Aubergines

[Zena]

Has anyone out there successfully grown these without the aid of a green house or propagator? I have lots of seedlings on a window sill, and a larger plant, that I brought from the Garden Centre, which is in a pot and gets moved indoors/outdoors depending on the weather. Having now read up on the things (which I KNOW I should have done first!) I find that they're very difficult to cultivate successfully outside of a greehouse. should I just give up now??
Thanks in advance....

[Wellie]

Zena,

Don't give up !

Even if you don't fully succeed this year, you'll learn a lot, and will be able to further your knowledge for next year.

I started off just like you on Aubergines about 5 years ago. If you want to PM me to discuss your set-up further, you're welcome.
Lol
Wellie

[oldherbaceous]

Good evening Zena, and what a lovely evening it is.
I think you Know the answer to your question already.
You will be very lucky indeed if you get your big plant to crop, we would need an exceptionally sunny summer. And i don't think the seedlings will have a long enough growing season either.
Sorry to be a portrayer of doom.
You will have to take your frustration out on the slugs and snails when you go out with your torch tonight. Hope you don't get arrested.

Kind regards Old Herbaceous.

Theres no fool like an old fool.

[Jenny Green]

I've grown them outside in a sheltered sunny spot and got a few aubergines off them but they're very slow to crop so you need a long summer.

[sandersj89]

Agree, they need a long summer but you can get a good crop.

These are my plants this year:



They have now been moved to a cold frame and will be planted out in a few weeks time, some in pots against a south facing wall others in the ground in a sheltered spot.

I manged a good few fruit last year:



A couple of secrets. Keep them warm in a sheltered spot.

Keep the compost moist and feed with a tomato feed as soon as they start to flower.

Help polination along with your finger or a soft brush.

Support the plants as the fruit are heavy.

Wait for the fruit, I picked most of mine in September.

HTH

Jerry

[Zena]

Oh well, I suppose I could just plant them in a border and admire the foliage! I suppose it was just wishful thinking to imagine I could grow every vegetable I liked.
Thanks for the replies anyway - aren't you all lovely lot

[bigpepperplant]

interesting to see your pictures of aubergine plants since mine, inside the polytunnel, don't look anywhere near that high. Not sure where I'm going wrong. They seem to have stopped growing. No flowers in sight. Should I pinch out the tops? They're about 10inches high...

[jopsy]

Sanders that's massive!
I've tried 2 years running and had absolutely no success
I haven't bothered this year as i'm trying lots of other things instead
Good luck

[Chez]

We're growing aubergines for the first time this year. In the greenhouse though. I hope we can eventually harvest something close to the size of your aubergine, Jerry. How many do you get off one plant?

[sandersj89]

Thanks guys,

I have never pinched out the tops and dont have a problem with them bushing out on their own.

This year has been very funny. The hot spell at the start of the month reaaly got them going but the cold damp weather now has slowed them up a bit.

As for number of fruits, I grow enorma or black beauty so I get large fruit, about 4 to 6 a plant.

If you grow those like Thai long green you can get 20 plus of a plant.

HTH

Jerry