- How is it poured?
- Which fertilizer doses have proven themselves?
- When can the plant go outdoors?
- Is a pruning necessary?
- How are the gherkins harvested?
- What diseases and pests are there?
- How must the mini cucumber be overwintered?
They look like tiny watermelons, but taste like a cucumber: the fruits of the Mexican mini cucumber. They mature throughout the summer and make a wonderful healthy snack between meals. However, proper care of the relatively robust and easy-to-grow plant is important for rich yields.
The Mexican mini cucumber needs a lot of water
How is it poured?
Mini cucumbers do not tolerate too much drought. Therefore, water moderately, especially on hot days. Waterlogging should be avoided at all costs, as this quickly leads to root rot.
Which fertilizer doses have proven themselves?
Melothria Scabra needs little fertilization. The one or two doses of a commercially available fertilizer for vegetable plants is completely sufficient.
When can the plant go outdoors?
- Plants that have been raised or overwintered in the house should only be planted out after the ice saints.
- If there is a threat of late frosts, you must protect the plants with fleece.
- Give the mini cucumbers a sufficiently high climbing aid of at least two meters so that they can develop freely.
Is a pruning necessary?
During the summer months, the plant does not need pruning. You can simply wind overhanging tendrils around the trellis.
Only in autumn, when the foliage becomes unsightly and yellow, should you cut back Mexican mini cucumbers that are left in the field.
How are the gherkins harvested?
The slightly sour-tasting fruits ripen again and again. You can then carefully pick them off the plant and enjoy them raw.
What diseases and pests are there?
Melothria Scabra is quite robust and easy to cultivate. Like many cucurbits, the Mexican mini cucumber is occasionally attacked by powdery mildew.
The Mexican bean beetle is rare in our latitudes and therefore does not pose a major threat.
How must the mini cucumber be overwintered?
If it gets cooler in autumn, Melothria Scabra will die. However, it does not form real tubers like dahlias, but the roots are only thickened like bulbs.
- You can dig them up in autumn, store them in a relatively cool place in slightly damp sand and plant them out again next year.
- In mild regions, the Mexican mini cucumber can remain outdoors, provided there is sufficient winter protection.
tips
The small fruits taste very delicious like gherkins pickled in vinegar. This is a good way to preserve a rich harvest for the winter.