The melon pear, which immigrated from South America, is not yet a common plant in this country. Anyone who wants to enjoy their fruits should therefore be familiar with the harvest. When can this start and when does it end? And does the chosen fruit already have the best possible aroma? We answer these questions now!

The fruits of the melon pear are only ripe after 90 days

Fruit set needs heat

When does the melon pear bear fruit at all? A good question! Because the astonishment can be great when the hoped-for harvest falls into the water. When the flowers show up in spring, pollination is easy. The plant is self-pollinating and the insects join in too.

In order for the pollinated flowers to actually produce fruit, the outside temperature at the time of flowering must be right. Several nights in a row with at least 18 °C are required.

Harvest in about 90 days

The fruits of the melon pear need about 90 days until they are edible and therefore ready for harvest. This will usually be the case in late summer. However, a weather-wise unfavorable summer can delay harvesting, just as a warm summer regularly accelerates ripening.

Harvest only when the fruit is ripe

Do not go by the calendar, but by the ripeness of the fruit. Only when they have reached the optimum degree of ripeness will their pulp delight you with a wonderful taste. Do not wait too long before picking, otherwise the melon pear will become soft. You can tell that a fruit is ripe by:

  • it smells sweet and aromatic
  • it gives way under pressure
  • the color of the skin has changed, which is typical for the variety
  • the taste has the aromas of pear and melon

tips

Increase the harvest by cutting out the flowerless side shoots as soon as possible. Because after that, more flowers will form on the other shoots.

Store large crops

If you have harvested more fruit than you can consume in a timely manner, you should store it in the refrigerator. They can be used for another 2-3 weeks.

Harvest unripe fruit

If winter is approaching and a specimen is still laden with unripe fruit, it must move into winter quarters with it. The melon pear is not hardy and cannot overwinter outside.

Let the fruit ripen on the plant in winter quarters. If you do not have a suitable place to overwinter and only cultivate the plant as an annual, you should harvest the unripe fruits before the first frost. At room temperature, these fruits ripen within a few days.

Category:

Vegetable garden