[hubballi]

This is the first time I have grown these plants and just need some tips. They are in pots in the greenhouse. They have reached about 1.5 ft, a few holes in the leaves. No fruit yet, just tiny buds hanging. I gues this is where the fruit will develop. However, there are lots of side shoots between the leaves and the stem like tomatoes. Do I pinch these out or leave them ?

[mumofstig]

I always just leave all the leaves
I have flowers but do not know if they'll get pollinated in this cool weather, none did last year.
But the flowers are big, beautiful and purple when they do open

[Jay Dubya]

Hi, i think you have to pinch out the tip when they are 1ft. tall and just let it go.

[tam]

I haven't pinched anything and they are doing fine. Mine are dwarf varieties though so seem to naturally stop at 12-18".

[hubballi]

This variety is "Black Beauty"

[Kristen]

They should bush up by themselves - if you pinch them out, to make them bushy, that will put them back a couple of weeks.

Tray of water nearby to increase humidity may help, as may misting with water to assist pollination.

Feed with a high potash fertilizer - e.g. a Tomato-specific fertilizer.

[hubballi]

Feeding with comfry feed and in humid greenhouse but still no fruit, just small purple flowers which never seem to get to the fruit stage. Some have been nibbled off.

Is it too late to still get fruit in Sept ?

[Cheshire Phill]

I have 2 aubergines in greenhouse, one has fruit (2-3) about 3-4" long, and I doubt these will mature to a decent size. Lots of the flowers just shrivelled up and didn't set to fruit. I think its a bit tough "oop North" to grow stuff like this, even under glass, never had any sucess with melons either, always good plants, never set much fruit.

Where in Cheshire are you? I'm in sunny Macclesfield....

Phill

[Yabba]

I've just ripped out 6 aubergine plants ( black beauty ) because they haven't set fruit yet and I'm pretty sure there's not enough year left for them. I can use the space for something else.

I've got some others that have fruit, a smidge bigger than Phill's.

I've also got some melons that I'm starting to harvest, taste fantastic

I'm a tad north of both of you in tropical Blackpool

¥

[hubballi]

I am in the Northwich area. I also have cucumbers that set tiny spiky fruits which just shrivel and die. My courgettes are doing the same now. Smaller fruit than earlier and yellow at one end.

A terrible poor season due to a terrible poor summer.

[gillie]

Having failed with the big purple sort last year I am growing a small purple and white stripey aubergine on dwarfish bushes which were recommended to me by a grower,

I did nothing to them, apart from watering and feeding along with the tomatoes and there are six aubergines on one plant and four (plus one which we have eaten) on the other.  I think they are great and will definitely grow them again.

Cheers,

Gillie

[Cheshire Phill]

Ah, Yabba, y'see you get a little bit of that westerly onshore gulfstream remnanty kind of thing that keeps it a bit milder and more favourable up int 'pool...but that'll be no comfort when its -5C and its an onshore westerly gale for you in Feb!!
Well done on the melons though, never had any luck with them, even pollinated from flower to flower with a paintbrush one year, but nowt bigger than a satsuma for me there...

And Gillie - schoolboy error, or was it deliberate? You didn't mention the type of these fab stripey monkeys that are doing so well..?!!

Please?
Pretty please?

Thanks...

Phill

[Yabba]

It does get a smidge breezy in winter

The ones that are bearing fruit are all in my lil 8x6 greenhouse, full sun most of the day. The ones that (all) failed were in an open ended greenhouse that gets less sun. Guessing that both sun and heat play a big part

The melons I'm growing are only tiny, I got them from real seeds ( @link collective farm woman ). I can send you some saved seed later if you like? No idea what they'll grow into though but they should be "true"

¥

[gillie]

"Gillie - schoolboy error, or was it deliberate? You didn't mention the type of these fab stripey monkeys that are doing so well..?!!"

I don't know what they are!  I was talked into buying the plants from a stall at a local farmers' market, but I will ask the lady who runs the stall next time I see her.  (She owes me a few favours - I skip dive for pots for her at the local garden centre!)

Gillie

[dig4victory]

I pinched out the top growing tip of my aubergines and have little fruit just forming behind the flowers.  They are bushing out nicely.