Agricultural production
Aubergine cultivation in the open field
September 28, 2020
Today we are talking about one of the agricultural products we love the most: aubergines! The ones we grow on our farm, however, are not the classic elongated aubergines that everyone knows. Like the zucchini trombetta of Albenga, in fact, also the specialty we will show you today is an autochthonous variety that takes the name of " genoese round aubergine ".
With its small, round, dark purple, glossy fruit, this type of aubergine is grown mainly in the Ligurian hinterland and appreciated everywhere for its delicate taste.
This year we have also introduced the production of the white aubergine, an absolute novelty that has surprised us positively for its very high yield!
How to grow aubergines
The privileged season for the cultivation of aubergines is summer. We plant about 300 aubergines from June onwards and harvest the fruit until the end of September. The plant must be kept free from weeds and, as for oxheart tomatoes, it must be " defeminishing". This technique must be practiced with care; it is necessary, in fact, to eliminate the parts that take strength from the plant and prevent the growth of the fruits.
The preparation of the soil
Aubergines are grown in the open field. The soil is prepared with manure to make it richer and feed the plants. They are then placed on canes that support them and around which they develop, reaching an average height of about 110-120 cm.
To prevent all our work from being thwarted by wild boars, which are very fond of aubergines, we have installed a low-voltage fence, which is absolutely harmless to them, but sufficient to keep them at a safe distance.
Irrigation
We use a drip system for the irrigation of the aubergine growing field. This is able to give them the right amount of water, which is in any case less than what is needed to grow zucchini.
Harvesting and packaging
And here we are at harvest time. Once our aubergines are ripe, what we will need is a simple pair of scissors to cut the buttercup that keeps them together with the plant.
We will then place the fruit on crates, if the sale is intended for restaurants; we will sell them by the kg, instead, if private individuals will buy it, directly in our farm.
Distribution
We sell our aubergines mainly to hotels and restaurants in the area. The latter, in particular, appreciate the delicate taste and the small quantity of seeds. The less bitter taste and the soft, sweet flesh make the Genoese round aubergine and white aubergine perfect for any kind of recipe!
In this video we show you the only variety of aubergines we will plant in the summer season 2021
New this year: white aubergines!
Together with its production cycle, the earth renews a precious teaching every year: you never stop learning! Every circumstance is an opportunity to learn something that will make us better, more attentive or more precise the next time.
For this reason, given the pleasant surprise offered by the cultivation of a variety of which we knew nothing about, the white aubergine, we have decided, starting next year, to change production and dedicate ourselves completely to its cultivation in the open field!
Perhaps in the past we would have called it a gamble, but today we know that novelties are always appreciated if they lead to a real benefit. And the humility of changing our minds, in light of the facts, we would never have had it without the precious teachings that the earth offers us every day.
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