Edible Nightshades
The Nightshade group of plants has a large range from flowering plants, to tubers and fruit bearing shrubs. The inedible category of Nightshades are poisonous and should never be eaten, however, the edible plants in this family are some of the best known and favourite of the fruit and veg isle. Due to this, the first tomatoes brought Europe from South America were kept as ornamental plants as people assumed they were poisonous. If you are unsure on a nightshade plant, consult your local garden centre first.
Edible nightshades include aubergines (eggplant), chilli peppers, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and some others below. Being Amazon plants they require heat and moisture to grow, which is why commercial growers in cooler climates use large greenhouse units to regulate temperature and moisture. These plants respond well to plant feed helping fruits grow, the cheaper 'tomato' feed is fine as they are all related. For a more productive plant pinch out when chilli, pepper or aubergine plants reach 20-30 cm (8 - 12 inches) high, this will help them focus energy on developing their roots, flowers and fruit.
When growing these plants look out for blight, which is a fungal disease that spreads quickly in warm, moist conditions. It affects the leaves and fruit (or the tubers of potatoes). To tackle blight, remove affected leaves as soon as it's spotted. Aphids and spider mites feed on the sap of these pants, which harms the plant making leaves and stalks wilt. You can use sprays, however companion planting with alliums and herbs, especially basil and coriander (cilantro), dill and fennel will keep pests at bay.
Aubergines
We all see the large dark purple aubergines in supermarkets but there are many other types including the white clara, the violet/white Italian variety and the purple/white Asian bride.
In temperate climates aubergines are slow growing, meaning they need sowing early on from February to to April. Many seed packets will state January, however, I have found that January sown aubergines die off when they are too big for the heated propagator. Place 1 seed in each pot, aubergines do not tend to do well when having their roots disturb so make sure the pot is big enough for it to grow in to until it is warm enough to plant out in May and June.
Aubergines can be collected from small sized or be allowed to grow larger between July to mid-September.
Chilli peppers
Chillies are a type of pepper but due to its uses and the wide range of varieties they need to looked at separately. It depends what you want chillies for, sauces, drying, fresh and even making your own paprika. The milder chillies are more common from gentler pimentos (often used to stuff olives) and Pablano to the very hot Californian reaper and ghost chilli. In a culinary sense chilli over 2,500 on the Scoville scale are considered hot. This scale essentially classifies chillies into different heat categories. If you want to try some of the milder chillies go for Jalapeno or Anaheim. Alternatively Serrano (Mexican) or bird's eye (Thai) used is East Asian and Caribbean spiced dishes would be good varieties to try.
Sow chilli seeds from February - April in a heated propagator or on a sunny windowsill. Treat them as pepper plants so no more than 2 seeds per pot. Plant out in May and June in a warm spot with fun sun exposure to help your chillies grow well. They should be ready for picking from July until the end of summer. When it comes to growing chilli as a good guide try to consider the types food you enjoy. If you enjoy unusual plants maybe try the Peruvian lemon drop which is heavy cropping with a tart citrus tang making it good for a sauce or salsa. Alternatively, the slightly milder Hungarian black, with a unique sweet fruity spice that can be used to spice up salads, wraps or dried to increase the flavours.
Peppers
Capsicum bell (also known as sweet) peppers sit at 0 on the Scoville scale, with a couple of exceptions. Bell peppers for parts on many cuisines and can be grown easily outside or undercover in very cold climes. Sow from January - March and plant out after frosts in your area. For the UK this is usually May. The plants should start to flower May - July and cropping from the end of June - September depending on your climate. This can be extended until the end of September in a greenhouse.
There are lots of varieties and colours to chose from including the well known California Wonder and the Sweet Yellow. For something a little different try the long red giant Marconi, Carnival mix will give you lots of various coloured peppers. Finally sweet banana is slightly spicy, technically a bit of a chilli and pepper.
Potatoes
These tubers grow well in soil, pots and potato bags, which have a flap integrated in the lower side for easy picking. With a huge variety to chose from try to think about how you eat them from salads, mash, gnocchi, roast dinners, new potatoes with fish, crisps (chips), or chips/fries and wedges. This will give you an idea for the types you might enjoy.
Before planting shop bought seed or expired ones at home 'chit' them in a dry sunny windowsill or greenshouse. This encourages the eyes to send shoots out. Plants chitted spuds from March - May, placing them 10 - 15 cm (4 - 6 inches) deep in a hole for one or a trench for multiple, spaced around 30 cm (12 inches) apart for room for the tubers to spread out. You can sow deeper but the idea with potatoes is that when the leafy growth reaches around 20 cm tall soil or mulch is piled on top to keep the potatoes dark so they will be buried a few times before you harvest them.
You should be able to dig up potatoes from June onward. The first (early/new) potatoes in June and July will not store as long as the later season tatties so try to use them shortly after digging up. Do this with a folk as a spade can cut through potatoes, easing up to check that they are of a good size and ready. When we took on an allotment there were already potato plants in from a previous tennent, spaced no more than 10 cm (4 inches) apart. Each plant produced around 2 usable small potatoes, this is why space is important for these plants.
If the spuds catch sunlight they will turn green and be inedible/poisonous and will need removing. In some wet summers potato plants can produce green 'berries', which look like a hard green cherry tomato, these 'berries' on regular potato plants are highly toxic so remove them and get rid especially is you have children who have helped you to grow tomatoes. If you are wanting something different you can buy specific cultivars that offer veg on top and tubers underneath. You can get these from seed producers such as Thompson and Morgan.
Tomatillos and cape gooseberries
These fruits are similar in size to cherry tomatoes with a green 'paper' case that turns light brown as fruits mature. Tomatillos have a citrus/lime flavour and make great salsa and sauces. Cape gooseberries (Inca berries/golden berries) also have a citrus taste. Many people say it is like pineapple but the ones we've grown have had a flavour crossed between orange and pineapple. The Victorians loved the cape gooseberry and made jams and desserts to bring out the sweetness. The same way people treat rhubarb or gooseberries today.
Sow 1 or 2 seeds in 7.5cm pots in a heated propagators or greenhouse. If you do not have one try a sunny windowsill above a radiator. It can take 2-3 weeks before germination. If kept warm and fed well plants will grow steadily until you can plant them when the weather gets hotter from late May.
The fruit should start ripening from July. As you cannot see through the 'paper' casing, gently test the cape gooseberry to see that it has filled the outer casing. Purple and Green tomatillos will break through the casing making it easier to check ripeness.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are probably the iconic edible nightshade family member. There is a range of varieties and cultivars suitable for most climates. These include micro cherries to heirloom and the huge beef varieties. Packets state to sow from January, however, I have found the early January sown tomatoes have either failed or not produced strong plants. Sow from late January/early February through until April at the latest, in a heated propagator or on a sunny spot over a radiator.
Transplant seedlings outside after the risk of frost has passed. In the UK this is from late May, with the south coast being a few weeks earlier. Tomatoes will continue producing new fruits between June - September. If you are new to growing tomatoes, varieties like gardener's delight and tumbling Tom are good cropping plants to try. If you want to grow something different San Marzano are good for pastes and sauces, Ildi are sweet pear shaped cherries and the stripey banana legs look stunning. There are old varieties of large beef tomato such as Costoluto Fiorentino that look amazing.
Tomato plants that tend to vine rather than bush out will need support. Use bamboo canes and string/wire for the plants to climb. Some people put string from the floor to a greenhouse roof. For plants in a garden, plot or large growing polytunnels you can use lines of wire or string running horizontal across the support between plants would help keep them from falling down and fruits rotting.
Other plants to try
This category is very substantial. However, there are other plants you may wish to try to grow. Naranjilla produces tart berries a little like cape gooseberry but without the 'paper' casing. When growing treat as a cape gooseberry, the fruit will grow close to the vine rather than hanging from the end of stems so if you see this for the first time don't panic!
Garden huckleberry plants need partial shade unlike aubergines and tomatoes and require rich soil to produce the dark fruit. Before the fruit is ripe, the green berries are mildly toxic, such as acorns from Oak can be for farm animals, so please do not eat unripe fruit.
Lastly, the more popular and expensive goji berry is hardier than most of this category and can be grown from seed in February or bought as young plants. Like garden Huckleberry this is a shrub than a vine plant. Goji berries are draught tolerant like cape gooseberries but take longer to start fruiting.
This sums up the category, we hope you found useful information to get you started.