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Two things I can't grow properly

pclark42pclark42 Posts: 186
in Fruit & veg
Hi
I have only been veg gardening for 2 years and I seem to be quite good with most fruit and veg apart from the blight on my Toms last year. I have a polytunnel and I grow tomatoes and Cucumbers successfully, however as hard as I try I cannot seem to grow Aubergine or Courgettes, I did have a few Courgettes outside, any tips ?
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Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Courgettes should be outside. Start them off in the greenhouse, plant out after the last frost, into well fertilised ground in a sunny spot. water well, harvest regularly. Left for three days that little courgette is a lurking marrow.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Aubergines are tricky in the UK, when grown in unheated structures.  You need to start them early and grow them on somewhere heated, or they start flowering too late.  Courgettes really like fertile soil, lots of water and lots of sun.  In containers, I've found they need at least 70 litres of compost, and regular feeding after the first month.  When I grow them in the ground, I dig about 25 litres of bagged farmyard manure into the area first.  I've also found the more sun they get, the better they will grow and crop.  Hope that helps a bit. :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • war garden 572war garden 572 Posts: 664
    you might try bernard larvery book on
    how to grow giant vegetables. he grow
    60+ lbs courgette. 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    lots and lots of water for both plants
  • JenniB83JenniB83 Posts: 66
    Maybe try a different variety of Aubergines, I grow violetta lunga 3 and have always had a really good crop. I started the seeds on Sunday and they won't go into the garden until at least mid May.

    Following closely on the courgette advice, I never seem to get more than 5 fruits 😔
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The usual problem with courgettes is stopping them growing. They take up a lot of room, and need plenty of water and sun as @BobTheGardener says, so it largely depends how and where you've been growing them.
    They certainly do well enough up here, even in the cloudier, wetter west. If the continuing drier summers happen, it should be even easier. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    On the aubergine front, I once lashed out on a pack of 3 grafted plants for about £12, which did very well indeed in an unheated greenhouse (10 or more fruits per plant), but I don't like them enough to justify the cost. :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I grow courgettes in those little black containers with handles that contain protein powder. They go on a stand to keep them away from slugs. I always grow cucumbers in the green house, because I run out of room. Just the little ones,3 plants of each, hubby hates them.
  • WilderbeastWilderbeast Posts: 1,415
    I had 3 grafted aubergine plants last year, I'd never grown any veg before last year, they did great in an unheated greenhouse we stopped counting at 60 fruits. The biggest problem was being able to properly support the plants otherwise brilliant. Have ordered 3 more this year, which probably means we'll have a total fail 
  • pclark42pclark42 Posts: 186
    Wilderbeast
    Where did you get the grafted on plants, was it online?
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