Owen Pidgeon's tips for growing the best eggplants for summer in Canberra

​I have always aspired to grow eggplants because of the delicious Greek dish called moussaka. Eggplants were first domesticated in the Indian-Burmese region of south Asia. Sanskrit literature mentioned this vegetable some 2000 years ago. It took some centuries to be brought northwards. In the 6th century there are references to this delicious vegetable in Persian literature. And by the 8th century the Arabs had introduced it into Spanish cuisine. It quickly became a major crop in Mediterranean countries thereafter.

There is a Japanese variety called white egg eggplant which has the shape and appearance of a large egg. However, eggplants do come in nearly every colour of the rainbow. We are used to seeing dark purple and black varieties but the rose pink and magenta varieties are now widely available. Listada de Gandia​ is a Spanish variety with beautiful white stripes in a light purple background. Louisiana Long Green produces pale green fruit and the Turkish Orange produces a big crop of round, orange-red fruit.

Eggplants love the warm months. If you live in a subtropical climate the bush can be a perennial. Down south, especially in the mountain regions, the cold and frosty nights of winter mean we have to treat it as an annual. Late spring is the ideal time to get eggplants under way. The temperature range for good production is 18-30 degrees. Once the seedlings are well established, the plants will generally take another four months to produce a harvest.

To get your seedlings going, plant into propagation trays and place on a windowsill or in a similar warm, protected spot, such as under a glass screen. The seeds can take up to three weeks to germinate so patience is required if you want to complete the whole cycle yourself. Established seedlings bought from your local nursery are a good option, given that the growing cycle is 4-5 months. If you are too slow getting started, then the cooler autumn days and nights will be upon you just as the plants start to flower.

When positioning the plants in the garden, allow 80-90cm between each plant, unless you have the smaller, early long purple or baby finger which can be 60-70cm apart. If you have vigorous plants that set a big crop of fruit, you will need wooden stakes to provide support. Tie up the main branches to the stake.

The large egg-shaped varieties including black beauty and supreme take longer to mature but have excellent flavour. The Tsakoniki eggplant from Greece is a very tender cylindrical eggplant, ideal for making moussaka. Its colour is light purple with white striping. The Italian rosa biance​ is another beautiful looking eggplant coloured with shades of soft lavender and white. It produces a big crop of smaller, pear-shaped fruit with superb flavour.

For eggplants to grow well, they need a fertile but well drained soil and plenty of sunshine. Before planting, dig in plenty of old compost and add some organic slow-release fertiliser. Planting into a raised garden bed will provide the roots with lots of potential to grow and search out nutrients.

Allow the skin of the eggplants to become fully coloured and very shiny before harvesting. Remove the eggplants using a pair of secateurs to avoid damaging the bush. Do not allow the fruit to hang too long afterwards or the skin will begin to wrinkle and the flesh become tough. Eggplants can be stored in the cooler tray of a refrigerator for up to two weeks after harvest.

Eggplant, zucchini and capsicum chargrilled salad

4 eggplants
4 zucchinis
2 red capsicums
2 green capsicums
50ml extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
ground black pepper

Dressing

60ml extra virgin olive oil
1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp castor sugar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Cut the eggplants and zucchinis diagonally in 1.5cm slices. Slice the capsicums in wide strips. Place the vegetables in a medium-sized bowl and pour in the olive oil. Add in the crushed garlic and black pepper.

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl.

Preheat the barbecue or kitchen grill and brush with oil. Cook the eggplant and zucchini slices on high for around three minutes each side, until they are browned. Place in a serving dish. Cook the capsicums for around two minutes on each side until they are well cooked. Place them also in the serving dish. Drizzle the dressing over the chargrilled vegetables and serve.

This week in the garden

* Plant a selection of bush beans in rows for a pre-Christmas harvest. Plant out salad greens and radish.

* Transplant zucchini seedlings into a prepared garden bed, spacing at 90 centimetres between plants. If a cold night is forecast cover with pots.

* Plant out sweetcorn in blocks to assist with pollination. Plant into a rich garden bed, adding plenty of compost and organic matter.

* Begin providing a fortnightly booster of seaweed or fish emulsion liquid foliar spray to your early spring plantings.

* Inspect your pear and apple trees for fruit set. Thin vigorously when more than two new fruits have set in each bunch of blossoms.

* If showers are predicted, apply a lime sulphur spray to your apple trees, at 1 per cent solution, to control apple scab

Owen Pidgeon runs the Loriendale Organic Orchard near Hall.