[Rich72]

Morning all and happy new year.

I bought some aubergines seeds to grow this year but there seems to be much conflicting information re when to sow. I have never grown them from seed before, have always bought plants from the nursery and had poor results. Last year only got 1 fruit from 4 plants. If I sow them now, they will be on a south facing windowsill in spare bedroom, the heating can be turned down in there if needed.

So do I sow now?
Any advice gratefully received

[sunshineband]

Aubergines take ages to grow to fruiting size plants, but I would still wait until the end of February to sow them, imho.

The reason is because the light levels are so low at this time in the year that plants grow long and thin (etiolated) even with reflectors etc. It all becomes far too hard work, as you cannot put them out into a greenhouse even until the temp is around 12-15 deg or they sulk big time.

[Rich72]

Thanks sunshine. I will leave it for now then. Getting a bit itchy to get growing. May join the early tomato project I have seen on here

[New shoot]

I think it depends on whether you have a heated greenhouse to transfer them to Rich when they outgrow the windowsill.

They do need a long growing season like peppers and chillies. I have an unheated greenhouse and tried aubergines last year.  Sowed them indoors end Feb/early March and got a few fruits, but they are big old plants and luckily it has warmed up enough for me to risk them outside before they competely took over the spare bedroom 

The great tomato experiment thread might be of interest to you as we all had a chat about the pros and cons of early sowing on there 

[New shoot]

ooopps sorry Sunshine and Rich - think we were all hitting the post button at the same time there  

[sunshineband]

ooopps sorry Sunshine - think we were all hitting the post button at the same time there 

At least we agreed 

[Rich72]

Thanks new shoot.

My greenhouse is not currently heated as there is nothing in it. But I do have access to one of those parafin type heaters. Would that make the greenhouse warm enough?

[sunshineband]

It might do, but it is quite expensive to heat a green house for a few small plants.

I have an electric heater which keeps it frost free, but don't ramp it up until I have toms etc ready to go out there.

It's the temperature at night you need to watch.

A max-min thermometer would help you answer your question, perhaps.

[Rich72]

I will invest in a thermometer then. There is no electricity on our plot so can't have electric heater

[sunshineband]

You'll probably find that it gets very hot during the day when it is sunny too 

[mumofstig]

When you sow them doesn't make a difference to pollination.
I sowed in late Feb last year and they were really strong bushy plants, before they even got planted in the greenhouse, and had loads of flowers.
Very few flowers actually set fruit though - even though I tried hand pollination

I don't know if it was due to the low nighttime temperatures we had last year as they do prefer warmer climates (even more so than tomatoes). I'll try again this year

[sunshineband]

When you sow them doesn't make a difference to pollination.
I sowed in late Feb last year and they were really strong bushy plants, before they even got planted in the greenhouse, and had loads of flowers.
Very few flowers actually set fruit though - even though I tried hand pollination

I don't know if it was due to the low nighttime temperatures we had last year as they do prefer warmer climates (even more so than tomatoes). I'll try again this year

You and me both MoS 

Got the seeds ready 

[gobs]

Ehem. I sowed some. Just a couple. With my tomato challenge ones.

Indeed, some seed packet instructions will say, sow from Jan. It is not worth overdoing though.

And we can get out the DD trick against etiolation (is that the right spelling? you work it out!).

I would bet DD forgot to patent the tinfoil trick, some cheacky soandsos are selling it.