[barbarella]

This is the first time I have grown aubergines.  I have five home grown Black Beauty plants (sown on 20 February)  in 10 inch pots in the greenhouse - they are now about 2 feet high and look very healthy - there are canes in the pots but they don't seem to need support yet.  They all have flower buds but they are very slow to develop and the plants haven't got any taller recently.

Should they be more developed by now or am I being too impatient?

[New shoot]

Augergines are slow but if you've got flower buds that's a good sign. Why not try switching to a high potash feed to see if you can spur them on to fruit - tomato food is the easiest

[barbarella]

I started feeding them this week, so I am obviously doing the right thing.  Thanks new shoot.

[mumofstig]

If the doors are not open much (it's quite chilly hear...don't know about your weather) then start hand pollinating with a soft brush, that's what I've been doing 
and watch out for greenfly mine got smothered till I started daily squishing..eugh!

[barbarella]

If the doors are not open much (it's quite chilly hear...don't know about your weather) then start hand pollinating with a soft brush, that's what I've been doing 
and watch out for greenfly mine got smothered till I started daily squishing..eugh!

I've been leaving the doors wide open most days from about 10am to 6pm as it has been really warm and judging by the flies on the yellow stickies, plenty of insects have been exploring.  I've hardly seen any greenfly or whitefly yet on the allotment or garden (just blackfly on the broad beans  ) and none in the greenhouse so we've been very lucky.  I have put it down to the cold winter but obviously you breed 'em hardy in the garden of England

[barbarella]

PS  I will start hand pollinating though if the flowers ever open   They look like potato flowers don't they?

[mumofstig]

yes, but with thicker petals and usually a lovely violet colour (although the odd one is white) very pretty 

[braders1234]

been away for a week and come back to aubs smothered in green fly and some small white fly type creature.  What to do?

[oldcow]

I had several attacks of blackfly and aphids on the aubergines too, they seem to be very fond of aubergines. I rubbed them off and squashed them every day for a couple of weeks, since I'm trying to be as organic as possible, and in the last three weeks there haven't been any more attacks.