Aubergine
Aubergine are a great vegetable to grow in a greenhouse
| Growing calendar | |
|---|---|
| Sow indoors | End Mar-Apr |
| Plant out | End May-Jun |
| Harvest | Aug-Sep |
How to grow aubergine
Sow seed early in the year, 0.1cm deep in pots between February and March, and germinate indoors in at around 18-20°C. Transplant aubergine seedlings into large pots in a greenhouse when all chance of frost has gone. Can be planted outdoors, 45cm apart, but will require a sheltered sunny site and a good summer.
Keep soil moist. Feed your aubergine plant with a homemade liquid feed made from comfrey when flowers form. Remove growing tip when 30cm tall (for a bushy habit), and snip all flowers once five fruits have set.
Harvesting and use
Harvest fruits with a 2cm-long stalk when a good size, but before the surface shine has gone. (Dull fruit are usually over-ripe and bitter.) Aubergines are high in fibre and delicious sliced and baked in a parmigiana or moussaka.
Tips for growing aubergine
Small crops are due to poor summers or inconsistent heat. Always choose a warm and sheltered site and go for early ripening varieties, which are better suited to our short growing season.
| Growing notes | |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Tricky |
| Germination time | 14-21 days |
| Average time to harvest | 16-20 weeks |
| Equipment needed | Stakes, twine, feed |
| Average plant size | 60cm tall, 30cm wide |
| Family group to grow with | Solanaceae: potato, pepper |
| Latin name | Solanum melongena |
| Key nutritional content | Fibre, vitamin C |