The high-yield cultivation of aubergines is considered an accolade among home gardeners. Important questions should be clarified in advance so that the gardening challenge results in a lush harvest of delicious eggplants. In this guide you can read all the answers about successful cultivation in beds and tubs - practical, compact and easy to understand.

Aubergines can be harvested in midsummer

Which location offers ideal conditions?

The pronounced heat requirement of aubergines restricts the choice of location considerably. Cultivation is crowned with success under the following conditions:

  • Sunny location with at least 6 hours of sunshine per day during the flowering and growing season
  • Ideal temperatures between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius
  • Rain-protected location, bathed in air and with low humidity

Possible locations are: a south-facing balcony, a greenhouse or conservatory with the option of shading, a protected garden bed within winter hardiness zone 7 or 8.

What should the soil and substrate be like?

As a nightshade plant, aubergines are heavy feeders. Garden soil or pot substrate should be correspondingly rich in nutrients. A loose, well-drained structure and a fresh texture are further quality features for high-yield cultivation in beds and tubs.

Prefer eggplant - how does that work?

Early sowing behind glass is the key to success in growing aubergines. The summertime in the Central European climate is too short for the exotic nightshade plants to give away even a single day of the growing season. Preparing young plants by sowing seeds makes sense. The following overview summarizes the most important key data for cultivation:

  • Sow seeds: between the end of January and the end of February
  • Seed soil: peat-free mix of sand and garden soil or coconut fiber substrate
  • Germination temperature: 25 to 28 degrees Celsius
  • Germination time: 14 to 28 days
  • Important: Sieve seeds up to a height of 0.5 cm with sand

Even as seedlings, aubergines have an aversion to high humidity. In contrast to the classic method of sowing, in this case there is no transparent cover during the germination phase.

When is planting time?

If a greenhouse is available for cultivation, you can plant young aubergines from a height of 20 cm into the ground bed. For outdoor cultivation, the planting season begins in mid to late May, when night-time temperatures no longer fall below 15 degrees Celsius. If you plan to cultivate aubergines in tubs on the balcony, pot the plants with a growth height of 25 cm. The egg plants should remain behind glass at night until mid-May.

When is flowering time?

The start of the flowering period largely depends on when the seeds are sown and the young plants planted out. As a rule, the first beautiful flowers sprout when a shoot has 5 to 6 leaves. Purple bell-shaped flowers with a diameter of up to 5 cm unfold.

How do I plant an eggplant perfectly?

In the ground bed and garden bed, prepare the soil loosely and free of weeds. While tilling the soil, place the root balls in the seed pot in soft water until no more air bubbles rise. This is how the planting works:

  • At a distance of 50 to 60 cm, dig planting pits with twice the volume of a root ball
  • Thoroughly mix the excavation with sifted compost and a few handfuls of horn shavings
  • Repot the eggplant and plant in the center using the enriched soil
  • Drive a support stick into the ground next to the root ball

Press the soil down well and water generously. A mulch layer of nettle leaves, leaves or straw keeps the soil moist and nice and warm for longer.

Don't forget the drainage when planting in a bucket

With its beautiful flowers and decorative fruits, the aubergine cuts a fine figure in the bucket on the balcony. The planting follows a similar process as in the bed or greenhouse soil. To protect against harmful waterlogging, add drainage between the substrate and the opening in the ground. Inorganic materials such as pebbles, expanded clay pebbles or potsherds have proven to be effective for this purpose.

Advantageous mixed culture on the balcony

Balcony gardeners with a penchant for growing balcony vegetables do not leave the free cultivation area in the aubergine tub unused. Combined with radishes, spinach and dwarf basil, not only does the harvest on the balcony increase. If these neighbors thrive on their root disk, the aubergine benefits in the form of vital growth and improved aroma.

How long does the harvest last?

A harvest-ready aubergine shines with a shiny, spotless, completely colored skin. Under normal, sunny and warm weather conditions, the harvest season for early varieties begins in early August. Late varieties can sometimes be harvested well into winter when cultivated in a greenhouse.

tips

The close relationship with tomatoes means that aubergines are more susceptible to late blight. Watering without wetting the leaves and an air-dry location in the greenhouse or under a rain cover are the best prevention. In addition, when cultivating aubergines, care should be taken to ensure that the distance to potatoes is as large as possible.

Category:

Vegetable garden