Aubergines 2022

[quanglewangle]

I'm afraid I won't pass on compliments to Jack: his ego is big enough already.

[Mr Bones]

Looks like I'm not the only one keen to start eating aubergines. Black Beauty on the left is untouched, as is the small Early Long Purple (not photographed - because so far it's neither early or long ). Interestingly the two chomped Moneymaker's are from different plants - one in the garden greenhouse and the other from the lotty PT.

[Mr Bones]

Following on from above - griddled the sliced aubs (no oil or salt) and served with goats cheese on top of lettuce, next to crushed spuds with chorizo.

[quanglewangle]

Mr Bones one of my moneymakers had a hole just the right hand one in your picture. Luckily towards one end and didn't seem to affect the rest of the fruit.

[Mr Bones]

Mr Bones one of my moneymakers had a hole just the right hand one in your picture. Luckily towards one end and didn't seem to affect the rest of the fruit.

I cut the affected bits out, not sure what caused it though - caterpillar, fungal, bacterial. Even went out at night with a torch but couldn't see anything.

[quanglewangle]

^^^ I admire your forensic devotion Mr Bones. I just put it down to bugs

[Snoop Puss]

Snails have a go at aubergines here. I've seen them at it. It surprised me because I thought the skin would be a bit leathery for them.

[quanglewangle]

FYI metaldehyde is not banned in greenhouses. The regulations that ban it refer to outside use.

Note: I am not taking a position on use of metaldehyde, just pointing out a detail in the regulations.

[Dorothyrouse]

3 Aubergine plants in large pots outside doing ok, I

.

[Snoop Puss]

They are doing well, Dorothy rouse. So well they look like they might outgrow their pots. How deep/wide are the pots? Plus, I presume they look so wet because you've just watered them.

Mine are a mystery to me at the moment. The flowers disappear. They're pollinated and little aubergines start to burgeon. And then they're gone. Not dropped off because unpollinated, I think, as there's never anything on the ground anywhere nearby. It's as if something comes in the night and just eats the whole thing. I've killed a few locusts in the vicinity this year. But they don't normally bother the aubergines when they're this small.

[Dorothyrouse]

Yes they are in big pots, same size as I grow my tomatoes in, and yes they had just been watered, they’ve suddenly grown this last week

[quanglewangle]

Looking good, especially for outside. They do grow fast once the get going.

My pots are only little bit bigger than yours and we get a good crop.

We do remove the big lower leaves.

[Lymmguineas]

Thanks Quanglewangle.
I've got 4 Long Purple and 3 Jackpot growing.
All currently about 2 to 3 inches tall.
I'll let you know how I get on!

I said I would let you know how I got on!
The four Long Purple each have between 4 and 7 aubergines and plenty of flowers still. The longest of the aubergines is about 20 cm (8 inches in old money) long. The other plants each have one at least 10 cm long. A couple of leaves on each of the long purple have yellowed and look ready to drop off.
I found two mites on one leaf but nothing elsewhere.
Any thoughts on the yellow leaves? They have been watered daily and fed about once every 10 days. Any advice welcome.
The Jackpot plants look really healthy and have plenty of flowers. No actual aubergines yet though.
Pleased so far with progress on my first crop but time will tell!

[quanglewangle]

Lymmguineas Sounds like they are doing well!

I feed every week, only because I would get in a muddle with any other schedule - Sunday is feeding day. Can't justify that on horticultural grounds.

I chop off yellowing leaves, believing that once the chlorophyll fades they aren't contributing anything and cause shade.

Mites are said not to like humidity. My pots stand in damp/wet sand tray and I guess that gives enough humidity to dissuade mites - certainly never seen any.

Remember, aubergines are aways eaten when they would still be considered botanically under ripe. Ripe ones lose their shine and the seeds start to go brown.

[Dorothyrouse]

My ‘outdoor’ aubergine ps are beginning to flower! Exciting