When to plant out aubergines?

[veggiewomble]

I was wondering when it was time to plant out my aubergines. They're still indoors in a covered seed tray and many of them have developed 3-4 leaves already, but they are getting a little leggy from lack of sunlight. :( I don't have any convenient sunny positions indoors to put the plants so I was thinking about planting them outdoors now that the threat of frost has gone. However, it's been raining and I'm not sure if it'll just drown these tiny plants. When do you plant out your aubergines?

vg

[veggiewomble]

[cleo]

Mine will go out very soon, I give them some cloche protection for the first couple of weeks but then they cope well enough

[BAK]

We put them out under barn cloches a week ago. Cloches stay on until the plants are bursting to get out (usually late June).

You do not mention hardening the plants off - ensure that you do this or the plants will get checked and possibly die off (frost or no frost).

[tim]

Frost passed? You're so lucky??

Whatever, I reckon they need a good period to harden off, being in warmth & leggy. So, suggest they go out each day in their covered tray & in at night for at least 3 days. Then leave out 24hrs for another 3 days, before planting out.

Just my idea.

[Tee Gee]

Can't help I'm afraid,I have to grow mine under glass up here in the wild and woolly north :'(

I planted mine out in the tunnel last week!

[Melbourne12]

We're just at the stage of hardening ours off.  They may go out next weekend or even later, into cold frames.

[Jitterbug]

I have ready - and correct me if I am wrong - that I would get a better crop if I grew them in my cold greenhouse.  I am in SW and if I grew them outside it would be with my chillis on a very hot and sunny south facing wall - so would have thought it would be hot enough but having no success last year - even in the greenhouse am not sure what I should do this year and I have about 5 different varieties to try out.

Any ideas??

Jitterbug

[Trixiebelle]

I daren't plant mine out  ::) They're staying in ring-culture pots in the greenhouse with little knitted jackets on until the end of August!

[Tora]

My aubergines (heritage mix from DT Brown) are still tiny! This cold spell we are having isn't helping.
Last year I planted several plants at the allotment and got no fruit at all...

What should I do to ensure a good crop when growing them outdoors? :-\

[tim]

Keep them wind-proof, as warm as possible & feed well.

[Trixiebelle]

Keep them wind-proof, as warm as possible & feed well.

I think I was an aubergine in a former life Tim  ;D Can I come and live at your house?

[tim]

One of those slim Thai ones, no doubt??

[cleo]

The day Tim stops flirting is the day I start to worry about my dear friend ;D

[saddad]

Met Check says we have a frost tomorrow night!
;D

[veggiewomble]

Thanks, all. I think I'll harden them off slowly and then plant them out when it finally stops raining... under a cloche in a big trough just to be safe. :) Right now its tempting to squeeze too many small plants in the trough but I think I can only reasonably fit in 3....

I wonder what I am going to with the other 14-15-odd plants.  :o

vg

[Trevor_D]

When you say "plant out", does that mean "outside"? I live in the ?sunny? south and I've never had a decent outdoor crop. Grow them under glass. They need a long growing period of Mediterranean warmth; we really are pushing things by expecting them to do anything in our climate. (Fun trying though, isn't it?)

[tim]

nil desperandum!

The only time we grew them outside up here - because the 'house was full - they were the long purple Macchiaw - we got 113 off 8 plants.

So everything is possible?

[Trevor_D]

Wow - looks good! I was obviously trying with the wrong sort (probably Moneymaker o.n.o.). I got quite a few plants of Fairy Tale, a small variety; perhaps I'll chance the odd one outside & see what gives.

[BAK]

We have been growing them outdoors in Berks for 20 years.

When I say outdoors we have them under barn cloches until around the end of June, at which point they are on their own.

The crops have generally been on the disappointing side with just a few bumper years.

Our view (for what it is worth) is that they need consistent weather during the summer months .. warm for sure .. but not with any significant changes. For example, you would have thought that 2006 should have been a good year but August and September were totally different (more typically British) from the heat of June and July.

This is where Tim's advice of cossetting them so that they avoid the relative excesses of any cool periods is useful.

[Tora]

Your aubergines look very nice, Tim!

Are there varieties rthat are eliable outdoors at all? Do you give them some kind of protection outside? I don't have a green house and never had a success with aubergines. :(