[Lewjam]

Hello all!

Im new to this forum, and nearly new to growing vegies, although since i was little i have been growing potatoes and such in little corners of garden. 

Now i have my own house now, and in my summerhouse i have had a go at growing aubergines...

My plant is thick and bushy, about 50cm tall.  A Couple of weeks ago it had a couple of Yellow flowers develop that just dropped off.  I now have several Purple flowers opening..

My question is - is it getting too late to hope that i will get any aubergines forming, are the purple flowers female and if so how can i help pollinate them?

Should I be feeding, or like tomatoes should I wait until a fruit sets?

Cheers

Lew

[mumofstig]

The purple flowers are the right ones Can the bees get in easily to pollinate for you?
and i don't feed until some fruit sets as long as the plant looks like it is growing ok
Finger crossed for aubergines this year

[KT]

Oh goodie this means i have an aubergine!!! yes 2 plants and i have 1 flower! 

oh well here's hoping it's still early in the season and there is still time for plenty more.

How big to aubergines grow? mine are about 1ft tall so far tbh i expected them to get quite abit bigger before they started fruiting??

Same with my peppers actually, they are only about 1 foot tall and they also appear to be trying to fruit is this normal??

[Lewjam]

Bees can get in just about, ive had some sniffing around some other flowers in there - so that might be enough!

Will keep posted on how they do!

I was told to pinch out the top of the plan when it got to about 50cm tall to make it bush out - i did this and it seems to have worked as its overall all growth rate seems to have increased allot since.

[Babstreefern]

I've also got an aurbergine plant and also with one purple flower.  I was given this and told that when you get 5 flowers on them you start picking off any more that may grow

I've got loads of bees.  My next door neighbour on our allotment gave me a couple of packets of seeds which she'd got from one of the seed catalogues (T&M??), called Bumble Bee Mix - and it really does work.  The bees are having a 5* gormet food orgy.  Also, when the flowers die down, you can use it as green manure.

[tam]

I poke my aubergines with a paintbrush, loads of flowers, loads of aubergines. I haven't picked any off until I want to use them.