Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Once four or five flowers have set fruit, nip off any others that form and provide
the plant with support using canes or string (see Chapter 6, page 51). Most plants
will successfully ripen only this many fruits, and additional flowering just
wastes the plant's energy.
Unlike tomatoes (some of which can be grown outdoors in the UK), aubergines
are not affected by blight, but they are prone to moulds. Give the plants plenty of
ventilation, and remove any dense central foliage that may prevent good air flow
- otherwise the flowers are unlikely to set fruit.
Harvesting and storage
Some varieties can fruit as early as mid-June and will continue until the frosts
arrive. Fruit production is helped by giving a dose of liquid tomato feed every
other week after the fruiting begins. As the fruits swell, remove any flower petals
that remain stuck to them, or they may go mouldy. Harvest the fruit while it's still
glossy - a dull skin indicates that it's been on the plant too long and is over-ripe.
Before the first frost, but as close to it as you can anticipate, cut the entire plant
down and hang it upside down in a frost-free environment. Any remaining fruit
will then continue to mature.
Aubergines can be dried successfully after cutting them into 1cm slices and
blanching in boiling water for three minutes. The dry slices can be added to
soups and stews, or soaked in warm water for 20 minutes for adding to other
dishes. Frozen aubergine tends to lose its texture, so it is best to roast or sauté it
before freezing, or to cook and freeze the whole dish; lasagne and ratatouille are
good examples of dishes where this works very well.
Problems
Aphids
,
red spider mites
and
whitefly
. If watering is uneven, aubergines will
get blossom end rot.
Beans, broad
Varieties:
'Aquadulce Longpod', 'Express'
Broad beans are easy to grow, but as they can be around 1.2 metres tall they can
easily get blown over outside, especially when loaded with heavy pods. Growing
