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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: 1066 on August 12, 2011, 23:35:49

Title: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: 1066 on August 12, 2011, 23:35:49
Maybe, just possibly maybe, this year I might finally get to eat some home grown aubergines.

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Long Purple

Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: Debs on August 12, 2011, 23:40:58
looking good so far - mine have small flower buds but then nothing.

Don't know why this is - will just have to wait patiently ::)

Debs
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: 1066 on August 12, 2011, 23:54:41
Debs, up till now I've had loads of flowers but no action. We had some great weather about 10 days ago, and I think that may have really helped them. Other than that I'm in the clueless department when it comes to aubergines  :)
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: saddad on August 13, 2011, 00:31:41
We are at a similar stage... one of the long purple is about index finger length...  :)
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: Duke Ellington on August 13, 2011, 07:11:37
This is my third year of trying to grow them and mine have never fruited until this year!! I have one small purple aubergine :o
I don't think I will grow them again though, three years and one aubergines just isn't good enough.

Duke
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: Ian Pearson on August 13, 2011, 07:30:47
If they are in a greenhouse, and flowering but not setting, often the problem is low humidity. Be generous with watering, and damp down the bed and surrounding paths to keep them happy. Works for me anyway.
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: caroline7758 on August 13, 2011, 07:50:28
My aubergines have been better this year than ever before- I've already eaten a couple of decent-sizes ones and have more coming. I can't understand why, though- they are in a very shaded greenhouse where the tomatoes are all still green, although they are raised up on a shelf, growing in black buckets. maybe it's the variety- Moneymaker.
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: vitruvius8 on August 13, 2011, 08:46:44
mine have been fruiting for ages, some in the polytunnel and some in the greenhouse at the plot. I have to say the greenhouse are doing betterand they were all from the same seed packet. 4 plants altogether and we have had 9 fruits up to now with more on the way. Both watered every day, well.
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: 1066 on August 13, 2011, 09:10:38
I don't think I will grow them again though, three years and one aubergines just isn't good enough.

I've been wondering the same thing! Yet to make a decision....


Thanks for the info Ian re the humidity and damping down.
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: willsy on August 13, 2011, 18:00:00
I grew these last year and was told not to let set more than 5 on a plant. they did well but boy did they have sharp spikes.
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: non-stick on August 13, 2011, 19:51:57
My plants look lovely and healthy and plenty of flowers but no fruit yet. We managed one aubergine last year. I shall persevere  thoiugh!
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: small on August 13, 2011, 23:37:00
I started mine (long purple) very early this year, mid february, grew them on in the conservatory - the warm April made them shoot ahead and I had an excellent crop, what I'd like to know is, now the first flush have been picked will I get any more if I keep feeding and watering?
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: royforster on August 15, 2011, 15:58:46
After reading a post on here about 6 weeks ago, I started using a small make-up brush to transfer pollen from flower to flower. Since then I've had loads of aubergines - before I had none. It seems that the bees aren't normally pollenators of aubergines.
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: 1066 on August 15, 2011, 17:51:47
good tip royforster   :)

Small, how long were they when you picked them? ... I think I'm getting impatient  ::)
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: small on August 15, 2011, 18:09:05
Oooh, I have confessed on here before about never knowing when an aubergine is ready, mine stopped at about 4" and I left them till the bloom was just going off...i've no idea what can have pollinated them, hoverflies maybe, and I'm hanging on in case there is a second flush - if there is I'm going to try picking them younger to see if the seeds are easier to remove.
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: SueK on August 15, 2011, 20:27:31
Well, we tried them for the first time last year and had the common experience of flowers forming but generally falling off.  This year we have tried the variety Applegreen, which is for short season areas, and have had progress, in that I came back from a fortnight away and found one fruit, which duly made its way to the kitchen. 

I must be honest though and say that we haven't been very attentive with the plants and while we were away they were in a sheltered location outside.

Re the pollination, aren't aubergines supposed to be self-fertile like tomatoes, in which case some gentle motion would also help with pollination?
Title: Re: Aubergines ..... I'm holding my breath
Post by: 1066 on August 19, 2011, 12:25:19
Well I picked them , might have been a bit early, but they were tasty. Still have a few on the plants growing

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