When to plant Aubergines
Calendar windows
Dates shift with your latitude — they are calculated from your local last-spring-frost date, not from a fixed calendar.
At a glance
Killed by any frost — plant out only after the last one.
Practical notes
The most heat-hungry crop on this list — outside a greenhouse it is only worth trying in a hot summer against a south wall. Stake it; loaded plants topple.
Knowing when to pick
Pick while the skin is glossy and springs back from a press. Dull skin and hard seeds mean it is overripe and bitter.
Storing the crop
A week at 10–12°C — the fridge is too cold and pits the skin. Roast and freeze the surplus.
Crop rotation
Leave 3–4 years before nightshades return to the same bed — blight and wilts persist in soil.
Grows well with
Keep apart from
Watch for
Full guide: aubergines diseases and pests (4) → with spread routes, compost verdicts and the prevention this list justifies.