Anyone here grow aubergines?

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Anyone here grow aubergines?
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Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 1:07 pm Post subject: Anyone here grow aubergines?

I'm having my second bash at growing aubergines this year in the polytunnel and although it's going better than last year, I still seem to have trouble getting the damned things to actually grow on the plant and stay on there to full size.

All seems well, then suddenly the growing fruit, without warning, will start rotting at the stalk, or the fruit itself starts to collapse. I don't understand why.

Some of the leaves also go yellow and die for no reason. I'm growing them in large pots of compost and water them carefully every day. Any thoughts or advice?

Also, I'm not sure how much I should pinch them out. I have quite a few shoots growing on the plants constantly. But I gather that one should pinch them back to sustain just a few fruits.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 1:10 pm Post subject:
Pinching out is nonsense IMO. Aubs don't produce huge amounts of growth unnecessarily. Not too sure on feeding either, water and heat are the two things that they really like. Don't know why your fruits are rotting though. Is the soil too wet?

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 1:11 pm Post subject:
How near are they to tomatoes - they really don't like each other - having said that I grew Aubergines last year in the same greenhouse as my toms and I got a really good crop - this year they are looking as big and healthy but I don't have any fruit at all It could just be this funny weather we've been having - they are quite temperamental Joanne

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 1:15 pm Post subject:
I haven't been feeding them because I can't find anyone who says they should be fed. I did wonder about the pinching out...and only did it rather pathetically a couple of times. It's virtually impossible to over-water in the polytunnel because it's so hot in there. I water the pots every night, but by the next evening the pots are nearly dry again...

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 1:18 pm Post subject:

jocorless wrote:

How near are they to tomatoes - they really don't like each other....

....they are quite temperamental

I hadn't thought about the tomatoes - there are squillions of them in there with the aubergines! And yes, I do find aubergines damned temperemental too

Oh well, I'll have to have that additional polytunnel now Gervase. No argument.

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 1:21 pm Post subject:

Mary-Jane wrote:

Oh well, I'll have to have that additional polytunnel now Gervase. No argument.

Its a must I think

madmonk

Joined: 08 May 2006
Posts: 835

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 1:23 pm Post subject:

Bernie66 wrote:

Mary-Jane wrote:

Oh well, I'll have to have that additional polytunnel now Gervase. No argument.

Its a must I think

Good idea and room for a ferret.

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 1:26 pm Post subject:

madmonk wrote:

Bernie66 wrote:

Mary-Jane wrote:

Oh well, I'll have to have that additional polytunnel now Gervase. No argument.

Its a must I think

Good idea and room for a ferret.

Look - I don't need Gervase coming home and saying "Of course you can have another polytunnel darling...as long as I can have a ferret or six" thank you very much!

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 1:29 pm Post subject:
How do you cook your aubergines? I've always found them to be a tasteless and rather pointless veg. - sorry.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 1:30 pm Post subject:

Jonnyboy wrote:

How do you cook your aubergines? I've always found them to be a tasteless and rather pointless veg. - sorry.

The only two ways I like aubergine are in curry or pakoras. Tried them loads of other ways but can't say I liked any of them

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 1:31 pm Post subject:
We, (oh alright then), Gervase uses them in Mousehackers and curries.

Blue Peter

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 2400
Location: Milton Keynes

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 1:34 pm Post subject:
Got a few appearing on my plants outside, but not many. However, I don't think that any have fallen off, Peter.

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 1:36 pm Post subject:

Blue Peter wrote:

Got a few appearing on my plants outside, but not many. However, I don't think that any have fallen off, Peter.

Must be me then.

A failure as an aubergine grower, as well as brassicas.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 2:11 pm Post subject:

I'm growing them for the first time this year, and have just noticed my first propar fruit growing, so I'll hold fire on commenting just yet, wait and see what happens to mine first

My plants aren't very big, but they've started to bush out quite a lot. It;s not a surprise though, the soil down there seems pretty lacking in any nutrient, so it's all practice for next year down there this year really.

I took some pictures down there today, so here he is in all his glory:

It's a fruit I tells yer!

dododumpling

Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Posts: 40

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 06 2:32 pm Post subject:

It's my first year growing aubergines - and I'm pleased to report some success! I'm growing these: https://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/gww0065/1 and have a couple of aubergines on one plant, one of which is a reasonable size (probably as big as it's going to grow on a dwarf plant).

Two of the plants are in pots, two in a growbag. I water them (almost) every night and feed them once a week with the same stuff I use for tomatoes and courgettes.

I don't know what the aubergines will taste like but they are so pwetty!

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