Growing Aubergine
Sowing season: January – End of April
Ready to harvest: 30 weeks
This variety of Aubergine “Black Beauty” is suited to milder climates such as ours. Delicious in moussaka or as aubergine fritters. Harvest from August to October.
How to grow aubergine seeds in Ireland.
Starting inside:
Fill your seed tray with potting compost and give a good tap to settle the compost. Make an impression ½ cm deep and place 1 seed per impression. Cover with seived/fine compost. Germination can take 2-3 weeks. After 5 weeks you can transplant the seedlings into bigger pots.
Planting out:
From mid May the seedling can be moved outdoors. Before planting out, hardening off the seedlings for a week. Do this by bringing the pots outside for 1 hour on the first day, then 2 hours on the 2nd day, etc.
Leave spacing of 50-60 cm between plants and chosse an area of full sun. For optimum harvest try to limit each plant to 4 aubergines, by thinning out the weaker aubergines.
Harvest:
Your aubergines will be ready for harvest from August. Harvest the aubergine before it is fully ripe, about one month after flowering.