Organic aubergine seed collection, 6 varieties
The 6 varieties of organic aubergine in this box set, long or round, purple or white, each come in their own packet. They are sown under cover from mid-February and planted out in the garden once the frosts are over.
The summary
- What you receive: a box set of organic aubergine seed packets, one variety per packet.
- The varieties: Black Beauty, Early Long Purple 3, Bianca Sfumata di Rosa and White Egg, among the 6.
- When to sow: February to March, under cover.
- Depth and germination: 1 cm, then 5 to 8 days at 20 to 25 °C.
- What comes next: transplanting into pots, planting out in mid-May, staking laden plants.
- How many plants: 2 or 3 plants per person, so the box set can be sown over two seasons.
Box of 6 heritage aubergines, to be sown under cover from mid-February
The ZenGreens organic aubergine seed box contains 6 heirloom open-pollinated varieties, each in its own packet, in elongated, round or oval shapes and in purple or white. Sow under cover from February to March, at a depth of 1 cm, with germination in 5 to 8 days at 20 to 25 °C.
The aubergine is the most heat-demanding of the three nightshades in the vegetable garden, and the one that benefits most from a hot summer. The box brings together 6 open-pollinated varieties, including the round, black-purple Black Beauty, the elongated Early Long Purple 3, the white Bianca Sfumata di Rosa washed with pink and the small egg-shaped White Egg, which you sow under cover from the end of winter and plant out once the nights are safe.
🍆 Fruit shape and use
Between two aubergines, the shape of the fruit changes how it is used in the kitchen more than its colour does. The long ones, such as Early Long Purple 3, have a fine flesh that cooks in a few minutes and can be grilled in slices. The round and oval ones, such as Black Beauty, which are meatier with a firm flesh, hold up to stuffing and to the oven, while White Egg is picked small, at the size of an egg, and cooked whole. Earliness varies too, and this criterion matters most north of the Loire, where summer leaves little margin: an early variety such as Early Long Purple 3 gives its first fruits there before the big round ones.
🧊 Germination and planting temperatures
Temperature governs every stage of cultivation, from sowing to harvest. Seed germinates in about 5 days in a grow medium at 25 °C, in 8 days at 20 °C and in nearly 2 weeks at 15 °C, which is why sowing in a warm place makes sense. Once planted out, a young plant exposed to nights below 10 to 12 °C stops growing and then takes several weeks to get going again, so planting out should wait until mid-May at the earliest, in soil at 15 °C. Give it the most sheltered, sunniest spot you have; in a cool climate, a greenhouse or conservatory gives a markedly more abundant harvest.
Nights above 12 °C before planting out
Aubergines tolerate cold less well than tomatoes. A night at 10 °C in May is enough to stall a young aubergine plant for several weeks, which delays the first harvest by as much. So wait until nights stay above 12 °C before putting out your pots, even if that means planting 2 weeks after your tomatoes, and keep a sheet of horticultural fleece to hand for the clear nights of late May.
Pricking out and repotting the aubergine seedling
The aubergine has a long growing cycle, and the plant needs to keep room for its roots until planting out. Sow in a seed tray from mid-February, prick out at the 2 true leaves stage into a tray of germination cubes, then pot on a second time into a small pot if planting out is delayed. Your plant then reaches the garden sturdy and already branching, which spares it the growth check of a plant left too long in cramped conditions.
Pollination deserves your attention, especially under cover. The aubergine bears complete flowers that self-pollinate, but without wind or insects pollination remains incomplete and the flowers drop without setting fruit. A daily shake of the stem during the warm hours, or a brush passed over the centre of the flower, is enough to solve the problem, as the guide to pollinating your plants indoors shows. Water your plants at the base and never over the foliage, as this species is prone to powdery mildew as soon as the evening air becomes humid.
🌞 From seedling to first fruit
The aubergine calendar is built backwards, from the date when nights stay above 12 °C where you live: allow about 3 months between sowing and planting out, the time it takes for a plant to reach about fifteen centimetres and form its first branches. In colder regions, shift each stage by 2 to 3 weeks, and keep the crop in a greenhouse or under a tunnel if summers are short, since the harvest then runs from July to September.
Mid-February
Sow in a tray at 1 cm, grow medium kept between 20 and 25 °C, germination in 5 to 8 days.
Late March
Transplanting into a small pot at the two true leaves stage, in the brightest light possible.
Mid-May
Planting out in the garden, soil at 15 °C, with a stake put in from the start.
July to September
Harvest while the skin is glossy, before the seeds turn brown inside.
🌰 Seeds to sow again
Two or three productive plants cover one person's consumption over a summer, so a box of 6 varieties naturally spreads over two growing seasons. Stored dry, cool and away from light, these seeds keep their germination ability for at least 5 years. The Syrian Stuffing page presents an heirloom variety sold on its own, and the article on germination failures covers the causes of poor emergence.
The aubergine mostly pollinates itself, which lets you collect your own seed with little risk of cross-pollination. Leave a fruit to ripen on the plant well beyond the eating stage, until its skin dulls and turns yellow, because the seeds of an aubergine that is good to eat are not yet mature. Peel it, blend the flesh for a few seconds in a jar of water, then collect the heavy seeds from the bottom and dry them within 2 days at most.
Technical specifications
The essentials
- What you sow
- Organic aubergine seedsOne variety per paper herb sachet, labelled with its name.
- The varieties in the kit
- Black Beauty, Early Long Purple 3, Bianca Sfumata di Rosa, White Egg6 distinct varieties in total, all open-pollinated.
- Sowing period
- February to March, under coverWindow for mainland France, to be adjusted depending on the region.
- Seedling depth
- 1 cmEach sachet states the exact value of its variety.
- Germination temperature
- 20 to 30 °CGrow medium temperature; germination slows markedly below 20 °C.
- Germination time
- 5 to 8 days5 days at around 25 °C, 8 days at 20 °C.
To budget for separately
- A heat mat
- 25 to 28 °C at the grow mediumAt around 15 °C, germination takes nearly 2 weeks.
- A forcing fleece
- For nights below 12 °CA cold night in May can stunt a young plant for several weeks.
In the box
- 1 organic aubergine seed set, one variety per grass-paper packet
- 1 label with common name and Latin name on each sachet
Variety names and packaging: ZenGreens gift box, official photo taken on 07/10/2026. Germination times by temperature: OSU Extension (Oregon) table. Storage and seed saving: DIYseeds aubergine sheet.
Estimate your
delivery time
Your estimate
It covers preparing your order and then the transit time quoted by the carrier, counted in working days.
It is not a guaranteed delivery date: public holidays, peak periods, customs or a carrier delay can extend it. The exact amount, in your currency, is worked out in the cart once your address is entered.
The kit, being light, is dispatched on its own or with the rest of your order. Exact shipping costs and final delivery times are displayed at checkout once your address has been entered. Outside the European Union, import duties and taxes remain the responsibility of the recipient.
Frequently asked questions
8 questions
6 key questions, 8 in the detailed view
You may also like
Let us talk about your project
A question about this product or your setup? Our team will answer and advise you.
Interest-free instalment payments
Offered depending on the cart amount, at checkout.
Delivery in 2 to 15 working days
Depending on the products and shipping sites. Estimate by destination in the estimator on this page.
After-sales service 7 days a week by email or chat
Our team answers all your questions.
Shop responsibly
Become part of the change.









