[New shoot]

Aubergines are often such a disappointment to grow and the only year I have ever had a really good crop was when I invested in a grafted plant.  They are expensive though at around the £5 mark, so this year I grew mini patio aubergines from seed.

Nothing special in their treatment.  Germinated indoors and grown on sitting on the windowsill, then out to the unheated greenhouse as soon as it warmed up.  This is 1 side of a plant,  It has more fruit on the other side and I have 2 growing in a builders bucket perched on the staging.  We've already been eating them, but now they are really motoring   

[AnneB]

Jealous.

[AlaninCarlisle]

Chucked them out. Just taking up space in polytunnel without setting any fruit. I even bought a mature plant when my seedlings looked suspiciously weak. Total waste of space

[sunshineband]

After two years of success, they have been very slow off the mark this year, but at last fruit is setting. One Long Purple, One Gardia, plus a couple of Black Beauties that look as though they might hang on in there

Nothing like yours, New Shoot 

[Mr Dog]

No fruit yet despite more flowers than I've ever seen on a aubergine plant and them being next to the entrance to a bumble bee nest....

[Stewarty]

It's my best year ever for aubergines. 4 different types, all grown from seed in trays in the conservatory at home, sown February, transplanted to growbags in my 2 over-crowded rickety greenhouses at the allotment.

I think it was the warm, bright weather from April to June that helped them  -  and they were snuggled in fleece during the 2 surprisingly hard frosts we had in April.

And, because there seemed to be plenty fruits coming along, I've been picking them earlier than I have in previous years, rather than waiting for them to grow as big as possible.  So they've been much more juicy, fresh and bug free than my usual crops.

(Tomatoes and peppers have been doing great as well, in the same rickety greenhouses. I don't grow any of these plants outdoors, largely because my back problems deter me from all the bending work. If I manage to get a 3rd massive raised bed constructed from pallets over the winter I might try growing aubergines, peppers and tomatoes outdoors....?).

[Willow_Warren]

I have two plants and just one fruit!!

I've a few flowers/buds but they aren't developing into fruit!

Rather jealous of your plant...

Hannah

[mumofstig]

Yours look lovely NS.
But for me it's just another year when they've not been worth the bother. Never again and after 10years of trying (most years) I really mean it.

For me it's a waste of time and compost, easier and probably cheaper to buy them when I need them - sad but true 

[sunshineband]

Yours look lovely NS.
But for me it's just another year when they've not been worth the bother. Never again and after 10years of trying (most years) I really mean it.

For me it's a waste of time and compost, easier and probably cheaper to buy them when I need them - sad but true 

 

 

[robinahood]

I don't even seem to be able to get a decent sweet pepper crop so I wouldn't try anything that needs a longer, warmer season.....

[New shoot]

My aubergines are a variety called Kaberi and are a dwarf plant.  Maybe because they don't spend a lot of time growing upwards and outwards, they focus on fruit 

I grow a compact sweet pepper called Amanda and that is also early.  A new one for me this year is Lipstick, which is also compact.  Both are loaded with fruit.

The smaller plants fit on my greenhouse staging, which is why I choose them, but maybe they are worth trying if the bigger types aren't working for you. 

[Yorkie]

Nice one NS (said through gritted, envious, teeth) 

[Mr Dog]

My aubergines are a variety called Kaberi and are a dwarf plant.  Maybe because they don't spend a lot of time growing upwards and outwards, they focus on fruit 

I grow a compact sweet pepper called Amanda and that is also early.  A new one for me this year is Lipstick, which is also compact.  Both are loaded with fruit.

The smaller plants fit on my greenhouse staging, which is why I choose them, but maybe they are worth trying if the bigger types aren't working for you.

Interesting what you say about Lipstick and Amanda, I was very tempted to buy seed of both for this year but was actually strong willed enough not to! Next year may, of course, be different 

[New shoot]

Interesting what you say about Lipstick and Amanda, I was very tempted to buy seed of both for this year but was actually strong willed enough not to! Next year may, of course, be different 

As is well known on here, I would never encourage reckless seed buying      Ahem, well moving swiftly on ... 

Anyway, I have grown Amanda for a few years and she is a favourite and Lipstick is going on the 'must grow' list I think as they are doing great 

[sunshineband]

Interesting what you say about Lipstick and Amanda, I was very tempted to buy seed of both for this year but was actually strong willed enough not to! Next year may, of course, be different 

As is well known on here, I would never encourage reckless seed buying      Ahem, well moving swiftly on ... 

Anyway, I have grown Amanda for a few years and she is a favourite and Lipstick is going on the 'must grow' list I think as they are doing great 

Hungarian Sweet Wax is cropping heavily here for me... not everything is a failure thank goodness 

That is only 30 - 40 cm or so tall, so maybe a dwarfer aubergine next year