Well, my aubergine plants are looking very pretty and healthy at the moment with their purple/pink flowers. They’re nicely tucked up in the greenhouse alongside the tomatoes, chillies and okra but unfortunately, unlike their neighbours which are fruiting like crazy, there’s not a single fruit to be seen! WHY???
Well, I’ve been investigating. A lot of forums were suggesting that they weren’t getting pollinated properly by bees as they are in the greenhouse, but I struggle with that because the tomatoes have been absolutely fine, and, frankly, if I was a bee in my greenhouse I’d definitely want to visit the nice big pink flowers on the aubergine plants. In fact, I’d buzz over there first before eventually making my way to the piddly little yellow tomato flowers.
Having ruled out bad pollination, I looked for other answers and the one thing that kept cropping up (excuse the pun) was that if the climate isn’t warm and humid enough, then aubergine fruits simply won’t set.
Ah. That could be it. My aubergines are located against the one patch of greenhouse that is missing a pane of glass. I had tacked some plastic on as a temporary window, but a couple of windy days soon ripped it to shreds and I never got around to fixing it, so my three little aubergine plants have been tolerating a draft for most of the summer. There is no humidity in my greenhouse either. It just doesn’t get hot enough with that draft!
So, lesson learnt. Bring on 2018 and a new and improved aubergine strategy…