They look like tiny watermelons but taste like a cucumber: the fruits of the Mexican mini cucumber. They ripen throughout the summer and are wonderful as a he althy snack between meals. However, proper care of the relatively robust and easy-to-cultivate plant is important for rich yields.
How do I properly care for a Mexican mini cucumber?
The care of the Mexican mini cucumber (Melothria scabra) includes regular watering without waterlogging, minimal fertilization, planting outdoors after the ice saints, avoiding pruning in summer and harvesting the fruits during the ripening period.
How to water?
Mini cucumbers do not tolerate too much dryness. Therefore, water moderately, especially on hot days. Waterlogging should be avoided at all costs as this quickly leads to root rot.
Which fertilizer applications have proven effective?
Melothria Scabra requires little fertilization. Applying a commercial fertilizer (€19.00 on Amazon) once or twice for vegetable plants is completely sufficient.
When can the plant go outdoors?
- You should only plant out plants that have been grown or have overwintered indoors after the Ice Saints.
- If there is a threat of late frosts, you must protect the plants with a fleece.
- Give the mini cucumbers a sufficiently high trellis of at least two meters so that they can develop freely.
Is pruning necessary?
The plant does not need to be pruned during the summer months. If the tendrils grow too much, you can simply wind them around the trellis.
You should only cut back any Mexican mini cucumbers left outdoors in the fall, when the leaves become unsightly and yellow.
How are the cucumbers harvested?
The slightly sour tasting fruits continue to ripen. You can then carefully pick them from the plant and enjoy them raw.
What diseases and pests are threatening?
Melothria Scabra is quite robust and easy to cultivate. Like many cucurbits, the Mexican mini cucumber is occasionally affected by powdery mildew.
The Mexican bean beetle is rarely found in our latitudes and therefore does not pose a major danger.
How should the mini cucumber be overwintered?
If it gets cooler in autumn, Melothria Scabra dies. However, it does not form real tubers like dahlias, but rather the roots are just thickened like tubers.
- In autumn you can dig them up, store them relatively cool in slightly damp sand and plant them again next year.
- In mild regions, the Mexican mini cucumber can remain outdoors, provided there is sufficient winter protection.
Tip
The small fruits like cornichons taste very tasty when marinated in vinegar. This is a great way to preserve a rich harvest for the winter.
