Cucamelon

Melothria Scabra

Story: These tiny, grape-sized fruits are green and stripy and look like tiny watermelons. They taste more like a cucumber crossed with a lemon – tangy mouth-sized cucumbers. People seem to love them or hate them; we love them! They grow on delicate but sprawling vines so give them a trellis to grow up, no need to prune, just plant and watch them grow.

When to sow:  March - April indoors

Requirements: nutrient-rich soil, regular watering, and a lot of sun.

When to harvest seed: Leave them as long as possible on the vine – until the vines begin to turn yellow in the autumn. How: Harvest the final fruits when plump and store in a cool dark place for another week or two. Processing: Cut fruits in half and squash out seeds. Run them under a tap in a sieve to wash away as much pulp as possible then dry on a plate or silicon tray in a warm place with good airflow.

Need to isolate: Yes, hand pollination of flowers

Seed Grown: Omved Gardens 

Seed harvested: 2023

Please remember, if you’re an individual grower you can order up to 3 packets of seeds. If you order more than this, you will receive just three packs to begin with. This is to ensure we get plenty of data in return and to keep our stocks sustainable for years to come.* 

*Community groups and Experienced Growers can order larger quantities, please email us if this is the case.

If an item is out of stock we will send a close alternative.