One of the most surprising plants in the vegetable garden: grape-sized fruits with white and green striped skin, identical to miniature watermelons, but with the refreshing flavour and firm texture of a cucumber.
About the variety. The cucamelon is an indeterminate climber that reaches 200 cm. The oval fruits are perfect for pickling — the thin skin preserves a special crunch. The yellow flowers are edible and nectar-rich, attracting pollinating insects.
Itinerário técnico
Como cultivar cucamelon?
Um guia de cultivo passo a passo, da sementeira à colheita.
pH ideal 6.0 to 7.0Temperatura ideal 20 to 30 °CCompasso 30 to 40 cm in the row, 80 to 100 cm between rows
Sementeira
Sow in trays four to six weeks before planting out, one centimetre deep, at 22 °C to 25 °C. The seed is very small and germination can take two weeks. Prick out into individual pots and plant outside after the last frosts, next to netting or canes, because it climbs easily to two metres. Direct sowing only works in the south, with the soil above 18 °C; elsewhere the seedling starts too slowly and is lost among the weeds. Plant 30 to 40 centimetres apart in the row, one plant per cane or per mesh of the netting.
Solo
It adapts to ordinary soils as long as they are loose and free draining, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. It is undemanding: soil with mature compost covers the whole cycle. It forms small tubers that can be lifted and replanted the following year.
Clima
It likes full sun and warmth between 20 °C and 30 °C, but is surprisingly tolerant and crops well even in an average summer. It does not survive frost. It always needs a vertical support. Plant out only after the last frost and once the soil has warmed, because the young plants are small and stall in cold soil. It tolerates inland Iberian heat without shade as long as water does not run short, and on the cool coast and in northern Europe it crops just as well outdoors in a sunny sheltered spot. One plant covers a two metre net within a few weeks and fruits until the first autumn frosts. At the end of the season store the tubers somewhere cool and frost free and replant them in spring: they start a month ahead.
Fertilização
Its needs are moderate. One to two kilos of mature compost per square metre worked in before sowing covers most of the cycle. If the leaves pale, one watering with a balanced liquid organic feed halfway through is enough. Never use fresh manure, which burns roots and encourages disease.
Rega
Water regularly and moderately. It stands drought better than cucumber, but a shortage of water sharply reduces the number of fruits. Mulch the soil with straw to hold moisture. At the height of summer water deeply two or three times a week, preferably in the morning and at the base.
Controlo de Infestantes
The critical period is the first month, before the foliage covers the ground. Hand weed in that phase and, once the vines start to run, stop disturbing the soil: from then on the plant smothers weeds itself. A straw mulch under the foliage keeps the fruit clean and dry and greatly reduces losses to rot where fruit touches the soil.
Controlo de Pragas
It is little attacked. Watch for aphids on the shoots and slugs on young plants. Potassium soap deals with aphids and an ash barrier or ferric phosphate protects the seedlings. Red spider mite can appear under glass or in dry inland heat: wet the foliage in the morning and use neem oil if it persists. The net that supports it keeps the fruit out of reach of slugs, and birds rarely touch it.
Doenças
It is remarkably resistant to powdery and downy mildew, unlike most cucurbits. The only real risk is root rot in waterlogged soil. Make sure of drainage and airflow. In a very wet season some powdery mildew can appear in late summer: remove the affected leaves and never water over the foliage. At the end of the season remove the whole plant and leave no debris on the ground, because it harbours fungi for the following year.
Colheita
Pick the fruit at two to three centimetres, while firm and crisp. Past that point they go soft and sour. The fruit hides behind the foliage: check the plant on both sides of the net, because any you miss go soft and seedy. Pick daily during cropping, because a single plant can bear hundreds of fruits and frequent picking keeps it going. The reference colour is white with green stripes, and that is what tells you it is ready.
