Eggplant and aubergine are two names for the same vegetable. In Britain, aubergine is the usual name, but gardeners searching for how to grow eggplant are looking for exactly the same crop. It is a rewarding one when the summer is warm enough: glossy purple, white or striped fruits hanging from a plant you raised yourself. The difficulty is not complicated pruning or specialist soil. It is providing enough warmth for long enough.
Aubergines need a longer, hotter season than most UK outdoor gardens can reliably offer. A greenhouse or polytunnel is the easiest place to grow them, although a very sheltered sunny patio can work in a good summer. Choose an early or compact variety, start at the right time and give the plants consistent care.
Understand the conditions aubergines need
Aubergines, Solanum melongena, belong to the same plant family as tomatoes and peppers. They are tender, so frost will damage them, and cool weather can stop growth even when there is no frost. That explains why a seedling that looks healthy indoors may sit almost motionless after being planted into a cold garden.
For reliable crops in much of the UK, plan to grow under glass or another suitable protected structure. Outdoor growing is more of a calculated gamble: it suits mild districts, exceptionally warm summers and sunny sheltered sites. A south-facing wall can create a warmer pocket, but it cannot guarantee the heat of a greenhouse.
Think about the final growing place before buying seed. If your only option is an exposed balcony, choose a compact, early-fruiting variety and accept that the harvest may be modest. If you have a greenhouse, you have more flexibility over plant size and fruit type.
Choose a variety suited to your space
Aubergines do not all produce the large dark-purple fruits seen in supermarkets. Some have smaller fruits, which can be useful in a shorter season; others have white, green or striped skins. Look for a variety described as early, compact or suitable for containers if your growing space is limited.
The Royal Horticultural Society lists several recommended choices, including 'Galine' and 'Kaberi' for container growing, and 'Bonica' for large glossy fruit. Variety descriptions are a starting point, not a promise: the amount of sun and warmth the plant receives will still determine how well it crops.
Seeds offer more choice and are generally cheaper per plant, but they require indoor space for several months. If you do not have a warm germination spot and a bright place for seedlings, buying a young plant in spring may be the better option. Choose a sturdy plant with healthy leaves rather than the tallest one on the bench.
Sow seeds indoors in late winter or early spring
The RHS advises sowing indoors from February for many growers. If you have a heated greenhouse or warm conservatory, January sowing can be appropriate; if plants are destined for outdoors, early March is often more sensible. Starting very early without adequate light creates tall, weak plants that are difficult to manage.
Use a small tray or individual pots of peat-free seed compost. Aubergine seeds need a temperature of at least about 21°C to germinate, so a heated propagator is helpful. Keep the compost moist but not saturated, and check regularly for seedlings.
As soon as shoots appear, move them into bright light. The RHS recommends growing young seedlings at roughly 16–18°C. When the first true leaves develop, move seedlings carefully into their own small pots, around 7.5cm across, or separate modules. Handle them by a leaf rather than crushing the delicate stem.
If you have no heated propagator, a consistently warm indoor spot can work for germination, but you must move the seedlings into light promptly. A dark airing cupboard is not somewhere they can remain after sprouting.
Grow strong plants before moving them outside
As the roots fill their pots, move plants into slightly larger containers with fresh peat-free compost. Water when needed and give them plenty of light. Avoid leaving them standing in cold water or crowding them so closely that leaves overlap and air circulation suffers.
Aubergines dislike sudden changes. Plants raised in a warm room should be hardened off gradually before they move into an unheated greenhouse or outdoor position. On suitable mild days, expose them to their new conditions for increasing periods, bringing them back under protection when temperatures fall.
Do not use the first sunny weekend as a reason to plant them outside. The final position must be reliably frost-free and warm enough for active growth. In colder parts of the UK, that can be noticeably later than it is in a sheltered southern garden.
Plant into a pot, growing bag or greenhouse border
For a container-grown aubergine, the RHS recommends a pot at least 30cm across. Fill it with peat-free multi-purpose compost and plant one aubergine in the centre at the same depth it was growing previously. Two plants can be grown in a standard growing bag if the bag provides enough room and compost.
In a greenhouse border, enrich the soil with garden compost or well-rotted manure and space plants about 60cm apart. If you practise no-dig gardening, plant through a suitable surface mulch. Put a sturdy cane beside each plant early, before the root system spreads widely.
The RHS gives April for planting into a heated greenhouse, early May for an unheated greenhouse and late May or early June after the last frost for outdoor planting. These are useful guides, but local weather matters more than a fixed date. For outdoor plants, choose full sun and shelter, then use a temporary protective cover while they establish if conditions warrant it.
Water steadily and feed at the right stage
Aubergines need regular moisture, particularly once they are flowering and carrying fruit. Container compost can dry quickly on a hot day, so check it rather than assuming yesterday's watering was enough. Water thoroughly when needed and allow excess to drain; do not keep roots permanently waterlogged.
A mulch around plants growing in the ground helps slow evaporation and suppress weeds. In a greenhouse, keep ventilation working and watch for pests. The RHS also recommends raising humidity around greenhouse plants, including by damping down the floor on hot days, to help discourage red spider mites.
Once the first flowers appear, feed container plants about every two weeks with an appropriate organic high-potassium liquid fertiliser, following its label. Plants in well-enriched ground may need less feeding. More fertiliser is not a substitute for warmth, light and adequate water.
Support stems and encourage fruiting
When a plant reaches around 30cm tall, pinching out its main growing tip can encourage side shoots and a bushier shape. This is especially useful for plants with enough space and growing time to develop several fruiting branches. Tie the main stem loosely to its cane and add supports if heavy fruits pull side branches down.
Greenhouse flowers need to be pollinated. On warm days, open vents and doors so insects can reach them. If pollination seems poor, you can transfer pollen gently with a small brush. Some varieties set fruit more readily than others, and cold weather can interfere with flowering.
For varieties that produce large fruits, the RHS suggests limiting the crop once five or six fruits have set by removing further flowers. Smaller-fruited varieties can carry more. Late in the season, remove tiny new fruits unlikely to mature so the plant can concentrate on those already developing.
Know when an aubergine is ready to pick
Harvest usually begins from August onwards in the UK, depending on when plants were started and how warm the season has been. Look for fruit that has reached the expected size for its variety, has developed its proper colour and still has glossy skin.
Do not leave every fruit hanging in the hope that it will become enormous. An overripe aubergine can lose its shine and develop a less pleasant texture or flavour. Cut the stalk with secateurs or a sharp knife a little above the fruit rather than pulling it off. Some varieties have small spines, so handle stems carefully.
Regular picking can encourage the plant to continue developing the remaining fruits. If autumn nights are becoming cold, bring a movable pot under cover before the plant is damaged. A plant in open ground may need temporary protection, but there is a limit to how far you can extend a British summer.
Troubleshoot weak growth and missing fruit
Plenty of leaves but no aubergines: Check warmth, sunlight and whether flowers are being pollinated. A shaded greenhouse or a cold outdoor position is unlikely to crop well, however green the foliage looks.
Flowers fall without setting fruit: Sudden temperature changes, moisture stress and poor pollination may contribute. Improve ventilation in hot weather, water consistently and make sure insects can reach greenhouse flowers.
Leaves look speckled or mottled: Inspect undersides for red spider mites, particularly in warm, dry greenhouses. Check for whitefly and aphids too, and use appropriate integrated pest-management advice before treating plants.
A plant wilts in its pot: Check compost moisture first. A dry rootball may need a thorough watering, while a constantly soggy pot can also cause roots to fail. Good drainage matters as much as regular watering.
Fruit remains tiny as autumn approaches: There may simply be insufficient heat and daylight left. Focus on ripening existing fruits and plan an earlier variety or a warmer growing place next season.
A realistic first-season plan
For a first attempt, buy one or two healthy young plants in spring, grow them in large containers in the warmest protected spot available, and support them early. Keep watering and feeding steady, ventilate the greenhouse and pick fruits while they are glossy. That is easier than raising a dozen seedlings before you know how the crop behaves in your space.
If you enjoy the results, try seed sowing the following year. Aubergines are less forgiving of cool conditions than lettuce or potatoes, but a well-sited plant can be one of the most satisfying summer crops in a UK greenhouse.
Sources and further guidance
The Royal Horticultural Society's aubergine growing guide provides the planting dates, temperatures, spacing, feeding, support and harvest guidance used to check this article. The RHS vegetable growing guidance offers further information on managing productive home crops.