Aubergines 2022

[Mr Bones]

That looks a good healthy plant Q. Don't know anything about pinching out etc. - we just leave ours to get on with it

[quanglewangle]

This is the bit that worries me because it exposes my lack of knowledge of plant physiology: which bits are stems and how many stems do need anyway? Which bits are just leaves? And worst of all, which bits will become flowers?

[peanut]

Here are my black beauty aubergines, they're looking good to me! Wish I'd sown more now.

[quanglewangle]

Mr Bones (previous post) looks good, greener than mine, and less leaf curl - caused by a run of 5°C nights.
Moneymaker

[Mr Bones]

Potted up the Black Beauty and Moneymaker. Early Long Purple are still not quite ready yet.

[peanut]

I don't think polycarbonate (the likely plastic) will block much light. Folks glaze greenhouses with it. And you will be adding so much light with your growlights I think the losses will be negligible.
LED lights don't give off much heat but do give off some - make sure you don't cook your plants.

That's great, thanks Q

[quanglewangle]

I don't think polycarbonate (the likely plastic) will block much light. Folks glaze greenhouses with it. And you will be adding so much light with your growlights I think the losses will be negligible.
LED lights don't give off much heat but do give off some - make sure you don't cook your plants.

[peanut]

I've now got my first grow lights
Do I need to remove my plastic bottle cloches (which have one or more holes in the tops) from my aubergines for the grow lights to work properly or will the light work just as well with them on? My house is rather draughty.

[peanut]

I pricked out my Aubergines a few days back and planted them deeply to counter their legginess, they're just getting their true leaves now and are looking good!

[Mr Bones]

You're way ahead of us.. but here's still time

[quanglewangle]

... Taking absolutely ages! I'm interested to see that yours aren't that much further forward, quangle...

Mine are about 2 or 3 weeks behind this year. Pic below was 11 March last year to compare. Several leaves by then.
On plus side once they get to this stage they speed up quite a bit.

[Babru]

I've been waiting for true leaves to form, so I can transplant them. Taking absolutely ages! I'm interested to see that yours aren't that much further forward, quangle. Very leggy too, so a good job I can plant them deep.

[quanglewangle]

In final 300mm pots now. First true leaves just forming.
Variety moneymaker

[Lymmguineas]

Thanks Quanglewangle.
I've got 4 Long Purple and 3 Jackpot growing.
All currently about 2 to 3 inches tall.
I'll let you know how I get on!

[quanglewangle]

How many hours a day do you leave it on for?
Are there disadvantages (apart from the electricity bill) for leaving it on 24/7?
Thanks.

Short form: I have the lights on from about sunrise to sunset. Not to nearest minute - I reset the timer every week or two so allow for lengthening days. Really early in the year I give them an hour or two extra each morning, but generally on for natural day-length.

Longer response: TL;DR
Like most plants aubergines are phototropic - grow better in more light (within limits)

But they are also photoperiodic - they need a period of light and a period of dark each day and in fact sustain damage under continuous light [1] (Not all plants are like this).

Also there are short-day plants, which flower with shortening day-length and long-day plants, which flower with lengthening days. (I think) aubergine is one of the later.

[1]Response of pepper and eggplant to continuous light in relation to leaf chlorosis and activities of antioxidative enzymes, Scientia Horticulturae
Volume 70, Issue 4, August 1997, Pages 269-279
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-4238(97)00078-2