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Aubergine sprite
VegetablesTenderAnnual

Aubergine

Aubergine is a tender Mediterranean crop grown for glossy fruits in shades of purple, black, white or striped, depending on variety. It needs a long warm season and high light levels, but rewards good conditions with richly flavoured fruits for roasting, grilling and stews.

Basic information

Category
Vegetables
Lifecycle
Annual
Hardiness
Tender
Planting partners
4 companions · 1 crop to avoid

Growth profile

Days to harvest
150 days
Germination window
7–14 days
Germination temperature
22–30 °C
Plant spacing
60 cm
Row spacing
75 cm
Sowing depth
0.5 cm
Height
90 cm
Spread
60 cm

Calendar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.

Care tips

Grow aubergines in the warmest brightest place you have, ideally under cover in cooler regions, and keep plants steadily fed and watered once flowering begins. Support stems if fruits are heavy, remove misshapen or excess fruits on weak plants, and ventilate greenhouses well to improve pollination and reduce pest build-up.

Common pests

Aphids, glasshouse red spider mite, glasshouse whitefly, slugs.

Don’t grow with