Looking for Eggplant Pals

[mdvpc]

Grub-What are you doing for the aphids? I had a lot of aphids on mine this summer. I used my pyrethrum/canola oil spray and also used diatomaceous earth. It worked pretty well.

[Grub]

Hi Michael,

I use pyrethrum mixed with Daco for my tomatoes and give the peppers and eggplants some as I'm doing the rounds.

I have noticed that pyrethrum burns the growing tips if it's hot and sunny. So I have to be careful about that.

I am also using my fingers. Squish 'em best I can.

I saw a few orange ladybirds the other day. I squished them too. This might seems daft, as I know they are a natural enemy of aphids.

However, I get ladybirds infestations here that attack and eat my cucumber leaves. So I was thinking they might do the same.

But then, alas, the killer ladybirds are the yellow and black ones and these ones on the eggplants were orange and black. So it might be a case of friendly-fire there.

I also read about dishwashing liquid for ahipds. Spray. Leave a while. Then rinse.

I will also add that my eggplants are looking like they will grow huge!!! And some types are branching out big time, leading me to think: quick, buy some small cages and attached them to the stakes in the pot.

I'm really enjoying growing the eggies and am trying to keep them pestfree as, per my last attempt, they appear to be magnets for bugs.

And if you saw all my eggies, tomatoes and peppers you would be understandably nervous. White flies are about too. Keep spraying pyrethrum fortnightly to keep them in check.

Not too long till I get a piccie up of an opening eggy flower. They look promising on this front. Flowers coming on most of them, with telling difference in size.

One last thought: I don't read too much about crossed eggplants, so I wonder if this could be a source of great discovery? I would like a large football-shaped yellow one, for example. Thai Yellow Egg x Listada de Gandia?

[mdvpc]

Grub-I have used soap spray and it is pretty good, but dont leave it on more than a short period-I spray it, and rinse it off in about 5 minutes. Have you tried diatomaceous earth? If not, check it out- doesnt hurt the plants and helps a lot for the aphids.

[Grub]

I fixed all the typos in the above thread. Messy Monday morning... I haven't heard of let alone tried

diatomaceous earth

. I'll go see what I can find out. Thanks

[Grub]

Bought some of the diam...earth stuff that came in a container with pyrethrum. Been dusting. Will take the advice on the label and wear a mask next time.

Eggies are on fire, with oodles of flowers. Okay, opening flowers on most, but you get my drift. Some are looking like they will hit 6ft at least!

[Althea]

The best aphid remedy I've found is a sharp spray of water to knock them off the plants. A hose works better than a spray bottle. With this method you don't run the risk of harming the beneficial insects.

[Grub]

Thanks Althea.

Don't the Aphids crawl back up to resume their front-row seats?

I am finding that pyrethrum, which I mix from concentrate, is the best. And being a spot spray means it doesn't harm flying stuff except for whitefly, which stick to the underside of the plants' leaves.

Heaps of flowers now and I'm really excited. Especially as I flushed a hundreds of aphids off the eggies

[Althea]

Grub, IME, the aphids don't crawl back up the plants. I don't know what happens to them. Maybe something eats them?

The real aphid magnets for us have always been tea roses. I've found there are significantly fewer aphids on the roses since I started planting garlic around the bushes. I've heard planting garlic chives has a similar affect. Maybe interplanting garlic with eggplant could help.

[Grub]

Striped Toga looks like an interesting new variety at Seedsavers.

http://seedsavers.org/prodinfo.asp?number=1405

Do me a favour and give it a try before my next season

Strong flavour but not bitter could be good.

Home soon to squish more aphids.

[Grub]

Some update pics. Eggplants are going well in pots...



Throwing nice purple flowers...


EDIT: I removed the bottom pic as it was a tad large and boring. Right now all my eggplants are setting fruits and it's very exciting. Growing eggies here requires combatting the aphid infestations. Almost weekly pyrethrum spraying seems best.

[Grub]

First the good news... Pink Long (Tung) as it was sent to me has produced my firsty ripe eggplant. I had to fashion a twig stand to allow it to grow as it hit the mulch in the suitably aubergine-coloured pot.

I'm adding this to the pasta tonight, along with homegrown tomatoes, basil and sweet and medium peppers...



Now the bad news. My prized Pink Long Tung, the best of the three I have growing, got the wilts about three or four days ago and it's not looking good. Note my aubergine-coloured tee shirt. Fitting indeed...



I removed the mulch, tried to dry the soil in case it's been swamped (good draining pots, though), but I suspect the pot is housing big fat curl grubs.

Not that I'm certain of that. Could be a wilt thing... ideas?



Reason I say that it could be a wilt virus thing is that one of my prized tomatoes, GMG Red Large (seed returned) has just gone the same way...



Strangely, both eggplants and tomato have, at this stage, a few okay limbs or growing tips among the wilting.

Hope it doesn't spread.

(Upon thinking about it the tomato wilt could be from crawling around the patch and breaking its roots. A wishful thought.)

Meantime, back to the kitchen

Best, Grub.

[Grub]

Got my first fruitset on Waimanalo Long. I'm excited, can reach up to 16". The longest Asian type thin eggplant variety ever seen or heard of. Adapted to warm, humid climates.

Thanks Honu

[Grub]

Now, let me indulge a little during this, my first year on the eggplants. Hearty thanks to Honu for kindly sending seeds for so many of these. If you're reading this, many hugs and kisses.

Listada da Gandia...


Lao Green Stripe, but where's the green stripe. Maybe it comes later?


What looks to be a crossed (with a black) Rosa Bianca with different plant habit but very productive...


The real Rosa Bianca. Lovely large round...


Round Mauve is very productive. Sorry about this pic...


And Waimanelo (spelling?) Long which, unlike one of my earlier posts, does appear to be an OP. It apparently turns into a long snake-like thing.


Great fun all round. So with the peppers and tomatoes I'll be making truck loads of veggie sauce and will freeze that for lots of stuff.

Cheers, Grub.

[Spatzbear]

Great stuff, Grub!
I'm sure we are all looking forward to a taste report on all your eggies!

I only have 2 Thai Green, 1 Rosita and 1 Casper.

Casper is doing nicely, it has already set one fruit which is growing well. Can't wait.

[Grub]

Looking good Spatz.

Have you got a few more now?

Here's what I cooked yesterday. Chargrilled the lot. Will use that, chopped, to make an heirloom tomato and basil sauce tomorrow. Then I'll freeze some containers...