Exotic Pepino

Exotic Pepino

Trailing melons Pepino - PEPINO GOLD - (lat. Solanum muricatum) - belongs among very popular, exotic-looking plants with sweet fruits. Every gardener is proud of an excellent harvest. With Pepino you will be a great gardener even on your balcony, where you can place a hanging pot with this trailing plant. From each purchased seed grows a unique plant that may look slightly different each time. The fruits will always be unrivaled. Tasty, juicy, rich in vitamin C.

Pepino belongs to the family of higher dicotyledonous plants - Solanaceae (lat. Solanaceae). This family also includes, for example, eggplants, tomatoes, goji berry, tobacco but also poisonous (toxic) plants. Solanaceae plants grow almost all over the world. The origin of Pepino is therefore not precisely known. It is most commonly cultivated in Italy, in Europe, but its true homeland is Peru and Colombia.

Pepino is a similar plant to, for example, potatoes or tomatoes, which belong to the same family - Solanaceae. The flowers of these plants are similar. It grows to a height of 3-50 cm. In hanging pots it forms cascades. Growing from seeds is successful. Pepino is also a decorative plant. It has dark green petiolate leaves that are up to 15 cm long.

Pepino thrives in warmer regions. Therefore, it is not a commonly cultivated plant in the Czech Republic. It is grown in the private sector, where it is easy to provide ideal conditions for a few plants. Enthusiasm for the tasty fruits has found its regular growers. Those who once grew an abundance of these fruits continue growing them.

Pepino fruits are tasty, sweet and juicy. They grow up to 12 cm in size. They have a thin yellow skin that can be streaked with purple, dark green, or dark red. The fruits of this plant also look decorative.

Growing Exotic Pepino

In our conditions, exotic Pepino is grown as an annual plant. The germination success rate from seeds is high. The plants are healthy, strong and fruitful. If you have ordered seeds in a package of 7 pcs in our e-shop, let only as many plants germinate as you have space for in your apartment. Prepare space for the pots and for the expanding vines of the trailing melons.

For sweet fruits, the following germination conditions must be met:

1. Seeds have a long vegetative period. This period is 50-60 days longer than, for example, growing tomatoes. Therefore, start germinating Pepino melon seeds as early as January.
2. Seeds require warmth during germination. It's advisable to place the dish with germinating seeds under a lamp. You can also use a mini greenhouse for germination.
3. Seeds germinate best in horticultural substrate or perlite, or a mixture of both. Moisten the surface sufficiently with a spray bottle.
4. The first seedlings will appear after approximately two weeks. Pepino plants are very weak and thread-like at this stage.
5. After a month, the seedlings are suitable for transplanting. At two months, they are about 5 cm tall and have a more stable root system.
6. During this period, you can prepare a pot for transplanting the seedlings.

Recommendation - choose a spacious self-watering pot for Pepino. The pot should have a minimum capacity of 2l per plant.

For the transplanted plant, we recommend pinching off the top in approximately April to encourage the plant to branch out.

In a pot that's too small, your plant may not flower. It wouldn't have space to fully develop. If you're growing the plant in a planter box, choose a planter measuring 40 cm for one Pepino melon, or 60 cm for two plants.

Place a drainage layer at the bottom of the prepared pot/planter box. Prepare horticultural compost, into which it's advisable to mix fertilizer. The best choice is Hoštice fertilizer with chicken manure. You can find this fertilizer in our e-shop. It will also be useful for other crops.

TIP: If you're growing Pepino indoors on a windowsill, secure the pot/planter box well. The plant grows very quickly and the hanging vines with heavy fruits could tip over the pot. If possible, create a temporary structure for Pepino to which you can attach the vines. You'll grow 10-15 fruits from one plant.

Pepino starts flowering approximately in July. You'll get your first fruits in September. The fruits will continue ripening until the first frosts. Before frost arrives, it's advisable to shelter the plants - for example, indoors or in a greenhouse. In a greenhouse, the rest of the harvest will ripen until approximately mid-November. Overall, don't let the plant get frosted.

Don't forget to fertilize crops grown in planter boxes regularly. They deplete the nutrients from the small space very quickly. You can fertilize with, for example, common fertilizer - Kristalon start, or Kristalon for flowers and fruit. Always follow the recommended instructions. You'll recognize over-fertilization very quickly - Pepino flowers drop off and you won't get a harvest.

Watering must be balanced. The roots cannot tolerate waterlogging. They could rot very quickly. However, don't let the substrate dry out completely either. Water preferably with settled water, without chlorine content.

Overwintering is also possible with Pepino. After fruiting, place the plant in a cooler location. Stop fertilizing. Let the plant rest. The room temperature should not drop below 5°C.

Pinch out Pepino like tomatoes. This will ensure bushy plants. You'll promote flowering and a richer harvest.

Ripe Pepino fruits have a wonderful aroma, sweet taste and look fantastic. You'll impress not only your own family, but also every visitor. Try fruit salads and compotes in combination with these exotic fruits that you can easily grow on a balcony in an apartment building.

Pepino - Sweet Trailing Melons

The tasty fruits of Pepino match citrus fruits in their vitamin C content. The fruits contain 7% sugar.

If you manage to grow several plants and they all produce well, then try making exotic jam from Pepino fruits. You can add pineapple juice to the base, for example. Try Pepino in fruit salads and compotes. It also decorates vegetable salads.

Pepino fruits are most often consumed ripe, freshly picked, sweet from the sun. Treat yourself and your children to a healthy source of vitamin C that you'll have right at hand. Given that part of the harvest may ripen as late as mid-November, you can also try autumn flavors in combination with exotic Pepino.

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Author: Hana Michalíková