Eggplant: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow aubergines under cover?
Sow aubergines indoors in February or March, in small pots filled with seed compost. Cover the seeds lightly and water gently. Keep the compost moist without waterlogging it, and place the pots somewhere warm, around 22 °C.
Once the seedlings emerge, give them plenty of light and keep them warm. Pot them on as they grow. Before planting outdoors, gradually get them used to outdoor conditions. Wait until all risk of frost has passed and the weather and soil are warm enough; in a cool climate, a greenhouse or polytunnel is often more suitable.
Label each pot with the variety name and sowing date. A steady compost temperature is more useful than a radiator that becomes very hot only intermittently. If you use a clear lid, ventilate it to prevent constant condensation and gradually remove it after germination. Check moisture with a finger before watering again: the surface should not remain saturated. Handle seedlings by a leaf instead of squeezing their fragile stems. Avoid sowing too early if you cannot provide enough light and warmth afterwards, as you will need to keep the young plants growing indoors until conditions are suitable.
How do you plant aubergines?
Choose a sunny, sheltered spot with fertile, well-drained soil. Add well-rotted compost before planting. Gradually harden off plants raised indoors, then plant them out once all risk of frost has passed and the soil has warmed up. Use a greenhouse or polytunnel if your summers are too cool.
Leave around 60 cm between plants, adjusting the spacing to the variety and the growing method. Plant at the same depth as in the pot, water thoroughly and add a stake if needed to support the plant as it grows. Once the soil is warm, apply mulch on the surface to retain moisture and limit weeds, keeping it clear of the stems.
Moisten the root ball before removing the pot, then ease it out while supporting the roots rather than pulling the stem. Make a hole wide enough to hold it without squeezing it and gently bring the soil back around it. For a grafted plant, keep the graft union above soil level. Put the stake in at planting time to avoid damaging established roots later. During the following days, check moisture around the actual root ball: damp soil on the surface can conceal a small root ball that has already dried out underneath.
How to care for this plant
-
Install plant supports
For a tall variety, heavy fruit or a windy spot, fit a stake when planting. Tie the stem loosely with soft material. Check ties later and support branches that bend under the fruit.
How do you harvest aubergines?
Harvest your aubergines in summer and early autumn, depending on the variety and growing conditions. Pick the fruit when it has reached the size expected for the variety and its skin is still glossy. Avoid leaving it on the plant until the skin becomes dull and the seeds harden.
Cut the stalk with a clean knife or secateurs, leaving a short length attached to the fruit. Do not pull on it, as this can damage the plant. Handle the fruit gently and use it soon after harvest. For longer storage, you can freeze it after cooking.
Check the fruits regularly, as the appropriate size differs greatly between long, round and small-fruited varieties. Colour alone is not enough: some aubergines ready for cooking are white, green or striped. Wear gloves if the calyx or stems are prickly, and support each fruit with one hand while cutting. Put the fruits into a container without crushing them beneath a heavy harvest. Discard any with soft, decaying patches. Seeds that you intend to sow require a different stage of maturity from fruits picked for eating, so do not use seed ripeness as your normal kitchen harvesting guide.
Eggplant
- Type : Vegetables
- Subtype : Fruiting vegetables
- Botanical Family : Solanaceae
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