Aubergine Analogue Study for next year

[horticultural_hobbit]

Kevin the moody aubergine is serving as a pilot study. Next year, it be nice to take on the aubergines and win. Are there any that would survive brummieland, blighty, and would be easy to get hold of?

Experimental conditions (environmental): Pops' garden is south facing, gets between 6-8 hours+ of sunshine when the summer works properly. As a container gardener though, that is a further variable.

Aim: to germinate and propagate an aubergine plant in turn producing a crop.

Hypothesis: aurbergine plant can be germinated and propagated to produce at least one aubergine during or after the growing season.

Initial germinate and propagation: Window sill or four tiered greenhouse (to be decided at a later date)

All advice welcome! I'm starting with a research proposal, and will try and get this into a proper empirical study like form

[horticultural_hobbit]

Have been trying to track down some hopeful candidates. Have found Diamond, Dancer. Trying to find that French one, the name of which I can neither spell or remember.

My thanks to Brenda Christie for recommending Listade de Gandia.

[chris]

Listade de Gandia's germination for me was hit and miss. Expensive seeds too. Check out real seeds, they have some that ripen in short seasons - your climate will be similar to ours here, but perhaps not as wet.

Edit: as in only 1 germinated from the lot I had sown!

Black beauty grows rapidly, and has two flowers open on it for me now.. but the flowers take a while to appear. If you've the space and time I'd so some v.early. Next year I'm trying end of Jan/start of Feb for them.. if that doens't work I'll sow them on new years day the following year. If I don't get fruit, then I'll just give up

[Florence Fennel]

With you on that one Chris. I'd be interested in the results of this, I've just about given up on my aubergines this year already and they were sown in Februrary. Growth is slow, slow, slow and no flowers to be seen.

[smallblueplanet]

If there's one thing aubergines can't get enough of it's warmth! All like it hot. - Given where they grow natively this should be no surprise! If you have less warm & humid conditions try growing the smaller fruiting aubergines to start with.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Real seeds was my first stop. Sadly they are out of the ones I want...the diamond and that french one. So will be sitting tight til available!

[Florence Fennel]

If there's one thing aubergines can't get enough of it's warmth! All like it hot. - Given where they grow natively this should be no surprise! If you have less warm & humid conditions try growing the smaller fruiting aubergines to start with.

They are in the stayput greenhouse which is on a south facing wall and it gets really warm in there and I do dampen it down. Thanks Manda, if I do them again (which is now looking very doubtful), I'll look for something smaller than Purple Long.

[smallblueplanet]

Our aubs in the greenhouse are still only just flowering, think maybe one or two have set fruit - but the plants are still smallish. It's only mid-July so lots of time yet, but they (& me) really do appreciate long, warm sunny days!

[Alison]

I always struggled with aubergines in my greenhouse at home but managed a few years ago to get a few fruits from De Barbentane in the conservatory on the back of the house but the plants got a lot of greenflies. The last two years I've grown De Barbentane and Szechuan in the polytunnel and last year they did very well. This year the plants are looking good and have really taken off since I planted them out in the borders and it looks like a couple of fruits have set but will have to wait and see.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Loving the advice, will make for an interesting research project. Once my brain has is focused post school, I'll think about the variables involved.

Independent Variable: type of aubergine sown
Dependent Variable: Number/quality of fruit

Think I have settled on the diamond and dancer. Going to try and get a hold of the De Barbentane. Hopefully Reel seeds will have some for next year. Not sure if I should try the early long purple 2 again. Like Flo, I had started it off in February. The miserable, mottled, moodiness crept in with the erratic weather. Was my fault for not realising just how vulnerable Kevin the Aubergine was. What I might do, is stick one of Pop's transparent garden waste bags (courtesy of Brummieland council) over it as cover once it is big enough. Whilst I'm on an allotment waitling list, one is not holding one's breath to have one by then! 4 tier mini greenhouse is gonna be a bit chocca.

[Thelma Sanders]

I got my de barbentane from
The Organic Gardening CatalogueThe aubs are about 2ft tall with loads of flowers but only had 2 small fruit set yet - most of them are just dropping off

[binley100]

last year I grew early long purple 2 and had a fair bit of success , they were long and mostly purple but the fruit towards the end of the season didn't weem to get a really nice purpley colour. This year I'm growing black enorma ...I have 5 plants plus gave 2 to my mate. They were sown in January in the airing cupboard . Brought out onto the kitchen windowsill when germinated then after a week or two moved into the conservatory. They are now in the green house , have plenty of flowers and some small fruits on them . So far so good ..........

[horticultural_hobbit]

Jealousy, Binley, that your early long cropped. What was your secret, my sweet?

Will not be beaten by an aubergine. Those ladies from goodness gracious me would be most enamoured.

[binley100]

My secret? to be honest haven't a clue ........just the luck of the draw I suppose. (I still have trouble with radishes and spring onions)

[horticultural_hobbit]

Study will be a go go

All the candidates have arrived. Pops handed me a jiffy envelope about half an hour ago from our postman( he does his rounds at the same speed as brummieland slugs). The french one De Barbentane thingy, arrived yesterday. They are all sat in my seedbox in pops' shed til next year. (Flo, sweetie, I'll let you know when they all come under starters orders, so don't be baiting your breath just yet.)

I am now also barring myself from getting any more seeds. There were some more free radishes-patricia- and I did also get some marrow bush baby seeds to further fuel Ma's appreciation of the curcubit family. Seriously, no more seeds.