{
  "schema_version": 1,
  "record_type": "plant",
  "slug": "aubergine",
  "common_name": "Aubergine (eggplant)",
  "botanical_name": "Solanum melongena",
  "family": "Solanaceae",
  "summary": "Aubergine, also called eggplant, is a tender heat-loving crop best given a greenhouse or the warmest sheltered outdoor site in cool climates.",
  "categories": [
    "fruiting vegetable",
    "warm-season crop",
    "greenhouse crop"
  ],
  "growth_habits": [
    "bushy",
    "upright"
  ],
  "lifecycle": "Tender perennial usually grown as an annual",
  "difficulty": "Challenging",
  "requirements": {
    "light": {
      "minimum_direct_sun_hours": 6,
      "preferred_direct_sun_hours": 8
    },
    "soil_ph": {
      "minimum": 5.5,
      "maximum": 7.5
    },
    "container": {
      "minimum_volume_litres": 15,
      "minimum_diameter_cm": 30,
      "plants_per_container": 1
    },
    "spacing": {
      "minimum_cm": 45,
      "maximum_cm": 60
    },
    "planting_out": {
      "minimum_reliable_temperature_c": 16,
      "frost_tolerant": false,
      "note": "Night temperatures should stay above about 10°C; warmer is better."
    },
    "harvest": {
      "typical_uk_months": [
        "July",
        "October"
      ]
    }
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "rhs-growing-aubergines",
      "publisher": "Royal Horticultural Society",
      "url": "https://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/aubergines/grow-your-own",
      "supports": [
        "types",
        "sowing",
        "planting",
        "containers",
        "care",
        "harvest"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "umn-growing-eggplant",
      "publisher": "University of Minnesota Extension",
      "url": "https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-eggplant",
      "supports": [
        "soil_ph",
        "warmth",
        "spacing",
        "watering",
        "harvest",
        "problems"
      ]
    }
  ]
}