Growing 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 and tap to settle. Lightly firm.
• Scatter the seeds of your chosen variety thinly on top - most seeds germinate so you only need to sow two more seeds than you need in 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.
• Pop into a heated propagator or put a clear plastic bag over the top, secure with a rubber band and place on a windowsill.

After germination

• Your seeds should start to appear in about a week. Remove the pot from the propagator or take off the bag, and place on a light windowsill. Ensure 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 or peastick and securing 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, sever 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 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