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What’s the most popular crop in our vegetable garden? Easy! It’s cucamelon. The fruits, which look exactly like tiny watermelons, rarely make it into the kitchen; instead, we gobble them up by the handful, straight from the vines. The plant is a member of the cucumber family, and these inch-long fruits do have a cucumber-like flavor with a pleasing citrus tang. Growing cucamelons in garden beds and containers is an easy way to enjoy this unusual vegetable.
This post is an excerpt from the award-winning Niki Jabbour’s Veggie Garden Remix © Niki Jabbour. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.
Our family loves trying different kinds of cucumbers. Each summer, our cucumber beds are planted with at least a dozen species and varieties, but few look like “traditional” cucumbers. As you walk the pathways between the beds, you might notice the slender twisted fruits of ‘Painted Serpent’ hiding beneath a mound of foliage, or the weird kiwi-shaped fruits of ‘Little Potato’ climbing an A-frame trellis. You’ll also see some of the more popular heirloom cucumbers, like ‘Lemon’, ‘Crystal Apple’, ‘Boothby’s Blonde’, and ‘Poona Kheera’. And you’ll definitely find one that isn’t related but nonetheless tastes like a cucumber — the cucamelon!
Growing cucamelons – cute & crunchy!
Very rarely, you might find cucamelons at farmers markets, but they can fetch up to $20 a pound! The price alone makes it worth growing cucamelons for yourself. They’re an easy crop; the vines are very productive (they’ll produce plenty of the yummy fruits!), and they’re rarely troubled by the many insects and diseases that plague cucumbers.
Impatient gardeners will find cucamelons slow to start in the garden, with growth not taking off until the summer weather heats up. That said, they will tolerate a cooler spring better than cucumbers do, and once they’re established, cucamelons are quite a bit more drought tolerant. The long vines are delicate looking, with tendrils, thin stems, and small leaves, but don’t be fooled! This is a plant that can hold its own in the garden. People with limited growing space can plant them in a large container on a deck or patio; just be sure to provide a tall trellis or garden netting for the vigorous vines to climb.
Growing cucamelons – when to harvest?
About a week or two after you see the first flowers, begin checking for ripe cucamelons, which look like little watermelons and are about the size of a grape. They tend to hide behind the foliage, so look closely. Once they’re about an inch long, start picking. The sourness of the skin intensifies as the fruits age, so pick them young if you want to minimize the citrus bite. We start picking the first fruits in late July or early August, with the last few plucked from the vines in late October.
Cucamelons are open-pollinated and produce both male flowers and female flowers on the same plant, so you can save the seed from any ripe fruits that fall to the ground. Warm-climate gardeners will find that a few cucamelons left behind will self-seed quite easily.
There are so many ways to use these fun fruits, also called Mexican sour cucumber. As the name suggests, they’re perfect for pickling! We eat them out of hand, pack them in the kids’ lunch boxes, and take them along to picnics and barbecues. You could even pop them into your gin and tonic.
Growing cucamelons – start to finish!
Growing cucamelons is easy! Start the seeds indoors 6 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow the seed in 4-inch pots to give the plants a chance to develop a substantial root system before planting out and to minimize transplant shock. Once the risk of frost has passed, harden off the young plants and move them to the garden. The soil temperature should be at least 65 degrees F (18 degrees C) before you transplant them outdoors.
Gardeners in northern regions with unpredictable late-spring weather may wish to protect young plants with cloches, row cover, or a mini hoop tunnel. Open the ends of the tunnel during the day to regulate temperature and allow air to circulate. I usually leave the mini tunnel in place for 2 to 3 weeks, depending on how quickly summer arrives, then replace it with a trellis.
Heat, sun, and rich soil are the keys to growing success with these plants, so pick a site with full sun and amend the soil with aged manure or compost.
More cucamelon growing tips
Seriously consider trellising the plants. We grow ours on sturdy A-frame trellises; this keeps the foliage and fruit off the ground, which minimizes the risk of diseases and makes harvesting a snap. Also, unsupported plants will sprawl in every direction, quickly taking over a garden bed.
If you want to save the seeds of heirloom cucumbers and cucumber-like plants, such as burr cucumber, just let a few fruits ripen fully on the vines, or collect any fallen fruits at the end of summer. Scoop out the seeds, which will be surrounded by a gel-like coating, and place them and the flesh in a container, along with a small amount of water. Leave the mixture to ferment for 3 days (expect mold to form on the surface). The good seeds will sink to the bottom of the container; when this happens, pour off the mold, pulp, and water. Rinse the seeds left at the bottom of the container with fresh water until clean. Spread them on paper towels or a clean dishcloth and let dry for at least a week. Store the fully dried seeds in envelopes.
Cucamelon facts:
- Other names: Mexican sour gherkin, mouse melon, Melothria scabra
- Days to maturity: 75 days from transplanting
- Hails from: Mexico and Central America
For more information on growing cucamelons and related crops, check out these excellent articles:
- How to plant and grow cucamelon seeds
- How to overwinter cucamelon tubers
- 12 of the best small cucumber varieties to plant
- Growing cucumbers in containers
Order your copy of Niki’s book, Niki Jabbour’s Veggie Garden Remix, which was a winner of the American Horticulture Society Book Award.
Hi
I see you are watering them twice a week, I am in the south of France and am watering them every morning, they seem to go well do you think I should hold on on the water ?
Thanks
Hi David, if that’s working for you than I would stick with that. I base watering on the weather for most crops. Sometimes it’s 2X a week, other times it’s once a week. Happy growing! Niki
Heart broken that my Cuca’s have lost all their leaves and almost dead. Started in March/April indoors and 3 out of 3 seeds came up wonderfully (London).
I did leave all 3 seedlings/plants in the 7cm pot for too long and they were lightly root bound, but I transplanted them and sheared underneath and side to promote growth. Then planted all 3 plants (in one root ball) into a 30cm pot (this is probably where I went wrong). They were going great, looking colourful and healthy – lots of sun in the day and hardening during the eve until bringing indoors before bed. Up until 2 weeks ago where they were left out overnight every so often during some bad rainy weather, but well drained. Now they’ve lost all their leaves and 2 out of 3 have completely died. The 1 stem is still green and hanging in there. Any advice/thoughts on why? Over watering, a disease, weekly tomato plant food killed them? Can the remaining one be brought back from the hospital? Thank you.
Hi there, i purchased a small cucamelon plant from a local gardening store about a month ago here in alberta canada, and put it in our garden. It hasnt grown at all and i worry its going to die. All the other plants i bought that day are flourishing except for that one. It hasnt grown. At all. Any tips?
Hi Miranda, I’m sorry to hear it’s not doing well! It’s been cold on the east coast and I only transplanted my cucamelon plants last week. Ideally, they want warm temps and it’s better to wait. Frost will kill it. If your temps haven’t been above (at least) 10 C every day/night, it’s prob sulking as it doesn’t like cold. Hopefully your warm weather has arrived. If so, it should start to put on growth once the summer weather arrives. So as long as it’s still looking green, it will grow… but you likely won’t see much until the heat comes. 🙂 – Niki
So I started my seedlings inside in April and I transplanted our to the garden 3 days ago and they all died. So disappointed. Is it too late to try and direct sowing in the garden? I’m in Halifax, NS which is zone 5b. Thanks!
Oh I’m so sorry to hear it!! But it is likely too late. You can try if you still have seeds. But I know places like Oceanview Home and Garden in Chester had some seedlings and also Halifax Seed has been getting plants in here and there. You may try calling to see if they have some left. Good luck! – Niki
I was just about the ask the ‘arch over two raised beds’ question! Thanks for the answer. I’m in PEI (also 5b) so I’ll wait a little longer before planting mine out. SO exited. Thanks.
Hi Niki, I was inspired to try cucamelons after attending your excellent talk in Edmonton a year or two ago. The seedlings were doing well and after hardening them off I put them in planters against my south facing wall about a week ago. The leaves have become dry and brittle and the plants look very sad now. I didn’t think to protect them and the nights have been cold, down to +1 C. Do you think they are finished this year? Thanks for your very helpful books!
Hi Georgina, oh I’m so sorry they aren’t doing well. They are a heat loving vine from Central America and do need plenty of heat. I don’t have mine out yet in Halifax… they’re hardened off but won’t go into the garden for at least another week. They don’t grow if the temps are cool anyway so it’s best to wait. You can see if yours bounce back but if they are dead maybe you can source a new seedling or two at a local garden centre? Good luck! Niki
Hi I live in Halifax and I have about 12 transplants started from seed. They are just beginning to send out vining tendrils. I have a trellised wire archway bridging to raised beds about 7 feet high. I am thinking on planting them to vine over the trellis. How far apart should I place my plants? I have them in peat pots but wondering if I should add anything further to my soil?
Hi Linda. I would amend your soil as you do for vegetables – compost or manure and some organic fertilizer. And if it’s about a 3 to 4 foot wide arch you could probably put four plants (two per side) on it. Fun! – Niki
I start mine in moist paper towel and a ziplock bag on a thermister controlled heated seedling mat. They are a 99% success rate within 3 days, Then i pop 2 in each starter tray pod 🙂
I notice alot of people having trouble starting them and it can take up to 3 weeks to germinate. This way works almost perfect every time for me
I just walked over to our fence and seen a vine with miniature watermelons on it and googled it…..I’m like wow!!! My father n law had seen them before but didn’t know what they were.
I’m excited ♥️
They’ve been growing wild but now I know imma take care of them and see what happens♥️♥️♥️
I’ve never heard of it before. Thank you, Nicki!