[bravemurphy]

We are going to scale down the chilies by a plant or 2 next year and are thinking about growing some aubergine plants.

I can remember growing one or two a good few years ago and got hardly anything from them.

Has anyone had any good success with these, if so which variety please.

 

[New shoot]

Not the easiest of veg and you will probably get more tales of woe than success bravemurphy 

I had really good success with a grafted plant last year.  Meant to get one this year, but left it too late and we sold out at work.  Would recommend them 

[mumofstig]

Has anyone had any good success with these, if so which variety please.

Nope  After several years of trying - I gave it up as a bad job 

[allotmentann]

The problem that I have had every year I have tried growing them, is that the fruits only start forming just before the frosts start, then the plants have to be brought indoors, where they get in the way and to be honest continue to ripen very, very slowly. For the couple of small fruits that I end up getting, the expense ( seeds are fairly expensive to start with, plus big pots of bought compost to grow in, added to the amount of effort involved, it is not worth it for me) .
I really suspect that it will depend on the growing conditions you can provide as to whether it is worth it. 

[DD.]

Has anyone had any good success with these, if so which variety please.

Nope  After several years of trying - I gave it up as a bad job 

X2

[Totty]

I struggled until the last two seasons.
In those two years I've grown farmers long f1 and planted them out in tall but smallish diameter pots, fed the same time as my tomatoes. They are now however not kept in the same greenhouse as the toms. They are in a smaller round greenhouse which I don't ventilate as much and grow the cucumbers in. They seem to do really well in more sticky, humid conditions, and these last two years have proved it for me.

Totty

[Kate and her Ducks]

I've only tried once and that was this year so given it was such a wonderful summer not sure I will be able to repeat this years success.

I grew 2 plants and had about a dozen fruits although we ate a lot of them as baby veg so they kept producing. Lost a few to slugs but still a good haul and a couple still left.

The were from the Real Seed Company. Think they were called something like aubergine de barbantine (must remember to label things better. Will be giving them another go next year, infect will be growing a few more plants.

[Kate and her Ducks]

http://www.realseeds.co.uk/aubergines.html

Almost!  De Barbentane

[surbie100]

I grew Rosa Bianca this year. 2 plants of 5 survived and we've had 1 aubergine from each. They are now indoors, and only saved because they have another 2 fruits forming. That's a lot of effort for the return...

I think I might keep an eye out for grafted plants next year after all the joyous reports on here this year.

[mumofstig]

http://www.realseeds.co.uk/aubergines.html

Almost!  De Barbentane

I tried Tres Hative de Barbentane, from the Organic Gardening Catalogue- which says

A prolific variety with 8-10 fruits per stem.It matures well even in cooler climatic conditions.

Yeah - right!
Glad it worked for you though 

[WulfrunFrank]

I have grown Moneymaker for the last few years, F1 fairly widely available.
They do not produce the largest fruits but they seem to be consistent and high yielding and early, even in the dreadful summer of last year.
I usually grow a couple of plants in greenhouse, with toms and peppers, and in a small poly greenhouse.
Fantastic crops this year, highly recommended.

[Kate and her Ducks]

I tried Tres Hative de Barbentane, from the Organic Gardening Catalogue- which says

A prolific variety with 8-10 fruits per stem.It matures well even in cooler climatic conditions.

Yeah - right!
Glad it worked for you though 

I think mine would have done that if it hadn't been for the slugs. One of them has fallen over but going to try to save the other to see if I can get a headstart next year.

[Mr Dog]

Had a(nother) final try this year and finally got seeds to actually germinate, although was on the point of dumping the contents of the seed tray after waiting nearly 3 months........and the plant produced 5 fruits: 2 fell off when small, one grew to about 8" long and the other 2 grew to about 4".

[devonbarmygardener]

Last year = 2 tiny fruits out of 3 plants (from seed) and they were an outdoor patio variety I tried in the greenhouse called Pinstripe F1. Moneymaker and Black Beauty from seed in previous years - all flowers no fruit.

This year I tried grafted aubs and they were stunning - decent sized fruits, more than a dozen fruits over the season, so yes, they are more expensive plants (I got them 3 for 9.99 plus 3 grafted cukes for 9.99 and got 3 grafted tomatoes for free from Marshalls) BUT the amount of fruit I got made it more than worth every penny.

Will never go back to non-grafted cukes or aubs again

[bravemurphy]

Thanks all for the replies.

Looks like I will not bother then and find something else to grow.

I would like to get the grafted ones but I would not pay 9.99 for three plants I would rather go and buy the fruit in the shop.