FRUIT > AUBERGINE
IN THIS GUIDE
AUBERGINE GUIDES
FeedingSowing
Aubergines are a delicious yield – but are not wide grow here in the UK – which is a shame , as they are quite simple to grow , tasty to eat and can be fudge in all way of ways .
Often thought of and used as a vegetable , aubergines are really a yield ( although botanically classified as a berry ) .
‘Slim Jim’
Even though not specially difficult to grow , aubergines do have specific prerequisite in ordering to mature and produce a salutary - sized harvest , before fall arrives .
Overview
PreferredFull Sun
ExposureUsually Undercover
Height1 – 1.5 metre
‘Slim Jim’
Spread0.5 – 1 M
Bloom TimeJune – August
PreferredLoam , sand
MoistureMoist but well drained
pHAny
Aubergines , or ‘ Solanum melongena ‘ as they are botanically named , are also widely known as ‘ Eggplant ’ .
From the Solanaceae , or ‘ Nightshade ’ family , this genera also includes the wide - known ( and grown ) tomatoes , peppers and potatoes.1Tracing the phylogenesis of the aubergine . ( n.d . ) . Natural History Museum . regain March 10 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2018/august/tracing-the-evolution-of-the-aubergine.html
It is think that eggplant initiate from Southern China and South - East Asia – hence their motive for a strong and sunny surroundings to grow best.2Aubergine . ( n.d . ) . Kew Royal Botanic Gardens . Retrieved March 10 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.kew.org/plants/aubergine
Aubergines are grow throughout the creation and are one of the most important commercially grown crops in Asia .
mad apple are often grown as a perennial plant life in warmer clime , however here in the UK they aregrown as an yearly , with a long uprise season and are most common as the oval purple fruit we all know it as .
They are nonetheless , also usable to corrupt from seed in all way of dissimilar physique and colours , from long or curly to snowy or stripy fruit .
Aubergine Varieties
potpourri usable as seed in the UK let in :
All these varieties have been give the Award of Garden Merit ( AGM ) by the Royal Horticultural Society ( RHS ) meaning they are especially suited to grow in the UK ’s climatical conditions .
How To Grow Aubergines
eggplant grow better in a plenteous and fertile soil which is moisture retentive ; they will need the longest rise season we can give them in the UK .
Requiring warm and cheery experimental condition , they are happiest in a nursery or conservatory , although can be moved outside to a Confederate States - face position in the height of the summertime .
to give them time to grow and at long last fruit at the end of the summertime , aubergines are typically started off from seed as ahead of time as January .
See ourfull guide to growing from seed here .
Once the seedling have acquire their first bent of rightful leaves , they can be carefully potted on .
ensure to hold them by their leaves and not the stem and wad on individually using peat - free multi - purpose compost .
Unlike tomatoes , aubergines do not like to be embed deeply as they will rot .
Grow on and repot as necessary until the weather allows them to be moved to their last position .
However , eggplant plants must not be moved to an unwarmed greenhouse until all risk of frost has go along , usually in May or June depending on what part of the UK you are in .
If a greenhouse is not an option , then aubergines can be planted and uprise directly into the earth , but only in the warmest office of the country .
If plant outside , check that their last position is the sunniest and warm you may provide , that any endangerment of frost has definitely passed and that the soil has warm up up – cloche can assist with this .
As the plants grow , keep watering and when the plant are 30 cm marvelous the wind of the main stem can be pinched out to advance a bushy riding habit .
Once the first fruit set forth to come along , flow every fortnight with a in high spirits - K fertiliser , such as tomato provender .
For most variety allow 5 - 6 fruits to develop before take out any further prime , unless you are growing a smaller fruiting variety which can be allow to develop more .
hazard and bind in may be required , specially for marvelous varieties and as the fruit develop .
Where To Grow Aubergines
Aubergines require a sunny , warm and ideally humid environs , which is why they do so well in a greenhouse here in the UK .
Their final growing positioning can either be directly in the ground , in container or even spring up bags – but if alfresco , a south or westward - facing office is necessary .
If planting outdoors and having already been hardened off , the plant can be space 60–90 atomic number 96 apart to allow room to develop and secure air circulation .
If growing in pot then a last bay window size of 25–30 centimeter will be sufficient , or if using grow bags , 3 plants per standard sizing bag is usually the maximum .
Harvesting
Aubergines take around 6 months from germination until the fruits are ready to reap , usually from August forrader .
They are ready to glean once they have reached their final colour and are covered with a shiny skin .
reap each fruit by cutting the radical as before long as they are quick – if leave too long their taste decreases rapidly and may become bitter .
garden egg can be stack away in the fridge for a few day , but savour so much better if eat straight after cull .
Common Problems
‘ Greenfly ’ or aphid can be particularly attract to aubergine plants , run to poor growth and harvests .
They will often get out behind a gluey honeydew substance on the industrial plant and will usually be accompanied by ant – they are typically large enough to be spotted with the naked eye .
Control measures can include splosh by hand where number are little and encouraging predators such as ladybirds and hoverflies – but for more significant numbers , organic and insecticidal sprays can be considered .
scarlet spider mites are most common in quick and dry condition such as greenhouses and can prove hard to control .
Preying on a number of industrial plant , including aubergine , they soak up the sap – leading to mottling of the parting , leaf drop and even eventual death of the plant .
The mites are not always cherry as their name would hint , but green or yellow – and sometimes become ruddy in the autumn .
The speck are incredibly minor and are not easily envision by the au naturel eye .
On close inspection , they can most often be found on the undersurface of the leave of absence , along with their bollock .
If potential , any plants infested with red wanderer mite should be transfer from others nearby as quickly as potential and destroyed .
The mites prefer a dry environment and so increasing humidity by misting or dampening down the nursery is a prophylactic legal action , but will sadly not control them once present .
Once red wanderer mite is established controlscan include biologic and pesticide solutions , with biological approach now being the favorite choice .
“ ruby spider mite can also be see to it by take out flora from the greenhouse , spray soundly with a hosiery set to a o.k. atomiser to absent the majority of mites and eggs , and after allowing to dry , spraying with an organic pesticide such as painted daisy or plant petroleum for any remain mites , ” shares Master Horticulturist Roy Nicol .
Blossom close rot is triggered by certain growing conditions that can affect aubergines – but more commonly tomato and peppers .
triggered by a lack of atomic number 20 , dour plot appear at the ending of the fruits change in size from a little blotch to a rather troubling column inch or more .
Compost , grow bags and land more often than not have more than enough calcium for plant life to grow .
However , it is the works sputter to transport the calcium to the far ends of the fruit that leads to flower end rot , most often due to erratic or under watering and mellow temperatures .
The best method acting of control in the cause of blossom terminal rot is bar , as sprays are ineffective .
The soil should always be kept damp and not allowed to dry out out , which may mean tearing twice daily in a hot glasshouse during the height of summer .
alimentation biweekly may aid prevent it , along with mulching the dirt to aid conserve moisture .
reckon when it strikes , already - mature yield can still be eaten with the affected orbit cut out .
However , if blossom last rot appears on unripe fruit the fruit is improbable to mature any further .
