Aubergine: The Most Heat-Loving Crop in the Garden
1 min read By Екипът на Seeds
Sow early, plant out late and watch out for flea beetles. A guide to growing aubergines from seed.
Requirements
Aubergines need even more warmth than peppers. Sow for transplants in February–March at 25–28 °C. Below 15 °C the plants stop growing and recover with difficulty.
Seedlings and planting out
Grow the seedlings in individual 9–10 cm pots. Plant outside no earlier than the end of May, 50 cm apart, in the sunniest spot sheltered from the wind.
- Soil: rich in organic matter, well drained.
- Mulch: a dark mulch warms the soil and speeds up growth.
Pests
Flea beetles and the Colorado beetle love aubergines. Covering the plants with horticultural fleece for the first weeks after planting saves a lot of trouble. Remove Colorado beetle eggs by hand from the underside of the leaves.
Harvest
Pick when the skin is glossy and springs back when pressed with a finger. Dull skin and brown seeds inside mean the fruit is overripe and bitter. Cut with secateurs — the stalk is tough.
Photo: Judgefloro, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
