RHS Growing Guides
How to grow aubergines
Our detailed growing guide will help you with each step in successfully growing aubergines.
Getting Started
Aubergines come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes
Aubergines (Solanum melongena) are closely related to tomatoes and peppers, so if you can grow these successfully, then aubergines are well worth a try. They can be grown from seed indoors or bought as young plants, and are happy in containers and growing bags, as well as in the ground.
Month by Month
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Choosing
Aubergines make an eye-catching crop, whichever variety you choose (here ‘White Knight’)
For the best chance of a good harvest, look for varieties with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which shows they performed well in trials – see our list of AGM fruit and veg (135kB pdf) and our Recommended Varieties below. It’s also worth visiting the veg plots in the RHS gardens, where you can see many crops, including aubergines, being grown. It’s a great way to compare different varieties and growing methods, and pick up useful tips and inspiration.
What and where to buy
Aubergine seeds are widely available in garden centres and from online seed suppliers. Be sure to buy early though, so you’re ready to sow in late winter or early spring.
If you don’t have the time or space to grow from seed indoors, you can buy plug plants and young plants from many gardening retailers in spring and early summer, although the choice of varieties will be more limited. Grafted aubergine plants are also available, mainly from online suppliers – these are more expensive, but are more vigorous, robust plants that should cope better with cooler conditions outdoors, producing a larger crop.
Recommended Varieties
Ideal for an unheated glasshouse, early cropping with large, glossy black fruits.
Medium-sized, oval, slightly ribbed fruits with white skin with white flesh. Matures early.
Compact plants, ideal for containers, with small, very glossy, egg-shaped fruits.
Sowing
Sow aubergine seeds indoors, usually from February onwards, as they need warmth and a long growing season. If the plants will be growing in a heated greenhouse or warm conservatory, you can start them earlier, in January. If they’ll be growing outdoors, delay sowing indoors until early March, as these tender plants mustn’t be moved outside until after the last frost.
Aubergine seeds need at least 21°C (70°F) to germinate, either in a heated propagator or in a warm location indoors. You can even germinate seeds in an airing cupboard, but check daily and move seedlings to a warm, bright windowsill as soon as they appear. Keep young plants in good light at 16–18°C (60–64°F) and water regularly, as needed. Once they have their first set of true leaves, prick out your seedlings, moving them into their own 7.5cm (3in) pot or into individual modules in a tray.
Planting
Plant young aubergine plants, either grown from seed or newly bought, into their final growing position at the following times:
- in April for growing in a heated greenhouse
- in early May for growing in an unheated greenhouse
- in late May/early June (after the last frost) for growing outdoors
To plant in containers
Choose a pot at least 30cm (1ft) in diameter and fill with peat-free multi-purpose compost, then plant one young aubergine in the centre. Or plant two in a standard growing bag.
To plant into the ground
Start warming the soil with cloches two weeks before transplanting and enrich the soil with plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure. Alternatively, if you're practising no-dig, mulch the soil and plant directly into the mulch. Space plants 60cm (2ft) apart.
To crop outdoors, aubergines need a warm, sheltered spot in full sun
Plant Care
Aubergine plants need some regular attention to produce a successful crop. Some plants develop small spines on the stems, so take care when tending them.
Watering
Aubergine plants need a steady supply of moisture to grow and crop well. Plants in containers are particularly susceptible to drying out and may need watering daily in hot weather. An automated drip irrigation system can be useful to ensure consistent watering.
In addition, mist the leaves regularly (ideally twice daily) with tepid water to discourage red spider mites and improve fruiting. Or, on hot days, damp down the greenhouse in the morning so the water evaporates during the day, raising the humidity.
Mulching
After planting, apply a thick layer of mulch, such as garden compost or well-rotted manure, around aubergine plants growing in the ground or a greenhouse border. This helps to hold moisture in the soil and deter weeds.
Feeding
Feed aubergines in containers every two weeks with an organic high-potassium liquid fertiliser once the first flowers appear. This helps to encourage further flowering and good fruiting.
Plants growing in the ground in enriched soil may not need regular feeding, though it can help to increase yield.
Pinching out shoot tips
When aubergine plants are around 30cm (1ft) tall, pinch out the tip of the main stem to encourage side-shoots. This creates bushier plants that should produce more fruits.
Supporting plants
Aubergines can form large, top-heavy plants, so insert a sturdy bamboo cane once they are in their final container and tie in the main stem as it grows. You may need to add more canes to support the side-shoots once fruits start to form, particularly if you have a heavy crop or a large-fruited variety.
Improving your crop
Open the vents of greenhouses and coldframes so pollinating insects can access the flowers
To ensure successful pollination in a greenhouse or coldframe, open the door and vents on warm days when plants are in flower, to allow access for pollinating insects. Misting the flowers also aids pollination, or you can hand pollinate flowers with a small paintbrush.
With larger-fruited varieties, once five or six fruits have started to form, remove any further flowers. Varieties with small fruits can be allowed to produce many more.
To encourage fruits to ripen towards the end of the season, remove any new fruits that start to form after late summer, as they are unlikely to ripen. Protect outdoor plants with a plastic-free crop cover if the fruits aren’t ripe by late September, or move potted plants indoors before overnight temperatures drop.
Harvesting
To harvest, cut through the stalk a few centimetres above the top of the fruit
Problems
Aubergines are tender plants that need lots of sun and heat to crop well. Lack of fruit may be due to poor summer weather or a location that is too cold, especially when grown outdoors. They need the hottest, sunniest position and a long growing season – at least five months from sowing to harvesting. Aubergines also need a steady supply of moisture throughout the summer to fruit successfully.
Several sap-sucking insects like to feed on aubergine plants, so check for them regularly – see Common Problems below.
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