first attempt,it's the first time we have ever tasted them,will grow MORE next year.

[Capsid]

think i must have beginers luck,first time i growing them,planted the seed in january,then nearly lost them,eventually they decided to grow,i put them in the unheated green house end may/june,and all 6 plants took off,have had 8 or 9 fruits so far,all of a good size,although they where a not regulare shape,some plants have got nothing,whilst 1 had 5,they still have some growing although not as vigerouse,and a lot of the flowers have droped of,i spray them with water as well as water the pots,i must give them another feed,i am very happy with my first attempt,it's the first time we have ever tasted them,will grow MORE next year.

Yes, I think you need to sow them very early, they need a long growing season. I didn't sow mine until April 5th, this was too late I think.

[smallblueplanet]

We sowed ours in a heated propagator on 2nd Feb, they were going/growing great guns in the unheated greenhouse until about mid-July when the weather changed and they stopped fruiting. We'd had our first small 'early long purple 2' on 23rd June.

Here are the ones that remain after they started fruiting again when the weather picked up again and it was warmer, if not very sunny. I've given the plants left in the greenhouse a severe short back and sides, to let air circulate and to give what fruit there is left a better chance of ripening.


- de barbantane on the left, rosa bianca on the right.

[brooklynodog]

Very interested in that picture sbp, do they grow ok with such little foliage? When do you cut it off?

[smallblueplanet]

Hi bd, I cut off the foliage and any 'branches' without fruit growing on it, yesterday. I did the same with my toms and slightly less severe to the peppers. Although we've had no summer I have had to accept its now realistically only a couple of weeks from the end of the growing season in an unheated greenhouse. My aim is to stop 'leaf growth' and to hope the plant concentrates on growing the remaining fruit.

[trebellangeminired]

I sowed Thompson and Morgans Black Beauty on 12th April. Very much too late I fear. Last year I sowed Moneymaker much earlier. The funny thing is, now that Autumn is approaching , the leaves are improving. The only explanation I can come up with for this is that they get the left over feeding water from the tomatoes and there is more light now that the tomato foliage is being cut back.

QOTC - If you have enough seed I would like to try the Violetta Longa please. I have quite a lot of seed if you would like a swap

[di]

The first thing I do when I get my obligitory 2009 calendar from Andi's Aunt this christmas is gonna be to put "sow aubergines" on the 1st of Feb!!Tink late sowings has been my downfall so far!And of course the glouriously long hot summer that we're owed is going to have a huge contribution too!

[Woofster]

My aubergines (Black Beauty have been a dead loss. 4 plants in greenhouse and only one fruit (quite early on). I have been quite successful in the past in good summers. I have achieved my aim of making my own ratatouille with all home grown veg in the past (aubergines, courgettes, peppers, onions, tomatoes and garlic). My present project is to grow my summer pudding (apart from the bread and sugar !)

[lettucegrow!]

So what do I do with my plants that didn't produce any fruit (my fault, I over planted the greenhouse ,first greenhouse and put way too much in it.I now see that less is more!!) will I be able to keep them over winter and have a head start net year? I can heat the greenhouse when necessary.

[Demeter]

My present project is to grow my summer pudding (apart from the bread and sugar !)

Why not the bread and sugar?!
You can grow a little patch of wheat or some other cereal, and then either sugar beet or stevia... or get some bees and use honey instead

It's growing your own cream that'll be the tough one.
Moooooooooo

[Cutecumber]

OK, I can offer a little advice... I think

Firstly, if you don't have a heated greenhouse to start your aubs off early, and PLENTY of light (and actually, even if you do!) stick to one of the reliable, bog standard types - I would highly recommend Moneymaker. It's boring, I mean it's just a normal purple aubergine, but it has never failed me.

I had terrible trouble with Black Beauty last year - though I know some people have succeeded - but this year I have had some lovely fruit from Bonica, another standard type. I would grow the latter again.

I don't by any means have great conditions for growing aubergines (shaded, north facing garden) but they obviously aren't too bad:

I sow indoors in late Feb, into modules. They stay indoors until the greenhouse is warm enough to take them during the day, then they eventually go in there full time. The plants grow very slowly - don't be fooled into potting up too quickly as they hate having too much space, and they hate having wet roots, especially when young. Basically, leave them well alone in their early months - don't fiddle, just keep your eyes open while it's cool and wet.

In early summer they should start to grow more quickly and you need to make sure they have a good rich compost and a warm sheltered spot. My greenhouse is not as light as it might be, but it's warm enough so they do ok.

They should end up in a pot of about 10-15 litres, similar to a tomato, and you should feed them regularly. Don't let the plant set all the flowers - they can't carry them. Restrict them to, at the most, five (of the large types). You may find that they flower and fruit again in a good season - I've just picked my first from a second batch - the first ones were in July!

One significant problem is red spider mite. You notice yellow-brown mottling on the leaves and the plant loses vigour. It will kill the plant in the end unless treated. I don't do anything about it and still harvest two or three good fruit from each plant. Mine are pretty much done-for now, but I've had five fruit from two plants which is fine.

So, I don't think they're an easy choice for the UK climate, but you can improve your chances with the right varieties, some pre-planning and significant TLC.

[Capsid]

Good advice there Cutecumber, many thanks. I think my problem has been that they have been too wet. I have an automatic drip watering system and the aubergines got too much and the toms too little.

[Woofster]

Thanks for the advice, Cutecumber. I shall start much earlier next year and try one of the varieties you suggest. Also I am not going to overfill my greenhouse (at least, that is what I am saying now !)
As for growing bread and sugar, Demeter ... hmmm, I'll have to think about that. I do make my own bread, so that is a start.

[Paulottie]

True CuteC , As I recall I had good success with Moneymaker, even grew some outside one year...but then I think we had a better summer. Didn't have any Spidermite probs this year.