All About Aubergines... Yes you can sow these in November but only if you can provide winter warmth. That means being able to keep them at no less than 15°C all through the winter and not every one can do that (I must add that I don’t either because my greenhouse is unheated and I do not have the space inside to mollycoddle seedlings when I have Christmas (sorry but with the family it does tend to loom) and two rather naughty cats who like to sit on seed trays to contend with. In the cat versus seed trays and seedlings contest the seedlings never win! So these days I choose my aubergine varieties now (try our special offer) but I start my seeds in March, I pot them on when about 5cm high and keep in good light and warm at night. The warmth is very important as aubergines are a sub-tropical plant. I plant them when the first flowers appear and after any danger of frost has passed. They will mature outdoors in a warm and sheltered spot in most parts of the UK, in cooler areas they will do better with protection. I also pinch out the main stem when they are about 25cm tall to encourage them to be bushy. Another trick is to put water near them, a bucket or tray is fine. The water will evaporate and keep the humidity around the plants higher (reminds them of the tropics!) which they appreciate.
