Aubergines 2022

[Mr Bones]

As requested - a place for all things aubergine

[quanglewangle]

Getting nervous about the aubergines, which are due to poke their little heads through tomorrow.

Started a week late this year and they need a long season to be worthwhile.

[quanglewangle]

Aubergines now through in greenhouse propagator. 12 days after sowing. Slightly longer than the usual 10 days for same variety under same conditions.

[peanut]

I sowed 4 Black Beauty Aubergines last week which came up on Monday or Tuesday, didn't check on them till Wednesday, now I just have to try and keep them alive and with enough light...this could be tricky!

[quanglewangle]

I sowed 4 Black Beauty Aubergines last week which came up on Monday or Tuesday, didn't check on them till Wednesday, now I just have to try and keep them alive and with enough light...this could be tricky!

We've grown aubergines successfully every season since we got the greenhouse (four years?). I am convinced that light level is the key. Obviously temperature mustn't get too low but do whatever you can to keep the brightness up: reflective foil, trim shading hedges, even clean the glass...

[peanut]

We've grown aubergines successfully every season since we got the greenhouse (four years?). I am convinced that light level is the key. Obviously temperature mustn't get too low but do whatever you can to keep the brightness up: reflective foil, trim shading hedges, even clean the glass...

Thank you for the tips about lighting. What would you suggest the minimum temperature should be? My greenhouse is unheated, but I was thinking I could put them in plastic bottle cloches and wrap with some bubble wrap to up the temp a little.

[quanglewangle]

Looks like you are in East Anglia peanut . We used to live there: where the Russians send the weather they don't want.

Aubergines in an unheated greenhouse will be a challenge this early in the year. A dull day followed by a still clear night will lead to very low temperatures however much you insulate.

We don't routinely heat the air in our greenhouse - but for emergencies there is a tiny 200W heater that comes on if air temperature goes below 4°C. Only been on three times this year.

What we do is to heat a big sand tray propagator and the greenhouse beds with buried heat cable. Under 100W together and they go off in sunny weather.

For what its worth here are the daily minimum temperatures in greenhouse since we sowed our aubergines.

+--------------------------+-------------+-----------------+
| Date min(air) min(compost)
+--------------------------+-------------+-----------------+
| 2022-01-04 | 0 | 4 |
| 2022-01-05 | 1.62 | 2.812 |
| 2022-01-06 | 1.37 | 5 |
| 2022-01-07 | 4.22 | 6.812 |
| 2022-01-08 | 6.39 | 7.875 |
| 2022-01-09 | 6.21 | 7.437 |
| 2022-01-10 | 9.8 | 15.937 |
| 2022-01-11 | 6.62 | 13.312 |
| 2022-01-12 | 3.43 | 7.125 |
| 2022-01-13 | 2.55 | 10.937 |
| 2022-01-14 | 2.79 | 11 |
| 2022-01-15 | 3.15 | 11.812 |
| 2022-01-16 | 4.87 | 12.562 |
| 2022-01-17 | 1.81 | 9.687 |
| 2022-01-18 | 4.24 | 8.812 |
| 2022-01-19 | 5.69 | 13.5 |
| 2022-01-20 | 4.83 | 13.625 |
| 2022-01-21 | -0.11 | 9.937 |
| 2022-01-22 | 5.88 | 7.125 |
| 2022-01-23 | 1.33 | 10.687 |
| 2022-01-24 | 5.94 | 12.187 |
| 2022-01-25 | 4.73 | 12.062 |
| 2022-01-26 | 3.28 | 12.25 |
| 2022-01-27 | 6.54 | 13.25 |
| 2022-01-28 | 5.28 | 10.812 |
| 2022-01-29 | 7.35 | 12.75 |
| 2022-01-30 | 4.5 | 10 |
| 2022-01-31 | 7.1 | 12.75 |
| 2022-02-01 | 8.84 | 14.062 |
| 2022-02-02 | 7.95 | 13.375 |
| 2022-02-03 | 7.51 | 12.75 |
| 2022-02-04 | 6.8 | 12.062 |
| 2022-02-05 | 7.17 | 11.812 |
| 2022-02-06 | 10.11| 14.187 |
+--------------------------+-------------+-----------------+
34 rows in set (0.66 sec)

[peanut]

Looks like you are in East Anglia peanut . We used to live there: where the Russians send the weather they don't want.

Aubergines in an unheated greenhouse will be a challenge this early in the year. A dull day followed by a still clear night will lead to very low temperatures however much you insulate.

We don't routinely heat the air in our greenhouse - but for emergencies there is a tiny 200W heater that comes on if air temperature goes below 4°C. Only been on three times this year.

What we do is to heat a big sand tray propagator and the greenhouse beds with buried heat cable. Under 100W together and they go off in sunny weather.

For what its worth here are the daily minimum temperatures in greenhouse since we sowed our aubergines.

+--------------------------+-------------+-----------------+
| Date min(air) min(compost)
+--------------------------+-------------+-----------------+
| 2022-01-04 | 0 | 4 |
| 2022-01-05 | 1.62 | 2.812 |
| 2022-01-06 | 1.37 | 5 |
| 2022-01-07 | 4.22 | 6.812 |
| 2022-01-08 | 6.39 | 7.875 |
| 2022-01-09 | 6.21 | 7.437 |
| 2022-01-10 | 9.8 | 15.937 |
| 2022-01-11 | 6.62 | 13.312 |
| 2022-01-12 | 3.43 | 7.125 |
| 2022-01-13 | 2.55 | 10.937 |
| 2022-01-14 | 2.79 | 11 |
| 2022-01-15 | 3.15 | 11.812 |
| 2022-01-16 | 4.87 | 12.562 |
| 2022-01-17 | 1.81 | 9.687 |
| 2022-01-18 | 4.24 | 8.812 |
| 2022-01-19 | 5.69 | 13.5 |
| 2022-01-20 | 4.83 | 13.625 |
| 2022-01-21 | -0.11 | 9.937 |
| 2022-01-22 | 5.88 | 7.125 |
| 2022-01-23 | 1.33 | 10.687 |
| 2022-01-24 | 5.94 | 12.187 |
| 2022-01-25 | 4.73 | 12.062 |
| 2022-01-26 | 3.28 | 12.25 |
| 2022-01-27 | 6.54 | 13.25 |
| 2022-01-28 | 5.28 | 10.812 |
| 2022-01-29 | 7.35 | 12.75 |
| 2022-01-30 | 4.5 | 10 |
| 2022-01-31 | 7.1 | 12.75 |
| 2022-02-01 | 8.84 | 14.062 |
| 2022-02-02 | 7.95 | 13.375 |
| 2022-02-03 | 7.51 | 12.75 |
| 2022-02-04 | 6.8 | 12.062 |
| 2022-02-05 | 7.17 | 11.812 |
| 2022-02-06 | 10.11| 14.187 |
+--------------------------+-------------+-----------------+
34 rows in set (0.66 sec)

Thank you QW, that temp chart is really useful, I have a thermometer in the greenhouse with display indoors so I reckon it would be worth taking them in and out according to temps just so they get the extra light. I'll pop them in a plastic bottle cloche with extra bubblewrap and keep and eye on temps, they're already a bit leggy so I think it's worth doing.

[quanglewangle]

Thank you QW, that temp chart is really useful, I have a thermometer in the greenhouse with display indoors so I reckon it would be worth taking them in and out according to temps just so they get the extra light. I'll pop them in a plastic bottle cloche with extra bubblewrap and keep and eye on temps, they're already a bit leggy so I think it's worth doing.

Good luck peanut ! I think our temperatures are about the minimum. Yours will go really well once you get into the dry hot East Anglia summer. Given their ancestry in South Asia it can't be too hot or too sunny for aubergines.

[peanut]

Good luck peanut ! I think our temperatures are about the minimum. Yours will go really well once you get into the dry hot East Anglia summer. Given their ancestry in South Asia it can't be too hot or too sunny for aubergines.

Thanks QW, I've managed to grow great plants covered with flowers but they didn't start to form fruit until too late in the season. This year I thought I'd gamble with an earlier sowing, a month and a bit earlier (sowed 7th March last year) in the hope I might finally get a fully grown fruit!

[quanglewangle]

Thanks QW, I've managed to grow great plants covered with flowers but they didn't start to form fruit until too late in the season.

We expect flowers in May from early January sowing. Fruit pictured below is mid June. Harvest from July.

[peanut]

We expect flowers in May from early January sowing. Fruit pictured below is mid June. Harvest from July.

I am suffering from a serious case of aubergine envy!

[quanglewangle]

I am suffering from a serious case of aubergine envy!

Hesitate to say this but the flowers do need pollination. If you are all shut up to keep the temperature up then bugs can't get in. I find [looks nervously behind him] Mrs quanglewangle's electric toothbrush works a treat

[greenishfing]

Hesitate to say this but the flowers do need pollination. If you are all shut up to keep the temperature up then bugs can't get in. I find [looks nervously behind him] Mrs quanglewangle's electric toothbrush works a treat

What a good idea! (Also looks around nervously).

[peanut]

Hesitate to say this but the flowers do need pollination. If you are all shut up to keep the temperature up then bugs can't get in. I find [looks nervously behind him] Mrs quanglewangle's electric toothbrush works a treat

I'm pretty sure pollination is fine, gh is usually filled with hoverflies and bees and Q's, peppers and chillies all do well.