Growing aubergine

[Fiona]

Hello,

Me again! I think there is more wrong with my aubergine than just spider mite (as on cucumber mosaic disease thread). I have spoken to colleagues at work who took some of my seedlings and they say the leaves on their plants are basically green. The leaves on my plant turn white and are just green where the veins of the leaf are. Hmm, maybe I should have continued to post on the same thread as before?

It isn't growing very quickly. although I did think that perhaps this was because it was in a shadier spot and I have moved it to a sunnier position. The leaves look a little bit dry, but I wouldn't say they are actually dead.

My peppers (chilli and bell), tomato plant, and patio apple, which are all on the same enclosed balcony thing (I have the windows open in good weather), are all doing well (so it isn't just me!).

Any suggestions as to what is wrong?

Thanks, as usual.

Fiona.

[gardening_guru]

Hello Fiona,

I have just posted my latest diary entry, click on 'toolshed' and then Gardening Guru Diary I have included a short section on growing Aubergines especially for you! I hope the information helps solve the problem with your Aubergine plant(s).

Regards, George.

[Fiona]

http://homepages.ed.ac.uk/ejua35/aubergine.JPG

My photo of my aubergine transferred OK, so I thought I may as well post it. I read your diary entry, but I don't think it is powdery mildew. I have given up on this plant, actually, but in case you look at it and have an "ah ha!" experience, I thought I would post it!

Fiona.

[gardening_guru]

Hi Fiona,

Looking at that photo and the speckling of the foliage, I think it is Red Spider Mite, I also think that you made the correct decision to give up on it. I did not think it was Powdery Mildew, my diary entry was hinting at the conditions required to grow Aubergine successfully. Aubergines require high humidity, they are much more likely to suffer from an attack of Red Spider Mite if the air around the plant is very dry. Standing potted plants on trays or saucers of constantly damp pebbles helps a lot.

[Lucy]

Hi
I have two aubergine plants I've grown from seed, and they look great. They are in a growbag in the greenhouse in my south-facing back yard, so tons of heat. Only problem is that the flowers come, then drop off I have no aubergines growing at all and I'm not sure why this is happening! Incidentally, I also have no peppers although the plants are very green and healthy looking!
What's happening!!

[gardening_guru]

Hello Lucy,

I think the non-fruiting problem could be due to any of the following:

Not enough watering, I’m sure you water these aubergines frequently but growbags can dry out so quickly especially in that very hot weather we had in July. Water at least twice a day in hot waether.

Humidity levels not high enough, different to watering of course, I mean moisture levels in the air around the plants. Needs to be 75% for aubergines. Again very hard to maintain in that July weather, damping down paths and other surfaces in the greenhouse at least twice a day., never letting them dry out.

Not enough food. Aubergines need feeding at least once per fortnight, they are very hungry plants.

It could actually have been too hot in July! This could possibly have caused bud/flower drop. If it was 37C outside, what was the temperature in your greenhouse?

Suspect one or more of the above reasons might also apply to the peppers.

Hope I have helped,

George.

[Lucy]

Thank you for that - I did wonder if it was too hot (over 100F in my greenhouse) and it was very difficult to keep the soil moist enough. And now! No heat at all!

I wasn't sure about feeding - I thought you only did that once the fruit had set? And they are in a growbag with peppers which Monty Don said not to feed! Won't do that again!

Oh well, just have to replace all aubergines in recipes with the glut of courgettes I have !
Thanks again
Lucy

[Eliga99]

Aborigines are cute vegetables! I’ve been ignoring it for more than 24 years!
Our markets here in the Philippines are usually loaded with them but we only have few varieties, like the long ones and the round ones.
When I started my container garden they weren’t even included in my original roster of vegetables, for I thought we had enough of them everywhere. it isn’t too pricey too, so investing just to harvest them wouldn’t be too wise.
That’s what I thought.
Way back in March i was so desperate to have zucchinis, and that time I had no zuke seeds yet so I thought id settle for something I can readily grow in my country...and chadan!!!! Eggplants. I want to make them extra special so I call them aborigines instead ( people were like, "what are those aborigines? They look like egg plant!")
Sure I have had so many issues with them, 1st was their pot size. since they weren’t part of my original plan they had to settle for smaller pots, 10 liters. And then they grow so slow. Very slow. i already harvested my radishes and bitter melons and they were barely starting to flower....but I learned they were just slowly but surely.
Then I also had some trouble with their flowers. the first flowers never developed into something edible.
I couldn’t see any fruit behind any flower, unlike zucchinis and bitter melons. I couldn’t tell which is female or male until I learned that each flower is bisexual. But I couldn’t pollinate them because I didn’t know how to do it. I researched and found out I only have to tickle the insides of each flower with a paint brush, and though I was doubtful about it ( I couldn’t see any pollen transferring from one part to another) I still continued...and then days after I saw that my flowers are turning to little aborigines...not just aborigines, but the most beautiful aborigine I ever saw in my entire life !( for some reasons the ones I’m growing are egg shaped ( so that hwy its called eggplant huh?) unlike all the eggplants I see in teh market that are long and thin.

[keiranval]

Aubergines, chillies and sweet peppers are ideal plants for pots and growing from seed is foolproof. All three of these delicious crops are grown in the same way and there are lots of great varieties to choose from.