How to be an aubergenius
Aubergines taste divine – and they’re much easier to grow than you think
FRESH aubergines have become an essential ingredient for foodies wanting to impress in the kitchen. The bright purple fruit feature in many recipes, from Greek moussaka, Italian parmigiana di melanzane and Turkish imam bayildi to Middle Eastern speciality baba ganoush.
Yet few gardeners bother to grow their own aubergines. This exotic vegetable suffers from a reputation for being tricky to start off from seed, and many believe our summers are not warm or sunny enough.
This is unfair. In my experience, seeds germinate readily. Many varieties do like a long, hot summer, but there are plenty that will produce fruit in cooler climates. It’s worth giving them a go. There are lots of choices, from fruit shaped like eggs to slender ones more than 12in long. And not all are purple – there are white, yellow, green, orange, red and even stripy-skinned aubergines.
Aubergines have been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. With the botanical name of Solanum melongena, they belong to the Solanaceae family, a large group that includes tomatoes, potatoes and chilli peppers.
To enjoy your own aubergines in late summer, sow seeds indoors by the end of this month. Seedlings will grow into young plants that can be planted in the ground or raised in containers.
So what should you grow? Those who want traditional-looking aubergines can’t go far wrong with ‘Moneymaker No2’, a variety with long, slender, glossy black fruit, bred to do well in our climate.
‘Violetta Lunga 2’ is the classic Italian aubergine, with long, dark and slightly curved purple fruit, while ‘Farmers Long’ boasts slim, 12inlong fruit with reddish purple skin.
For something a bit different, try cylindrical white ‘Snowy’, ‘Brazilian Orange’ with its orange-skinned fruit, and ‘Red Egg’, an aptly named variety that comes from South America. ‘Yellow Egg’ boasts small, golden fruit that are used in traditional Thai cooking. Even more ornamental are those with striped skin. ‘Rosa Bianca’ is an Italian heritage variety with white and pink fruit, and ‘Toga’ has small orange fruit with green stripes.
Starting aubergines from seed is easy. Fill a 3in pot with seed compost, level and tap to settle. Lightly firm with the bottom of another pot, then thinly scatter seeds over the surface. Cover with a fine layer of vermiculite, water and pop in a label.
I put mine in a heated propagator to germinate, but don’t worry if you don’t have one. Place a clear plastic freezer bag over the top of the pot, secure with an elastic band and stand it on a light windowsill. When seeds have germinated, usually within a couple of weeks, remove from the propagator (or take the bag off) and keep the compost damp.
When seedlings are almost 1in tall, give each their own pot. Place each seedling in the centre of a 3in pot filled with multi-purpose compost. Stand the plants in a light, warm and frost-free place undercover and move plants into 5in pots when roots start to poke through the drainage holes. Support stems with small bamboo canes. Plants can go outside in late May or early June. Pot them into 12in containers, acclimatising them to life outdoors by hardening them off for two or three weeks. Do this by moving them into a cool greenhouse, or covering with a cloche.
Feed aubergines every fortnight with a high-potash fertiliser as fruits swell. After five have formed, cut off side shoots and remove any remaining flowers. Harvest from late summer.
Want more tips and advice from Martyn? Visit MyMail Garden for new articles added every week. mymailgarden.co.uk/martyn