aubergines

[blackcountrysteve]

I fancy growing some this year, any advice or tips please ? both for growing and eating !!

thanks

[blackcountrysteve]

[sunloving]

Hi
Well im not an expert but i have learnt to grow the smaller varieties and grow them near the green house door so that the pollinators can find them or else in a hot spot outside.
Sow them relatively early say end of feb as they are slow growing and watch out for the prickles.
good luck
x sunloving

[PeterVV]

I tried a small variety last year, had about 2 golf ball size fruits!, one plant on the allotment, one in a conservatory, and one in the garden, wont be growing them again!

[Robert_Brenchley]

Anyone tried hand pollinating them? I tried growing them outside one year; I got one two-inch aub, and wouldn't bother again.

[lottie lou]

Tried them in pots in the greenhouse.  Won't bother again.  Lots of other stuff to grow with better results and they are relatively cheap in the market.

[Jayb]

I like the smaller fruiting ones they seem more more able to produce in a welsh summer! I find them a useful size to cook with too.
If you haven't got a greenhouse the patio ones do quite well in a pot in a warm sheltered spot. I feed mine the same as tomatoes. I agree with sunloving, start them early.

[saddad]

I'm upto several carrier bags a season... from about 8 tubs in a 8x6 greenhouse. Prefer the smaller ones and they are more successful in my hands...  :)

[macmac]

Tried growing these in the greenhouse the last 4 years ,very poor results I'm with Lotte lou I can make better use of the space,particularly as Lidl were offering them for about 40p each :)

[lottie lou]

Blimey thats even cheaper than the market

[macmac]

It's an offer they have several times a year and their produce is really good.It's always fresh and well priced  :)

[Vinlander]

I tried a small variety last year, had about 2 golf ball size fruits!, one plant on the allotment, one in a conservatory, and one in the garden, wont be growing them again!

Can't say I blame you...

Firstly - it's not a crop that is ever going to pay its way:

   You always get the whole of your crop in the months when aubergines are cheap as chips in the shops.

   If you grow standard varieties then they probably won't taste as good as greengrocer's stuff grown in Spain and other points south (though they will taste better than the crap from Dutch greenhouses).

   Most years you will get nothing outside and nearly nothing under glass - last year was a FAIR year compared to 07, 08, 09 - but not good enough to get more than one fruit per plant - and that's from small-fruited kinds that can produce 6 or more in a good year!

Secondly - if you don't keep more than one plant in a place where bees can get to them then pollination can be a problem. No pollination - no fruit.

For enthusiasts and extreme optimists only!

Oh, and of course mine are organic whereas stuff from commercial greenhouses - is about as far as it's possible to get from that (legally)... or worse depending on the attitudes of the countries involved.

[Stevens706]

I keep saying this but this year is realy the last chance they get, if I don't get any fruit thats it.

[small]

I've been successful growing them in a cold greenhouse, starting them in a propagator in Feb - I've grown mainly Black Beauty but grew long purple as well last year - reckon on several good sized fruit per plant, no special treatment or hand pollination, just tomato food once set.
That's the successful part - my trouble has always been knowing when they were ripe! Oh, and they are DREADFULLY prickly. I'm going all goosey just thinking about it.
Give them a try - you might be one of the lucky ones!

[sunloving]

Maybe saddad can give us a run down on what they do to get such sucess that would be great!
x sunloving

[saddad]

We start them off in March... pot up to 3" pots mid April and put out into florist buckets about Mid May... have them on the staging with a bit of that fabric stuff (brain melted!). Don't pollinate but feed like toms. Also have cucs in the same house (crystal apple etcetera..)...  :)

[cleo]

Here I grow with some reasonable success Bonica,Money Maker and best of all Rosa Bianca as well as the longer types such as Thai Green.

All do well both inside and outside(with a little cloche protection to start).

There is no comparison with the imported stuff, which can be good I admit,but it`s just not as `meaty` as a home grown one.

[sunloving]

Thankyou saddad and cleo for the tips.
Im going to give it another go :)
x sunloving

[caroline7758]

I had given up trying but I've got some Moneymaker this year to try.

[blackcountrysteve]

thanks for the replys....saddad i'll give your way of doint it a whirl, how many fruits do you get from one plant ?

[saddad]

On the small palm sized ones between 12 and 20 per plant...  :)