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 warm-season annual, raised fresh from seed each year in the UK.
This is a frost-tender crop — it will not survive below about 9°C — so in UK conditions the growing year is built around starting it under cover and moving it out only once the risk has passed.
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.
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.
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.
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. Neither source states a soil texture. |
| Lifecycle | Tender warm-season annual, raised fresh from seed each year in the UK |
| Edible parts | fruits |
At a Glance
Growth Stages
| Stage | BBCH | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sowing & seedlings | 0 | Aubergines are grown from seed sown indoors from February (as early as January with a heated propagator), as they need a long, warm season and at least 21C to germinate. Sow seeds about 0.5-1cm deep (Clemson/UMD: about 1/4 inch) in small pots or modules of moist seed compost on a warm windowsill or in a heated propagator. Prick out or pot on into individual 7.5-9cm pots once seedlings are large enough to handle, and grow on in good light at around 18-21C. Harden plants off before moving them outdoors or into an unheated greenhouse. |
| Vegetative growth & planting out | 3 | When plants are about 30cm tall, pinch out the growing tip to encourage a bushy, branching habit. Plant into final positions from April (heated greenhouse), early May (unheated greenhouse) or late May/early June outdoors after the last frost - one plant per 30cm pot, three per grow bag, or spaced about 60cm apart (Clemson/UMD: roughly 45-60cm / 18-24in apart in rows 75-90cm / 30-36in) in fertile soil enriched with garden compost or well-rotted manure. Support the top-heavy stems with canes, keep the soil evenly moist, and grow in full sun with at least 6 hours of light a day. |
| Flowering & fruit set | 6 | Purple, star-shaped flowers appear through summer. Mist the flowers and damp down under glass to raise humidity and help pollination and fruit set. Once the first fruits have set, begin feeding every 10-14 days with a high-potassium liquid feed (such as a tomato fertiliser). Maintain a steady, even supply of moisture - containers may need watering daily in hot weather - as fluctuating soil moisture and limited root space cause blossom end rot. |
| Fruit development & harvest | 8 | Restrict each plant to about five or six fruits for good size, removing further flowers once these have set. Continue feeding and watering steadily. Harvest from mid-summer into autumn (roughly 65-150 days from sowing) as soon as fruits are full-sized, ripe and well-coloured with a glossy skin, cutting them with a short stalk using secateurs. Pick promptly: once the skin becomes dull the fruit is over-ripe and may taste bitter. Harvested fruit stores in the fridge for about a week at 7-10C and 90% relative humidity. |
Harvest & Storage
Diseases
Pests
Nutrient Issues
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
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Tier 1. Primary UK source for sowing timing, germination temperature, spacing, watering, feeding, pest/disease list and harvest indicators.
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Tier 1. US extension corroboration for sowing depth, spacing, days to harvest, ripeness test and storage.
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Tier 1. US extension corroboration for sowing depth, transplanting and spacing.
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Tier 1. International agronomic ranges (temperature, pH).
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Tier 1. Taxonomic backbone reference.
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 2026-08-06
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.