Aubergines, chillies and peppers
Where to grow
Grow plants in pots and place on a sunny patio, balcony or roof space. The process for sowing, germinating and potting on is the same for all three.
What to do
How to sow seeds
- Fill a 7.5cm pot with seed compost, level, tap the pot to settle the soil and lightly firm.
- Scatter the seeds on top – most seeds germinate so you only need to sow two more seeds than you need in just case of losses.
- Cover with a fine layer of vermiculite, water and label – this is important to help you identify them if sowing several varieties.
- Put into a heated propagator or put a clear plastic bag over the top, use a rubber band to hold the bag and place on a windowsill.
After germination
- Your seeds should start to appear in about a week. Take the pot from the propagator or take off the bag, and place on a light windowsill. Make sure the compost does not dry out.
Potting up seedlings
- When seedlings are about 2cm tall they can be moved to their own pot. Carefully loosen the compost, then gently hold a leaf and lift, while levering from beneath the roots with a dibber.
- Fill a 7.5cm pot with multipurpose compost, level and tap to settle.
- Make a hole in the centre of the compost with a dibber and lower in the seedling, until the leaves are just above the surface of the soil.
- Gently firm, water and label each plant. Keep plants in a light place, such as a windowsill or greenhouse.
- When roots show at the bottom of the pots, move into a bigger, 12cm pot, filled with multipurpose compost.
Aftercare
- When plants reach about 20cm tall give them some support by staking with a small cane and tie up with garden twine.
- When they’re about 30cm pinch out growing tips to increase branching.
- At the end of May plants can go outside. Pot them into their final container – a 5-litre pot will do. As the plants grow, swap the small stakes for a larger cane.
- In hot weather you may need to water twice a day. These plants are incredibly thirsty and dry compost will quickly lead to a check in growth. This applies particularly to plants grown in a greenhouse, where it can get very hot even in late summer.
- The first flowers will appear when the plants are quite small. When this happens feed weekly with a liquid feed high in potash, such as tomato fertiliser.
Harvesting
- Fruits can be harvested with scissors or a sharp knife between July and September. Chilli peppers can be picked green or left longer to turn red.
- Before the autumn frosts, cut off the plants completely and hang the branches upside down so the fruit continues to mature.
- Each aubergine will produce up to five fruits, depending on variety and the weather – pick when they have reached full size and the skin is shiny.
Five varieties to try
Aubergines
- Violetta Lunga – long purple fruit
- Red Egg – dumpy red fruit
- Snowy – cylindrical white fruit
- Moneymaker – glossy black fruits
- Rosa Bianca – white and pink fruit
Sweet peppers
- Big Banana – very long red fruits.
- Marconi Rosso – sweet, red, Italian heritage variety
- Fiesta – shiny yellow fruit
- Bell Boy – thick skinned, green fruit
- Purple Beauty – purple fruit turn red when mature
Chilli peppers
- Jalapeno – green fruit turn red
- Joe’s Long – extra long red fruit
- Habanero – very hot orange fruit
- Hungarian Hot Wax – not too hot, yellow fruit turn to red
- Cayenne – glossy, red fruit