CUCUMBER-MOUSE MELON – GHERKIN
CUCUMBER-MOUSE MELON – GHERKIN
A$3.50
Availability: 146 in stock
Melothria scabra
CUCUMBER-MOUSE MELON-GHERKIN Also known as a Mexican Sour Gherkin, this cucumber relative produces an abundance of grape-sized fruit which resembles miniature watermelons rather than cucumbers. Native to Mexico & Central America. Despite their size, these little fruits have a delightful yet slightly sour cucumber flavor that varies depending on when picked. Younger fruits are more cucumber like with mature fruits becoming increasingly sour. Use raw added to salads whole or sliced & even to salsa sauces. May also be pickled as for other gherkins or chopped & cooked in a stir-fry. Grow as for cucumbers, preferably on a support. The mouse melon, however, is a delicate vine that is slow to establish but when growing strong can crop heavily. A crop will reduce in excessive summer heat or dryness, but usually improving again towards autumn as temperatures reduce.
Place seeds on end blunted end pointing downwards in compost and simply push into compost out of sight. Water thoroughly to start then keep moist but not wet.
| Germination Time (Days) | 10 – 15 |
| Maturity Time (Days) | 60 – 90 |
| Sowing Depth (mm) | 20 |
| Plant Spacing (cm) | 40 – 60 |
| Row Spacing (cm) | 100 – 120 |
| pH | 5 – 7.5 |
| Soil Temperature (°C) | – |
| Hardy / Frost Tender | Frost Tender |
| Sow Direct / Raise Seedlings | Sow Direct |
| Seed Preparation | – |
Scoville Heat Units (SHU)
Plant Height
20 - 180 cm (4 - 6 feet, vine)
Season of Interest
Summer
Temperature Range
20 - 30 °C
Determine / Indeterminate
Annual / Perennial / Biennial
Perennial in warm climates, grown as an annual in temperate areas
Frost Hardy / Tender
Frost Tender
Full Sun / Part Sun / Shade
Full Sun
Sow Direct / Raise Seedlings
Sow direct or raise seedlings
Soil
Well-drained, fertile soil
pH
6.0 - 7.5
Soil Temperature
20 - 30 °C (68 - 86 °F)
Seed Preparation
No special preparation required
Sowing Depth
1 - 2 cm (0.5 - 1 inch)
Plant Spacing
30 - 45 cm (12 - 18 inches)
Row spacing
60 cm (24 inches)
Watering
Regular watering, keeping soil moist
Germination Time (Days)
10 - 14 days
Harvest Time (Days)
60 - 70 days
Good Companion Plants
Corn,Sunflowers,Nasturtiums
Bad Companion Plants
Potatoes,Sage
Pests
Cutworms,Aphids,Spider Mites
Diseases
Downy Mildew, Powdery Mildew, Root Rot
More About Us
When I started this journey in 2009, I found nothing existed commercially, that was reasonably priced and easy to use. There was a homemade system which I also found was not that user-friendly.
Then a friend of mine told me about a homemade method she used. However, when I tried her method, I found this also didn’t suit my needs, as it too had flaws that I considered where important. It did not keep vermin out, did not have a lockable lid and (to me) looked unsightly in the garden
