Aubergine (Solanum melongena)
5 sources cited · Verified
The short answer
- Sow
- Early February to late March
- Plant out
- Early May to late May
- Ready in
- 65–150 days
- Site
- 6+ hours of sun, soil pH 6–6.5
- Biggest risk
- Blossom end rot
In the UK, aubergines are sown early February to late March, planted out early May to late May, and are ready to harvest 65–150 days after sowing.
Aubergines (Solanum melongena) — Tender perennial grown as a warm-season annual in UK conditions.
Unlike an annual crop, the work here is front-loaded into establishment: get the planting and the site right and the same plants crop for several seasons.
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.
Soil & Growing Conditions
Quick Facts
| Factor | Value |
|---|---|
| Soil pH | 6 - 6.5 |
| Sunlight | 6-6 hours direct sun |
| Germination temp | 21C |
| Optimal growing temp | 20-35C |
| Minimum survivable temp | 9C |
| Time to harvest | 65-150 days |
| Drainage | RHS: grow in full sun outdoors, enriching the soil with garden compost or well-rotted manure before planting. |
| Lifecycle | Tender perennial grown as a warm-season annual in UK conditions. |
| Edible parts | fruits |
At a Glance
Regional Planting Calendar
| Region | Sow | Plant out |
|---|---|---|
| Southern England | early February to late March | early May to late May |
| Midlands derived | early February to late March | early May to early June |
| Northern England | early February to late March | mid May to mid June |
| Scotland | early February to late March | mid May to mid June |
Rows marked derived are interpolated between regions our sources do state, because no source we consulted gives a figure for that region specifically. They are deliberately wider to reflect that uncertainty.
Southern England - detail & sources
RHS: sow indoors from February onwards (as early as January for heated greenhouses), needing at least 21C to germinate. Grow on and plant into final positions: April for heated greenhouse, early May for unheated greenhouse, late May/early June outdoors after the last frost. Southern England has the UK's earliest last-frost date per Met Office, so the earlier end of the outdoor planting-out window applies here.
Midlands - detail & sources
DERIVED: interpolated a week later than southern England and a week earlier than northern England for outdoor planting-out, following RHS's April-June growing-method timing and the Met Office's documented south-to-north frost gradient.
Northern England - detail & sources
RHS: plant into final positions late May/early June outdoors after the last frost (April/early May under glass). Met Office notes the average last air frost extends later further north, so outdoor planting-out is pushed later here than in southern England.
Scotland - detail & sources
RHS: plant into final positions late May/early June outdoors after the last frost (April/early May under glass). Scotland gets the latest outdoor planting-out window in the UK per Met Office's documented later spring frost risk further north -- most Scottish growers will rely on an unheated greenhouse or polytunnel rather than fully outdoor planting.
Harvest & Storage
Diseases
Pests
Nutrient Issues
Watch: Growing Aubergines at Home
A quick SoilCommander video on growing aubergines at home in UK conditions — sowing, spacing, care and harvest in under a minute.
🍆 Did you know? Aubergines are botanically berries, and closer relatives of tomatoes and potatoes than of any fruit -- despite the name.
Recommended Varieties
Variety selection matters more for aubergines than most UK crops, since every one of them needs the full glasshouse season to fruit well.
- Moneymaker — F1 hybrid, early and reliable with classic glossy purple fruits; a sensible default for a first attempt.
- Black Beauty — traditional variety producing large fruits; good if you want fewer, bigger aubergines per plant.
- Bonica — very productive F1 hybrid with good disease resistance; worth choosing where red spider mite has been a problem before.
- Ophelia — compact F1 hybrid bred for containers; the best choice where glasshouse space is limited.
Restricting a plant to 5–6 fruits isn't wasteful, it's the opposite: letting every flower set fruit spreads the plant's limited energy too thin, producing many small, poor-quality aubergines instead of a handful of good ones.
Recommended Tools & Supplies
Having the right tools makes growing aubergines easier. Our hand tools for gardening include secateurs for cutting fruit cleanly at harvest, and the soil and plant care range covers propagators for the heat aubergines need to germinate through to high-potash feeds for fruiting.
Planning the wider plot? See the UK vegetable planting calendar.
What Aubergine Looks Like Through the Season
References
-
Tier 1. Optimal temperature range 20-35C; absolute range 9-40C
-
Tier 1. Full sun requires direct light at least 6 hours/day; prefers 8-10 hours/day
-
Tier 1. About 65-80 days after transplanting depending on variety, or 100-120 days to maturity from seed; maintain soil pH 6.0-6.5; seeds germinate quickly at 70-90F; store in refrigerator for a week at 45-50F and 90% relative humidity
-
Tier 1. GBIF Backbone: Solanum melongena L. -- ACCEPTED, family Solanaceae
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Tier 1. Plants reach approximately 30cm tall before pinching out; at least five months sowing to harvest; germination needs at least 21C; pick as soon as full sized, ripe and well-coloured with glossy skin; sow indoors from February, plant into final positions April (heated glasshouse) to early June (outdoors)
5 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I plant aubergines out in the UK?
In southern England, from early May. In northern England and Scotland, wait until mid May. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to plant out only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
When do I sow aubergines?
Sow early February to late March, at around 21°C for germination.
How long do aubergines take to grow?
Typically 65–150 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.
What soil pH do aubergines need?
A pH of about 6–6.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
What problems affect aubergines?
Our data links 1 disease and 3 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.
Get the UK Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for UK growing conditions
Last verified 2026-07-31
Tools That Help With This Crop
Use these links when the guide moves from reading into sowing, planting, watering, and keeping the crop healthy.
Plan the next step
Use the printable UK Vegetable Garden Planner to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts, and weekly garden tasks.