Aubergines

[Saoirse]

Hi all!

I have some aubergines in the greenhouse (same ones with caterpillars!), and they have just begun to flower.The first one was very pretty but withered and dropped off without setting fruit. I know that they prefer a humid environment so will be damping down the house, but I have also read that you need to use a paint brush to pollinate. My question is, does each flower in fact self-pollinate or am I trying to pollinate one flower with another? Are they male and female flowers like courgettes?

Thank you in advance!

Nicky

[SueA]

Hi Nicky, I don't think they have separate male & female flowers, I think they're more like tomatoes & you just have to give them a gentle shake to get them to pollinate or lightly spray them with water if you have them in a greenhouse, outside they get pollinated by bees etc. Someone else will probably put you straight if I'm wrong though!

[MissyMoo]

Hey! I'm no expert...this is the first year I've grown aubergines and I'm growing a mini variety. However I've noticed that there are two different sorts of flower....dunno if they are male and female but you can definitely tell (on my plants) which ones may fruit and which ones wont.
The 'fruiting' ones have much thicker stems, come directly from the main trunk of the plant and seem to have a bulbous look about them or are slightly bigger.
I've just been twiddling a paint brush in all the flowers tho and it took ages but I have (does a little happy dance) an aubergine!!

[WiZeR]

my aubergine is being absolutely ravaged by something. Probably a catapillar, but I canny find him

[smallblueplanet]

Is it flea beetle wizer? they're tiny things but can make big holes in the aubs leaves?

[lyndap]

My aubergines are in mini greenhouse with door open.I spray water all over sides and top of greenhouse every day to damp down.I've got loads of flowers and 3 baby aubergines!Had to remove some leaves cos something having a good munch.Took 4 days to find the culprit caterpillars!I also see bees flying in and pollinating my flowers so luckly I don't have to do that job.

[nick the grief]

my aubergine is being absolutely ravaged by something. Probably a catapillar, but I canny find him

It will be a little green son of a milkman wizer. they are really well camoflagued. they play havoc with my Late chyrsanths

[xspye]

My aubergines have lot loads of fruitlets and i'm wondering if i should restrict them to a smaller number. I've been polluntating the flowers by knocking them against each other and it seems to have worked very well!

Re M&F flowers: I don't think the plants i have have male and female flowers they all look the same and all seem to have got fruit now.