Cucamelon/ Melothrie/ Mexican Mouse melon/ Sour gherkin

[sammy_roser]

I got out my pack of cucamelons and it says

Sow April-May using a good quality propagator on a windowsill or greenhouse to germinate. When your seedlings are 7cm high or when the risk of frost has passed plant out in grow bags, tubs or soil 30-40cm apart and support with cane. Water and feed regularly with a high potash liquid fertiliser. ONce the main growing shoot reaches 2.5m pinch this out to restrict the plants growing size. Trim the lateral side shoots when they reach 40cm. Sowing to cropping 9-12 weeks.

From my own person experiance I sowed them in largeish moduels and planted them out when the risk of frost had passed. I gave them canes to grow up but they just wanted to flop everywhere. I managed to find a couple of fruits and they did taste very nice.

I saw on a website about growing these in a hanging basket and allowing them to hang rather then grow up canes and I'm going to try that this year even though hanging baskets are a pain to keep well watered.

[spanish_gardener]

Thanks everyone for your answer. I'll sow them on April and I'll keep them indoors all the time. I like the hanging baskets idea, but I'm not sure if the plant will survive our summer. We can't grow tomatoes, sweetcorn,... and I'm not sure if cucumbers tolerate the mild and wet summers.

[veggiechicken]

I've kept the Melothrie in pots through the winter - just to see whether they really are perennial! They made fat little "tubers" at the base of the stem and these look alive - although they're doing nothing at the moment. We shall see................

[spanish_gardener]

I've kept the Melothrie in pots through the winter - just to see whether they really are perennial! They made fat little "tubers" at the base of the stem and these look alive - although they're doing nothing at the moment. We shall see................

Is it ok to combine two plants in a 12 l. pot (the b&q orange bucket)?

[veggiechicken]

I put 3 in a flower bucket.................maybe that's why I wasn't very successful
They're rather thin, spindly plants - I'm sure 2 would be fine

[Tripmeup]

I put 3 in a flower bucket.................maybe that's why I wasn't very successful
They're rather thin, spindly plants - I'm sure 2 would be fine

I had no luck with them last year either... Geminated fine etc but planted them outside and their spindliness did for them..

[BUFFS]

Thanks everyone for your answer. I'll sow them on April and I'll keep them indoors all the time. I like the hanging baskets idea, but I'm not sure if the plant will survive our summer. We can't grow tomatoes, sweetcorn,... and I'm not sure if cucumbers tolerate the mild and wet summers.

I have one of those topsy turvy upside down pots, I think I will try one of mine in that and see how it goes...

[Mark Henry]

Help

Have lots of tiny fruit on my cucumelons but once they get to about 2 or 3 mm in diameter the fruit falls off. Tried shaking the vines to aid pollination and misting but no improvement. Any advice welcome

[veggiechicken]

Hi Mark and welcome.
Have a look at http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...lon_80293.html - as you're not the only one with this problem at the moment.

[veggiechicken]

I've kept the Melothrie in pots through the winter - just to see whether they really are perennial! They made fat little "tubers" at the base of the stem and these look alive - although they're doing nothing at the moment. We shall see................

Look what I've found in the pot that had cucamelons in last year



Don't think I'll be picking many of that this year
The good news is - they are perennial

[Deltawhiskey]

I have two 10" pots on the patio with a bamboo frame and four planted out in the garden up against a fence. I have been harvesting them for two months on the patio and have just started on those in the garden. We can't eat them all and are having to give them away by the tub full. I am feeding them with tomato feed. I understand that they are perennials but I will only keep the ones on the patio next year and grub up the garden ones.

David