Grow a glossy aubergine
These dark, shiny whoppers are a worthwhile challenge, says Helen Billiald. Here’s how to grow a successful crop
These dark shiny whoppers are a worthwhile challenge! Here’s how to grow a successful crop
Harvesting aubergines is a milestone moment, a sign that you’ve not just spread your horticultural wings, you’re soaring! Picking that first ever plump shiny fruit feels so good precisely because these are exacting plants. Grow them half-heartedly and they’re inclined to sulk and leave you empty handed – aubergines like to know you care. Get it right, however, and you can grow a bewildering array of shapes, colours and flavours that you’re unlikely to find in the shops. Choose from the common large glossy purple fruits, through to tiny green or orange eggs, fat white globes flecked with lilac or long slender lime-green fruit. Like tomatoes, it’s hard to stop at just one cultivar and their large, furry, architectural leaves make handsome patio plants too. ➤
The prerequisite to growing aubergines is warmth, sunshine and more warmth. They were first cultivated in India and giving plants enough heat in our green, sometimes chilly land can be an issue. To guarantee a good aubergine crop, growing under cover is always your best bet. You don’t need a large greenhouse; an upright lean-to grow cabinet tucked on the side of the house is perfect. If you want to grow aubergines outdoors, it’s important to pick a cultivar that can cope, such as ‘Black Beauty’ or ‘Moneymaker’. You’ll still need somewhere under cover to grow them until late May or early June, then pick a sunny spot outside that’s sheltered from wind. In a good summer your plants will thrive, but a cool wet year will be a struggle. The aubergine growing season is a long one, which means you need to sow them early. Sow late January to February if you intend to grow under glass, but wait until early March if they’re destined for a sheltered patio outdoors. Sowing around Valentine’s Day means seedlings have a bit more natural light when they germinate. After sowing (see right), keep plants growing steadily March-May, with consistent warmth and moisture. Gradually pot young plants on, waiting for their roots to fill the pot before you move them up a container size. They can stay in an unheated greenhouse during the day, but bring them back indoors overnight, checking temperatures with a max-min thermometer. If this sounds like too much of a faff, it’s worth buying in grafted aubergine plants.
These vigorous growers start cropping earlier, go on for longer and seem to cope better with more difficult conditions. Grafted ‘Black Pearl’ is a good cultivar and plants tend to be despatched in May, saving you months of effort.
Plant out into a greenhouse border in early May, with 60cm (2ft) between plants, 45cm (18in) for smaller cultivars. Add plenty of well-rotted compost to the border before you plant these greedy feeders. A healthy aubergine will make a statuesque plant, so support is essential. For pot-grown aubergines choose a large (30cm/12in) container with drainage holes and use a quality compost. They like a consistent watering regime where soil is kept moist but not saturated. Harden patio plants off slowly in early June, keeping fleece handy for cool nights or bring them indoors if temperatures look set to plummet. To keep them growing well through summer, it’s best to damp down the greenhouse and mist plants daily to give them the humid atmosphere they like. Once the first fruit begins to set, start a regime of weekly feeds with a high-potash fertiliser. Harvest fruits when they’re firm and glossy using secateurs; leave them too long and they’ll look dull and taste unpalatably bitter. ✿