Eggplant flowering question

[AleDen]

My eggplant is flowering gorgeously right now, 3-4 flowers at each little node, a nice well balanced plant.

I’ve been gently pollinating by hand (I get some hover flies but rarely bees — it’s in a pot) and occasionally the entire ring of petals fall off right around the fruit setting stage. The pistil remains in the fruit, it’s simply the petals and stamen that fall off.

Is this an issue? Should I hand pollinate as soon as I see the early bloom and when the petals begin to shrivel up, leave it alone? Does anyone have a good description of what I can look for when the pollination has successfully occurred? It’s easy with my cukes, because the female flowers shrivel so fast and the cuke swells up so fast instead of dying it’s easy, but these little eggplants (about 5 in my pots) are so incredibly healthy and looking to be incredible high producers that I want to maximize output. My early eggplant crops I put in the ground in early spring were very poor producers for a variety of reasons so just looking to nanny these plants during this stage.

Any tips appreciated, regarding this or eggplants in general. Thank you!

 

[headfullofbees]

Aubergines have perfect flowers, like all solanum, & you do not need to faff about, a gentle shake of the plant, if it's indoor, or the wind, if it's outside, is plenty to pollinate them.
When the ring of petals fall off, again this is just like tomatoes or peppers, it usually indicates that the flower has been successfully pollinated, unless it falls off with the calyx etc in tact, in which case the plant has decided to abort.

I don't know specifically about Canada, but here in the UK, aubergines (eggplants) have to be restricted to four fruit, as the season precludes more than that getting to the best harvesting stage. (I've had six in a great year)
Feed them comfrey or seaweed extract at this stage & keep them moist, but not swimming.

 

[Meadowlark]

here in the UK, aubergines (eggplants) have to be restricted to four fruit, as the season precludes more than that getting to the best harvesting stage. (I've had six in a great year)

My first year to grow eggplant and probably my last...one plant in Hügelkultur container and one in the ground. They both equally produced about a dozen fruits each (total of 320 + ounces of fruit) before I pulled them because I just couldn't use anymore.

Pollination was not an issue at all...but I did have two plants.