Are these flower buds on my chillis and aubergine?

[tiachica]

Hiya,

I have never grown chillis or aubergines, so not sure what to expect. Are these first tiny flower buds?

Also, will they carry fruit just by sitting on the living room window sill? It's a south window and gets lots of sunshine.

How about in Autumn/Winter? Is it worthwhile investing into one of these SAD treatment lights for the plants? Does that work?
How energy efficient or not are they?

so many questions....

TiaChica

[shirlthegirl43]

The short answer (which the vine wouldn't allow) is YES!! Well done you!

Oops, only answered about the flowers. Chillies should be okay indoors so long as you have some insect visitors - not sure about the aubergine as I have never had success with them.

[Alice]

Yes, that's flower buds forming Tiachica. Well done you.

And yes, your plants can just live on the windowsill.

The chillies, once the flowers start to form I move them back from the direct sun a bit until the fruits form or the flowers just fry and fall off.

The aubergines - well you're doing great so far. They have let me down for several years, loads of flowers and no aubergines. Yours look good and strong - mine look good this year (it's my last try). All I can suggest is they like humid conditions so mist them daily with a sprayer. It might help the fruit to set - well I'm banking on it.
Good luck to us both.

[tamsin]

My chilli's and aubergines are slightly ahead of of yours. Those are flower buds and mine are flowering and producing chilli's and aubergines on the window sill. Aubergine flowers are really pretty! I've been poking both with paintbrushes and they seem to be setting well.

[Rabidbun]

Also, will they carry fruit just by sitting on the living room window sill? It's a south window and gets lots of sunshine.

How about in Autumn/Winter? Is it worthwhile investing into one of these SAD treatment lights for the plants? Does that work?
How energy efficient or not are they?
TiaChica

The chillies should pollinate themselves as the flowers open though there is a lot of debate as to how well they do this if left to their own devices. Many folks swear by poking a paintbrush into the flowers, hitting the flowers or bashing the stems of the plants every so often, or misting with seaweed spray (or just plain water) to help the chillies set. As Alice said, they generally don't like full sun all the time and may suffer from leaf scorching if it is too intense (there may also be some blackening of the fruit and stems from strong direct sunlight which doesn't affect the plant or chillies but offers some protection from the sun).

Many chilli plants are able to overwinter and become dormant for a time (some varieties are more sensitive to this process than others though), this link gives a good guide to that, amongst other things:

http://www.thechileman.org/guide_overwinter.php

Figure the costs of lighting would outweigh any extra harvest you would get in Autumn/Winter, but have never set up grow lights for mine other than to give them a head start from seedling to adult plant stage early in the season.

What types are you growing?

[Flummery]

I have chillies already formed but as yet, not even an aubergine bud! Well done. I must go out and give my aubs a good talking to!

[tiachica]

Thank you for all your heads up.

I'll check out that website just now.
I shall get a paintbrush from upstairs. ;-)

It's a dwarf aubergine, I am not sure the exact name and 2 red and 2 yellow scotch bonnets. :-)

[HotStuff]

tiachica, in relation to your Chillies, you may find these 2 recent threads of interest:

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ers_34097.html

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ion_34278.html