Any aubergine tips? Including when to sow?

[marcofez]

Hit and miss, aubergines for me! Although last year was my best. From the same seed packet I have had failures in my poly border, but the ones I plant in my mums greenhouse always do well. Go figure??????

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

I had meagre success with some baby aubergine variety last year. Got about 5 reasonable fruit off of one plant. It required a lot of legwork to get there though!

I find Aubergines to be frustrating for reasons including, but not limited to:

- Erratic germination
- Need long season
- Seem to be a pest magnet

Having said that, I am probably doing it all wrong! I sowed early enough this year and despite treating them similarly to my other early sowings (chillis / toms etc) they sulked and gradually terminated themselves. I have 2 alive now, though they are currently sulking and just looking reet unwell.

So, no Aubergine tips from me!

[Pineberry]

They should be started early in January better.
My are on the windowsill and starting to flower now. End of may I will plant them out outside and hope for the best. Also important I bought different seeds of early eggplants from rareseeds.com so hopefully if summer not hot enough at least being early varieties they will have longer period to ripen up. Fingers cross.
By the way, chech this site. Person grows them outside in Denmark with success. Their summer is not any better then here.
Progress in Eggplant Breeding | In the toad's garden

[MrsCordial]

I could live on aubergines, if they weren't anything up to £1 each in the shops. Following the advice to grow the things that are expensive to buy, I gave aubs a shot last year, buying a seedling at a church fete. I got a grand total of two very small fruits, but it felt like a huge victory!

This year I've bravely bought the de Barbantine ones from RealSeeds, and so far the plants are doing well. Everything (four) has germinated, but two came through weeks earlier than another two sown at the same time in the same cell tray - huh?? The two older ones are potted on and doing nicely (currently sat outside on a bench, under glass, as it's a bright-ish day here). I'll hold off planting them out til we're definitely into summer.

I'd say they're my most vulnerable and chancey crop, but I love them so much I'm prepared to do what's necessary and take my chances.