Why won't my Achocha fruit?

[StephenH]

I tried growing achocha, a member of the gourd family, for the first time this year. I planted out three plants, but only one survived the slugs. It is pretty rampant, but, though it's produced lots of flowers (they're tiny, unlike most gourd family flowers), it hasn't produced any fruit. Is it non-self-fertile, needing at least one other plant to get any fruit on either, or what?

[realfood]

It sounds as if there has been a lack of pollination. I found that bees did not visit the flowers but that pollination was carried out by hoverflies. There are male and female flowers as you can see from the photos on this page :- achocha

[Pumpkin Becki]

I've got two plants growing up the same obelisk Stephen, and I've found just the same - lots of vigorous growth, but the little tiny flowers aren't developing into anything. Its a real shame.

[vicky]

I found they only produce the tiny flowers then all of a sudden you will find tonnes of fruit! Hopefully yours will have time to set fruit before it gets too chilly for them...Herts should be frost free for a while. However, the taste of the fruit is no really worth the wait - a bit 'pointless', not much flavour! But quite fun to look at!

[StephenH]

Thanks for the answers. See also my other achocha thread - I started it having forgotten all about this one!

[Pumpkin Becki]

A quick Achocha update...I have fruit!! They were hiding under all the crazy viney/leafy growth!! They're quite bizarre, and taste a bit like pickled gherkin when cooked (we put them in a chilli).

[Alison]

I find they're not very good outside but go quite mental in the polytunnel.

[StephenH]

Oh good - I've got a pt on my new allotment (when I finally get onto the site), so I'll have loads of mental achochas next year!