All About Aubergines

Aubergines are the strong silent type, growing slowly, hidden behind leaves, waiting to be discovered.

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Sow Seeds: February to March (UK).

Sow Seeds – Where? In a 9cm pot on an indoor sunny windowsill.

Move to a Greenhouse: Towards the end of April and pot on to a large pot with fresh compost.

Plant in final larger pot or Grow bag watering system: May.

Harvest Aubergines: July & August.

Latin Name: Solanum Melongena

Best Aubergine Varieties

Here are the most popular Aubergine varieties to grow.

• ‘Black Beauty’ Aubergine – is one of the most popular varieties of Aubergine and it was released in the year 1902. It is a cross between 2 other varieties – Black Perkin & Violette Longue hative and created in the US. It is particularly good for areas with shorter growing seasons including the UK.

My Experience

Let me tell you a story, I actually had a bad school dinner, Moussaka which is made from aubergines when I was at Primary School. It was the slimy texture of the aubergine and it tasted of nothing, it has been a pain (instead of pleasure) memory all my life. So why did I decide to grow Aubergine though? Because I really wanted to change my pain memory to a pleasure memory.

I have been reading the book ‘Awaken the Giant within’ by Anthony Robbins who discusses the importance of attaching pain and pleasure terms to every experience and how you can change every experience, just by changing the way you think.

This is why I wanted to grow Aubergine, really, my pain memory which is over 20 years old should have been done and I cook have never eaten it again. But I wanted to grow Aubergine as I’ve wanted to grow every vegetable and taste a fresh one to see if, it was as slimy when cooked as I remember.

Guess what ?! It wasn’t. A pleasure experience has now been attached to growing Aubergine, from watching the baby aubergine forming on the plant which is beautiful to working out what I wanted to cook with it, has now been attached pleasurable experience.

This gives you the license to grow something you have previously failed at or disliked when you were younger, it’s a game changer.

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• 1. Start Seeds Early – February onwards as they are slow growing and need 5 to 6 Months from Sowing to Harvest.
• 2. Greenhouse Growers – Aubergines originally come from the Indian subcontinent. They will need heat and light to grow.
• 3. Water, Water & More Water – Aubergines need consistent watering. It’s best to setup an automatic watering system to keep on top of the watering.
• 4. Do not eat Aubergine raw – it contains a natural toxin from the Nightshade family called Solanine which is the plants defence mechanism. This toxin can cause an upset stomach and make you feel ill.
• 5. Aubergine plants are tall and prickly – If you have not grown Aubergine before, you’ll need to support the plants as they grow up to 2m tall. They also have spines or hairs on the stem, leaves and green tops of the growing Aubergines.

Aubergine – Pests & Diseases

Click on a Pest or Disease below for how to get rid of it.

Why Should You Grow Aubergines?

• To see how they grow, it’s beauty in its basic form,
• To see how they taste, the taste is worlds away from supermarket aubergines stored in fridges for weeks,
• To try and cook with them, remember they need flavour to soak up into their sponge of a body,
• For curiosity, wonder and awesomeness,
• To gain skills in growing a vegetable few people grow in the UK. Ignore the internet, they are easy to grow, I grew them myself this year for the first time!

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Articles on Aubergines

Seed Sowing Aubergine & Sweet Peppers – Video

When should you Sow Warm Loving Plants?

February – Sow, Grow, Harvest Veg

Top 5 Seeds to Sow in February – Video

March – Vegetables moved to the Greenhouse update

The Aubergine Experiment – Instagram video

What do you Cook with an Aubergine Glut? – Instagram video

How do I Cook Aubergine & Courgette? – Instagram video