It's currently very trendy: Melothria Scabra, the Mexican mini cucumber. You don't need your own garden to cultivate the snack cucumber, because the heat-loving climbing plant also thrives in a sufficiently large planter.
How to grow mini Mexican cucumbers in a pot?
Mexican mini cucumbers can easily be grown in pots. Use a sufficiently large planter with organically fertilized potting soil, place it in a sunny and wind-protected location, and provide the plant with water and fertilizer regularly. A stable trellis is also necessary.
cultivation
- Put one seed in each small growing pot that you fill with low-nutrient growing soil. This way you don't have to prick out the delicate plants.
- The germination temperature should be 25 degrees.
- Wet evenly with a sprayer.
- Place a transparent hood over the vessels. The greenhouse climate means the seeds sprout faster.
- Airing daily prevents mold formation.
Alternatively, you can purchase pre-grown plants from many nurseries and online.
Implement
As soon as there is no longer any risk of night frosts, Melothria Scabra can go outdoors. Give the mini cucumber a sufficiently large planter so that it can develop freely. Conventional potting soil is suitable as a substrate, adding some organic fertilizer to it.
The right location
Place the Mexican mini cucumber in a sunny, wind-protected place. Since the cucumber forms many long tendrils, it needs a stable trellis. Melothria Scabra looks very attractive when placed in a hanging basket.
Watering and fertilizing
Keep the Mexican mini cucumber evenly moist. On hot days it may be necessary to water twice a day. You should pour away any excess liquid that collects in the coaster. This prevents the dreaded root rot.
During the growth phase, you can fertilize the plant every two weeks with plant manure or an organic biofertilizer.
Diseases and pests
Towards the end of the gardening season, the mini cucumber is sometimes affected by powdery mildew. You can simply cut off leaves that show the typical white coating. Pests rarely attack Melothria Scabra.
Tip
The further cultivation of this plant is easy. Dig up the storage organ in autumn and overwinter it frost-free in moist sand. Next year, plant the roots in fresh substrate and you can look forward to ever more vigorously growing and abundant plants.
