Aubergines and sunshine

[mike1964]

This is our second year growing aubergines in the greenhouse (limited success last year 2 mis-shaped and 2 good uns out of 4 plants in 10" pots)and the question is about sunshine. As soon as we get a bit of good bright sunshine as today the plants seem to wilt and curl up! They are well watered and the greenhouse door and roof window are opened in hot weather to allow ventilation. I thought aubergines liked warm weather or is this normal for strong sun?
Also we are doing a trial to see which out of Blackbeauty and Moneymaker will do best however We have mixed them up! Can anyone identify them? One variety has totally green leaves and the other has red veins! Which is which?

[Jenny Green]

I can't answer your first question I'm afraid but I think I've grown Moneymaker in the past and I can't remember any red veins.

[Wellie]

Hi Mike,

Having read what you've written, my first thought is that you may be overwatering them.
My second thought is that you may not be providing the very humid atmosphere that they love.

As far as I understand Aubergines so far, they are Mediterranean plants that simply thrive on hot humid conditions.

In the past, I've over-fed mine, which has produced too much lush foliage. I've had HUGE and very healthy Aubergine fruits though. This year I've been starving them a bit of liquid feed, to produce less lush growth. The flowers are now beginning and I'm pinching out the embryonic flower buds that I DON'T want (to restrict the energy) and now starting an intensive Potash feeding programme.

I hope some of that will be helpful to you.
Good Luck,
Wellie

[retropants]

Hi Mike!

I have had moderate success with auby's in the greenhouse, but they are in the ground, not pots. they only get watered twice or so a week, and left to their own devices for the rest of the time. I feed them with comfrey 'water' once a week, as soon as the flowers appear. I usually get between 2-4 large fruits per plant. This year I am growing violetta de lunga (SP?) which should give me lots more long thin fruits per plant. Oh, and they get a good misting too, when I'm watering them.
Good luck and here's hoping!

[Geoff]

Haven't grown Black Beauty but Moneymaker definitely has coloured veins - I'd have said aubergine purple rather than red.

[mike1964]

Thanks for all the replies
I will try misting to give the humidity.
Yes the veins are probably more of a purple.
Cheers

[mike1964]

Misting the plants really did the trick
I now give them a good misting daily with one of those 1 litre trigger bottles and they're romping away and looking much healthier!
The purple veined variety(Moneymaker? see opening message) are doing better by far,having flower buds and being about twice the size of the other variety(Blackbeauty? plain green leaves)!
Thanks to all

[Wellie]

With this very hot and slightly breezy drying wind on top of the very hot weather anyway, I've had to completely shade my tomatoes, peppers and aubergines in the last week.
They've not been at all short of water at their roots, and STILL they've been wilting 'above ground'.
All are in pots in my grown-up-girls' greenhouse.

Not able to take up enough moisture from their roots to support the top growth, if you get my drift....
And getting back to your posting (sorry, I went off on one there for a minute.....) THAT'S my very point.

Try a little shading for the plants mid-late afternoon if at all possible, for the moment at least.

When the fruits have set and begin to form 'proper', different tact altogether, and much more sunshine needed.

Tricky business this growing lark.............

Not sure I've helped, but hope so.
Wellie

[retropants]

Misting the plants really did the trick
I now give them a good misting daily with one of those 1 litre trigger bottles and they're romping away and looking much healthier!
The purple veined variety(Moneymaker? see opening message) are doing better by far,having flower buds and being about twice the size of the other variety(Blackbeauty? plain green leaves)!
Thanks to all

hurrah!!

[mike1964]

Just to update We did a trial this year to find the best Aubergine plants, from seed out of 2 varieties 6 of each :-
Moneymaker and
Black Beauty
Well the result has been no contest!
The variety with purple veined leaves (Moneymaker?!!? see opening post) has romped away growing taller much more quickly than the other variety (Black Beauty?) also plenty of flowers and fruit (5-6 plus) on each Moneymaker?plant!
The plain green leaved variety (Black Beauty?) has almost caught up in height and leaves but flowers are very scarce and only one large but mishapen/double type fruit!
Could anyone confirm the identity of the 2 varieties?
Mike

[pillbug]

We`ve been eating moneymaker aubergines for a few weeks and each plant still have about 8 developing fruit each,the other plain green ones are producing 2 fruit but they are larger.

[Johnboy]

Hi Pillbug,
I rather think that Mike is unsure of which is which of his varieties and would appreciate a description of Moneymaker. This would help him buying the correct seed for next year. Has Moneymaker got red veins in the leaf?

[Allan]

Aubergines are rather similar to cucumbers in needing a humid atmosphere but not as much water round the roots as you might imagine. If you can afford it install an automatic misting system, 4 times a day for only about 3 minutes should be sufficient. I am still fighting to find the perfect affordable nozzle, fine spray nozzles drop too much water on the ground making it unworkable and the chickweed loves it.
As to varieties, the Seeds of Italy long purple is worth a try.Owing to technical difficulties we have only white ones for cropping this season, it will be interesting to see what they are like.
Allan

[bigpepperplant]

Re the wilting aubergines in pots, I had the same problem but since I put them in the ground they have been happy. Both are in the polytunnel so it's very hot. Maybe yours would have been happier in the ground too...?