Aubergine/Eggplant Trees
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 พ.ย. 2021
- Sometimes all it takes is a few changes and a marginal vegetable crop can be significantly more productive.
Help me develop these gardens and make more videos through regular contributions / redgardens
Or use www.paypal.me/redgardens as a simple, once-off way to support this project and the time and energy that goes into making videos. Thanks so much!
Part of the Cloughjordan Ecovillage, Tipperary, Ireland www.thevillage.ie
![แฟนแนวใด๋ - ยูริ โตเกียวมิวสิค [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4_XVMuhhbsU/mqdefault.jpg)
Something weirdly satisfying about seeing the action shot of the ladybird larva eating the aphid. Thanks for sharing your experiences! I look forward to trying this method out next season.
It is great to watch! Such fascinating process.
I love all the "I don't know"'s. You sir are a scientist.
Ah, thanks!! If I am honest, it took me many years to learn how to say it as often as I should!
This couldn’t have been more timely-I am currently growing Black Beauty eggplants and was JUST researching yesterday to see if ANYONE had ever grown these plants single-stemmed, and this video pops up. I can’t thank you enough for posting this… 🙏🏾💜🍆
🙂
Your channel and how you describe and interact with the video, explaining your positive and negative growing experiences of all the growing methods, is such a great resource.
Thank you for your input, and with you, Charles Dowding and a couple of others, my vegetable growing has been such an enjoyable experience.
Wish my Grandad (who was the most amazing veg grower thru the 50's to the 90's) could have sat down with me and watched your video's. Just to see what they did, and what the next generation like us do to compare.
Awesome as always...
Cornwall veg gardening 😊
I'm in US zone 6b so a little cooler. I trialed a variety called "Listada di Gianda" or something like that this year. It's open pollinated and out-performed three other varieties by almost twice. Anyone wanting to grow eggplant in cold wet environments should give it a try.
I'm in 6a and i grew that variety first time this year as well, they did good outdoors and the two hydroponic grown plants that I had in my glasshouse did well, too.
Thanks, I will keep an eye out for that variety!
Are you in Alaska or something? Aside from that most of US Zone 6b has pretty hot summers imo.
Bruce, I just came across your channel a few weeks ago and have watched all of the videos in order. Seeing your progression as a grower has been an absolute treat. The amount of information you provide is incredible, and down right life-altering. It will take some extensive re-watching and note-taking to even begin to absorb it, even with decades of gardening under my belt. You are providing vital information that can and should make difference to the entire world. Even without the abundance your gardens enjoy, your data collection methods and presentation are exceptional, and are invaluable to learn from.
You should be very proud at what you've achieved with this project. I, for one, am truly grateful for all the hard work and empirical data you provide. Thank you.
Wow!! Thanks for such a supportive comment. Makes all the work feel worthwhile!! Though I do cringe a bit at the idea of someone watching all of my videos, especially some of the earlier ones! Thank you so much!
@@REDGardens I didn't find anything cringe worthy about the early videos. We all struggle at first, especially with gardening. I still do to this day, and , unfortunately, fairly often. It takes balls to work on a project like yours. I barely have enough time and energy for my 900 sq ft plot, much less 7+ of them! That's not to mention all the data collection and analysis you've done, and video production. I look forward to seeing how things progress.
All the best from Central New York.
@@robb5984 Thanks. I like the fact you are in Central New York. I find it amazing that people from all over the world and in so many different contexts can get something of value out of my videos and explorations.
I grow quite a few eggplant in one of my polytunnels, maybe 60 plants or so, in a similar climate, western Oregon. I've found that the Asian eggplants, the long skinny ones, produce 2-3 times more crop that the Italian style. Orient Express is a good place to start, they're earlier and more productive. Some plants you definitely want hybrids, egplant and sweet peppers are two of them. If you've never grown Flavorburst give it a try, massive crops of truly delicious yellow peppers. I've never tried training my eggplant like my tomatoes as you've done, think I'll give it a try next year, thanks for the idea.
Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't tried the Asian varieties of eggplants, and would be interested to try a few hybrid pepper varieties next year.
Amazing how the variety of vegetable makes all the difference. Love your videos.
Yeah. It is amazing!
Fairy Tale was the best eggplant I ever grew. Small plants with small fruit that were so sweet I ate them raw! Two plants gave us enough to preserve for winter
I will have to look for that variety, thanks.
New Subscriber here 👋🏼
The reason I enjoy your videos, is because you are able to share with us like a science experiment years of past seasons, results, etc.
You're not just planting and showing us new techniques that are popular, but actually breaking down the results and your thoughts and opinions of everything.
Thank you 🙏🏼
This is fascinating. I really enjoy eggplants and persist in growing them even though my climate isn't conducive to them being hugely productive. This being said I have been working with certain varieties that produce smaller fruit because I can expect them to produce more regularly and predictably. This year I found the Melanzana di Rotunda from Baker Creek Seeds to be perfect for my needs. It produces small, round, orange fruits with green stripes. They are delicious and I have found them to be very hardy - even producing through many light frosts.
Thanks for the variety suggestion, sounds interesting.
I thought that I was just rubbish at growing aubergines, now I have hope for next year.
Birdy
Hope you have a good crop next year!
Great video. Very informative and very watchable. Thank you for covering all the bases.
Thanks!
Single or double stem growing is definitely the right way for aubergines. As they need at least a temperature of 12°C to thrive, growing season is short and the plant needs to focus on fruit production to be worth cultivating. I always had a good harvest, thanks to italian sunny summer, but with Y-stem growing I achieve the best results.
That is good to know, thanks!
@@REDGardens Thanks to You, Your channel is always a source of learning!
Love the format of your videos.
Yay, thank you!
The package looks like the one from premierseedsdirect. Absolutely love those guys.
It is from Moles seeds, which I don't think are as good.
you make really fantastic videos. such attention to improving methods and tracking results, it's truly impressive. I hope you know how enjoyable and valuable your content is. coming from a vegetable farmer in Northeast USA
My aubergine germinated today, never tried to grow before so fingers crossed! This video should help! 👍
Good luck!
Just came across your channel. Really like your vibe. You're really well spoken (no "ums" at all) and you're extremely informative in your approach to explain all of the trails, successes, and misfortunes. Very excited to check out the rest of your channel.
Thanks!! Hope you like my other videos!
Especially enjoyed this information. Thank you from the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas!!
Excellent! Hello there in the Ozark Mountains!
I’ve grown them outside in California but I’ll be trying to grow in Ireland next year in a poly tunnel. So this video is very helpful! A good 🍆 variety to try is Japanese eggplant. My wife’s favorite for Chinese dishes. Longer like a cucumber and nice flavor.
Thanks for the recommendation. It will be quite a change for you to grow in Ireland after California, even in a polytunnel!
Nice vid. Love the way you create your videos. Charles Dowding let’s his aubergines have two leaders. Maybe plant some marigolds in your poly tunnel to attract pollinators 😄. Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Beautiful. I might try the single stem method on eggplant this year, though mine will more likely be nursery-bought transplants. We'll see what they do in my paltry little rooftop set up. Middle of Paris, not a lot of sunny in-ground garden space at my place.
A very interesting video, thanks.
First minute of watching this video I literally thought I was hearing William Shatner 😮 felt like I was going on a journey lol
Very interesting video. I grow aubergines hydroponically, with two main shoots, in a medium-sized greenhouse here in Wales. What I’ve learned is that heat stress, even for a few hours, makes aubergine plants highly susceptible to aphid and mite attack, so the greenhouse doors should be left open during the day in mid-summer. I collect as many ladybirds as possible from outside as soon as I see them, well before the aphids arrive on the aubergine plants, and release them in the greenhouse. Even in the absence of aphids, they survive well - I think by biting various plants and feeding on the juices. As a result, most aphids are mopped up very quickly before they can start to reproduce. Leaving the doors open in warmer weather also invites in natural predators. Distressed plants emit signaling chemicals that attract insect predators like parasitic wasps and hoverflies, both of which I often see patrolling the plants. Aubergines also respond very well to added micronutrients. In an experiment I did several years ago, one tablespoon per plant of rock dust raised the average yield by 18% and two tablespoons raised it by 27%.
Very interesting, thanks for sharing. I also collect the ladybirds in the spring and transport them into the polytunnel, and usually have good effect. This year it seems the wrens (or perhaps the robins) were in the polytunnel eating the ladybirds. There were huge numbers of ladybird larvae, and lots of pupating, but then the adults disappeared. Where I would have normally have seen an abundance of adult ladybirds crawling around everywhere, a I only found a few after a thorough search, even though there had possibly been hundreds of larvae a few weeks earlier. So I have been trying to keep the wrens out of the polytunnel, to let the ladybirds complete their life cycles more successfully, blot build up a population earlier in the season. Your point about heat stress, and stress in general is a good one.
Greetings from Romania! Love your chanel and thank you for sharing precious information.
Thank you! Hello there in Romania!!
Ichiban variety is long and thin, producing lots of fruits compared to the Black Beauty variety. Also letting a side shoot develop only until it sets fruit could increase your yields too, trimming back all other growth.
That is an interesting pruning option to try. Thanks.
I grew a Ping Tung eggplant several years ago in my garden. It's a long thin cylindrical type fruit from Taiwan. It thrived in South Texas, so much so that I essentially ignored it, only occassionally watering it. One bush yielded some 200 fruit. So much so, that in the 3 foot tall raised bed it was in, one of the branches broke under the weight of the fruit on it. I also discovered that possums loved eating the fruit that overhung and reached towards the ground. All in all, it was a fantastic plant to grow. I'm just not fond of eating it.
That sounds like a great variety, I wonder how well it would do here!
I recommend Japanese Long Eggplant. As an amateur backyard grower I had great success with them. You might like this variety because I found that it produces significantly more fruits than other, more round eggplant varieties. Although there is some trade off as the fruits tend to be smaller/skinnier than the big round daddies.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Lovely aubergines. I grow the ichiban kind. I bought some rather large starts from the big box store this year, and they did very well. It was a very hot and dry summer, and I watered regularly, and I pick off all the leaves that are shaded or wilting. And a good organic fertilizer with a high P number helps a lot once they start setting fruit. A few weeks before the predicted frost I started picking the new blossoms to force the energy into the fruits. I see bumblebees on the blossoms and I think mine definitely need pollinators. I think I will try some black beauty plants next year. My whole garden did well this year, and I think it is because I did a better job feeding the plants.
Sounds like a good overall strategy. I have found the paying more attention to feeding the plants defiantly helps, as does a god growing season.
Thank You...!
I would really enjoy seeing a variety comparison if you decide to grow several of them next year, the videos about tomato varieties you've made previously were very informational with all the graphs you showed.
Thanks for the positive feedback about the variety trials. Good to know that people appreciate them. I am planning to do a trial of aubergines next year, I just need to figure out how many to try the firs year!
Great video i amt haveing a go at some aubergines this year a first for me thanks for sharing 👍 🏴
👍
I grow black beauty open air but single string trellis in maritime NS, Canada. They're very picky about humidity and water stress. 60%-80% water content in the soil, but also 25C-30C narrow band to avoid pollen clumping. Dry air can be mitigated a bit by soil evaporation, but gets less viable as it climbs the string. As for hand pollinating, shake your string.
Thanks for that advice.
We had the opposite problem. Here in Utah it's too hot and sunny. We gave them a bit of shade with 6 to 8 hours of sun and our harvest was phenomenal.
Wow, that is a very different climate, and problem to solve!
Thank you.
:)
Great video! I experienced the same low yield last year in my first attempt to grow aubergines (black beauty variety) so I'll be trying a hybrid this year. I find that strategically positioned nasturtiums are a great help with aphids. Thanks for the advice.
👍
I can't wait to see a variety trial. I have never had much success with them and only managed to grow one fruit last year in the greenhouse. However, I think you have it spot on in that we may need to start earlier. I'm starting earlier with a lot of different crops this year, and next, in my spare room, and will probably pot on before planting out. Let's just hope we don't have such a cold May. It is odd that other countries also had problems with May weather too, and a mild November. I have 2 flowers on my Broad beans as it was so mild until today. Great video, thank you. I have never seen an aubergine trial before, and they aren't as popular as they should be because a lot of people don' know how to cook with them. I'm hoping that will change when people have more success growing them, especially after watching this
Earlier seems to be the way to go with a lot of crops, though it took me a while to get the propagation spaces sorted with enough light, and warmth. The weather has been strange, very warm around here these days. I am only beginning to explore ways to cook aubergines, and it can be such a great food, so I am glad to be able to grow them!
@@REDGardens Yes, we can't buy them around here, but when the shop does stock them they are wrinkled and soft. It will be lovely to cook them from fresh and try new things. It's a shame you had such an aphid attack, most people did too this year, and I've now got a flower on my broad beans! It has been so odd. Thank goodness we didn't get blight. Quite a rarity for 2021. We have cold weather coming Sunday in wales. I've quite forgotten what it is like. BTW do you think dusting aubergine in flour first may help too? I've no idea really. A great video anyway, and the ladybird shots were awesome! I think aubergine is underrated in the UK for sure..
@@Pixieworksstudio I picked up a trick to brush aubergine slices with a bit of whisked egg whites before frying, they seem to soak up a lot less oil that way.The weather has been so odd, but it looks like there will be a change to colder weather for next week, with the first hard frost of the season on forecast on Monday morning!
@@REDGardens Yes, we had our first frost today. It was forecast early on as the 19th, so they were not far out. I'm happy for the garlic, and did a bit of a cover in the greenhouse.
Wow just starting hopefully will be like yours hehe
Very interesting!
:)
We have the opposite problem, heat. Yet, eggplant loves heat and can take it. The best ones I've seen are Asian longs.
greetings from Croatia
moisture in the air is the main enemy
both for plant health and for pollination
Hey there in Croatia!
Keeping things dry here in Ireland is a key issue!
Usually i don' t give advice , but i really like this Channel and your energy, so beeing an organic farmer in sicily and agronomist i suggest you for the eggplants what usually work for me, i tried many approach but only this one is the most effective for eggplants: before planting spread a lot of a semi composted cow manure + magnesium sulfate+ gipsum ( avoid any potassium and fosfate fertilizer) start your plant in february and transplant as soon as you can ( a bit of cold after the transplant is good for rooting) before the first flowes spray with copper compounds every two weeks , during fruting spray with seaweed extract+ propolis extract+ zinc, magnesium and manganese sulfate +boric acid , keep two or tree stems per plant, best heirloom cultivar is" lunga di napoli 3" might the abundance be with you
Thanks for the suggestions.
I like your Alotement very nice
Thanks!
I know this vid is old but I grow my eggplants and sweet peppers/capsicums single stem till they naturally split up top and I always have a great harvest..
thanks!
:)
Attractive colourful fruit. I tried growing some once with no joy. I will buy and cook some though. I don't know how you manage so much, so well and then relay it all to us.
Thanks! It is a lot of work, but I do have help!
Wow amazing sir. Watching from the philipeness (im working in taiwan)
Awesome! Thank you!
I have noticed a couple of videos showing a benefit to leaving them in the ground and growing on for a second year, (not just aubergines but Peppers as well). I don't grow aubergines at all due to not having a polytunnel or green house any more. But the information is out there.
Also you could probably grow basil or coriander or even little gem lettuce at the base of the plants to make use of the space. You use enough compost annually to feed a lot of stuff efficiently.
Thanks for sharing this. I appreciate the work you put into sharing the information.
I did transplant a few aubergine plants, as well as some of my peppers, into big grow bags, and am storing in a warmer location near the house. I hope enough will survive to be transplanted out next year, to see how they compare to the ones sown in February.
@@REDGardens That will be interesting. The videos I've seen are set in USA so it will be interesting to see how they cope in Ireland. Thanks.
@@REDGardens What temperature do you expect to have at such location during winter? I was not successful last year, trying my luck again this year. I guess my problem is the temperature - I store the plants in my garage where temps are between 5 and 10 C. Only other possible location is in my house which would not let the plants go into sleep at all since it´s to warm - 22C.
@@kubaistube I have the plants in transplanted into grow bags and set them in the makeshift little greenhouse that I use as a propagation space. It has a bed of sand with a soil warming cable, which I could use to keep the temperature up a bit, or from dropping too low, but I am not sure it would be worth the electricity. So I am relying on sunshine during the day to warm them up a bit. If it does get really cold, I might cover them.
Try the longer smaller types like Lebanese, little fingers and slim Jim or find similar hybrid varieties as these long slender varieties are the best yielders out of all eggplants..
Здравствуйте! Не удержалась, чтобы написать, понравился Ваш канал. Если судить по тому что я вижу, у Вас баклажаны поражены клещом, он любит жить в теплицах. У нас в России в тех регионах где прохладно (5 зона морозостойкости), часто выращивают баклажаны в укрытиях из пленки без верха, что то похожее на забор из пленки, таким образом они защищены от ветра и могут свободно дышать сверху и так они себя чувствуют лучше.
Interesting thought, something to investigate. Thanks.
I grew Aubergine this year outside and we had a very rainy season in germany.
Even though i grew them unprotected the variety little white fingers had a good production. As the name already says, the fruit are much smaller but also much tastier, than black beauty. They are creamy and have a great flavour.
Maybe a variety with smaller fruit would work better in your context.
And yes to two or three stemmed training! Where i worked in 20, they were specialized in Aubergine and grew them like that.
It is great that you found a variety that grows well in that climate. I will keep an eye out for that variety. Good to know your experience with 2 or 3 stems worked.
I bought a grafted eggplant a few years ago and it produced an incredible crop - as much as 3 ordinary plants I reckon. I don't know if it was just a case of two plants grafted together (so two sets of roots) or a top section grafted onto some completely different solonaceous rootstock. It was fairly expensive but I'd say it was worth it - I didn't put it under a Red Gardens cost/benefit microscope though! I've never forgotten that plant! The trick would be to find out how to do it yourself..
Wow, that is interesting. I hadn't heard of that being a possibility. I imagine it was a single plant on a very different root stock. It would be interesting to try, I grafted a few tomatoes this year, but not so impressed with the performance, but I didn't give them the attention they probably needed. " I didn't put it under a Red Gardens cost/benefit microscope though!" - I like that!!!
The general rule of grafting vegetables is: The root portion is a vigorous or hardy or disease-resistant variety (that produces little or less tasty fruit) onto which is grafted a more dainty variety that produces good fruit. You get the best of both worlds.
The downside is that you need double the plants, initial protected growing space, and some of the grafts will fail (meaning you need even more plants). The grafting process is therefore usually a professional job and the seedlings much more expensive.
@@REDGardens I had terrible problems with root knot nematode and bacterial wilt, however I have been grafting to resistant solanum torvum ( devil fig ) rootstock, There’s quite a few TH-cam videos on the subject
I think letting them bush out only works where they grow natively or thrive outdoors. When they need to be grown indoors they need much more air flow so one or two stems is about the maximum. Otherwise they get moldy from the higher humidity.
That makes sense.
You are such an inspiration. Thank you for all the hard work, the calculated sharing and effort that it takes to make such insightful Videos
Edit: do you have Videos using horses or cow manure to warm your greenhouse in the spring?
Wow, thank you!
No, I haven't used manure to warm a polytunnel, as I don't really have access to fresh manure.
@@REDGardens OK. No worries. I'm going to be in a cold climate in February so I was wondering about manure/compost heating. I'm looking forward to trying it out
That’s how I grow all my nightshades in trees/vines, peppers too. I find peppers the most finicky and eggplants and tomatoes about equal in hardiness and both hardier than peppers. I usually grow Japanese or Chinese finger eggplants, way more prolific faster mastering smaller fruit, and Sicilian the king of all for flavour, but takes a long time to mature. Might be hard in Ireland for the Sicilian, cheers.
Thanks for the suggestions. I am looking forward to trying some of the other types of eggplants!
I have been growing eggplant for years. Always as a bush, with just the lower 6 inches of leaves cut off. Have never had any issues.. always too many to eat. Unfortunately, half of them go into the compost every year. I find great airflow and regular, moderate watering at the base to be the most effective. Fertilize twice a month after the first month.
Thanks for sharing your experiences! What kind of climate are you growing in?
Leave a few to tend to themselves after you train them and whatever survives all the aphids and bad weather if you have any you keep that and breed that with the others you keep.
That is an interesting option.
Maybe a hybrid Japanese variety like Ichiban would do well for you.
Grafting is another option you could explore. A cursory search reveals that the data is mixed on this front, but in your climate and your volume it may make sense. Grafting can lead to longer growing seasons, higher yield, and disease resistance. It would obviously require more effort, although mainly at the start of the growing season, before it gets really busy. The other downsides are that you'd have to sow two plants for one graft, which is more expensive, and you run the risk of a graft failing, which means you'd need to grow more as compensation.
I would really like to explore grafting, to see how it could be beneficial in this context.
Perhaps it would be an idea to use bumblebees for pollination in the polytunnel. As far as I know a lot of farm use them because they are very effective and low maintenance. They can be bought as an entire hive as far as I know.
We usually have a fair number of native bumble bees in and around the polytunnel, but less this season for some reason. It would be good to get a few hives directly in the tunnel!
Thank you for your sharing, are you experiencing the double yield & double weight fruits with F1 variety & single-stem method with tomato plants as well?
I have been growing the tomatoes as a single stem for a while, but don't have any comparison with other methods of pruning. That is something I am planning to try. this summer. I tend to have great success with the hybrid tomatoes, so have not really explored the possibilities of F1 tomatoes.
@@REDGardens Thank you!
have you considered over wintering your eggplants i live in a zone 8/7 and have had surprisingly good luck over wintering them.
I struggle to get any fruit off my aubergine plant, and my impression is that the fertilising plays a large role in how the aubergines do, so it would be very interesting to hear how and with what you fertilise yours. Compost only, extra nitrogen etc.
The beds in this garden get a good dose of compost, plus some chicken manure pellets before each crop for extra fertility.
This year aubergines (and sweet peppers) produced definitely less than normal in the greenhouse (Belgium, Flanders), because the growth was much slower and the production started later. In my opinion, it has to do with the weather. We had a lot of sunlight in the second half of april, so light and warmth in the greenhouse, but it was - certainely at night - cold (cold feet, cold roots). It stayed cold in may and there was less sunlight than normal. The plants didn't really grow. So aubergines and sweet peppers had a very slow start.
Makes sense, especially the cold nights. We had a cool spring as well, and then the rest of the year was warmer than normal so the plants caught up.
it's been crappy spring here...trying to grow Monarca RZ F1
Thanks.
I'm growing on Anglesey and have been growing Aubergines in growbags, until this year. I grow for myself so am after single portion sized fruit but over a longer harvest. 3 in a growbag is quite a close spacing and they did better than my sweet peppers grown the same way. This year both went into the ground, but not until June. I grew them as directed on the seed packet, 40cm spacing and bushy. The best plants so far, but disappointing crop. Many fruit where white, not deep purple. Quite a lot of rotten flowers but the polytunnel was full of bees etc patrolling runner beans, cucumbers and tomatoes. Of the 3 aubergine plants, the centre one didn't produce any aubergines although it looked in as good condition as those flanking it. It seemed only Charles Dowding used the cordon method, which he was shown by a German student of his. Many people say thin out the leaves, but mine just threw up more shoots. I had intended to use the cordon method, but hadn't fixed wires as it was all so delayed. I intend to use the cordon method for my peppers as although I had a goodish crop, the fruit grew over and across each other in their forks. I hope growing them in a less haphazard way, will produce larger bulbous fruit. I grew 'Czech Early Aubergine' from the Real Seed company, early fruiting and good for short seasons. I suspect exposing the fruit to more sunshine will bring out their colour. Good luck for next year's crop.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. It is always good to hear how other people approach these challenges. I hope the cordon (or multiple cordon) method works well for you in your context. I suspect it might help.
did i see you growing peppers in a similar way at the start of the video? if so where did you get that idea and does it work to improve yields ?
Yes, well spotted. I did grow some peppers in a similar way but didn't manage them very well. They did seem more successful.
This year wasn't good for my aubergines in the Netherlands. In previous years I've grown a few plants in the greenhouse and a few outside and never noticed a significant difference in results. Inside I had a bit more mites and mould. Outside I had more problems with rain and rot.
That is interesting, sounds like both inside and outside plants struggled, for different reasons.
Uncle Charles Dowding made a video where he allows only 2 shoots to form. I am testing this now. I have bought black beauty. Hopefully I can compare my crop to yours, hoping my warmer, driër climate can bring me a better yeld. I will however be looking out for the F1 variety, seeing as you had more succes with this variety. Peace out. Going to recheck your 1 rule compost method for avout the 5th time
"Uncle Charles" - I like that! Glad you like the 1 rule compost video!
💛
:)
I've planted them in the open (I'm in Croatia), spacing was only 35 cm between each plant and I prune them to 2 stems so it was quite dense. I had a big success but I didnt know what to do with all the fruits. Every recipe is based on frying and baking with too much oil and they absorb it all so I'm not quite sure if it is good for health...
something I just mentioned in my post. I have had great results with things like aubergine and chickpea curry. They also taste better if baked firstly and then used in dishes, or just cubed and fried off quickly with onions in olive oil, as it reaches a heat more quickly and is more healthy. Then set aside and add to the recipe nearer the end. I hope that helps. Aubergine roasted, and other ingredients as a soup is nice.
Can't they be used in some variety of Ajvar, or am I mixing up here?
Stuff like that, relishes and so on, based on vinegar or water rather then oil, could be a good alternative if they suit eggplant.
its a great addition to a ratatouille, check it out
I have found brushing the slices of aubergine with beaten egg whites before frying helps, they don't absorb as much oil that way.
Indeed, eggplants absorb oil like a sponge - I avoid oily foods. I often make panzanella which mainly consists of older bread, tomatoes and eggplants which I cook in the microwave. I poke a knife into the eggplant and microwave until soft. I mix the ingredients together and let it sit for a few hours so the bread soaks up the juices of the tomatoes and eggplant. No need to use oil.
I live in Australia and have a number of eggplants in at the moment but I'm battling with flea beetle which has set back some of the eggplants.
I'm in zone 5a Canada which the same as zone 4a USA. Definitely not ideal eggplant weather given the short season. I found the long thin Chinese variety to be much better producers than the fatter Indian variety. I did have one good fat eggplant last year and saved the seeds so it is my challenge to grow good fat one up north. Every area seems to have it's own challenges and I have found my best results come from seeds grown in the are they will be grown.
i'm in the sahara desert at 32deg latitude, and aubergine are a staple food in summer here
they grow in a bush, i growed them for 2-3 years now since i started planting vegetables in the garden (before it was exclusively a date palm, orange and pomegranate one )
they seems to resist sun and heat well, maybe that's why it was best to let them grow in a bush manner
i had no idea you can prune them like tomatoes
strange thing, my 1st time growing cheery tomatoes i left them unattended for a month bc i went on summer vacation and when i came back it was bushy and on the ground, but it did well and harvested lot of cherry toms
later, i started pruning tomatoes after i put raised beds and trellises (metal grid), but on 3rd year i got aphid infestation
and last year, ants and aphids also attacked the eggplants but didn't affect it as badly as the tomatoes, the variety i have, the leaves are hairy like small thorns.
but i think aphids on tomatoes were the least of my worries, bc the mites on last year was the worst thing i saw, i got no tomato harvest last year
i will try to prune eggplants this year and see how it goes
In the Saraha desert, wow! That is a very different growing climate! I can imagine that bush plants like eggplants and tomatoes would do much better in that environment. Here in damp Ireland they get quite mouldy if they are not pruned and strung up.
@@REDGardens yes, but there are greenhouses, mostly to extend the growing season, bc the climate is dry and the temperature fluctuations are wide
inside the oasis/suburban area the micro-climate is cooler than surrounding in summer and hotter in winter, and more humid (30-40% in winter and 10-20% in summer) but when it's windy and dust storms it makes it bad irrigation
we rely on drip irrigation too much for plants in summer, tho i use hay in couple of last years and it cut down on the need for constant irigation
@@zazugee I would love to have a chance of exploring growing in that kind of climate, as I am sure so much of what I think I know would end up changing.
Will there be a pepper growing video in 2022? 😁
Planning on it!
Can you please share a link on where you buy the F1 seed? the ones on Amazon have very poor reviews.
I got mine from Moles Seeds in the UK.
I started hand pollinating my black beauty last summer. I quadrupled my yield.
Wow, that is interesting!
@@REDGardens i live in the city and had fewer pollinators than normal. The paintbrush method did not work but sacrificing one flower and touching it to the others did.
Hi Bruce, I feel your are trimming a bit too much leaves. Aubergine are hard to grow and usually get all the bugs and the mold first. Maybe if you ventilate more it would be possible to keep more leaves.. fans or ventilation sleeves could be used to even out the humidity and keep molding out of the question.
You may be right about trimming to many leaves.
I adore aubergines (SE UK). My biggest issue is spider mites. Any suggestions?
Sorry, I don’t have any experience with spider mites.
Two Main stems early on . later in de season four man stems
Interesting. How much later?
Sorry Fordthe late reaction after the plant is around 1.5 meter thema you use four stems
How long do eggplants live? How many years will they continue to produce fruits?
I don’t know as I have only grown them as an annual, removing the plant at the end of the season. Apparently they can live for several seasons, if you can overwinter them successfully, or live in a warmer climate. I am trying to overwinter a few plants this year.
Have you considered manual polination?
I am login to try that this season. Apparently it can be quite effective at boosting yields.
you need to trim those eggplants a lot more just like tomatoes else they get mold
They do seem to do better with more trimming.
Spidermite are a big problem on my plants most years any tips on prevention would be very appreciated
they like the dry and hot, they had more humid air condition and water, so spraying with water once a day when u have them is good if u can
I don't have any experience with them, sorry. I think they don't like the humid environment that we have here in Ireland.
What zone are you in?
I don't know. We don't use that type of zone system in Europe.
I pollinate my plants with a small paint brush
Sounds like a good option.
I've tried black beauty with similar results to what you've experienced. I have also tried an Asian variety that out performed black beauty both times. I think I am just going to stop trying with black beauty.
Interesting that you also didn't have good results with Black Beauty. I want to try some of the asian types.
What does it mean to have a garden that you "manage"? It sounds like it's not your garden?
Hmm, they are all my gardens I guess. The research project includes 6 different gardens, plus a larger growing space. It is my project, but I manage them all with someone else.
Sike
Am I detecting a Canadian accent with your Irish accent?
Haha, most people don't get the Canadian part, just know I am not really Irish.
I’m the first to comment on this
I find Chinese eggplants are more productive than those large eggplants
I want to try those.