In My Seed Box for 2021 - Aubergine

In July I posted this on the Mind Your Peas and Cues Facebook Group 

I’ve never grown Aubergines before but I want to grow them next year for a friend who makes Chutney and sells it for charity. I’m in the South East of England and I’m looking for varieties that I can grow outside in a 2.4m x 1.2m bed and NOT in a greenhouse.

I’m looking for variety recommendations that will work well outside in the open.

There are many varieties out there being sold by UK seed companies and so far from my limited research on prices we are looking at prices ranges like 8 seeds for £4.99 to 300 seeds for 99p.

The other thing I have not seen on any web site yet is what spacing and row spacing you would put these in when planting in the ground or a bed and not in a greenhouse or polytunnel.

Click Here to read the replies and information I got from the post above 

I did manage to find a useful UK based YouTube video about them, below. 

Based on information I got from that posting and other Facebook Groups and from the video above plus the RHS Advice Page for Aubergine and some desk study, I decided to go for Black Beauty and to grow them in a Superdome Tunnel on Plot 1 and also trial some out in the open, perhaps in the square foot gardening beds that I have planned for 2021.  

Black Beauty from Seed Parade average 200 seeds for 99p plus P&P 

In addition to Black Beauty, I got a free pack of Kings Seeds Aubergine Long Purple with a copy of Kitchen Garden

I would have ordered Clara and I can see now why the Americans call them egg plants 

I had to order the New! variety Aubergine Green Knight F1 - from Mr Fothergill's as it slender, smooth and is a "jade green" variety that just looked so interesting and I'm hoping will surprise my friend Arif who is going to show me how to cook with them. 

In My Seed Box For 2021 - Index