It's all the rage right now: Melothria Scabra, the Mexican mini cucumber. You don't need your own garden to cultivate the snack cucumber, because the warmth-loving climbing plant also thrives in a sufficiently large planter without any problems.
The Mexican mini cucumber also thrives wonderfully in a pot
cultivation
Mexican mini cucumbers can be sown on the windowsill from the end of March:- Put one seed in each of the small seed pots (€16.68) that you fill with nutrient-poor seed soil. So you don't have to prick the tender plants.
- The germination temperature should be around 25 degrees.
- Moisten evenly with a sprayer.
- Place a clear hood over the vessels. The seeds sprout faster thanks to the greenhouse climate.
- Airing daily prevents mold growth.
Alternatively, you can purchase pre-grown plants from many nurseries and online.
Implement
As soon as there is no more threat of night frost, 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, to which you add some organic fertilizer.
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. Any excess liquid that collects in the coaster should be poured away. This prevents the dreaded root rot.
During the growth phase you can fertilize the plant every two weeks with plant manure or an organic fertilizer.
diseases and pests
Towards the end of the gardening season, the mini cucumber is sometimes attacked by powdery mildew. You can simply cut off leaves that show the typical white coating. Pests rarely visit Melothria Scabra.
tips
The cultivation of this plant succeeds without any problems. In the fall, dig up the storage organ and overwinter it in a frost-free place in moist sand. Next year, place the roots in fresh substrate and you can look forward to plants that grow more and more vigorously.