Aubergines

The aubergine plant would not look out of place in the flower border, with its large unusual leaves and small pretty flowers it is worth growing just for its aesthetic value alone. It forms a tidy, uniform, small to medium sized bush that gives us beautiful shiny looking fruits throughout the summer. Unfortunately those fruits do not lavish us with huge amounts flavour. I’m a huge fan of greek food of which the aubergine is a staple part of but they are not a very versatile vegetable. For me, the longer its cooked for the better.

Sowing seeds or planting

Unless you’re a huge fan of aubergines or vegetarian then don’t bother growing from seed, you will only need a couple of plants anyway. As I have mentioned before most of the inland garden centres sell vegetable plants throughout the year according to season. If you are growing from seed, moisten the compost in a three inch pot and sow on the surface, cover with a fine layer of compost and keep well watered and warm.

Soil

Although it’s a plant that grows well in the Mediterranean it still needs good rich soil. Incorporate compost into your soil for really good crops but I’ve grown it in our own shallow stony soil with reasonable success.

Aftercare

Many books will tell you that you have to pinch out the growing tips when the plant is a foot high and leave only five fruits on the plant by removing any remaining flowers but if you forget don’t worry it’s not the end of the world. Aubergines are not usually considered a staple food and you’re looking for quality not quantity so I would recommend regular picking instead. Feeding is also recommended once the fruits have formed. Some support might be necessary if they are planted in exposed areas.

Watering

Keep the soil or compost moist but not over overwatered. Apply a mulch in summer and water frequently, especially if they are grown in pots.

Growing in pots

I only grow to or three plants at a time so I don’t bother planting aubergines in the ground where they would take up valuable space. Instead I find the biggest pots that I have, fill with a compost/ soil mix (about two thirds compost) and plant out the seedlings when they are big enough to handle. During summer you will need to conserve moisture as much as possible if you are to harvest nice shiny firm fruits. Cover with straw (my preferred mulch of the moment), leaf mould or weed fabric and place the pot on top of a saucer to catch any water that seeps through the bottom.

Harvesting

I don’t always include a section on harvesting your veggies but aubergines are different. You don’t want huge fruits with tough skins and bitter flesh, you should be harvesting when they are smaller than supermarket varieties, about the size of your fist. The skin should also be bright and shiny and the flesh firm.