Melinda's Garden Moment Radio Tips
Melinda Myers
Nationally known gardening expert, TV/Radio host, author & columnist with over 30 years of horticulture experience and tons of gardening information to share! www.melindamyers.comMelinda's Garden Moment videos will help you create that beautiful landscape you’ve always wanted. Each week throughout the growing season, a new gardening video will be added right here, so be sure to stop back. You can also watch Melinda’s Garden Moments on your local network TV station affiliate.
Whether you call it a Mexican sour gherkin, mouse melon, Sandíta or Cucamelon, this unique vegetable is worth growing in the garden.
The small fruit looks like a miniature watermelon on the outside but the insides and flavor more closely resemble a cucumber.
This rampant grower can reach 10 feet and is drought and pest tolerant and produces an abundant crop of fruit. Handle the vines carefully as they are easily damaged by mishandling and frost.
It takes about 70 to 75 days from planting to the start of harvesting. Wait for the soil to warm before planting seeds directly in the garden. Or start seeds indoors then move the transplants to the garden once the danger of frost has passed.
The cucamelons fall off the plant when ripe. Save a few of the larger fruit to collect and preserve the seeds for next year’s garden.
A bit more information: This plant has been an important ingredient in Mexican and Central American cuisine since pre-Columbian times. Consider growing a few and using them in this Cucamelon Bloody Mary Salad recipe provided by Garden America.