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CLOSING DOWN SALE - UK Delivery £1.26

Aubergine Seeds - Long Purple

Botanical - Solanum melongena

Notes:

Seed Count:
100 Seeds
Rating:
Availability:
Usually despatched within 24 hours
Shipping:
99p, FREE over £15.99
SKU:
V-AUB-02
RRP:
 
Price £1.89 £1.04 (You save £0.85)
 
 
Quantity:

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100 Seeds.

Other Names - Egg Plant, Eggplant...

This variety produces a good amount of long deep purple coloured fruits that are firm and fleshy. Delicious when sliced and lightly fried in a little garlic butter.

  • An ideal vegetable to grow in a container on a warm and sheltered patio.
  • Produces firm and fleshy fruits.
  • One of the most popular aubergine varieties grown worldwide.

Suitable For - Vegetable plot, container garden, conservatory, greenhouse

Sowing Months - February - March

Harvest - Late July - September


Gardening is about finding the right balance! Try growing Companion Plants close by to help deter pests.

  • Amaranth is great for attracting the ground beetle. This predatory beetle eats slugs, snails, slug and snail eggs, caterpillars and weed seed.
  • French marigolds help to deter whitefly. Grow these flowers around the base of the aubergine plants. Also try growing marigolds off the ground in hanging baskets to provide even more protection.
  • Aphids are attracted to nasturtiums. Grow these flowers close by as a sacrificial plant.
  • Calendula (Pot marigold) attracts predator insects such as lacewings, ladybirds and hoverflies who love to feast on aphids.
  • Comfrey can be used to make a nutrient rich liquid fertilizer ideal for fruiting plants. It can also be used as a compost accelerator, a slug repellent and a nutritional mulch.

Soil Preperation

Add a good amount of well rotted manure or compost to the soil a few months before planting. Add some general purpose organic fertilizer 1 - 2 weeks before planting and remove any weeds. For container growing, use a good quality compost. As containers tend to dry out fast and compost is difficult to re - hydrate once dry, try adding some vermiculite to the growing medium. Vermiculite particles act like little sponges absorbing and storing water and nutrients making them readily available for the plant roots as and when they require them. It will also help to reduce the need to water as often.

General InformationSowing & Planting Information
Habit Perennial, grown as an annual Module Grown & Transplants
Type Heritage variety Distance between plants 50 cm
Position Full sun, warm location Distance between rows 50 cm
Average height 100 cm Direct Sowing
Average spread 50 cm Sowing distance between plants N/A
Hardiness Tender Distance between rows N/A
Overwintering No Sowing depth 1 cm
Soil Ph 6.5 - 7.0 Germination temperature 20 to 25℃
    Days to germination 14 - 21 days

Sowing Guide

Early Sowing/Module Sowing

Sow aubergine seeds in a seed tray or a small pot if only 2 - 3 plants are required. Leave at least 2 - 3 cm between each seed. Ensure enough heat is introduced to allow for fast germination. As soon as germination starts move to an area with good daylight exposure, this will help to prevent the seedlings from growing leggy and weak. They will still need heat to develop.
After 3 - 4 weeks transplant the seedlings into 5 cm pots (pricking out). Use a pencil or dibber to help loosed the compost around the seedlings, tease each seedling out carefully with as much intact root as possible. Hold the seedling by its leaves to prevent any root and stem damage. With the pencil or dibber make a deep hole in the compost in the 5 cm pot. Sink one seedling into the hole so that its lowest leaves are just above compost level. (This will allow new roots to sprout out of the sunken stem, which will help to strengthen the plant). Firm the compost around the seedlings and water well.
After 10 - 14 days repot into 8 - 10 cm pots. In late April / May plant out into their final growing position.

Direct Sowing

Aubergines need a substantial amount of heat to germinate and develop. For this reason it is not advisable to sow direct in the ground.


Growing On

For plants destined to be grown in the ground plant at the distance suggested above. Newly planted outdoor plants will benefit from a covering of horticultural fleece or a clear polythene cloche. For container grown plants, plant one aubergine plant in a 20 - 30 cm container with good quality compost and some vermiculite. For grow bags, plant 2 aubergine plants per bag. After planting sink a strong cane near each stem to help support the branches and heavy fruits.
Water well and often in hot weather especially if growing in containers or grow bags. Lack of water will significantly reduce the yield . Grow bag and pot grown aubergines will benefit from a regular liquid feeding to top up the nutrients. Home made organic liquid feed can easily be made from the leaves of the comfrey plant which produces an excellent source of nutrients especially suited for fruiting vegetables. If a good amount of organic matter was added to the soil before planting, aubergine plants grown direct in the soil should not require liquid feeding. However liquid feed if fruit growth is slow.
As the plants grow larger loosely tie the branches to the nearby cane for additional support. For outdoor grown aubergines aim for a maximum of 5 - 6 fruits per plant. When the fruits have set remove any remaining flowers. This will allow the plant to concentrate its energy into growing the 5 - 6 fruits and allow them to mature before the cold autumn weather arrives.


Harvesting

Aubergines are best harvested before they become seedy and bitter in taste. A dull skin to the fruit indicates they are over ripe and have past their best. Harvest when the skins have a shine. If you prefer large aubergines and find there are many small fruits growing on the plant, harvest some of the smaller fruits as baby aubergines to allow the remaining fruits to grow larger.
The fruit will continue to grow until the first cold nights of autumn arrive, when the growth will slow down drastically. To extend the growing season move container grown plants indoors. Aubergine stems will have become woody by the end of the season. To compost, cut up into small pieces before adding to the compost heap otherwise they can take a long time to break down.

TIP

One of the best plants for attract pollinating insects to the aubergine plants is Phacelia. It also attracts aphid eating insects such as ladybirds and lacewings. At the end of the season it can be dug into the soil as a green manure.

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