Permapotes

Eggplant

Eggplant: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar

Aubergine, Solanum melongena, belongs to the nightshade family, alongside tomatoes and potatoes. Its fruit is used as a vegetable, although botanically it is a berry. This frost-sensitive plant is usually grown as an annual in temperate regions. It has an upright, branching shape, substantial foliage and distinctive fruits that are closely associated with Mediterranean cooking. Eggplant is another common name for the same species, rather than a separate vegetable.

The familiar aubergine has shiny purple skin, but the species offers a much broader range of appearances. Fruits may be white, green, mauve or striped, with round, oval or long, slender shapes. Some varieties produce small fruits, while others are considerably larger. Colour and shape help distinguish the available types, but they cannot tell you exactly how a particular fruit will taste or how a variety will perform in your garden. Even similarly shaped aubergines can differ in texture.

Beneath the skin, the pale flesh has a spongy structure and contains small seeds. Its relatively subtle flavour works with many different ingredients. Cooking turns the flesh tender, sometimes almost creamy, making it particularly receptive to the flavours of sauces and seasonings. Firmness, the proportion of seeds and the finished texture vary with the variety and the individual fruit. No single skin colour guarantees a particular result, and the appearance of the fruit is only one part of its culinary character.

Moussaka, ratatouille, stuffed aubergines and aubergine purées are familiar examples of its use. It also features in grilled, roasted and slow-cooked dishes, alongside tomatoes, garlic, herbs or pulses. The flesh contributes body and a soft texture, while the skin often provides a firmer contrast. Small fruits and slender types suit different presentations from large oval aubergines, extending the range of dishes in which this vegetable can play a part. Its mild taste makes the surrounding ingredients especially noticeable.

In the garden, large leaves and usually purple flowers give the plant ornamental interest before the fruits appear. The fruits then stand out against the foliage, with noticeably different effects between varieties. Aubergines enjoy warmth: their suitability for outdoor growing depends on the climate and the variety, while a greenhouse may provide a more favourable setting in cooler regions. This is a useful distinction when choosing a plant, rather than a promise that every variety will have identical requirements or yields.

Eggplant
Eggplant
Characteristics
  • Lifecycle : Annual
  • Exposure : Full Sun
  • Frost Hardiness : Frost Sensitive
  • Cultivation Difficulty : Challenging
  • Mature height : 70 cm
Sowing & Planting
  • Greenhouse crops : Unheated greenhouse
  • Greenhouse Growing : Recommended
  • Sowing Depth : 1 cm
  • Plant Spacing : 60 cm
  • Row Spacing : 70 cm
Maintenance
  • Maintenance : Moderate
  • Water Requirements : High
Other characteristics
  • Soil Type : Humus-rich
  • Soil pH Preference : Neutral
  • Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Pollination : Insect-pollinated
  • Propagation : Sowing