Cucamelons – you won’t find them in the shops, you may not even know what they are or their origin, but they are also known as mouse melons or Mexican sour gherkins.
They look like very tiny watermelons, about 3cm long and 1cm in width.
The taste is like a crisp cucumber, with a refreshing hint of lime.
Great in salads or snacking and the kids love them.
But, can you grow these at home? The answer is…yes!
And they do well in hot conditions as they are drought tolerant and require little attention.
Another of my favourite plants, these cucamelons grow on a long spindly vine of sorts, and are easily trimmed to shape and size.
Just a single plant produces large quantities of fruit.
You will need some sort of a trellis or support system, however this does not have to be too strong as the vine is only light and can actually be trimmed just by using one’s hand to break the light branches.
Cucamelons are virtually pest free and there is no wastage at all as the fruit is picked continually through the season.
All parts of the fruit can be eaten – the skin, seeds and flesh.
All the plants mentioned in these columns are dead easy to grow – we’ve previously talked about lettuce, tomatoes, pineapples, tamarillo, cucumbers, mint, beetroot, sweet potato, and choko, to name just a few.
With food getting more expensive, why not try your hand at gardening. Just try these simple ones first and then branch out to other more difficult to grow plants.
Just remember, you need a good basis for your garden if you want a bumper crop.
Potting mix, and manures are essential to feed your growing plants.
Don’t skimp by buying bags of soil – it may be a lot cheaper, but the goodness isn’t there to grow a healthy crop.
Till next time
