With their glossy, dark purple skins, aubergines are one of the most elegant-looking vegetables you’ll find in the shops . Although available all year round, they’re at their best – and cheapest – from July to September .
Some think that 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 .
When do you harvest aubergines?
Harvesting Aubergines Once the eggplants are ready to be harvested (around 70- 80 days after planting out and 100-120 days from germination), look for shiny, well-rounded fruit with plump, smooth skin. Fruit needs to be cut, rather than pulled off the plant. Cut close to the stem, leaving about an inch of growth.
Harvest at least once or twice a week , until all the fruits are gone. 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.
Find out more about cooking aubergine. In the salad drawer of the fridge where they will keep for a couple of days . All year round, but at their best from late May through to mid-October.
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.
You may be wondering “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.
You should be thinking “Can you grow aubergines from seed?”
One common answer is, You can either grow your aubergines from seed or buy seedlings . If you are buying young seedlings from a garden center, do not be tempted by the ones with flowers on, as these will result in a lower yield at harvest. Choose compact and densely leaved starter plants for the best shot at a bountiful harvest.
When to harvest eggplant?
Harvest eggplant young as soon as the skin becomes glossy. The flesh of young eggplant will be more tender and the seeds smaller. The plant will produce more fruit if kept picked.