Pepino Melon

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Is the Pepino Melon self fertile? One of my plants has started to flower

[realfood]

By sowing the seeds early, the plants should start to flower in early August, and continue till October. While the plants start to flower quite readily, it is a difficult to get the flowers to set fruit. Some sources suggest that a nighttime temperature minimum of 16 C is required to get a fruit set, rather difficult even in a greenhouse. The plants are self-fertile but require pollination by insects in the wild. In the Greenhouse, hand pollinate with your finger or a fine artist’s brush. High temperatures above 30 C, can also apparently prevent fruit forming.

[northepaul]

Grew these this year, had two small (size of a large tomato) fruits, which were ok flavoured - a bit watery for me. They germinated and set fruit well and had a nice flower from what I recall....good luck with them

NB I grew them in my conservatory - south facing and very hot.

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

The plants are in my living room, I'll see if I can get some fruit by next Autumn if not - compost bin! Thanks

[grannymem]

this was the second year I grew them - and had quite a few fruits this time. I agree they'renot particularly exciting to eat but they look quite nice (I have a couple in the fruit bowl at the moment and they add interest!) and they're jsut a little different to eat.
By theway I've thought of them as 'melon pears' rather than melons and they seem to me to grow more like peppers rather than melons. I think I'll give them another go next year - after all they're just a co9uple of seeds...
Anyone tried to save the seeds? Any tips?