How to grow aubergines
Growing aubergines in a greenhouse . Use pots of around 20cms in diameter and fill with compost, lightly pressing down on the surface. Our top aubergine growing tips. Growing aubergines requires some patience. Due to their long growing season, if you planted them in March, you cannot expect to harvest them until around Harvesting and storage. Once harvested, aubergines do not store well and are best kept refrigerated to stop them from going soft.
Some think that growing aubergines in a greenhouse. Use pots of around 20cms in diameter and fill with compost, lightly pressing down on the surface. Our top aubergine growing tips. Growing aubergines requires some patience . Due to their long growing season, if you planted them in March, you cannot expect to harvest them until around Harvesting and storage. Once harvested, aubergines do not store well and are best kept refrigerated to stop them from going soft.
These bushy aubergine varieties produce numerous secondary branches as the growing season progresses, which gives them staying power in the garden. Start seeds late There is never a hurry to start aubergine seeds, because the plants grow best under warm conditions.
You should be asking “How hard is it to grow aubergines?”
Here is what we researched. the aubergine vegetable is grown from seed, and germination of these seeds takes about 2-3 weeks . They need to be grown in a sunny sheltered spot, and ideally under some type of glass to get the very best results. Difficult – especially of grown outdoors and they need protection and regular looking after.
One way to think about this is although aubergines can be grown outside , they rarely do well except in mild areas or during very good summers. Aubergines can also be grown in the open ground, in warm parts of Britain, spacing 60cm (2ft) apart, and ideally covering with cloches or fleece. Rest of the in-depth answer is here.
The next thing we wanted the answer to was, where do aubergines grow in the UK?
In the South of the UK there is a much better chance of the aubergine growing than in the colder Northern areas. These are prickly shrub plants, that do have very pretty flowers and the plant does bear the aubergine, which are some times round in shape, but are more likely to be an oval shape.
One query we ran across in our research was “Do aubergines need sun or shade to grow?”.
One answer is, in the same family as tomatoes, peppers and chillies, aubergines can be easy to grow if you give them the right conditions. They need a good, rich, moisture-retentive soil, plenty of sun and warm conditions. A sunny greenhouse or windowsill is perfect for them. Aubergines need a warm, sunny spot for the best results.
How do you grow aubergines from seed?
Aubergines need a long season to grow, so it’s best to sow seed as early as January in moist, peat-free multi-purpose compost, and keep in a heated propagator under a growing light, to prevent seedlings going leggy (sow seed in March if you don’t have a heated propagator). Pot on into individual pots when the first true leaves appear.
A common inquiry we ran across in our research was “How do you germinate aubergine seeds?”.
This is what I ran into. if starting from seed, aubergines will need a warm base to germinate in. Germinate in damp paper in a warm environment, such as by a radiator or in an airing cupboard. Once shoots have appeared, transfer them into a propagator or into peat pots and place indoors on a hot and sunny windowsill.
Here is what my research found. if you are planting in a grow bag then you can place three aubergine plants per bag, one plant per container of around 30cm in diameter. In the soil, a spacing of 60cm between plants is usually recommended. It is a good idea to tie in growing aubergine plants to a support as they grow.
Can you grow aubergines in pots?
Aubergines need a lot of warmth and sun to crop well, so are best grown in a greenhouse. They can be grown outside , but rarely do well except in mild areas or very warm summers. Grow initially in 9cm (3½in) pots, then when the roots fill the pot, transfer to 23cm (9in) pots at the following times:.
There are a wide range of varieties. Rosanna, Bonica, Orlando 5 and Calliope are especially dwarf and suitable for small spaces. However, all the aubergine are suitable for pot growing, so choose the variety you prefer to eat. My preference is the traditional Black Beauty.
When is the best time to plant aubergines?
In late May/early June if they will be growing outdoors Aubergines can also be planted in the ground in warm areas of Britain: Choose your warmest, sunniest, most sheltered position, ideally against a sunny wall. Warm the soil with polythene or cloches two weeks before planting, once there is no danger of frost.
When is the best time to plant aubergine seeds?
Aubergines are a warm-weather crop, and cannot be planted out until after the last frost has passed. They can be started from seed in pots indoors, around 8 weeks before the estimated end of the frosts for the year.