Melon Pear Pepino

Description

The gorgeous round fruits of the Melon pear are cream skinned with purple streaks and have deliciously sweet and juicy flesh which is a succulent mixture of honeydew melon and cucumber. It is grown in a manner similar to its relatives such as the tomato, although it grows naturally upright by habit, and can thus be grown as a free-standing bush. Supports are sometimes used to keep the heavy crop of fruit from pulling the plant down. It has a fast growth rate, bearing fruit within 4 to 6 months after planting, and seeds are rarely produced in the UK. Although it is strictly a perennial, making a sizeable shrub, it is often cultivated as an annual, the attractive fruit often being seen in markets in Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Chile.

Sowing Advice

Seeds are surface-sown or covered only slightly. Do not allow the soil to dry out. Containers are held in warm conditions until sprouts appear, which may take anywhere from 3-10 days. Move sprouting plantings immediately to bright light conditions, such as a south-facing window. Inadequate light is a frequent cause of failure of young seedlings. At about the time of last frost, set out seedlings into grow bags. Plants may need staking but there is no need to remove the side shoots.

Key Facts