Aubergines - in or out?

[wivvles]

Impulse buy at Farmer's market last week - a couple of aubergine seedlings.

Do they need to go in the green house (if so, something's got to go!) or can they go outside?  I'm in the Southwest, so warm if not always sunny...

How tall do they get?  Can I do them in a big container in the greenhouse (in which case I may be able to squeeze them in)?  Or ouside covered in plastic?

Help!!!!

I must not buy seedlings I don't have room for
I must not buy seedlings I don't have room for
I must not buy seedlings I don't have room for
I must not buy seedlings I don't have room for
I must not buy seedlings I don't have room for
I must not buy seedlings I don't have room for
I must not buy seedlings I don't have room for
I must not buy seedlings I don't have room for
I must not buy seedlings I don't have room for
...

[wivvles]

[philcooper]

Put them in as large a pot as you can (8" min) or growbag or good border inside, especially as this week would appear to be the official British Summer it can only be downhill from here!!

Phil

[aquilegia]

I grew a couple outside a few years back (that really hot summer we had) and they didn't even flower. Last year I had them inside (mini plastic greenhouse) and they fruited nicely. I'd do them inside.

[clairenpaul]

We've been told it depends on what type of summer we have - if its hot and sunny they do ok outside apparently but as Phil says this may well be our summer!!

We've never grown them before and we're going to put 3 in the mini green house in growbags and 3 on the allotment to see how they go - goodluck with them  :)

[tim]

Another view.

Greenhouse, yes, if you have the room. Ours are always grown in bags.

However, we've had excellent results (at 650') in  a 'cold frame'. But, so long as you are prepared to whip some cover over them if frost threatens, I doubt they'd need protecting outdoors where you are.

Size - 30+" or so, both ways?

[Veggie Mad]

I always grow mine in the greenhouse, they have started to flower ;D

[Charlotte Sometimes]

Cripes Wivvles, thats a most thought-provoking and philosophical signature!  I was wondering what to do before Eastenders, and I suppose I'll go and meditate on that, huh?!  ;)

Aubs - I am testing this year, growing inside and out.

Results so far - indoors aubs are fruiting but doing badly due to pests.  Outdoors - going slower but much healthier.  My experiment is being ruined due to it being a year of plague and pestilence in my leanto/greenhouse!  ::) :P

[Lady of the Land]

I have 5 outdoors but with a glass frame about 2ft high around them. The rest about 9 were in the conservatory but it became too hot for them so are now outside but will keep an eye on the weather and will bring back inside if necessary - in SE England.

I have a question How long from the point they start flowering to when they first produce anything that resembles an aubergine ?

[tim]

Can't recall the timing - but your frame is what we did - 4 'Dutch Lights' on their sides. And 8 plants gave us over 100 fruit.

[philcooper]

It "resembles" an aubergine fairly early on its life but I seem to rember harvesting (in the  greenhouse) from late August onwards - but I do tend to plant up late!

Phil

Tim,

Will you please take this gardening more seriously, you just seem to do simple things and have great success despite living at a great height and gardening into the winter  ;)
- any chance of producing a book of how you do it? (serious question)

[tim]

Before I rise to that one, Phil, how about a comment on my potato (?) blight??

By the way - LL - whenever, don't try to grow them too big - they'll just be full of inedible seeds. Pick them as soon as they shine.

[moonbells]

Before I rise to that one, Phil, how about a comment on my potato (?) blight??

By the way - LL - whenever, don't try to grow them too big - they'll just be full of inedible seeds. Pick them as soon as they shine.

Thanks for this tip - I was waiting for mine to equal supermarket aubs in size! (biggest is currently almost 5" long despite the red spider mite and there's another four on the same plant...)

moonbells

[Mrs Ava]

They swell at an amazing pace, or at least mine did last year.  At the start of the week, they were marbles, by the end of the week, I was picking!

[Lady of the Land]

Thank you for the tips

I can see acouple of tiny aubergines starting to grow today, so should not be long until I can pick. Unfortunately courgettes are taking there time in producing - I was planning on cooking a ratatouille using tomatoes from the freezer. Any other ideas of ways to use the aubergines.