Aubergines 2023

[Bren In Pots]

A place for all things aubergine.

Here's link to last years thread.

Aubergines 2022 - The Grapevine (growfruitandveg.co.uk)

[smallblueplanet]

Love growing aubergines! Tried lots of varieties over the years. Might stick around.

[peanut]

Sowed my Aubergines yesterday. Black Beauty, Hansel, Gretel and some old Tsakoniki seeds which I'm not expecting to do anything so might sow some Knight varieties too!
I'm 2 weeks later than last year which I'm annoyed about as that was the first year I ever got fruits, if I don't get any this year I will be furious with myself!

[smallblueplanet]

Sowed my Aubergines yesterday. Black Beauty, Hansel, Gretel and some old Tsakoniki seeds which I'm not expecting to do anything so might sow some Knight varieties too!
I'm 2 weeks later than last year which I'm annoyed about as that was the first year I ever got fruits, if I don't get any this year I will be furious with myself!

For us it's all about the weather over the main growing season, some years we've had great big plants but no fruit setting because it's too cold.

Not started our seeds yet, there's not enough light for them in our dining room/propagating room!

[cazp]

Been a while since i last posted on the forum, but glad to be back. I plan to have three pots of aubergines and sowed three types on 5th Feb.

Little Fingers and Turkish Orange have already sprouted. Waiting to see the results of a second sowing of White Caspar, only one germinated the first time but was seed bound and didn't survive.

First time trying Aubergines, and I don't normally sow any veg this early, so hoping the cheap gooseneck growlights i bought will stop them getting leggy, so far so good!

[peanut]

Snap cazp I've just sowed Little Fingers and Turkish Orange. That's all mine sown now and my Tsakoniki have germinated despite them being old seeds.
Really hope I get a good crop this year and last years success wasn't a one harvest wonder!

[ChingfordHarry]

My little fingers didn't really take off last year and I have now lost the seed packet that I had last year - so I'm thinking about different varieties that would be good for growing outside (north-east London/Essex). I'm looking at Slim Jim, and also wondering about any "garden egg" (I.e. hen egg sized creamy coloured fruit) varieties that might be okay.

Thoughts, anyone?

[Muddy_Boots]

I'm not a fan of this fruit but trying to chit 2 varieties of dare I say old seed and they look like they are duds, Scratch that just checked and two have burst open of the variety Long Purple, my Black Beauty seeds are still thinking about it but looks like I need to be more patient.

[Zelenina]

I like growing aubergine plants, and they enjoy our hot summers. But I don't always enjoy eating their fruit, and the ones I do like have been hard to save fertile seeds from.

I had Szechuan from the Heritage Seed Library several years ago, and they were very good. I saved seeds separately from a fruit of each plant, and they all looked fine, but only those from one plant germinated. The last plant I had from that batch produced flowers but no fruit. They are probably too old to germinate now.

I liked Rosita a lot, but again my saved seeds didn't germinate, and it's hard to find European suppliers to get more.

When I grew the Golden Eggs variety, they started out as white eggs but turned yellow and seedy very quickly. I think they are mainly ornamental, but may be OK to eat if picked very young. I'm not growing them this year.

Tsakoniki did very well for me in 2018 and looked pretty, but I didn't like them much to eat. Maybe I was picking them too late. They made seeds quite quickly, and hopefully some of the ones I saved will germinate this year so I can give them another chance.

Český Raný (Czech Early) were very early to fruit, and I think they tasted OK but can't really remember. It says on the packet that they're not bitter, and they are readily available here, so I'm trying them again.

I grew Gobi last year in flower buckets and they produced a few small, elongated fruits, but went seedy quite quickly. I think I was picking them too late for eating, and I've since read that they grow into big plants, so they probably needed more room. I'm giving them another go too, and maybe I'll plant them in the ground this time.

And I recently bought a packet of Lagada that's a new variety to me. They are long, dark purple and Greek. The packet also says they are very productive and without bitterness, so that sounds promising.

I sowed those last four varieties a few days ago, and now I'm waiting for them to germinate.

[Snoop Puss]

also wondering about any "garden egg" (I.e. hen egg sized creamy coloured fruit) varieties that might be okay.

Thoughts, anyone?

I love eating aubergines, but like Zelenina I didn't enjoy the white egg ones I grew a few years back. Sorry, I don't remember their name now as I was totally uninterested in growing them again. Maybe I didn't pick them at the right time - I'm more used to the purple ones - but I found them bitter, tough and seedy.

I like Long Purple myself. But if you're looking for something white, the full-sized white ones tend to be quite perfumed. Mr Snoop loves them.

[Zelenina]

I like Long Purple myself. But if you're looking for something white, the full-sized white ones tend to be quite perfumed. Mr Snoop loves them.

Which full-sized white ones do you grow Snoop? Have you tried the Thai Long Green ones at all? I was hoping to grow some this year but it's getting a bit late late now, so they're going on my wishlist for next year.

[Snoop Puss]

Which full-sized white ones do you grow Snoop? Have you tried the Thai Long Green ones at all? I was hoping to grow some this year but it's getting a bit late late now, so they're going on my wishlist for next year.

I'm really sorry, Zelenina, they're just called 'blanca' here when you buy plug plants in nurseries and on seed packets.

I've not tried Thai Long Green, neither to grow nor on the plate. Are they nice?

[Zelenina]

Ah, right. We get that kind of thing here too. A packet of parsnip seeds just labeled parsnips, for instance. Sometimes the actual variety name is in small print on the back and sometimes not.

All the descriptions I've read of Thai Long Green make it sound absolutely wonderful and delicious but I haven't tried them yet either. I'll tell you if they're exaggerating next year, hopefully.

[smallblueplanet]

Snoop Puss
Zelenina

We've grown (Thai) Long Green aubergines and they are very nice indeed, sort of creamy taste/texture is what I remember but it was a good few years back. We stopped because I couldn't easily get the seed - many moons back I used to buy seeds from the USA and the EU. I think I'd like to grow them again in our new greenhouse when it is built, but I think I'll have to look for plants as time got away from me for sowing aubergines this year.

[Zelenina]

Do your big white ones look like these, Snoop?
https://www.plantasdehuerto.com/es/j...lanca-semillas