I’m going to be sowing my aubergine and pepper seeds inside during the first week of March, but they can be planted any time during March, so if you don’t have your seeds yet, you still have time. Read on to find out how to grow aubergines and how to grow peppers. Make sure to check out my sowing seeds inside post for information on what you might need and how to do it.
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How to grow Aubergines
Aubergines, or eggplants, can be grown in the UK, but they can be a little tricky. They want temperatures of around 20°C during the day, and around 15°C at night in order to produce fruits. But the daytime temperature above 30°C may slow the fruiting process, and if the temperature gets above 35°C the fruits might start to drop.
You will want to sow aubergine seeds inside in February or March. I’m growing Black Beauty, which is what you can see in the pictures below. I’ll also be trying Rosa Bianca for the first time.
If you are growing them in a heated greenhouse, you can transplant the seedlings as early as April. If you are growing them in a polytunnel or greenhouse, then you can transplant the seedlings in early May. If you are growing them outside, then you’ll want to transplant the seedlings after your last frost.
If you are growing them in the ground or in a raised bed, then space plants 2 ft apart. If you are growing them in a pot, then grow them in one with a diameter of at least 1 ft.
Aubergines will want regular watering during hot weather. Cover the ground with a layer of mulch to help retain moisture in the soil.
Aubergines are pollinated by wind and insects, but you may want to hand pollinate as there can sometimes be issues, especially if you are growing them in a polytunnel or greenhouse. If you are going to hand pollinate the flowers, there are a couple of ways you can do this. You can lightly tap the back of a flower when it is open and there is pollen inside, or gently shake the plant/flower. Or you can use a small paintbrush or cotton bud and gently brush the pollen around the flower.
When the aubergine fruit is fully grown and has a glossy skin, it is ready to harvest. This will probably happen any time from August onwards. Harvest by cutting the stem just above the fruit. Be careful as this part can be spiky. You’ll want to limit the amounts of fruits on a plant to 5 or 6.
How to grow peppers
Both sweet peppers, like a bell pepper, and chilli peppers, like a jalapeno, are grown in the same way. They can be grown in the UK, but do love the hot weather in order to perform well.
You’ll want to sow your pepper seeds inside in February or March. This year I’m growing Jalapeno and Rokita chillies, as well as Californian Wonder, Frigittello, and Redskin sweet peppers.
If you are growing them in a greenhouse, then you can transplant them to their final growing position in mid to late April. If you are growing them outside, then you’ll want to wait until after your last frost to do so.
If you are growing them in the ground or in a raised bed, then space plants 1 1/2 – 2 ft apart. If you are growing them in a pot, then grow them in one with a diameter of at least 1 ft.
Peppers will want regular watering during hot weather. Cover the ground with a layer of mulch to help retain moisture in the soil.
Peppers are pollinated by wind and insects, but you may want to hand pollinate as there can sometimes be issues, especially if you are growing them in a polytunnel or greenhouse. If you are going to hand pollinate the flowers, there are a couple of ways you can do this. You can lightly tap the back of a flower when it is open and there is pollen inside, or gently shake the plant/flower. Or you can use a small paintbrush or cotton bud and gently brush the pollen around the flower.
You can harvest peppers in late summer and early autumn. Check which colour your chosen varieties are. You can wait until they start to turn their final colour, or harvest them when they are still green to encourage more fruits to form. If you are doing this with sweet peppers, they may be more bitter. If you leave chilli peppers to ripen fully, they will get hotter too.
The yield of a pepper plant depends on a number of factors, including the temperature and how often you pick the fruits. You can expect 20 or more on a healthy chilli plant. You can expect 4 – 5 large bell peppers per plant, and if you are growing smaller sweet peppers, you might get 10 – 20 fruits per plant.
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