Lots of flowers but no aubergines

[annacruachan]

Mine are in 18" pots and are a good 3 ft high. They have seaweed in the bottom, that being easier for me to find as our terrace leads onto the beach, but I doubt that it is as hot as manure would be. Next year! Have been round the flowers with a paintbrush as suggested by Flummery and am moving them away from the conservatory door when OH is available to help. No trouble with aphids yet - fingers crossed!

[Michael Johnson]

Also I forgot to add- if you invest in a sonic toothbrush,-(Some are quite cheap at the moment) you will find it invaluable for pollinating tomatoes,sweet and hot peppers, and Aubergines, bringing showers of pollen from each flower that you vibrate on a nice humid day around 2.30 to 3.00 pm each day seems to be the best time to do it, it's just like an electric Bee, and improves all your chances of a good crop from each plant, it is also handy for gathering pollen to make specific crosses with.
I have had my old faithful sonic toothbrush for about three years now and just wouldn't be without it now.

Another good pollinating method and cheaper- is a yard long cane of half inch thick or so, and you simply go along all your rows of tomatoes or aub's, peppers of whatever in or out of the greenhouse or conservatory etc, and give each supporting stake or cane a sharp rap with the stick each day during flower time, about six inches from the top of each stake, and it shakes all the pollen loose and pollinates the flowers ever so easily, very often it improves your final crop of fruit set by as much as thirty percent or more, I once new an old gardener who taught me how to do it, he used to go along the rows of tomato plants each day with the cane and you could hear him rat-a-tat-tat along the rows and he completed it in about ten minutes and he had wonderful crops each year, give each one a good sharp crack with a stick he used to say, but a sonic toothbrush is simply out of this world in luxury pollinating-try it, you will never look back once you have mastered the art of using it, place the vibrating head of the toothbrush on the top of each flower knuckle or lower down on the truss stem and watch the shower of pollen fall as you are doing it, it will amaze you, humid sunshiny days are best and not too hot-around 65 F producing the most pollen, or you can simply watch the local pollen forecast on the TV weather reports, and go by that, some days you wont get much pollen if the conditions are not right, but on good days it falls in a shower onto the leaves just below.

[Alice]

Well here's the pic of the long awaited aubergine. There's plenty more on the way. I'm so chuffed after a few years of struggling with them.

[smallblueplanet]

Looking good Alice. Edible, even at that size btw. Treat them to a bit bigger pot?

[Alice]

Well here's the pic of the long awaited aubergine. There's plenty more on the way. I'm so chuffed after a few years of struggling with them.

[Alice]

Oh ! that was last weeks pic. This is the one I meant to post. What a difference a week makes.
Thanks SBP, I don't think they need a bigger pot - they seem happy.

[magz.mccarthy]

Wow! That's a beauty!

[amandaandherveg]

Alice, admit it....you bought that aubergine in Lidl then stapled it on didn't you?

[Reks]

Hi All, sorry to ask a question on this post rather than create a new post - Has anyone tried growing aubergines on the allotment? I have one in my back garden in a pot next to the portable green house but then also have small plants growing in the greenhouse. I might not have space in my garden to plant these. Will they survive on the allotment once they are slightly larger seedlings.

[Alice]

Alice, admit it....you bought that aubergine in Lidl then stapled it on didn't you?

If it was as easy as that Amanda I would have done it years ago and saved myself a lot of frustration.

Reks, I think your aubergines would survive on the lottie but I doubt if you would get any fruit. They're real hot house plants. But you could try it and let us know. Good luck.

[Reks]

If it was as easy as that Amanda I would have done it years ago and saved myself a lot of frustration.

Reks, I think your aubergines would survive on the lottie but I doubt if you would get any fruit. They're real hot house plants. But you could try it and let us know. Good luck.

okie...will let u know, I have 5 small plants to experiment with.

[MARGE16]

Faded Fruits

I am growing early long aubergines in an unheated greenhouse on my lottie. I have got a fair amount of fruits which are growing but they start off the purple aubergine colour, but then fade to a pinky browny colour. Any help and ideas?

[smallblueplanet]

How big are they (what variety?) when they 'colour change'? Often when aubs go pinky brown they're too old and should have been picked when firm and shiny and purple (or other colour).

[Flobalob]

I am growing early long aubergines in an unheated greenhouse on my lottie. I have got a fair amount of fruits which are growing but they start off the purple aubergine colour, but then fade to a pinky browny colour. Any help and ideas?

I think you will find the fruit has gone to seed at this stage.

[Lavenderblue]

wow, looking good Alice! I have aubergines too this year but they seem to have got stuck at the same size about 3" long and 1" wide- I was hoping for a slightly bigger one - I am feeding them once a week with tomato feed, its in a plastic green house - any ideas how i can bring it on a bit?