While most people treat aubergine as an annual and simply dig over at the end of the growing season, if you live in a sunnier, drier climate, you may wish to try growing aubergines as a perennial.
Can you grow aubergines in temperate climates?
Gardeners in temperate climates who try growing aubergines are all-too-often faced with disappointment. Plants put on lacklustre growth, possibly flower and may – just – produce one or two puny, chicken egg-sized fruits. (Perhaps that’s why they’re called eggplants?).
Let us find out! Growing aubergines (or ‘eggplants’) is now more popular than ever, thanks mainly to better varieties more suited to the British climate. They are an essential ingredient in moussaka, aubergine parmigiana and other Mediterranean dishes. Aubergines have to have a warm, sunny, sheltered position to produce a good, reliable crop.
Another popular query is “Do aubergines need sun or shade to grow?”.
Here is what we ran into. 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.
What are the different varieties of aubergines?
Globally, a number of different varieties of aubergine are grown, ranging from the long finger like Japanese eggplant to plump globular fruit. The color can range from white to deep purple, and the shape morphs from almost spherical fruits to oblong ones.
While we were writing we ran into the question “What is an aubergine?”.
You see, an aubergine is a solanaceous fruit native to Asia. Many Americans know the fruit better as an eggplant, while some regions of India refer to it as a brinjal. There are numerous other regional names for the aubergine, which plays a role in the cuisine of many nations.
Yet another query we ran across in our research was “What do you do with aubergines?”.
One source proposed aubergines can be baked, stewed, roasted, grilled, or fried with a variety of coatings and sauces. Some examples of dishes containing aubergine include Eggplant Parmesan, baba ghanouj, and baingan bartha.
In fact, you can confidently say they are not acidic as far as acid reflux is concerned. Their acidity values range from 5.5 to 6.5. Just a reminder, a p. H scale has values from 0 to 14.
Aubergine flowers range in color from white to pale purple, depending on cultivar. The common name of “eggplant” comes from the resemblance that some of the fruits have to eggs. “Aubergine” derives from a Persian word, badenjan.
How do you plant a aubergine tree?
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.
Some have found that always plant out your aubergines in full sun, in a warm spot where the soil temperature will build and retain heat and ensure the plants are well protected from strong winds. Fertilize the soil in your container or raised bed about a week in advance of planting to a depth of around six inches. Use organic material, such as manure or frass.
Are eggplants acidic or alkaline?
Values that range from 0 – 6.9 indicates acidity, while those values that are found between 7.1 – 14 indicates alkalinity., a p H of 7 on the other hand is neutral. At a maximum p. H of about 6.5, eggplants can be said to be slightly acidic and almost neutral.