The eggplant, aubergine, melongene or brinjal (Solanum melongena) is a plant of the family Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades) and genus Solanum.
Aubergine bears a fruit of the same name, commonly used as a vegetable in cooking.
As a nightshade, it is closely related to the tomato and potato and is native to Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Aubergines need light, sunshine and a long growing season to be fully successful in the UK.
The southern regions are probably best suited for growing Aubergines, but Aubergines are being increasingly grown well 'up North' as the climatic changes dance around the country!
Aubergines are a little slower growing than their near relatives the Tomatoes & Peppers.
The key point is to start them off with some heat and then either transplant out (after all danger of frost) or grow on in a greenhouse/polytunnel (depending on your local climate).
Grow your Aubergines in a sheltered sunny position - against fence or wall is good.
Start them from seed early - in a heated propagator or elsewhere indoors. Late February to early March. Consider buying young plants of Aubergines if not, in April/May from the garden centre nursery.
Harden them off well before planting out after all frosts are finished.
Pinch out the top of the plants once they have got to 15in tall. This will turn them into bushy plants.
Feed your Aubergine plants well with Tomato Fertiliser throughout the growing season - but not after end of August.
Look out for greenfly and whitefly.
Look up some Aubergine recipes - they are more versatile than many realised!
No comments:
Post a Comment