A Guide to Growing Cucamelons

Sowing

The ideal time to sow your cucamelon seeds is between April and May as the weather is beginning to warm up to promote seed germination. 

1. 1. First, fill a small pot or large modular tray with compost leaving 1cm of room at the top. 
2. 2. Then place the cucamelon seed on top of the compost. Top Tip: Ensure the flat end of the seed is facing down. As that is the bottom of the seed, where the roots will develop.
3. 3. Thirdly fill the remainder of the pot or modular tray with compost.
4. 4. And lastly, water the compost through and leave the pots on a warm windowsill or greenhouse. 

Growing Cucamelons

Growing cucamelons is easier than it sounds as they are drought tolerant and are often ignored by disease and pests. 

Once your cucamelon plants have developed enough for you to handle and all signs of frost have passed, they can be planted outside or moved on to larger pots in a greenhouse. 

The plants prefer a sunny sheltered spot and preferably somewhere that they can climb. As cucamelon plants produce tendrils, allowing them to climb up almost anything like a trellis or wigwam. 

To aid in plant development and pathogen protection use a mycorrhizal fungi-based additive such as Root Well when transplanting into a new location to help ensure successful growth.

Harvesting

Cucamelon plants produce an abundance of fruit throughout summer making them a great addition to your garden or plot. 

To know if a cucamelon is ready to harvest you can lightly squeeze the fruit. If there is a bounce to the fruit it means that the fruit has developed enough to harvest. Or if the fruits have reached a grape-like size then this suggests that they are ripe. If the fruits become overripe the skin becomes tougher and adds bitterness to the taste.

Recipes

There are a variety of ways in which you can use cucamelons in recipes, the most common being a sweet, zingy addition to salads or as a quick snack whilst walking around the garden. They are also a lovely fruity accompaniment in drinks like a gin and tonic or lime and soda. 

Storing

Cucamelons will store for a couple of weeks in the fridge after harvesting or they can be pickled like chillies to help preserve them for longer. Pickling cucamelons is extremely beneficial to prolong the shelf life and infusing additional flavours into the fruit. 

Problems When Growing Cucamelons

As cucamelons tend to climb they can become problematic to other plants. If you are planning to grow other plants close by, keep in mind that the cucamelon plant could stunt the growth by becoming entangled. 

Avoid this by pinching the tops of the plant out to discourage further growth and allow the plant to focus its energy on producing fruit.