VEG OF THE MONTH

AUBERGINE 'Solanum melongena'

aubergines or egg plants are best cultivated in a greenhouse or polytunel. they are not widely grown in the UK it first arrived In Europe in the 13th century from India it was mainly grown as an ornamental plant to start with more than a vegetable. variety's where mainly white fruited this changed with the breading of the larger modern types which is what we grow today primerialy the purple variety's are grown but there are a wide range of colours white, pink, green, orange and striped.
What ever type you decide to grow they all need to be started in a heated greenhouse / windowsill in February – March in good compost at a temperature of 20-25oC when the seedlings have germinated and are large enough to handle prick out into individual 9cm (3”)pots. in good quality compost and grow on in your heated greenhouse potting up into larger pots if necessary by early-mid May plants should be ready to put in there final growing position. aubergines can be grown on in either pots, grow-bags or direct into the greenhouse soil some people do grow them out side but you only get a good crop in a very sunny year. personally I would only ever grow them inside it's not worth the effort if it turns out to be a bad summer as they grow keep them well feed and watered. you may have to stake them depending on variety and amount of fruit on the bush. as there is nothing worse than having a fully loaded plant to find that it's snapped in half over night.

harvesting

your aubergines should come in to fruit from august onwards depending on when you sowed. cut the fruit before the shine goes the size depends on the variety as they vary from the size of an egg to 18cm (6”) long.

storage

best picked and eaten fresh not really suitable for freezing unless prepared as a meal such as musaca as it tends to go to mush when frozen on it's own.