Aubergine wilted suddenly. Just one

[quanglewangle]

The middle aubergine in the picture wilted today. Was OK this morning. I pruned the others to take the main stem out but not this one. Not been treated any differently otherwise. I can grow aubergines: done it before and the conditions are quite closely monitored/controlled.

Will bring it in tomorrow and turn it out onto the table and give it the once over with a hand lens.

In meantime any ideas?

[Snoop Puss]

The growing medium looks much wetter than the other two pots. It also looks to be a smaller pot. So if the watering timer is set for all three, the smaller pot will be more sodden. Is that a possibility? Could it be a combination of too wet and too hot? In any case, the central leaves look OK so maybe it will just perk up.

Don't take this amiss, QW, but I've never seen aubergines treated like this. I'm sure it must work if you've done it before, but they just look weird to my eyes. I just let mine do their own thing and they bush out on their own accord.

[quanglewangle]

Don't take this amiss

I can tell when someone is being helpful!

Just been out to check after reading your post.

• Yep, middle leaves do look ok. Phew.
• All pots are same size. (Perhaps an effect of wide angle pic?)
• Hand watered, not on timer. Checked moisture level with finger - not wetter
• I've grown aubergines this way for two or three years with good success. I'm not really doing anything too weird: just in 30cm pots, stood on moist heated sand. This year I have chopped out the leader on some, though not on wilting one.

[Snoop Puss]

I'm intrigued by your method. I won't grow like this, as mine can live outdoors in the summer and I buy plug plants (cheaper than seeds, go figure), but out of interest, how many aubergines would you expect to get off each plant?

[quanglewangle]

how many aubergines would you expect to get off each plant?

Maybe eight per plant over a cropping season of three months.

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks, I was interested to know. I might try one as an experiment outdoors, just to see.

[ameno]

Have you tried turning it out and looking at its roots yet?

[quanglewangle]

Have you tried turning it out and looking at its roots yet?

It has perked up a bit so I am going to leave it for now. I was concerned it might be something that would spread but now I don't think that is the case. It was snoops remark that the central leaves seemed ok that encouraged me.

It has been unseasonably cold here this spring and the air temperature in the greenhouse dropped to 4°C for several hours last night. The sand tray heat kept the soil in the pots up to 8°C but those temperatures are still low for aubergines. I tend not to use space heating but I may have to change my position on that, at least during this cold spell.

[Snoop Puss]

I don't have such a sophisticated set-up as you, QW. At the moment, all my so-called 'Mediterranean' veg spend the night indoors. I don't take them out till the thermometer hits 10 ºC.

[quanglewangle]

Plant is almost completely recovered.

Fairly sure now it was the cold. Perhaps uneven laying of heater cable giving a local colder spot.

Looks like aubergine can tolerate night time lows of about 7-8°C but not 4°C