Best Chance Outdoor Aubergine

[veg4681]

Is there one best variety that you can grow in the UK with reasonable success (doesn't have to be a big bumper crop type)? I've seen pictures in the Virtual section but presumably all of these are grown in greenhouse.

I'd like to try growing aubergine next year and have particularly looked at a Ukraine variety called Diamond which they say does better for cooler climate countries. Ukraine, that's quite north, isn't it? unless they use greenhouse over there too .

[Cutecumber]

I would try one of the small fruited varieties like Baby Rosanna. I suggest this because rather like tomatoes, the smaller fruited aubergines tend to fruit earlier (given the same sowing date). They take a long time to develop and this is a problem in our relatively short summers.

You really need to offer them a good warm place to germinate, and then some protection. At least a makeshift wind-break and some fleece. They can get very unhappy unless they are in a nice warm, sheltered position. Those I have grown outside did not do well, but I know others have had successful crops. It all depends on what you can offer them.

[veg4681]

Cutecumber,

Thank you for your reply. I had also thought about the mini sized variety aubergine but I was feeling greedy that they might be too small to feed me. I mean wherever did I get that logic?

Having looked at the seed sites, they show the sowing time as early as January which I intend to do. I've ordered the Diamond aubergine with strong recommendation from two websites that this strain is for cooler climate with shorter growing season or how else would they grow them in Ukraine. The bad news is hubby thinks Ukraine is much much colder than UK in winter but in summer it's much much hotter there.

Anyway, if I'm successful with Diamond next Summer, I'll definitely let you know.

[Alice]

Good luck with the aubergines Veg4681. I've never had any success. This year I thought I would try one of the small varieties - Baby Belle.
Planted early Feb on the windowsill. They grew great. Had a bit of a problem getting the flowers to set fruit but cracked that. They got too big for the windowsill and put them out in the greenhouse.lovely clusters of baby aubergine hanging there. The weather went to pigs and whistles - nothing but cold and damp - and they got botritis. End result - not a single aubergine did I get to use.
Verdict - blame the weather. I'll try the same variety next year. Might try Diamond as well. Maybe we could swap a few seeds.

[veg4681]

Alice,

I'm sure your baby variety aubergine would have made it if not for the atrocious weather this year. Didn't we lose 3 months of summer to rain!

As a trial, I think you could start as early as Jan for seed sowing to compare with Feb sowing. Of course, I'm happy to swap my Diamond with your baby aubergine (PM you when time is ready). If you're able to grow Diamond successfully in Scotland, then that may be a useful benchmark for the rest of the country as 'best chance aubergine'.

Actually I have grown aubergine as a child but in Asia. You just find a ground, dig it and throw in the seed and presto, you have an aubergine plant. I don't even remember bothering with compost, fertiliser, manure etc. I think we fare less worse in cooler countries than hotter countries where pests are concerned. The abergine has this big juicy green caterpillar (upto size of female fingers) that camoflouge with the leaves, it looks just like the aubergine leave!!!

Also crops that you do get in Asia, you would sometimes come across small maggoty parasite with eggs when you cut a perfectly flawless aubergine in half (I mean how does it get there?). It can be quite upsetting and foul your appetite. Maybe the reason that we shouldn't despair too much with the cooler British weather. If even with global warming when one day we might grow aubergine more easily, there is a risk of losing other fruit and veg that thrive better in cooler climate. I heard Rhubard is one of them. There you go.