how does your aubergine grow?

[smallblueplanet]

got the camera back off the OH....

a few pictures of the different type of aubs we're growing.

damn! hiccup from the site

[smallblueplanet]

- black beauty
- applegreen
- ichiban
- thai long green, not what I thought they'd look like

[urban-gardener]

They look great, for some reason the flowers on mine just fall off rather than set, not sure what I am doing wrong.

[smallblueplanet]

On mine some flowers set some fall off. All those plants are in a greenhouse.

[pickledtink]

Looking very good! Mine too. They're outside but have really flourished in this weather this year. There's easily 8 fruit on one plant and about 6 so far on the other.
Considering they're having to share a growbag with two pepper plants they're al doing really well.

[nick the grief]

I guess the flowers may have fallen off as it the atmosphere was too hot & dry in the greenhouse.

If you keep the floors damped down it will help (also keep Red Spider Mite down too )

[Alice]

I can't get my aubergine to set fruit. They flower but nothing happens. The tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are doing great but no aubs. Still hoping.
Thanks for the pics SBP.

[Limbury Lad]

Ours have started to show fruit this morning, how exciting! We have been told to stake them, ensure we have no more than 4 fruit per plant and feed with tomato plant food weekly.Any other tips would be appreciated or favourite recipes for them as it is our first time growing aubergines this year.
Limbury Lad

[SueA]

Hi SBP, they look great, what are type are the little round ones & the skinny green ones? I've been trying to grow the black ones outdoors as I have no greenhouse but have just got leaves & nothing else (expecting too much as usual!)

[smallblueplanet]

Yeah sorry Sue - the name appears if your pointer hovers over the thumbnail, but I've edited it too (should have done it before but too lazy!).

We've tried to grow them outdoors but it was a waste of time really. The applegreen we've grown before and they're relatively early to fruit and keep going, as well as being a smaller size. (The ichiban are early too - 65/70 days, oddly the BB are meant to be about 80 days but have been fruiting like 'crazy' already! I think they're a ringer! )

There's also a ping tung long in a pot (in the g.house) that there wasn't room for but couldn't bring myself to throw away. The ones in the pots are behind the BB/ichiban/thai in the beds. The BB is the smallest plant with the least 'greenery' but has already produced 4/5 fruit!

They need really hot temps, but I believe the applegreen/ichiban might be slightly more cool tolerant?

Have not eaten the thai yet but all the others taste GREAT!!!

[SueA]

Thanks SBP, might give the Ichiban a try next time as they are early & look pretty much like the Black Beauty ones.

[bramble]

Hi Linbury lad, will post recipe in the food thread.

[Saoirse]

I have found that if I tickle each flower with a feather while it is still quite new, that alot of them fertilise and produce fruit. Also I have sprayed with a seaweed mixture and that seems to help set the fruit too. I'm growing Slim Jim and they are fruiting really well: I'll take some snaps and post them.

I think the plants have Red Spider Mite (despite damping down every day) and so I've sprinkled on some predator thingys today. Either that or I have simply sprinkled on vermiculite: they come packaged in it, and they are too small to see. One has to trust!

[smallblueplanet]

Help - something has been munching on my aubs! There's a round deep hole (maybe .5cm diameter and 1.5cm deep) in the bottom of one. Is it a slughole???


look forward to seeing your 'slim jim' piccies saoirse, I wondered about trying them.

[jxm]

I can't get my aubergine to set fruit. They flower but nothing happens. The tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are doing great but no aubs.

same here, chillies are sprouting all over the place, but the aubs just flower and that's it - any hints?